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Brookdale Lodge
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24 reviews for Brookdale Lodge
alright, what's the big deal with this place? Haunted? didn't feel anything...supposedly hot bartender? She's alright, didn't do much for me. Creek in the middle of the dining room? Ok that's kinda cool, but not for me to drive all this way. And how I let my friend sucker me into seeing some crazy band here is beyond me. Maybe it was all the caffeine we had. Favorite quote of the night from a friend after way too much coffee:
"I'm ready to go to the fucking batting cages!!"
Otherwise this is a tourist trap!
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More shady dealings at the lodge. Sheriff's in the bar collecting money from patrons directly because of unpaid bills, guests falling in holes and dying, dead fish,fraud, fires, hmmm. The plot thickens.
From the Press Banner:
Detectives arrest Brookdale Inn owner
by Michelle Camerlingo/ Press-BannerOct 23, 2009
Brookdale Inn and Spa owner Sanjiv Kakkar was arrested on multiple charges this week by detectives with the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office.
Kakkar, 48, was arrested at 1:20 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, on suspicion of not having workers compensation insurance, not paying an employee's medical bill after he was hurt on the job and paying workers with bad checks, according to the district attorney's office.
He was released on $75,000 bail that evening.
Judge Paul Marigonda signed the $75,000 warrant, and Kakakar was taken in without incident, inspector Craig Tanaka said.
"The investigation is still ongoing," Tanaka said. "There have been numerous complaints, and he knew there was an investigation going on."
The inquiry that led to Kakkar's arrest began about two months ago, Tanaka said. The investigation began after a worker was injured on the job and Kakkar refused to pay his medical bills.
Kakkar is also under investigation for a slew of other problems, including an August fire that burned rental apartments behind the lodge, the case of a guest who died in September after a fall on the property, and many unpaid bills, among other allegations.
Fire officials and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are both investigating the suspicious August blaze that burned 20 apartments and four cars, displacing 65 people.
Robin Carlson, 35, of Boulder Creek, died Sept. 26, just days after he fell into a construction hole near the lodge's pool.
Former resident manager Dallas Shea said she was not surprised by Kakkar's arrest.
"He deserves everything he gets," Shea said.
Shea, an independent contractor along with her husband Randy, recalled several paydays when employees' checks were missing and said she felt sorry for the young workers who relied on Kakkar to pay their rent.
"They always cried, broke," Shea said. "We used to race to the bank when we got our paychecks."
Kakkar terminated Shea and her husband's contract in August after three months, saying he could not afford to pay for their management services.
Before his arrest, Kakkar gained local notoriety for mismanagement of the famous inn that was once a stop for the likes of legendary entertainer Marilyn Monroe and President Herbert Hoover.
Since buying the 119-room hotel in 2007, he has poured millions into restoration, including remodeling a wing and repainting the entire lodge.
But even as he set out to restore the lodge to its former glory days, problems with construction and employees accompanied the remodel.
Tanaka, the inspector on the case, asks anyone with complaints against Kakkar or the lodge to call him at 454-2400.
Problems pile up at the Inn
* Just after taking ownership in 2007, Brookdale Inn and Spa owner Sanjiv Kakkar was cited by the county's Environmental Health Department for allowing uncovered garbage to accumulate behind the lodge.
* In July 2008, a backed-up pipe in the kitchen prompted a worker to pour cleaning fluid down a storm drain. The chemicals killed about 50 endangered steelhead trout in nearby Clear Creek.
* Kakkar was sued for $25,234.31 in November 2008 by the Ledyard Co., a Santa Cruz food service company. He has not paid the money, and the case remains open.
* Kakkar owes $25,000 in back property taxes, according to county records.
* According to county planning department files, Kakkar started building projects without permits and applied for them later. He also worked for months without a building contractor. Both circumstances violate state law.
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10/4/2009
It's been a long time since I've been to the lodge, but I found myself in the bar again. We stopped… Read more »
Biker convention causes no major disruptions
by Peter BurkeSep 18, 2009, Valley Press:
A few hundred Hells Angels motorcycle club members arrived in Brookdale for a weekend convention at the Brookdale Inn & Spa last weekend.
