Exceptional service and history, great food Had a work lunch at the Athenaeum and was a gift of an experience. Lunch options came from a brunch buffet or a menu. Standard fare for lunch, as well as cool Asian fare mixed in-- lechon (Filipino pork), kalbi (Korean seasoned shortribs), seasoned tofu. The environment is relaxed and the service is superbly attentive, wait and facility staff both checking in on you and ensuring your experience is positive. Was able to have a tour afterwards, as well. There are hotel rooms, along with a bar decorated by pictures of their Nobel Laurates, and a basement with Albert Einstein's bench. Sat in it to see if I could get some extra intelligence radiating from the spot. Absolutely a place to visit and enjoy... read more

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Great breakfast with a mom friend. Decor and ambiance is very suitable fora Peaceful morning. Service is excellent Not busy at all. Good for conversation. read more

My 1,000th review goes to the Athenaeum. What a dream come true! I never, in a million years, thought I'd ever be able to experience the majesty of this private club on the hallowed Cal Tech campus. It was truly serendipity as to how this came to be... I became a bit enamored of the Oppenheimer film and came one day to wander around. At the end of the campus, I encountered the grand Athenaeum. I looked online and was saddened to find out it's an exclusive club and I figured I'd never see the inside! Then something magical happened! Foothill Unity Center (I had volunteered there in the past) emailed me about a fundraiser at the Athenaeum! Awestruck as I entered this hallowed space, I looked up down and all around and resisted the immediate urge to take a ton of pictures. It's gorgeously old school with that classic 1930's vibe. The appetizers, drinks and desserts (provided by the Athenaeum) were stellar! There were special cocktails for the event. They were so delicious that I had two! The servers were hardworking and generous. Supervisor Kathryn Barger honored us with her presence at the event. Einstein, Oppenheimer and even Prince Philip have either lived here (used to be apartments) or stayed here (now a hotel). Many famous scientists and others have spoken and dined here. If you ever have a chance to attend an event here or dine at brunch or brunch - make sure to leap at the opportunity! Highly recommended! read more

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Dining at the Athenaeum is always a special event. Today was my third or fourth time. Before I dive in, let me give a bit of back story for context. When I was a very young adult I was invited by a friend on faculty doing research at Cal Tech who was also an alumni. "Meet me at the faculty dining hall" So still a teen, I showed up in a T-shirt, Jeans and sneakers. I arrive and immediately surmise by the elegant blue haired ladies dining wearing pearls and the tweed jacketed baldies that I was in the wrong place. The ever go gracious Maître d' ask if I needed help. I said, "I think I'm lost, I'm looking for the cafeteria". Then my friend shows up in jeans, sneakers and a shirt with a pocket protector and exclaims, "you found it, let's go in!" If you look it up, "The Athenaeum at Caltech is a private membership club, founded in 1930 with the aim of promoting social, cultural, and intellectual exchange. " Another visit was with a friend and the ladies of her family including her fabulous matriarch mother. We attended the holiday tea service years ago in the seasonally decorated main dining room. Today we met a friend on the board of Trustees and Cal Tech Doctorate. We dined outside alfresco. The canopy shading the courtyard created a beautiful diffused lighting and kept the guests cool in the afternoon sun. When we arrived the service was in full swing, every table seated with a diverse and interest array of people. The Crab salad was fresh and flavorful with sliced cherry tomatoes, avocado and fresh dill garnished with grilled lemon wedges. I had a few sweet potato fries that are served in a little wire basket. The service was attentive and again, always a special treat to dine here. Truly a Pasadena gem read more

The Athenaeum - Entrance - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

I had breakfast here and it was delightful. The dining room has a lot of ambiance: the wood paneling is ornate, and there's a great hushed atmosphere throughout. It feels like there's deep intellectual conversations going on throughout. But the food is really, really, good. I got the breakfast sandwich and it was awesome from top to bottom. The brioche bun was delicious, the hash brown was crispy, and the fried egg was perfectly cooked such that there was just the right amount of yolk. We also shared the pancakes for the table and that was a genius move. They're fluffy, yet have a great texture similar to an almond cake. Replete with the berries and the syrup, it was an extremely tasty addition. read more

