Tanner Walker
Staff Writer
The Club and Guest House at UCSB held its grand opening Jan. 31 to celebrate the completion of a major renovation and expansion that began in 2014. The Club is designed to serve guests of the UCSB campus. Parents, conference leaders, guest speakers, or anyone who meets the affiliation credentials are welcome to use the club’s services. By offering housing, dining, and meeting rooms as well as a full-service catering and cleaning staff on-site, the Club hopes to meet any needs a visitor could have.
From the the angle most students will ever see it from, the redesigned Club and Guest House is a non-descript, almost drab building. However, the interior and lower courtyard give a completely different impression. Bright, vibrant colors throughout the interior and sleek furniture along with an open floor plan give the main dining and bar area a modern feel.
“I really like the space,” fourth year communication major Nicholas Turton told The Bottom Line. “I also love the modern decor and architecture.”
The windows that seem small and oddly placed from the outside are perfectly arranged to frame a wonderful view of the lagoon when inside. The courtyard just outside is hidden from all sides except one, which gives guests a private experience separated from the madness of bikes and skateboards rushing to and from class.
“We did a lot of things to preserve the original architecture,” John Ruble of Moore Ruble Yudell Architecture & Planners. “But we changed it in a way that 20 years from now it won’t be necessary to come back and remodel the building all over again.”
At the grand opening ceremony, Club staff entertained UCSB faculty and prospective guests with an open house and free appetizers and drinks.
Taking a self guided tour with a pamphlet provided upon entering the Club revealed 34 luxurious rooms. Each room comes with a choice of one king or two queen sized beds, a 43” TV with over 100 channels, a refrigerator, and wi-fi. Every room also has an amazing view. The shape of the building helps block out sights and sounds of surrounding areas, focusing attention out of the rooms and across the lawn down to the lagoon.
While the rooms available are very luxurious, they come at a steep price. Rooms start at $270 per night for non-members and $230 per night for members. Club staff says that even before their official grand opening they have had many guests, so making a reservation in advance is advised.
Following the same tour inside the main part of the building leads guests through the Club’s three meeting areas, which are just as luxurious as the hotel rooms. All the latest technology, like touch screen smart boards with built in PC and web cam, are standard. There is also a 1,300 square foot pavilion that can hold over 100 people.
However, due to its relatively small size and high price the newly redesigned Club and Guest House is surely not an option for all UCSB guests. In fact, annoyed students could cite the cost as a reason for their parents to avoid visiting them while away for school. However, those with the means to stay there will not be disappointed. Having such luxurious accommodations right on campus could make a visit to UCSB even more desirable and attract important guests.