No major disruptions were reported as the group rented out the inn's grounds on Friday, Sept. 11, and Saturday, Sept. 12, including the Brook Room restaurant, the lounge and dining room, Brookdale General Manager Andy Poon said.
"I talked to them and told them they could have a good time, and if anything happens, the sheriff will have to come and shut them down," Poon said. "I didn't have any problems."
The club blocked the driveway with tables, turning away guests who were not part of the convention.
The group left the hotel in good working order, Poon said.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office fielded three calls from locals reporting the club's presence at the lodge.
One person reported that the parking lot was blocked and that a number of people appeared to be drunk, and there was another complaint about someone beating on a car as it turned into the parking lot.
The sheriff's office was aware of the convention but did not take any enforcement action, as the convention was on private property, and no significant reports were made.
"As I was driving, I saw a ton of them leaving the area," Sgt. Sefan Fish said.
The inn has hosted the club in the past for conventions; however, the previous one was before Sanjiv Kakkar bought the hotel in 2007 from Bill Gilbert, Poon said.
Poon said he is looking to the response of the community to see if the inn should host the bikers in the future.
"Maybe it's good here (in) that they boost business with the hotel, but maybe not if they have a problem with the local people," he said.
Poon said he didn't hear much from the locals in the days following the convention.
"I really had no guests or people in the area complain," Poon said. "If people have concerns over it, then we'll make a judgment call."
The Hells Angels is a worldwide motorcycle club that started in Southern California and migrated to Oakland, according to its Web site.
The FBI has released reports tying Hells Angels members to various violent and drug-related crimes.
As of press time, the Santa Cruz Hells Angels had not returned e-mails seeking comment for this story.
Enough said.............
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/20/2009
It just keeps getting worse. Now, the part of the property that caught fire a few years ago, has… Read more »
This place is absolutely disgusting and incredibly overpriced. The Sunday brunch was $20 a head, plus extra for anything besides water. We left a 10% tip, which was generous, so our table of 4 cost $106!? $106 hard earned dollars for the worst breakfast I've EVER had in my life.
The scrambled eggs that appeared to be cheesy were actually so severely undercooked they were still runny. Gag. Some pieces of bacon looked as if they had never even touched the heat of the grill. Double gag. The potatoes were burnt. The french toast was soggy. What a complete disaster.
This place is just an all around dump. I'm not even sure how it passes a health inspection. The whole joint is run down and dirty. Kind of a shame too, because it could totally be salvaged. Old pics tell a story of a classy joint perched up in the red woods of the Santa Cruz mountains. Those days are LONG gone.
Oh, and take a drive around the back if you really want to get a feel for how much class the Brookdale Lodge has lost over the decades. Seems they converted old hotel rooms into tenement style housing. Straight ghetto. Half even looks to have been recently ravaged by fire.
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I have not been here. Recently a friend suggested that we stay here and I did some research. I was alarmed by the reviews here on yelp. Below are just some of the convictions for the 5 registered sex offenders that live here that I found through the megan's law website.
CONTINUOUS SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILD
ORAL COPULATION WITH FORCE, VIOLENCE, ETC.
RAPE BY FORCE
LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS
ATTEMPTED LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS
Needless to say, I told my friend there was no way I was gonna stay there. Thanks yelpers!
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Brookdale Lodge is a part of the Santa Cruz Mountains community since WAY back. The history of this place is astounding which includes presidents staying there, janis Joplin playing there, local bands making their appearances, all the way down to prohibition days.
The Brook Room is GORGEOUS. The old photos of the room when it first opened are even more beautiful. I never cared for the Santa's Village look -- but, I will take what I can get.
Brookdale Lodge closed down -- and is re-opening! Please check it out, keep it alive for future generations to come.
I will always love Brookdale Lodge.
