Tahoe resort once owned by Frank Sinatra to reopen as hotel
Guests at a swimming pool at the Cal Neva Lodge on the shore of Lake Tahoe, USA, 1959. The resort and casino straddles the border between Nevada and California. It was owned by Frank Sinatra from 1960 to 1968. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Get
LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A derelict Lake Tahoe resort that was once owned by Frank Sinatra has been acquired by a real estate firm that hopes to renovate and reopen it.
The Cal Neva Resort, which sits on the border between California and Nevada, was recently bought by McWhinney, which intends to restore the property to glory and make it part of the Proper brand of hotels.
McWhinney says their planning includes "reimagining" the resort, which opened in 1926 and closed in 2013, as a "modern leisure travel destination" while staying true to its historic roots.
Guests from the resort's heyday included such as John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. Sinatra later redeveloped the 13-acre resort in 1960 and owned it until 1968.
Some aspects the project runners said they'll keep intact include the "historic" Indian Room and Frank Sinatra Showroom.
"We are thrilled for the opportunity to craft the next iteration of this one-of-a-kind resort…Our vision is to reimagine and revitalize this iconic resort with deep historic roots into an exceptional experience for guests and the local community to enjoy for years to come," CEO Chad McWhinney said in a press release.
NORTH LAKE TAHOE, CA - MARCH 17: The entrance to the dilapidated CalNeva Lodge is viewed on March 17, 2014, in North Lake Tahoe, California. With 2013 the driest year in recoreded history. Despite the current drought conditions at lake level, tourism
A couple at a swimming pool at the Cal Neva Lodge on the shore of Lake Tahoe, USA, 1959. The Cal Neva resort and casino straddles the border between Nevada and California, and the line on the bottom of the pool marks the state boundary. The resort wa
Slot machines inside the Cal-Neva gambling lodge, which belongs to singer Frank Sinatra. (Photo by Don Cravens/Getty Images)
A swimming pool at the Cal Neva Lodge on the shore of Lake Tahoe, 1959. The Cal Neva Lodge straddles the border between Nevada and California and the line on the bottom of the pool marks the state boundary. The resort and casino was owned by Frank Si
O. Gloria Okorie is a digital reporter for KTVU. Email O. Gloria at o.gloria.okorie@fox.com or call her at 510-874-0175. Follow her on Twitter @ogloriaokorie.