I'm a bit of a Mt Ada regular; this was my 6th stay and, due to the rainy/windy weather, the most…read moresurreal. I stayed just after the long Valentines/Presidents Day weekend. All boats to and from Catalina Island were cancelled on 2 days of my visit, forcing other guests to change their travel plans. I ended up being the sole guest for all 3 nights of my stay here! With some whispers of Mt Ada being haunted (but not as many as Banning House Lodge in Two Harbors), I was a bit concerned, but fortunately had no paranormal experiences.
To briefly review Mt Ada's history, it was once the Catalina home of William Wrigley Jr. and family, of chewing gum and Chicago Cubs fame. He was instrumental in putting Catalina "on the map", and his descendants still own the Catalina Island Company, which runs Mt Ada, Hotel Atwater, Pavilion Hotel and Banning House Lodge, as well as other businesses. All my stays at Mt Ada have been with the Company, although it was previously run as a private B&B.
Mt Ada still runs as a B&B, as opposed to a hotel. It's a pricey stay but has many many perks that justify the expense. These include transportation to and from the boat or helicopter terminals, use of a golf cart throughout your stay, daily made-to-order breakfast and lunch, pre-breakfast continental breakfast, afternoon wine/cheese/charcuterie, 24-hour butler's pantry with snacks like gelato, chips, cookies and popcorn plus alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, discounts on Island Company tours and activities.
Currently there are about 4 main people interacting with guests at Mt Ada, plus "behind the scenes" kitchen and housekeeping staff. My past reviews have mentioned a stay here is more like a visit to a home, as opposed to a hotel. There will be times when you may not see any staff (especially at night). But Pierre, Liz, Tim and Yoli (Yollie?) work their hardest to accommodate guest needs--they are the chauffeurs, front desk, waiters, luggage handlers, concierges, etc. I applaud them all.
One of Mt Ada's pluses is its location on the hill (Mt Ada) above Avalon Bay, even above the main Bay viewpoint that all the rental golfcarts stop at (traffic jams are common here). It's quite peaceful, although in busy times the noise from "downtown" does carry uphill.
Mt Ada has 6 rooms. The room I booked was the Grand Suite, Mr. Wrigley's former bedroom. It's the largest room, with a separate living and bedroom, a bathroom with a separate shower and tub, and a large terrace above the first floor terrace. It has a fireplace, as do 3 other rooms, and a raised bed that requires stairs to access, as does one other room. The living room has an antique "radio" that is seen in photos with Mr. Wrigley. There are radio stations hand-written on it; I was appalled to see "graffiti" defacing this historic relic. The terrace is fabulous, but alas the weather prohibited much use; I feared the high winds would blow the cushions on the chaise lounges over the railing. Even the dining tables on the first floor terrace were stored; in more temperate weather it's the loveliest place to enjoy breakfast or lunch.
The breakfast and lunch menus have some new items and some old faves.
Once again a fabulous and peaceful stay. Thanks again to all the staff. With the Pavilion Hotel reopening soon, Mt Ada may be the next property to undergo renovations. I hope it does not lose its charm or homey character.