A friend invited us to lunch at the Athenaeum. This is a members only venue. From the architecture to the food, everything was excellent. My chicken sandwich was so crispy and flavorful! For lunch, it came with a soup and I tried the cream of asparagus. It was very creamy, and I actually couldn't quite tell it was asparagus. It was very similar to broccoli cheddar. Service was friendly and food came promptly. Being on the Caltech campus, it had a very scholarly feel to it. I can only imagine how perfect this place would be for a wedding or event. It was such a treat to dine here! read more

The Athenaeum - Chicken sandwich - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

You need to have a membership to dine here. I'm unsure of how one can become a member, but I'd love to be one! My team had a staff retreat at Caltech and our connection made a reservation for us to dine here for lunch. Parking lot is for members only. We had parking passes so we were able to park there with no issue. You can find a street parking, but it might be difficult and you'll need to walk over. I absolutely love the aesthetic of this place. Staffs are friendly and service was excellent! I noticed there is a buffet but as a group we decided to order from the menu instead. I ordered Grilled Hanger Steak which came with chipotle lime marinade, garlic yucca fries and roasted corn salsa. I was blown away by how delicious it was! I did not expect that at all. I seriously would like to come back! read more

The Athenaeum - Complimentary bread - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Recently I had wonderful experience to attend a luncheon at the Athenaeum. The Athenaeum is a private membership club on the campus of Caltech that started in 1930. This private club features guest rooms and areas to have meetings or parties. When you step into this club you are immediately feel like you are stepping back in time. The club has nicely retained its ambiance from the past. The rooms are appointed very nicely. The room that I had my luncheon in was adorned with wood paneling and a fireplace lite for our event. The food was very nice, although quite traditional. And the service was excellent for our luncheon. The waiters knew the proper side to take dishes away and place dishes on the table. I appreciate this great service. read more

The Athenaeum - Patio area for dining - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Stopped by for lunch with a member of the club. I went with the lunch buffet because people had raved about it. Overall not impressed. The brocollini was tough and over cooked, the prime rib was either bloody or tough, with not much flavor. Tried a couple other selections on the buffet but only enjoyed the fruit tray. My wife had a chicken sandwich and shared a little, that was was way better than the buffet. If I came back I would definitely not do the buffet again. read more

Was here for a company event and the food was good but not great per se. Service was good but slow (albeit we had a large group). Beautiful venue. You can only come here if you are a member of the club/school. read more

The Athenaeum - Open face chicken blt - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

We had our staff retreat at Caltech and had a wonderful experience dining at The Athenaeum. This is a beautiful place and I loved the decors. For lunch, they have a buffet option but we opted out of it. Everyone loved their meals. For me specifically I had the steak medium well. The steak was cooked perfectly, so tender and delicious. The potatoes were crunchy! The sauce was tangy but paired very well with the corn and overall dish. I would love to come back here. The service was excellent. read more

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This was my 4th or 5th visit to The Athenaeum. I never thought to write a review before, since it requires you to be a member, or be invited by one. But when I saw there were other reviews, I thought I should add my own experiences. They have a dress code which they're pretty strict on, when dining in the main dining room. It's relaxed for outdoor dining (but still has some restrictions, such as no shorts). Parking in the adjacent lot is marked as "for members only", which always made me wonder if I could park there. Turns out that, yes, when invited as a guest, you can park there. I stayed overnight in a guestroom once. It was "cozy" (small!), but very nicely furnished, clean, quiet, and comfortable. I had breakfast that morning, which wasn't particularly memorable (except I remember loving the coffee). I had the buffet dinner couple times, which was very good. If I were to be invited, I'd definitely have that again. My most recent experience was with a private event. It was outdoors, but the space was tented, so it almost seemed as if it was indoors. The Athenaeum provided the space, and also the wait staff, bar, and food (buffet style). Just as with every meal I've had at The Athenaeum, the food was quite good. But this one was the only less-than-great experience I had. The wait staff I encountered were not especially friendly (rather abrupt, IMO). The buffet food was in short supply, so they actively discouraged people from getting seconds. My husband hadn't filled up his plate entirely the first time, expecting to go back and try more. They took his knife and fork, even though he asked to hold on to it. Probably a good thing for his waistline that they did. Bottom line, if you are ever invited to dine or stay at The Athenaeum, definitely do! (I haven't mentioned pricing, because as a guest, I have no idea how expensive things are.) read more

