Coral Casino Opens: Esteemed Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club is Renovated and Ready

The Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, Montecito has officially opened following extensive upgrades to its amenities and interior architecture, meticulously designed by owner Ty Warner. Well-known for his astute sense of creating the best in the hospitality industry, Warner ensured every step of the process personally. 

To oversee the club is its new General Manager, Nash Tennant, appointed by Warner in November 2023. I interviewed Tennant about his new position. “Personally,” he shared, “this is a dream role for me to be at the helm of such a distinguished property – one that has always been unparalleled in its pursuit of timeless style and excellence in service.”

The latest renovations commenced in 2020. The club reopened with a private weekend soirée for its members on January 27-29 this year. For upgrading the club, Tennant provided, “The building is historic, built in 1937. We wanted to preserve the historic architecture of the building, while also creating a coveted private beach club like no other while providing a club experience superior to any other club in the nation.” 

The architect overseeing the recent project is Barry Winick of Winick Architects Inc. He follows the footprints of the building’s original architect Gardner A. Dailey in 1937, and the renovations done in 2005-08 by New York-based architect and designer Peter Marino. Winick was on Marino’s team during the 2005-08 renovations.

For this update, Winick in our email interview said, “The invitation to add new touches of excitement and refinement to the already iconic Coral Casino of course was a delightful challenge. Mr. Warner is the rare client who has lofty goals with an intuitive and clear vision for the project, and yet provides much flexibility for creativity in the process. We found ourselves layering onto and enhancing a great work of Streamline Moderne architecture and focused on elevating the lifestyle and experiences at the club. A significant green aspect of the project is that it is a historic restoration project, thus the preservation of the facility is inherently green through the reuse of the already embodied carbon footprint.”

I was invited for a walk-through with Tennant. One enters the club through the classic double glass doors with doorman. Immediately on the right wall that frames the reception desk is a large-scale black and white photograph of the club’s swimmers circa 1963 taken by its long-time photographer Hal Boucher. Tennant explained, “Ty wished to have this photograph showing both the men and women swimmers of the club. He selected the placement of the photograph next to the reception desk so our members can be greeted by the families and friends they are a part of, and know. We are installing similar photographs throughout the club.” He further added, “The sense of community shared amongst members has been incredible to see firsthand. The grand opening festivities on the weekend of January 27th felt as much a rebirth of the property as it was akin to a high school reunion, with many members seeing each other for the first time in four years. Community has and will always be the drive that keeps the members active, and a crucial task of my team and I is to flame through world class activations, programming, and engagement.” 

For certain it is the members’ sense of community – their generational memberships and friend groups they meet regularly at the club – that is the foundation of its strength of character. 

Warner and Tennant invited us to contact the members for their views, which we did through the club’s membership team. The members shared:

David and Pamela Peterson who swim daily at the club. David, “I’ve been very fortunate to have been a member of The Coral casino since I was 10 years old. I’ve raised my kids there and celebrated life’s joys at this beautiful one-of-a-kind club. Every time I walk in those doors (and it’s a lot), I am struck with gratitude for this magnificent gem. As an avid swimmer it’s truly the greatest pool on earth and right in our backyard… we love all facets of this very special place.” 

Pamela, “The Coral Casino is better than we could have ever expected. First of all, the location right on Butterfly Beach is the best view in Montecito and we have enjoyed sunrises and sunsets in the spectacular new whirlpool. We are delighted in the array of choices for breakfast at Fins and the cuisine for lunch and dinner at The Coral Café has been nothing short of a gastronomic delight every single time! In addition, the service and staff are professional, kind, and ready to help us with anything, anytime. We are relishing all of the inclusive classes, and we take Pilates with Or, yoga, and master swimming with Dawn a couple times a week. Thank you, Ty Warner, for creating such a spectacular space for all of the members of The Coral Casino and it was absolutely worth the wait!”