(be careful, though -- many areas are haunted -- I know we got spikes of activity near the pool)
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I came to Brookdale lodge and stayed in the honeymoon suite it was better than I expected we heard the creek all night and the glow of the fire place in the bedroom was so romantic - had trouble finding a restaurant that was open ended up eating convenience store food but was a very nice stay in general
The Lodge is going through a large scale remodel. It is only partially finished so not all of their services are up and running. Still the staff was super helpful and friendly. The Restaurant was fabulous. Six of us rode up and checked in late. The Restaurant owner/chef kept it open for us and he and the two waitresses provided a memorable meal experience. This is the 3rd time we have stopped at the Brookdale Lodge on our motorcycle adventures and it will not be the last.
My wife and I stayed there in 2002, and we had to be moved to a different room because the floor of the original room we had reserved was "wet." Yuck.
Flash forward to 2008. The decor in the main entrance has been updated, but they apparently have theft problems, as there are absolutely no items in the rooms, and, even more disturbingly, NO INTERNAL LOCKS on the doors. (If you are a woman, this should send you anywhere but the BDL.) WTF: Were too many people passing out in the rooms, necessitating forced entries?
This place is really disturbing. Management needs to either pour the capital into appropriate improvements, or sell this thing off to someone who can actually rennovate. I can honestly say I really am bothered by the fact that there is NO INTERNAL LOCK IN THE ROOM, and thus can be accessed by any creepy crawler with a key.
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Poor ol' James Dean stayed here. There used to be a painting of him, red jacket in a Marlboro Man pose. Then they painted over it. Then a guy repainted him who had never seen James Dean and got an "F" in fabric shading in art school. His hair looks like a golden yellow cat turd and his pants are full of writhing tumors.
Which is how one would see the Brookdale Inn. It looked nice once, then someone painted over it, again and again. There is still hope though. It's still in the middle of a great metamorphosis.
And if you are unlucky enough to miss the first turn into the hotel parking lot, you will make the next turn on to Clear Creek, and see the REAL back of the Brookdale. It's a long stretch of tenement grade apartments made from old hotel rooms, The staff housing there takes you back to Steinbeck, the Grapes of Wrath, and the first depression in one surprised glance. Dirty Dancing it ain't, but you will see people lounging about with beers in sleeveless under shirts, kids trying to play in the street, piles of evicted peoples junk, and guys wandering around drunk.
Currently the "brook" has been torn out completely and is under rennovations. I am hoping the staff quarters are next.
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* Review of the music venue and common areas only.
The 130+ year old Brookdale Lodge did not host live music during my Santa Cruz residency (2000-2004), but several of its features, most notably the grand dining room with its granite and fern-banked natural brook cutting a path through its center, made it a draw worthy of the drive up Highway 9 with visiting friends. Herbert Hoover apparently fished off the dining room bridge and Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe enjoyed stays here in the 1940s -- the Lodge's heyday.
And then there are the rumors of hauntings by the niece of a former Lodge owner. She drowned in the in the dining room creek in the early 1900s and still today guests report hearing muffled cries of, "But I don't like peas and carrots and I won't eat them!" throughout the grounds.
Cathy V. remarked on the drive down to Brookdale Lodge on Saturday night that we would probably burn in hell for seeing a band called Dead Child play here. I was more concerned that we would actually burn in a hotel fire since THIS SITE IS A TOTAL MESS with perhaps 75% of its buildings and rooms in various stages of renovation. Eager to show Cathy the dining room we found it barricaded and unlit. I learned later in the evening that the Lodge is under federal investigation for killing some forty endangered steelhead trout after an employee dumped some cleaning solution down the wrong drain and it ended up in the creek.
The stage was way too dark. Couldn't see half the band which was unfortunate because Dead Child can play and I'd have liked to see, as well as hear, them play. Way too much time -- want to say over 30 minutes -- passed between the 2nd and headlining bands, probably because nobody could see anything. I guess someone was enforcing too literal an interpretation of black metal. We wandered from the bar to the outdoor patio and back inside and finally broke down and asked what appeared to be hotel staff for the room rates and gasped.
So much history and potential here. The oddly muraled mermaid room, adjacent to the very small music hall, is another highlight waiting to happen, but for the moment no water fills the pool and no view fills the window.
If you're driving through, stop and check out the dining room (or call ahead to see if they've reopened it), and if you are a huge fan of whatever band, and it's your only chance to see them, why not...go for it, but I recommend steering clear of the accommodations.