The Athenaeum - Private catered event outdoors in a large tent - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Came here for an exclusive dinner with my husband and his work associates, one of who is a member. Cocktails were superb (get the sangria!) and food and service were excellent. We dined on multiple appetizers...the plantains, shoshito peppers and grilled artichoke were all winners. I had the red snapper and hubby had the korean short ribs. Both were amazing and the presentation was top notch. We shared a few desserts, but the stand-out was the strawberry matcha cake. Would not hesitate to return to try more cocktails and the rest of the menu! read more

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Purchasing the membership to the Athenaeum was my first ever experience with exclusive clubs similar to this, and my experience at the Ath was pleasantly surprising. The value of the membership is really worth it (with great value prices on gourmet food, access to events, and reciprocal benefits at clubs such as the Harvard Club in Boston), and the food at the Athenaeum is absolutely excellent. My favorite perks would have to be the monthly events they hold, such as the Father's Day Event and the AYCE Prime Rib Buffets. They have a wide variety of food at buffets and all of it is incredibly fresh, well-prepared, and thoughtful. They have something for everyone and it is perfect for large parties or for meet-ups with friends and family. The service is top notch and it is an incredible experience all-around! The first event we attended was the Father's Day Event, which had varieties of steak, corn on the cob, dessert, popcorn and more. The environment is perfect for treating your friends, co-workers, or family to a nice meal. Each event has different varieties of food, and we even got to sample things like crab legs, sushi, ube ice cream and more. read more

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Beautiful outdoor dinning at the Rath Al Fresco ! Serving Dog menu that's very sweet and i brought my Chihuahua there! Very delicious Kobe beef burger ! I always enjoyed Athenaeum cocktail drink ! Very satisfied with Tokyo old fashioned, Oaxaca old fashioned, and Black Manhattan ! Price not bad for a Private club. Great Attentive service! Enjoyed ! read more

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It's a private club. We came the prime rib dinner. Dinner is only for members and their guests but the management kindly sponsored us as we used to be members and had our wedding here. The prime rib was great with horseradish, au jus, and Yorkshire pudding. There was a mash potatoes bar, sushi station, selection of salads, seafood with snow crab legs and cocktail shrimp, and a whole dessert table with macarons, bread pudding, and pastries. read more

The Athenaeum - Prime rib night drinks menu - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

Beautiful place. Top of the line service. Great food. I highly recommend this place. Went to weddings here.

We recently had the chance to attend a wedding here. This is a members only club for Caltech related staff / alumni I believe. The venue was lovely and the food was great. We also got to learn a little about the history of the prestigious university as I had always thought it was associated with the Cal State system or Cal Poly - I was very wrong haha. read more

My sister invited me to have the Christmas dinner buffet at the Athenaeum at Caltech. I absolutely love it!! The food, the service, the decor and the ambiance were outstanding. The prime rib, the raw oysters, the crabs, the sushi, the salad, the soup, the fish, desserts and everything else tasted so good. I would love to come back here again & again each year. My sister, if you are reading this review, please don't forget to make this our family tradition & invite me again next year [...wink ....wink ( ! ~) ]. read more

It was a wonderful experience to dine at the most prestigious and memorable place. It was one of the loveliest spots in Pasadena. The building is very nice. It's a private social club, member with the guests only. You can't get in without a host who is a member. If you really want you can buy a membership (see their website for details). It was a Prime Rib Buffet Wednesday dinner. There are many staffs and they were VERY attentive (will kept come over to ask if you finished your plate and offered to take it away for you) and the way their customer service were in a splendid way. The meals were deliciously great. I love and would go for second and third plates were the mashed potatoes, green beans, and Roast Prime Rib Au Jus (yummmm). The only thing I regret was I didn't get to tried all their desserts before they were out and it was around 8pm and they didn't have anymore Berry Crème Brûlées. Overall, it is a very elegant and extravagant place. Reservations can be made on-line also; walk-ins cannot be accommodated. There are parkings on the street with 2 hours limit or the parking lot on property. Semi-formal for dress code. MUST be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination (they do check before seating you). It was a remarkable experience to dine here. Great food and service! read more