David and Shelley Neubauer, “One word, breathtaking. It is as if Ty Warner directed his staff, from design architects to mixologists – ‘Make sure that from anywhere our members are, no matter what they choose to do or where they choose to look, that the Coral Casino showcases modern design amenities, respects the beauty of the ocean and enhances the experience of simply being a member of the club.’ Ty Warner certainly with great love polished a gem. In grand fashion inspired by the grace and elegance of its storied history, the Coral Casino welcomed our family with a dazzling ceremony opening day. We look forward to everlasting memories with family and friends at Coral Casino in the coming years.”

As we walked through the club, Tennant and I talked about key points of interest among the 14 core updates. He detailed:

The newly constructed Coral Caféfeatures a Rosa Verona bar that seats eight with 96 dining seats in the café complemented by heaters and fans overlooking the ocean, mountains, and Sand Box beach. Highlighting this venue is a convex, ultra-wide 32’ LED sky screen with unsurpassed resolution and brightness of colors. This one-of-a-kind entertainment features programmable split screens and scrolling ticker feeds from around the world.

The Spa by the pool overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands is the largest glass spa in California, built with Japanese one-way glass on top. It features custom therapeutic jets that pulsate from the bottom and sides while seating 40 members in 102° water, color changing RGB lights, and underwater music. Bringing the ocean into the spa, it feels like you’re sitting in the surf. 

Keeping up with the latest in healthy activities, recently added is the Cold Plunge Pool. It is 3.5 feet deep with water temperature set at 45°.

Fins is a newly constructed dining venue seating nine, with an open kitchen serving coffees from around the world, fresh juices, smoothies, bowls, deli and snacks. It has a beautiful new Victoria Arduino cappuccino machine custom built in Italy with the exact specifications for club.

Speaking of menus, Chef Tim Hollingsworth is the interim culinary lead until Chef Thomas Keller joins. Hollingsworth started his career with Keller at The French Laundry, where he worked for 13 years, with four years as the Chef de Cuisine. Hollingsworth has won multiple awards throughout his career, including the Rising Star Chef Award from The San Francisco Chronicle and the Rising Star Chef of the Year Award presented by the James Beard Foundation. In 2018, he competed on Netflix’s, The Final Table, a global culinary competition series. He shared via email, “The menu will be American Cuisine, drawing inspiration from my heritage as well as the richness of cultures that make up our country. It will feature bright, seasonal dishes using the beautiful California produce that surrounds us.”

Keller shared via email, “I’m excited to be part of the Coral Casino story. It’s an honor to be invited to join this legendary California destination with its rich history. We look forward to introducing our cuisine to the community and make great memories for them.” 

On our way around to the areas that are still in process, I asked:

Is the La Pacifica Ballroom and Tyde’s open to the public, and what is their projected opening date?

Tennant: La Pacifica Ballroom, along with Tyde’s restaurant, is currently in the design phase and will be bookable not only to our members, but also the public as well. Chef Thomas Keller and his team look forward to hosting many events of the same caliber that occurred at the property previously, such as world class weddings, Montecito’s nonprofit galas, and corporate events. 

Chef Keller will elevate dining at the iconic Coral Casino with a newly envisioned and seasonally inspired Continental menu, adding to the Casino’s reputation as a world-class private club and historical coastal destination.

Will The Four Seasons Resort ~ The Biltmore Santa Barbara guests be using the club?

Unlike the prior operation, the club will no longer allow Biltmore Hotel guests to utilize the facilities, making this a truly private oasis for our members and their guests.

The original lighthouse with its dynamic colored lighting is a part of Montecito’s romantic history. What upgrades will it see? 

The historic lighthouse still stands and is now beautifully uplit with its namesake coral color at night. The finial at the top of the lighthouse will soon be painted in gold leaf.

As we rounded back to his office, to sum up the club experience, Tennant stated: 

“I created the following mission statement for the property to embody our commitment to our members, ‘At the Coral Casino, we create an environment for our members where refined indulgence, perfected relaxation and timeless memories all converge through our dedication to impeccable hospitality.’”  

Indeed. For more information visit the website or call.

411: www.coralcasinobeachclub.com
(805) 565-8285