Pasadena Hotel and Pool, Pasadena, CA USA

Enjoyed at the back patio of the Pasadena Hotel and Pool where Lake meets Colorado.

I feel so lucky our company’s headquarters is in Pasadena, California. While I lived in the city for 5 years, I’ve also had the pleasure of staying at many of the hotels in the area for work trips since I moved to Boston.

I was not familiar with the Pasadena Hotel and Pool, an odd name for a property nestled in the heart of where Colorado Blvd meets Lake Ave, prime real estate. I knew the Dusit, its predecessor, as they were a client of mine in a previous life, but the Pasadena Hotel and Pool had revamped the lobby in a way that reinvented the vibe and ambiance… southern Californian vibes filled the remodeled spaces and it was fun to stay at this hotel with the rest of the team.

Our first night together, we all met for food and beverage outside on the back patio of the Pasadena Hotel and Pool, soaking up the warm Los Angeles county weather. It was lovely and peaceful, and we placed orders for drinks and fare to share.

The California Club Sandwich caught my eye, and I added this to the list of items that would be shared among us. We caught up on life, shared a lot of laughs, talked about work, and sipped our cocktails waiting for the food to arrive.

Plating always stands out as a first impression to whet the appetite – the Pasadena Hotel and Pool chose an arrangement that looked like the two halves of the sandwich were getting divorced, hiding their layers behind a giant veil of French fries. The two sauces were barely hanging onto the plate, and I just felt a sense of confusion before picking up my first half.

Fast food bacon, tasteless turkey, a tiny itty bitty almost non-existent tomato, and avocado spread that had to come from a can, I was pretty shocked at the lack of care that came along with the selection of ingredients in this club sandwich. The three layers of “rustic” bread – which stood out as the best ingredient by a long shot – made up 80% of the meal, which highlighted how poor of a ratio this sandwich had. Yes, I did like the bread, but I didn’t want to eat a bread sandwich.

Alas, food was not the highlight of the Pasadena Hotel and Pool, although we did love our drinks and our time together. I would absolutely stay at this hotel again… I will just never get that club sandwich.

Location