During my visit to Santa Rosa late last year, I was super excited to check out the Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa. I am a big fan of mid century modern design, old-school hotels and anything Vegas. From what I could tell before arrival, the Flamingo Resort had it all and more!
This mid-century modern style hotel was built in 1957, during the emergence of a unique style of design that spread from architecture to furniture styling and more. A visit to the Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa takes you back in time. I had visions of glamorous women hanging by the pool with drinks and smokes in hand in their adorable 1950s bathing suits.
My mental images of the past were not far off, only a few decades behind. In the 1950s this was the place to be seen for the Hollywood elite. These days however, the iconic resort has pushed aside it’s quest for bringing in glitterati from down south, rather making its name as an affordable and family friendly hot spot in the North Bay. Classified as a Santa Rosa Historic Landmark, the resort has undergone various changes through the years, while always keeping a sense of it’s fabulous past visible.
Photo courtesy of Flamingo Resort
Even before your arrival to the Flamingo Resort, the first thing you will notice is the picturesque rotating Flamingo Vegas-style vertical sign beaconing visitors from blocks away. The iconic sign has been around since the beginning, paying homage to it’s sister property in Las Vegas.
Walking into the lobby you will first be greeted by Santa Rosa’s most famous residents, Snoopy and Charlie Brown! The Flamingo Resort is one of many establishments in Santa Rosa with ownership of life size Peanuts characters that were created as part of a city project years ago in which local artists decorated the 30 four-foot tall statues. The Flamingo purchased 8 of these statues, which can be seen around the property.
Moving past the excitement of seeing these unexpected greeters, you are welcomed into a vast, plush lobby with an enormous chandelier taking most of the credit for the glamorous feel of the room.
Jump to a Heading Below
Spacious Rooms & Amazing Amenities
Photo courtesy of Flamingo Resort
While the Flamingo Resort’s exterior exemplifies classic mid-century modern elements of glass and stone, the interior is a bit more eclectic. All of the rooms have been upgraded in recent years with modern conveniences, however, they continue to feature old-school elements in earthy tones.
Photo courtesy of Flamingo Resort
Rooms at the Flamingo Resort are built and centered around the massive courtyard housing the olympic sized pool and beautiful gardens. Guests can choose between a variety of rooms, all of which are quite spacious. For families, the Pool View Suite is often recommended as it provides the most space to spread out and has a pull out sofa for when you need a little more space. And who doesn’t love waking up with views over the beautiful blue pool and blooming gardens?
The Flamingo Resort also has Superior and Executive King rooms which are economical without skimping on space or style. A great benefit of the Executive King is that you have access to onsite laundry facilities, which is great for longer term traveling families. There are even pet friendly rooms available at the Flamingo, which is an added bonus for many families traveling with their beloved pooch.
All rooms come with gloriously comfortable beds, a mini-fridge, TV and WiFi access (some rooms include free WiFi). Parking for all guests is always free and plentiful.
As a family traveler, it is always important to know what options are available at the hotel. The Flamingo Resort comes in tops with a huge, heated olympic size pool that just beckons for everyone to come on down! The gardens surrounding the pool provide plenty of space for littles to get out and run around without worry. While there are no kids club or play areas specifically dedicated for children, kids will find plenty to entertain themselves while walking through the hotel gardens.
For parents, take some time for yourself and head over to the fitness center and spa for access to a world class exercise room, a lap pool as well as relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatments. For hotel guests, access to the center is $15 per day.
Dining options are available at the hotel, however we only tried the included breakfast buffet. The cold breakfast buffet includes boxed cereal, boiled eggs, croissants and fruit. If you can get a good rate that includes breakfast, it is a good start to the day. Otherwise, for the price, the food from the diner-esque restaurant leaves a bit to be desired, but is reliable in a pinch.
Location & Price
For most travelers, myself included, often the most important considerations when choosing accommodation is location and price. The Flamingo Resort marked high on both of these for our recent trip to Sonoma County. The resort is located in a cute up-market area of Santa Rosa where you will find an abundance of local coffee shops, cafes and boutiques just a few blocks away. Right next door to the hotel is a CVS and grocery store, which came in quite handy during our stay as we were always in need of something we forgot to bring with us!
Additionally, the hotel is conveniently located off Highway 12, (just off the 101) providing quick and easy access to a variety of wineries, nature escapes and all that Santa Rosa has to offer for visiting families.
And price.. this is one of the biggest draws for the resort. With an abundance of amenities, spacious rooms and a perfect location you would assume the price would be high. Nope. The Flamingo Resort is actually pretty economical with nightly rates averaging around $150 a night.
Conclusion
While the Flamingo Conference Resort & Spa does not have the views of the wine country’s rolling hills, it does however check all the boxes necessary for a great family friendly (and pet friendly) hotel. The newly remodeled spacious rooms, large grounds and massive pool are perfect for families needing a place to stay with a little more bang for your buck. The Flamingo Resort also serves as a great base for Santa Rosa attractions and area wineries.
Have you visited Santa Rosa and the Flamingo Resort? What are your thoughts?
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1 thought on “The Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa : Family Friendly & Budget Conscious”
As a family traveler, it is always important to know what options are available at the hotel. The Flamingo Resort comes in tops with a huge, heated olympic size pool that just beckons for everyone to come on down! The gardens surrounding the pool provide plenty of space for littles to get out and run around without worry. While there are no kids club or play areas specifically dedicated for children, kids will find plenty to entertain themselves while walking through the hotel gardens.
Dining options are available at the hotel, however we only tried the included breakfast buffet. The cold breakfast buffet includes boxed cereal, boiled eggs, croissants and fruit. If you can get a good rate that includes breakfast, it is a good start to the day. Otherwise, for the price, the food from the diner-esque restaurant leaves a bit to be desired, but is reliable in a pinch.
For most travelers, myself included, often the most important considerations when choosing accommodation is location and price. The Flamingo Resort marked high on both of these for our recent trip to Sonoma County. The resort is located in a cute up-market area of Santa Rosa where you will find an abundance of local coffee shops, cafes and boutiques just a few blocks away. Right next door to the hotel is a CVS and grocery store, which came in quite handy during our stay as we were always in need of something we forgot to bring with us!
Looks Amazing! Great post, Thanks!