Padre Hotel

The Padre Hotel is the most architecturally significant building in downtown Bakersfield. Built in 1928 in Spanish Colonial Revival style, the ten-storey structure dominated the Chester Avenue skyline for decades and was considered one of the finest hotels in the Central Valley during the oil boom years. After a long decline and period of vacancy, it was comprehensively restored and reopened in 2010 as a boutique hotel with a rooftop bar and restaurant.

The building is worth seeing from the outside even if you are not staying there — the terracotta detailing, arched windows, and projecting cornice are well-preserved after the restoration. The lobby has been kept in period character. The rooftop bar is the most fashionable drinking spot in downtown Bakersfield and has good views over the city and toward the Sierra Nevada on clear days. If you are going to stay somewhere in Bakersfield, this is the obvious choice.

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The Padre Hotel opened in 1928 at the height of Bakersfield's oil boom, and its guest list over the decades included Merle Haggard, who played the local circuit before his career took off. The hotel declined through the second half of the 20th century, falling into disuse and eventually sitting vacant for years. A major restoration completed in 2010 brought it back as a boutique hotel — the kind of second life that most cities of Bakersfield's size never manage to pull off for their historic buildings.

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