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When Highway 99 was the main route between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Fresno the halfway point for weary drivers, the Hacienda was the crown jewel of motels along Golden State Boulevard.
The Hacienda, set off by a large sign with a vaquero on a bucking horse, was feted by some in Fresno as America’s biggest motel, which means a car can park directly outside of a room. Whether it was really the largest is unclear, and it wouldn’t be in the top 10 today.
But in 1954, the Hacienda had it all: multiple swimming pools, big-name entertainment, a sweeping banquet room and even a lounge called the Mermaid Room where a cocktail could be had as synchronized swimmers frolicked behind a glass wall next to the bartender.
Today, those glory days are just a memory. The big vaquero sign sits across town at the Fresno County Fairgrounds, and the Mermaid Room, along with the banquet hall where Frank Sinatra crooned and INXS rocked, are long gone, as well.
While many of the free-standing former motel rooms remain on the site, the Hacienda complex serves a more utilitarian function, as home to Fresno Home Bridge, a housing center for families, and as a triage center that helps the homeless get back on their feet by providing beds for up to 90 days.
Nearly 70 years ago, the Hacienda opened its doors after completion by Warren Bayley of Standard Motels. Then began a revolving door of ownership.
The complex was taken over by a group headed by Frankie Avalon in 1969. Cash flow problems ensued, and in 1972, the Hacienda sign was taken down and it became a Sheraton Inn.
The sign went up again in 1977 after an Encino firm spent $4.5 million on remodeling.
Entertainment acts featured there through the years included Glen Yarbrough, Lily Tomlin, Ray Charles, Waylon Jennings and Jerry Lee Lewis.
The resort celebrated perhaps its biggest entertainment day on May 15, 1966, when Frank Sinatra came to town to support the reelection of then-Gov. Edmund G. Brown with a $50-a-plate testimonial dinner. It was a quick sellout after 700 fans bought tickets, according to Fresno Bee reporter Eli Setencich.
“I’m the act that follows the governor,” said Sinatra, who launched into “Fly Me To The Moon.”
“When Sinatra sings … even if it is only four songs — everybody listens,.” Setencich added.
The property became a residence for seniors in 1989, and the Hacienda entered its final days as an entertainment venue with a concert by British rocker Robin Trower, famous for his hit “Bridge of Sighs.”
As for the Vaquero sign, it was damaged in a windstorm in 1998, and taken down a final time, then moved to a pole in front of the Mendes General Store on West Olive Avenue about a mile south from its original home. It was moved to the Fresno Fairgrounds in 2016.
Source Agencies
