A big wow for Pasadena
 

What a gorgeous place. We stayed at the Langham Huntington, which used to be the Ritz Carlton, and can't say enough good things about this hotel. The grounds were beautiful, the food was terrific (ended up eating dinner there for both nites of our stay), and the service phenomenal. Staying at the hotel would have been enough to make this an enjoyable visit. This could be one of my favorite hotels.

The Behind the Velvet Ropes tour of the Gamble House was very interesting. My husband is very into woodworking and the arts and crafts style of architecture so he really loved this in-depth tour. The docent who led the tour was very knowledgable. All in all, a very pleasant experience.

Pasadena itself is beautiful. Each house that we saw was more beautiful than the next. We will definitely return. There was lots we didn't get to see in our short time there.

Back in the early 50s I took swimming lessons at the Huntington hotel. I also took my butterfly net there & caught butterflies. We had our wedding reception there. Glad it's still top-o-the-line!!

Stu Dudley

Pasadena is one of those places that are too often overlooked. The Norton Simon Museum has a great collection.

if you didn't do it on this trip, be sure to check out the Huntington in nearby San Marino next trip, the Arboretum in Arcadia and Gus's BBQ in South Pasadena

We're going back to Pasadena in Feb. We will take another in- depth tour of the Gamble House, this one focusing on woodworking. Will definitely see the Huntington this time, too, as didn't have a chance on our last visit.

This time, however, we won't be staying at the Langham Huntington, however. We have reservations at the Courtyard in Old Town Pasadena and I understand we will be within walking distance of many restaurants.

Nothing like old money in Pasadena and San Marino..
Langham hotel is a lovely hotel and glad you had a great time..
I'm so glad you stayed there..very stately and so many of us forget about staying there but its a stunner.
Love staying at the Langham in Boston..they do hotels first class luxury!
Did you get a good rate?
Makes me want to go up and revisit the area.
Thanks for the report and glad to know the food at the hotel is excellent too..its the only Michelin rated restaurant in LA.
Thanks OTC!

The chef at the Langham is Michael V. who won Top Chef.

orangetravelcat - missed your post the first time around. I'm glad to hear that the Behind the Velvet Ropes tour was good. I need to bring DH along for that tour next time we're in Pasadena! Enjoy your next trip!

This time we're doing the Details and Joinery Tour.
Should be interesting.

Thanks, nice to hear. Stayed at the Peninsula Beverly Hills for my birthday last year, and kinda wished I'd stayed here --- seriously underwhelmed by the Peninsula.

Not within walking distance of all the Pasadena restaurants and probably higher rates, but I'd rather stay here than the Courtyard:

http://www.arroyovistainn.com/

I live in the Bay Area - and have been in Pasadena exactly once in my life, despite having been in the Los Angeles area a hundred times. So, it sounds like Pasadena would be a terrific place for a weekend trip? Should we plan on two full days or three?

My thought would be minimum 2 days. You have the Gamble House, the Norton Simon Museum, and the Huntington Library & Gardens (the latter can easily take up an entire day).

Can one tour the Gamble House? (We live in a 100-year old Craftsman, so it interests us to see what a "fancy" craftsman looks like on the inside). Also, we might drive down, so we could do other things as well -- we've never been to the Getty, for example, and I'd like to see it for the grounds and architecture at a minimum.

Well, I just looked it up - so now I know that the "Behind the Velvet Ropes" tour mentioned in this thread is at the Gamble House.

Yes, at Gamble House, there's the regular tour (which I took about a year ago), and the more specialized & longer tours that orangetravelcat mentioned.

There are also numerous Arts & Craft houses in that neighborhood, and the gift shop at Gamble house sells a map listing the houses. All are private, so you can only drive by or walk by to see the exterior.

If you add in Getty, you'll need at least another day. The Getty offers free tours of the architecture and of the gardens. If you go, check their tour schedule in advance. I've taken a few of the tours and they are really fantastic.

And if you want to visit Getty Villa in Malibu, you need to request tickets (free) in advance via its website. (And add another day to your trip.)

But - don't miss the Huntington Library. It has a HUGE outdoor area with different gardens planted, plus buildings with galleries & wonderful art and rare book collections.

If you do go to the Huntington Library, try to make time for afternoon tea.You should make a reservation, but you can be lucky and get in without one. It is the best anywhere!

If you click on the link I provided, you'll find you can sleep in a restored Craftsman.