Inside Doris Day’s Pet Hotel, The Cypress Inn
Legendary actress Doris Day passed away on Monday, May 13, and while many are currently remembering her iconic career, Day actually retired from show business in the 1970s. She spent the later part of her life in beautiful Carmel, California, and became an animal rights activist. It was part of this passion that inspired the singer and actress to open a pet-friendly hotel, the Cypress Inn.
The star purchased the historic Cypress West hotel in the mid-’80s, converting it into the establishment it is today. Before her ownership, the quaint hotel enjoyed a rich history of its own. From day one, when Dr. Rudolf Kocher originally built it as Hotel La Ribera in 1929, it was known as the perfect getaway spot. The local press dubbed the property “one of the show places of the Monterey Peninsula” when it opened.
The white-painted brick combined with the black and gold detailing of the exterior had an elegant feel in a town that was known for food, art, and high-end respite. Earl E. McInnis and his son, Frank, took over management in the 1960s, restoring and upgrading it to its original grandeur. With the changes, they also renamed it Cypress West.
When Day came into the picture in the mid-’80s, the star of hit movies like The Man Who Knew Too Much and Calamity Jane had left show business and had begun to devote herself to animal welfare. She rescued and helped thousands of animals and started her own organization, the Doris Day Pet Foundation, which later became the Doris Day Animal Foundation. It was during this time that she settled in Carmel Valley, California, and went into the hotel business.
While pet-friendly hotels might be the norm now, the idea was not as common when Day worked with local businessman Dennis LeVett to take over Cypress West and convert it into the Cypress Inn. But her top request for their new business venture was that four-legged guests would be as welcome as human ones. Thus, Carmel’s first pet-friendly boutique hotel was born, and it became known as the most famous pet hotel.
Architectural Digest covered the property in 1999, and it remains just as charming today. All 44 guest rooms have a Mediterranean vibe, and some feature fireplaces, living rooms, two-person Jacuzzis, and balconies. The on-site restaurant, Terry’s Restaurant + Lounge, has a similar Spanish Colonial style, done in “muted oyster and alabaster tones” and including “comfortable grey tufted leather banquettes rimming the outer room.” And the interior courtyard is a perfect spot to enjoy a pet-friendly Yappy Hour.
Day clearly loved the hotel, and fans have been creating a shrine outside of it in the days since her death.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