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This an outstanding hotel. The service was excellent, and if the people working were always pleasant and helpful. The location is on the CalTech campus. The hotel also has much interesting history. It is convenient to stores as well. The rooms are small, but very comfortable. The restaurant is excellent. While our group's meals were prearranged, there was good variety in the food and it always well prepared. read more

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We attended a special birthday dinner here for a dear friend. Once I realized where it was located, I knew to dress up a bit. The building itself is quite beautiful and the indoors take you back to another time. The service was quite good but a touch on the stuffy side. I assume that is because of their usual clientele and the demands they put on the staff. But for our little event, I wish they could have loosened up a bit. There were passed hors d'oeuvres before dinner. They were nicely done and the staff made sure they made it all around the room. Dinner was arranged in advance so there was no menu. I had the chicken which was prepared nicely though the plating was rather plain considering we were in an upscale environment. I expected more. Overall, the evening was pleasant. I'd like to say I'd return to check out their regular menu, but it's a private club so I'll likely not have that chance. read more

I've come to the Ath for many Caltech-related occasions. Donor events, alumni events, mentoring dinners... I can say that the food can vary tremendously from day to day. Some days the food is salted to a point where it is inedible, some days I'd want to get seconds for all the dishes. In general, I found the lunch menu underwhelming, while the dinner menus generally tend to be good. Their course menus have always been very good too. The burger is a safe choice for any occasion, but more adventerous menu items can be hit or miss. Their menu changes quite frequently, which I appreciate. Their dessert is always on point! The berries-athenaeum is a fan favorite, and the matcha panna cotta is my personal favorite. Note that the Athenaeum is only available for members and their guests! read more

The Athenaeum - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This review is only for the holiday lunch buffet (2018). fyi parking was a breeze - valet was not necessary - just park in the streets before you turn into The Athenaeum. Wow! It is so pretty here during the holidays! Really makes you feel special to dine here with all of the Christmas decor. Of course the location and history is what one wants to experience here, but the food was actually really good! Not to mention the attention from the wait staff was spot on. I loved all of the lunch buffet options. There were so many fresh salads; potato salad, tuna salad, pasta salad, quinoa salad; I think a vegetarian would be very pleased! My favorite item though was the salmon Wellington. It was fishy and delicious! The puff pastry was flaky and the salmon was incredibly moist. If I wouldn't have been with my colleagues, I would've gone for seconds! Hope I get to visit The Ath again soon! read more

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Came here for a wedding so can only speak of that, the groom was friends with a member and was able to land this venue. The small parking lot labeled as members only is conveniently adjacent to the building. I've lived in Pasadena my whole life and never came here before, so it was neat to see and appreciate architecturally! The building looks like Spanish style with Corinthian columns the interior also has an "old-timey" feel as well. Beautiful building for a moderately sized wedding, where you have access inside and out (enclosed patio) and the whole party can be contained. They had the ceremony outside at 4 pm sharp, so for November in Southern California it wasn't hot or cold with perfect lighting. After the ceremony but before dinner we moved to a large room connected to a patio area for cocktails and appetizers. This was nice for guests to mingle and take photos, the bartenders are a bit finicky and don't take initiative, for example, you ask for a Mule and they say they don't have mint and leave it at that. So you have to list each individual ingredient out for your mixed drink since they do have spirits, ginger beer, and lime. Service for everything else for the night was pleasant. After that dinner was in the main room, lovely champagne colored draping around the central chandelier gave a luxurious feel. Lighting and sound from the speakers were done right with microphones for speeches. Even though there was a higher ceiling I did hear any weird acoustics, the way they arranged the tables in a square around the dance floor area was optimal for those first dance viewings. Great place for a wedding, would recommend to anyone who has that membership connection! It's a more unique and exclusive venue compared to the standard hotel ballroom. read more

