David B Parker / The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP, File
The Cal Neva Lodge and Casino in Crystal Bay, Nev., is pictured in this July 1997 photo. The resort, which closed in 2013, was formerly owned by Frank Sinatra and counted Marilyn Monroe among its guests. Now, the new owners are planning renovations for the new Proper Hotel, which is scheduled to reopen in 2026 for its 100th anniversary.
Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Fans of Marilyn Monroe and the swinging 1960s in Lake Tahoe may have missed their shot to stand in a piece of history.
The new owners of the former Cal Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe recently shared renovation plans and design inspiration for the new Proper Hotel planned for the 13-acre lakefront property.
The proposed plans include a massive makeover for the aging hotel property. Built in 1926, the resort was later owned by singer Frank Sinatra and soon after made famous for Sinatra's celebrity guests and the alleged scandals surrounding their visits. The plans include the construction of several new cabins and the preservation of the resort's lakefront pool, marked with an underwater line to divide California and Nevada. They also include tearing down the waterfront cabins made famous by Sinatra's gallivanting guests as they tried to avoid the paparazzi, including Cabin 3: the accommodation where Marilyn Monroe spent her final weekend alive in August 1962.
The hotel's ownership changed several times following its construction. It was owned by Sinatra from 1960 to 1968 but permanently shuttered in 2013. It was recently owned by Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who then sold it to real estate and development group McWhinney for an estimated $58 million in April.
"The remaining cabins have been neglected for many years and now are structurally unsafe [and at] risk of collapsing, create a fire risk, and have environmental contamination," McWhinney Senior Vice President of Hospitality Development Jason Newcomer told SFGATE via email. "Unfortunately they are past the point of being able to rehabilitate." The update coincides with efforts to save Monroe's Los Angeles house from an already approved demolition as preservationists push to make the home a Historic-Cultural Monument.
Newcomer added that the company has received many requests to try to preserve the resort's historical artifacts but that many of them were already gone by the time McWhinney took ownership of the property. "The rich cultural history of the Cal Neva is extremely important to us," he added, "and we are working with local historians to source original photographs and artifacts in an effort to incorporate design elements that pay homage to Cal Neva's cultural significance."
The public announcement is the first of many in the Cal Neva's revitalization process, with the goal of opening during the hotel's 100th birthday in 2026. According to the project website, McWhinney plans to integrate many of the historic features of the Cal Neva into the new property. That includes the stage and showroom area built by Sinatra and once used by entertainers from Dean Martin to Ella Fitzgerald; the "Indian Room," famous for its lofted ceiling and oversized stone fireplace; and the 360-degree "Circle Bar," with views of Lake Tahoe.
It's unclear what tourism, environmental or traffic impact will be caused by the construction of the new hotel, as well as the nearby Waldorf Astoria Hotel slated for 2027. Both are in Crystal Bay, an area known primarily for vintage (and generally beloved) old-school nightlife, rather than modern or eco-friendly properties. But resort developers say the updates already include plans to improve the site's environmental impact. Newcomer told SFGATE that the plans include updated stormwater management, new landscaping using native plants to create more open space, and potentially some degree of solar energy integration.
Newcomer also said the company hopes to find a use for the Cal Neva's most infamous feature: the underground tunnels built during Prohibition and allegedly used to smuggle Sinatra's gangster friends around the property and connect performers to their private bungalows.
"Previous to our ownership, many of the tunnels had been filled in, [and] the remaining portions of the tunnels are under the historic lodge," Newcomer says. "We are looking at how we can utilize the remaining tunnels as part of the programming of the hotel."
So 1960s history fans may still be in luck: There's at least a chance the Cal Neva's once-popular secret-tunnel tours could return. Even if you can't stand in the cabin used by Monroe, you may be able to at least once again walk the same hallways as the Hollywood star, as well as Dean Martin, Sam Giancana and more of 1960s Lake Tahoe's most well-known star guests.