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Wow, I have never read such vicious reviews of a place ever on yelp. If you haven't read them all do so, they will amaze you. Ghosts, sex offenders, homeless, drunk bums lurking in the lobby's. Incredible! If half of them are true I wouldn't go within 100 feet of this place.
MY REVIEW IS ONLY FOR THE BAND AMBROSIA THAT I SAW HERE, THAT'S IT.
So don't be freaked at the 5 stars. I would not stay here after looking at this yelp page comments, never.
However, the concert I saw was great. The sound was wonderful and the band seemed to love playing here. I came early and they were all sitting together eating dinner and couldn't be nicer to me. It was really a fantastic experience.
Good luck Brookdale with all of the renovations but it looks like you are going to need more than that to regain a good reputation in Boulder Creek. Ouch!
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If it weren't for the ghosts, I wouldn't go.
OK, that's not entirely true. I did go to see a Van Halen cover band there once and it was a decent time. The place is old, and it's only been somewhat taken care of so I can't complain. The Brookroom's food is OK, nothing special. The bar serves good drinks and as a place to see a band, it's decent. The river that runs through it is the real attraction, followed by the ghost girl that everyone talks about.
I've stayed in one of the rooms and it's not too big or too expensive. I liked the bathrooms for tight coziness.
The little history display is actually kinda cool and I spent a lot of time there. I was really impressed with the amount they held on to and the little display cases were very cute.
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I love the architecture of the Brookdale Lodge.
The bar is one of the lamest I have ever been to. The bartender? A plastic Barbi doll imitating beauty (YUCK). A self involved,unknowing,unmotivated staff with a propensity towards violence,four fifty for a plastic cup of beer.
&#@! THAT!!!
I have not ate in the brook room in many years(Locals do not eat there) but I here that food is as bad as ever,the service is as sloppy and unprofessional as ever.
The motel (Not Lodge) rooms are a slight upgrade from a crack house.
What a waste of architecture.
What a waste of history.
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We stayed at the Brookdale Lodge when Burt Jansch was playing there in August ,07. We knew it was haunted but I didn't do any research because I wanted to experience the place with an open mind.
The grounds are pretty slovenly, with garbage laying around and ineffectual, half-assed maintenance. Rustic is alright, but this place is kinda thrashed. One of the staff told us that some of the rooms were rented to permanent residents who ran meth labs out of the place. It has that seedy feeling still, but so does the entire San Lorenzo Valley. I can dig stoned hippies but tweakers are creepy.
We stayed in the 1960s wing to the south of the main lodge. Our friends stayed in Room 46, supposedly the most haunted guestroom. The rooms are large, the beds comfortable, and the rooms are completely unremodeled, which I like. I kind of dig the cheapo, uggo. 1960s formica in the bathroom although the plumbing didn't work out so well and we were afraid that a bloody hand might crawl out of the toilet at any minute. Tried to pick up ghosts on the shortwave but to no avail. Our friends' room was certifiably creepy, and we didn't find out about the hauntings in Room 46 until later.
The main lodge, including the bar, the mermaid room, and the lobby feels very strange. Orb-like objects float around at times and I kept smelling gardenia perfume very strongly and also pipe tobacco, which is strange because no one was smoking. Found out later that one of the ghosts wears gardenia perfume! Some pretty creepy staff and old hippies running around but you kind of expect that in rural Santa Cruz Co. Better that than golfer businessmen and their frosty girlfriends though.
The Brook Room is definitely disheveled but beautiful, all done up in the 1950s in what I like to call the "Hansel and Grendel" style. Notice I write Grendel, not Gretel. The breakfast buffet is actually quite tasty and a pretty good deal, although the staff is definitely melfrazz (a combination of mellow+frazzled.
I actually couldn't wait to get out of the place the next day but for some reason but I am curiously drawn back to it at the same time. Think I might need to bring the EMF reader next time. There is definitely crazy sh*te going on here.
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***review of the historical aspect only***
we stopped by on our way back from San Simeon to check out the haunted brookdale lodge as one of the top 100 things to see before you die (or so we were told). There isn't really an ongoing tour and the brookroom which is base of the haunting is currently closed. however, the lodge has a great story - google the lodge to read about celebs, mafias, and more.