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Food and service excellent. Atmosphere top door Parking available Drinks and Wine resonabile read more

Food quality went downhill since the pandemic. It is really very bad. I have rarely had food this bad. The two stars for the location and the environment. The food deserves zero stars. It is funny that they have this feedback card that asks customers to comment on the staff's "wine knowledge". Ok, may be they can give me some pure alcohol so I can get very drunk and forget about the abysmal food quality. They also have a dress code. No shorts or flip-flops for dinner. What a pretentious place. I subtract one star for the dress code. Now it is one star only. read more

Very unique experience, very historic, great food, beautifully decorated for Christmas, the service was top notch, totally loved it.

Cocktails are delicious here! The food in the main dining room has been inconsistent. I've eaten in the restaurant about five times as a guest of members. I think it was a slow-cooked short rib dish of some sort in fall 2023 that was excellent, but other dinner options were just okay. I had a truly abysmal beef sandwich for lunch. It was all fat, very little meat, and just not good at all. I regretted ordering it. It also takes a while for your dinner to arrive. I recommend the outdoor patio buffet as another option. My group seemed to enjoy that option. The historical ambience is nice! read more

The food was amazing!! Service was good and the ambiance was beautiful and relaxing!iiu

Absolutely beautiful and stunning view, decor, and environment. Wow I really would like to have my wedding here... too bad this place is only open to members only and their guests. I just love the decor here and all the intricate designs they have and just the feel they give me overall. Perfect place to take pictures too! I came here for the Wednesday night buffet and I didn't really expect too much. Crab legs were the best part for me, I've never tasted such amazing and delicious ones! Prime rib was also pretty decent. However, the fruits that were cut up had a fishy taste to it... like it was accidentally mixed with the seafood or something. The dessert was SO GOOD, it was vanilla bean ice cream with banana flambe so gotta save room for that no matter what!! I was so full when I ate it but it was so delicious I had to get seconds still. If you can find a way in, I would definitely recommend checking out their Wednesday dinner buffet! read more

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This is a members-only establishment. An old friend who works at CalTech, and therefore eligible for membership, invited me to join her for lunch. Note that there is a dress code specified on their website. This old historic building has lots of character with the columns, intricate lighting fixtures, portraits of stuffy looking Athenaeum presidents of yesteryear and grandfather clocks. After checking in with the hostess we decided to eat outside in the patio area. As we looked over the menu we enjoyed some incredible bread. The basket contained a few fresh variations but I found myself partial to the pretzel bread. I ordered a Kobe beef burger which came with fries and a strawberry lemonade to drink. The beverage was refreshing and not too sour, sweetened with fresh strawberry juice. The thick flavorful burger was presented with only bacon, grilled onions and cheese on the meat patty with lettuce, tomato, avocado and pickles on the side to add as I pleased. The sturdy bun was perfectly sized to handle the burger while not being "too much bread". The fries, I was told, were made in-house and were very good - the thin and crisp type. From the dessert menu I chose a chocolate & peanut butter mousse. The beautiful plate had a scoop of vanilla ice cream on one side and a peanut butter mousse coated in chocolate on the other with both chocolate sauce and peanut butter sauce connecting the two. For added decadence, two pieces of caramelized banana also sat on the plate. Truly an incredible dessert to be highly praised. Service was attentive, professional but a bit stodgy. It took some work but I did eventually get a slight grin with one of my supremely witty comments. Diners were primarily wealthy (judging from both the caliber of cars being parked by the valets and the clothing worn) and elderly. Fortunately tables are comfortably separated and lunchtime conversation followed proper etiquette and was kept at a well-mannered low level. An enjoyable meal at a unique location; next time I'll be sure to bring my smoking jacket and pipe. read more

