Nestled inside the orchard-lined banks of the Sacramento River, just three miles from Walnut Grove off scenic Highway 160 sits the Ryde Hotel. Inside its walls, guests will find luxurious accommodations ripe with storied pasts.
Once a haven for gangsters and rule-breakers during the prohibition era, the former speakeasy that served bootleg whiskey to all-star clientele (influential politicians, mobsters, and movie stars) has been shrouded in mystery, rumored to have a secret passageway that led to the river’s end.
“You read in history about the speakeasies and read about prohibition and it just seems so unreal and then you walk into a place like this and you’re not just reading it anymore, you’re feeling it and experiencing it,” says Tina Flores, part of the hotel’s events department.
Between 1927 and 2016, the hotel underwent several management changes and also enjoyed brief stints as a lodging locale for the men and women who built the Delta levees and a rock n’ roll mecca in the 1980s.
Today, the hotel plays host to weddings, parties, and notable Sunday brunches that guests clamor to attend, but the Ryde hasn’t left behind its historic charms. The hotel still offers old-school adornments that wink at its 1920s beginning, but with modernized amenities that offer guests the best in relaxation (think Jacuzzi tubs and gourmet cuisine). Flores says staff was even able to obtain the original sign that marked the hotel as closed to the public after it was cited for illegally serving alcohol during prohibition.
Champagne brunches are amongst the most popular happenings—the Ryde Hotel staff still knows how to throw a good party!—and bottomless mimosas are paired with decadent menu items, including chef-carved prime rib with creamy horseradish, French toast with toasted pecans and warm maple syrup, a grand dessert finale featuring tempting sweets selections, and more.
On any given day, guests can catch glimpses of brides-to-be as they stroll the grounds of the California Delta hotel, running between their master bridal room and ceremony location, and snapping shots against the inviting peach-toned façade of the glamorous Ryde Hotel.
Come & Play:
The Ryde Hotel
14340 Highway 160, Walnut Grove
(916) 776-1318