dinah`s garden

DgINAH
’
S GARDEN
a
z
e
t
t
e
DINAH’S GARDEN HOTEL . . . GROWING EVER GREENER
2007
In Search of Dinah ... A Palo Alto Legend
hotel—a garden hotel—and they succeeded.
”This combination of rich planting, vibrant color,
variety of textures of materials and the
free layout of buildings makes for
an overall effect of a building
group of a most unusual
nature,” reported Arts &
Architecture. Said
Mobil Travel Guide:
“Outstanding—
worthwhile a drive
out of your way—
Four Stars.”
The hotel was situated
on five acres and had 40
units. All rooms had either
terraces or decks and were interspersed among two lagoons and a
large swimming pool. The guest rooms had radiant
F
ifty years ago, founder Raymond G.
Handley supervised the groundbreaking of Dinah’s Garden
Hotel which was originally
known as “Dinah’s Motor
Hotel” and was located
directly behind the
famous Dinah’s Shack
restaurant—a favorite
destination for generations of Palo Altans
and many movers and
shakers from Silicon
Valley’s early days.
The architect was the
renowned Robert Royston
who embarked with Ray
Handley upon a new look for a
❧
The gardens at Dinah’s feature both native and exotic plants
and are designed so that something is blooming all year round.
(Continued on following page )
A POOLSIDE EXPERIENCE
Guests enjoy lingering over lunch at Poolside Grill.
What do Walter Cronkite, John Elway and Graham Kerr,
“the Galloping Gourmet,” have in common? They have all
enjoyed the excellent food and warm hospitality at
Poolside Grill, located on the grounds of Dinah’s Garden
Hotel. Operated by the Magnuson family, Poolside Grill is
the oldest family-owned restaurant in Palo Alto. It is
famous for its large selection of tasty omelets, many of
which are named after 49ers and other regular customers
who requested their favorite ingredients in an omelet.
Poolside is open 365 days a year for breakfast and lunch.
Live Like a Baron — Our
Tribute to Mr. Stanford
Experience the opulence of a bygone era in our Railroad Baron’s Suite.
A Palo Alto Legend
(Continued from front page)
floor heating and mini bars with cold beverages
—a state-of-the-art amenity during the fifties.
Many rooms featured wood-burning fireplaces.
The spirit of innovation continued, as Dinah’s
was always on the cutting edge of hotel service
and design. Traveling the world collecting unique
works of art, Handley brought back to Dinah’s not
only beautiful room appointments but also the
knowledge of internationally known fine hotels.
The hotel was unique for its day and continues
to break new ground. For instance, Dinah’s was
one of the first hotels to have a Web site and
complimentary high-speed T-1 lines. Many areas
are now equipped with WiFi for our guests’
convenience.
From 40 rooms, the hotel gradually grew to 100
rooms and 50 suites. Dinah’s Shack is gone, but
the world-famous Trader Vic’s is in her place. And
who was Dinah? The C.A. McMonagle family,
who founded Dinah’s Shack in 1926, named the
A
ll aboard! Step into our
Railroad Baron’s Suite and
experience the grandeur of
days gone by.
In memory of Leland Stanford
and his influence on Palo Alto, we
created a suite that lets you live
like a Western railroad tycoon.
The carefully chosen furnishings
are sure to make you feel as
wealthy as one of the “Big Four”
railroad barons.
Above an antique mahogany
bed, an electric train circles the
perimeter of the room. The seating
area features a forest-green leather
and mahogany sofa and an Italian
saddle-leather desk.
In addition to this suite, Dinah’s
offers other themed suites, including the Southwestern, Asian,
Provence and African Suites. To
reserve a room or suite, call 650493-2844 or 800-227-8220. Or
visit www.dinahshotel.com.
restaurant after their beloved family cook. So from
1926 to 2007—we marked more than 80 years of
combined grand and gracious hospitality!
We’ve hosted notable guests such as Lou Dobbs,
Ken Burns and Lacie Davenport, as well as dozens of
Silicon Valley movers and shakers.
Shown with children on a trip to Africa, Raymond Handley
traveled the world collecting unique works of art that are now
displayed in Dinah’s Garden Hotel and Trader Vic’s Palo Alto.
REMEMBERING DINAH’S SHACK
Dinah’s Shack as it looked in the 1940s. Patrons filled the parking lot on El Camino Real, which was still surrounded by orchards.
G
uests have enjoyed casual dining at Dinah’s since Dinah’s Shack opened in 1926. The famous
gathering spot was known for its home-style cooking. The restaurant was frequented by many
from the nearby Stanford University community, including John F. Kennedy, who was a student
at Stanford Business School in the 1940s. Dinah’s fried chicken is still featured on our banquet menu.
D I N A H ’ S & P A LO A LTO T H R O U G H
THE DECADES
❧ 1926 — Dinah’s Shack begins serving its famous downhome delicacies such as fried chicken
❧ 1956 — Ground was broken for Dinah’s Motor Hotel.
The Stanford Shopping Center also opens
❧ 1957 — Dinah’s Motor Hotel opens in March.
Hewlett-Packard goes public at $16 per share
❧ 1968 — Stanford University Hospital incorporates
❧ 1970 — Xerox develops ARC in Palo Alto
❧ 1971 — Journalist Don Hoefler coins the term “Silicon
Valley” in articles for Electronic News
❧ 1977 — The semiconductor industry employees
more than 27,000 people in Palo Alto
❧ 1982 — John Warnock and Charles Geschke found
Adobe Systems after leaving PARC
❧ 1994 — The World Wide Web begins to emerge with
the debut of the Mosaic browser
❧ 1997 — Dinah’s debuts its international suites
❧ 2001 — Trader Vic’s at Dinah’s Garden Hotel
opens on the site of the famous Dinah’s Shack
❧ 2007 — Dinah’s Garden Hotel marks its 50th
anniversary. Help us celebrate our Golden Jubilee!
Visit us on the Web!
We’ve launched a new version of the
Dinah’s Garden Hotel Web site that is more
user-friendly for our guests. Visit us at
www.dinahshotel.com
and see how easy it is to
book reservations online
for your next stay. You
can also take a virtual
tour and learn about
attractions in the area.
To learn about the
legendary Polynesianfusion cuisine of Trader Vic’s, visit
www.tradervicspaloalto.com. From the Web
site, you can join our EClub to receive news
about events and members-only offers. When
you sign up, we will send you a Welcome Offer
for a complimentary dessert, and we will send
you a special offer on your birthday.
4261 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, California 94306
650-493-2844, 800-227-8220
www.dinahshotel.com
Go back to the thirties! Our FDR Memorial Suite features
memorabilia and artifacts from the Roosevelt Era.
And now...
Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Lounge is an eclectic venue for meeting friends old and new. The décor features authentic Tiki figures and
other artwork from around the globe. On Thursday nights, a Brazilian-style jazz and samba ensemble performs.
Watercolor by Dale Perkins