I love this place! It's supposed to be haunted and has been on the discovery channel as such but I haven't personally seen anything...
The restaurant is beautiful, it has a brook running through it with fish. There's a little bridge going over the brook to get to the other side of the seating and it's kinda chilly in there probably based on the fact that there's water running through it...
If you go for dinner during the week there's never many people in the dining area, most are in the bar. There's kareoke, birds, and a few arcade games too.
This is a great place for a date since there's so much scenery inside the restaurant... The food is good, I especially like their prime rib... On Sundays they have a champagne brunch buffett which is always packed and definately worth the drive and/or price. All you can eat, all you can drink and the food is great!
The lodge itself has a Marilyn Monroe suite which I can't wait to stay in! I love Marilyn Monroe and want to see what it's like in this suite... the lodge reminds me of either a scary movie set or a small town apartment building...
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Seriously, I lived in Boulder Creek for eight years and this place is a disgusting dump. I'm sure Barbie was very friendly to a male customer but she has clearly never had any time for me when I've gone in. Oh, and I don't require my beer in a glass, just quickly and without anything floating in it. Take a little walk around the beautiful 'grounds' if you want to rent a room in this place and check out the rentals in the back. This is a slum. I tended bar and served Lance for many many years and if he says not to drink somewhere I wouldn't go near it.
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Ok the hotel is old, run down and disgusting, and the rest of it seems to be a mish-mash of "Santa Cruz Kamp" meets ... meets I'm not sure what, but if you're ever there, ask to see the original log-cabin lobby. Seriously, the room is gorgeous. It's the original lobby area of the lodge, has a HUGE fireplace, and has a feel to it that is just ... amazing.
I got married in that room - and I can say that when I first drove up on the day my Mum and I were checking out places, I almost didn't go in. The Brookroom restaurant was so 60s looking, the hotel made me think of the Bates motel, and the rest is horribly camp ... but when the manager took me into the log cabin room and I saw it, I knew it was the place. I was looking for a room with character that also had a huge fireplace, the more rustic the better.
We booked a room in the hotel for the men to change in before the wedding, and that's really all it was good for, and the staff weren't top notch (but we really didn't need a lot of staff help, so that wasn't too bad), but they did have a huge roaring fire for us in the fireplace, they let me spend the day decorating the room to my heart's content, and the ceremony was everything I wanted (albeit COLD - that room is COLD in winter folks - even with a roaring fire at one end!)
So - rating the entire place based on that one room alone - and the fond memories of my wedding there - I'm giving it a 4. Otherwise ..l well, it's a property everyone should see once - just to say they have? ;)
Went to Santa Cruz, and wound up here to see Dead Meadow at this place.The stage and ballroom if you can call it that is a good one to see bands. You can smell the history here and reminds me of a mashup b/t the Bates Motel and that one ski lodge in the shining...cool! Supposed to be haunted by owner's daughter and Norma Jean Baker visited here...more cool! Can't vouch for the rooms or the food - but I'd be up for another visit. p.s. At night, look out for deer on the drive home, i saw three in a span of thirty seconds.
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i LOVE this place.
Its the bay area's best kept secret as far as I'm concerned.
Great food in the brook room, fun bands and laid back people.
The lodge itself is very old and has alot of history to it.
One of the coolest things about the brookroom is that there is a river that runs through it.
The lodge is supposed to be haunted and the brook room, however as a psychic I've never seen any ghosts yet. Lots of stories from the workers though!
The rooms are overpriced though and nothing to write home about.
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I just heard some Einstein ther dumped dangerous chemicals in to the stream that runs through the Brookroom resturaunt and killed 50 endangered Steelhead trout. Now they have the Feds on them and rightly so, It is all about Karma man, treat people like crap and it comes back to haunt you...hey...there is the haunted connection!!!!
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/22/2008
This Please is the biggest dump, drug haven I have ecver seen. The rooms are filthy, smell bad and… Read more »
I don't get it.
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Fun bar. Dark & creepy. Friendly locals.
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