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Oh Ath, I love you in the morning (breakfast is really good, I love all of their ever changing hashes), and in the afternoon (strawberry lemonade with all you can eat buffet? Perfection). I love you in the evening (try the prime rib dinner at least once, while it is very expensive, the all you can eat prime rib, seafood, sides and dessert is delicious), and underneath the moon (Rath Al Fresco where I can eat with my friends outside while munching on garlic fries and drinking nice beer and wine, amazing). So skitery inky dinky dink, skitery inky do, Ath I Love You! read more

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Wow, I didn't expect this type of place to be located in Caltech! This is a fancy venue, but I'm doing this review based on my lunch. You have the option from ordering from the menu or doing the buffet. We opt'd for the buffet which had a decent variety of dishes. There are a lot of sides followed by a few entrees (usually beef and salmon). Since it's a buffet, the food prep wasn't perfect, but the quality was better! There was minimal interactions with the staff, but everyone seemed really friendly. Maybe because we had a professor with us? Anyway, awesome place that's very elegant! read more

Came for a wedding reception. This is a very nice place in a good location. I especially liked the high ceilings. The food was pretty good also. read more

The Athenaeum is a stunning and lovely restaurant. The interior is bright and airy, and the gorgeous Spanish architecture pays homage to the history of the university and the surrounding area. Service is classically southern Californian - unpretentious, relaxed, but also elegant. We were seated between two arches, and enjoyed a pleasant, light breeze with our lunch. Both my parents did their doctoral degrees at CalTech, and are still friends with many of their professors, which is how we were able to dine here. I've only had lunch at the Athenaeum once so far, but still look back fondly on the experience. I ordered the Japanese pumpkin ravioli, which consists of Brussels sprouts, sage, pecans, goat cheese, roasted squash, brown butter sauce. It was light, yet filling and presented beautifully. I think it is one of their autumnal specials but I'm not too sure. All the flavors complemented each other wonderfully, and the dish tastes quintessentially fall - a perfect blend of spice, savoriness, and a light sweetness from the roasted squash. If all of autumn could be stuffed in a ravioli, this meal would be it! The ravioli was tender but well structured, and melted in my mouth. One review mentioned that they had been to several university clubs, and that the food here was mediocre. If we are comparing the Athenaeum to other university clubs, I can personally attest that The Athenaeum is a much more enjoyable experience than my own university's club in New York (the Yale Club), which is considered to be one of the top clubs in the world. What truly makes the difference is the ambience and environment crafted, and the Athenaeum has learned how to execute that perfectly (and I think part of that has to do with the perpetually sunny weather of Pasadena!) I sincerely hope to be back soon. read more

The Athenaeum - Japanese pumpkin ravioli - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The Athenaeum is members only. No money is exchanged when you dine here. They just charge everything to the member's account. A perfect dining option for when you forget your wallet at home! FOOD Great quality. The lunch buffet is a popular option. It offers a nice selection of salad, soup and protein. They even offer dishes like poutine. Prime rib buffet is available Wednesday nights. SERVICE Great. AMBIENCE The place is beautiful and comfortable. There is indoor and outdoor seating. PARKING Small parking lot. Self parking. Free read more

This venue is absolutely gorgeous!!! I came here for a corporate celebration party and the set up and the utilization if each room was stunning! I reccomend you valet, since I already know you are looking like a million bucks, might as well feel pampered! The stairs leading into this amazing location is a must take picture. We were greeted with a live classcal band as we walked up into the entrance. They have a dance floor and outdoor courtyard rooms. If you do not want it to be outdoors, they will put the most beautiful white silk sheet to cover the top and adding a breathtaking chandler with it. I mean come on people, how many places do you know have a silk ceiling with a classy chandler?? I would totally love to rent this out for a wedding, however you do need to know someone affiliated with Cal Tech to do so! read more

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My daughter goes to Caltech, and I've had the pleasure of staying in the hotel, dining in the restaurant, and attending some special events. First off, the facility is beautiful, and people who work here are friendly and helpful. The accommodations, food, and service are all exceptional. Really enjoyed the Thanksgiving Eve dinner--wonderful place! read more

amazing Mediterranean buffet, very fresh & the meat was well cooked! our favorite was the steak! outdoor seating was wonderful under the trees, not many people- great ambiance. read more

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