When was the last time you had the chance to celebrate a 200th anniversary? On Sept. 21, Casa Munras will mark two centuries of providing gracious hospitality in Monterey, with an epically festive day featuring flamenco dancers, a paella demonstration, wine and spirit tasting, live music and a pool party with the cutest float toys ever. Dress in your finest Spanish attire and channel 1824, as Casa Munras celebrates 200 years as part of Monterey’s Spanish heritage.
The festivities, which are $65/person (under 12 free), take place from 2pm to 5pm Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Casa Munras hotel. The party starts in the lobby and extends throughout the property. While various vendors showcase their talents, satisfy your culinary cravings and curiosity with samples and demonstrations.
Grab a “taste of the sea” at the oyster station and sip on Spanish cava, and savor Estéban Restaurant’s delightful Spanish-inspired hors d’oeuvres while enjoying award-winning Bernardus wines and the hotel’s signature sangria. A Maker’s Mark premium bourbon tasting will be poured, including a private reserve tasting of the hotel’s special barrel of Makers Mark. Fever Tree’s non-alcoholic alternatives, and gin cocktails featuring Gray Whale gin will also be available.
Upon arrival, you’ll be serenaded by Richard DeVinck’s guitar styling and enjoy the music of artistry and passion with the Bolero Brothers band. Revel in the sensuous sizzle of the passionate flamenco, with renowned Spanish-dancer Jessica Lucido, of Azahar Flamenco in Pacific Grove, who will perform for two dramatic 15-minute shows – 2:30 and 3:30pm. Flamenco dancers will be onsite to interact and for pictures.
Observe a mouthwatering live seafood and chicken paella demonstration in an impressive 4-foot pan, where you can interact with the Estéban chefs. Paella will be served at 2:45pm, when the flamenco dancers come off the stage, after their 2:30pm performance.
The celebration will culminate with a toast and a fabulous birthday cake at 4pm.
Tours of the property will be available every 20 minutes. Highlights of the past will be shown throughout the property.
The Man Behind the Murals & Today’s Hotel
Casa Munras began as the vision of Don Estéban Carlos Munras, a Spanish diplomat, artist, and businessman, who was born in Barcelona, Spain, and came to Monterey via Lima, Peru, on a diplomatic mission for King Ferdinand II.
In Monterey, he met the Mexican-born Catalina Ponce de Leon Manzanelli, a descendant of Ponce de León, who had come to the area with her family and stepfather, who was the surgeon general of the Mexican Army at the time. The two were married at Mission Soledad in 1822, and it was shortly thereafter that work began on the hacienda-style adobe that became known as Casa Munras.
Don Munras chose the site for its unobstructed view of Mission San Carlos, then known as Misión de San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, established in 1797. The 4.5-acre site was initially called “La Granja,” Spanish for “farm,” and was a cornerstone of Munras family life, which was centered on farming, trading, and generosity.
As a devout Catholic, Don Estéban Munras expressed his faith through art. Inspired by sketches from the Roman Empire, he designed frescos for Mission San Miguel, which were rendered on the walls by members of the Salinan nation under his supervision. Some of his striking murals are prominently displayed in the lobby of Casa Munras.
Estéban Munras lived until age 61, while Catalina lived until age 96. The estate ultimately passed through the family generations to their great-granddaughter Maria Antonio Field. Mrs. Field was heavily involved in preserving and documenting the history of California’s Spanish Franciscan missions and wrote “Chimes of Missions.”
In 1940, Mrs. Field offered the Munras property to the City of Monterey at a discounted price of $28,000 (asking price $30,000). A committee was appointed to review the possibility of the purchase. The bureaucracy had many questions: where would the money come from? And what would the historic property be used for? Ultimately, the City of Monterey missed the deadline for purchasing the property. In 1941, Maria Antonia Field sold Casa Munras to P.J. Dougherty, former Mayor and Postmaster General of Monterey. Dougherty transformed the house and property into the Casa Munras Garden Hotel.
After P.J. Dougherty’s death in 1948, his son Jack continued improvements to the property, including the addition of five cottages, five shops, a dining room, and a candlelit lounge. Eventually, 16 additional rooms were added, and by 1953, a heated pool with a sun deck and convention, meeting, and banquet facilities were added. It was renamed Casa Munras Hotel and Cottages.
In 2012, it was acquired by the Cannery Row Company and remains Monterey’s largest contiguous parcel of land. Under the management of Inns of Monterey, it was renovated and renamed Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa.
Stay and Dine at Estéban Restaurant
After the festivities, make reservations and stay for dinner at Estéban Restaurant, where you can feast on summer dishes like Stone Fruit Flatbread with jamon serrano; Asparagus Dijon with tarragon aioli; Iberian Bone-in Pork withcorn puree and sauteed squash; Grilled Artichoke with chimichurri and harissa aioli; and Pulpo Frito, crispy Spanish octopus with chimichurri potatoes, tomatillo salsa, guajillo aioli and citrus oil.
Casa Munras is offering a 200th Anniversary Celebration Weekend Package, including room accommodations for two, plus two tickets to the event for the price of one.
Guests wishing to stay at the property Sunday through Thursday instead will find a $200/night rate, with breakfast for two and a bottle of cava in the room.
Tickets to the 200th anniversary celebration are $65.00 per person, plus taxes and fees, with children 12 years old and younger admitted at no charge. Purchase tickets at CasaMunrasHotel.com or CasaMunras200.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
