Sonoma’s landmark MacArthur Place hotel for sale

A landmark luxury hotel in Sonoma is up for sale. Developer Suzanne Brangham and her team of local investors have put MacArthur Place, the award-winning 64-room boutique hotel, on the market.

Brangham said there already has been a fair amount of interest in the property, which she hopes to sell by early next year.

“We’ve had 12 showings in three weeks,” she said Friday. “This is marketed globally. We’re getting people from all over the country.”

Brangham said there’s a lot of interest locally in the hotel, which has been recognized by TripAdvisor, Condé Nast Traveler and AAA, among others. She couldn’t provide any names because of confidentiality agreements. She has hired real estate firm CBRE to handle the sale of the historic inn and spa on MacArthur Street four blocks from the city’s bustling Plaza.

It’s unclear how much money the hotel will fetch. Brangham said there isn’t a listed price, but she expects to put out a call for offers around Thanksgiving.

“It’s an exciting time,” said Bill Blum, the hotel’s general manager, who oversees 120 employees. “Hopefully, we can find a good buyer who can continue the tradition of the hotel and continue to grow and make it successful.”

Blum, who sits on the board of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, noted he and other employees are heavily involved in the community, volunteering with organizations such as the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, the Boys and Girls Club and the Sonoma Ecology Center.

“She’s going to look for someone who will do a nice job and be a good member of the community,” he said about Brangham, who formed the Sonoma Plaza Foundation more than 20 years ago to improve the Plaza.

She’s been a tireless town activist and booster since moving to Sonoma in the late 1980s with the intent to retire. Before purchasing MacArthur Place, she bought the “pink house” at 400 W. Spain St., transforming it into the acclaimed General’s Daughter restaurant, which she managed for a decade. She later built the inn and culinary school Ramekins, which eventually was purchased by Sarah and Darius Anderson.

Darius Anderson is managing member of Sonoma Media Investments, which owns The Press Democrat.

Although Brangham is selling MacArthur Place, she still plans to live in Sonoma, where she previously was named alcaldessa, an honorary title given each year to a resident who has made major contributions to the city.

Mayor David Cook said her hotel has been a great asset for the town of 11,000.

“It’s a hallmark for Sonoma,” he said, adding that he likes to eat at the restaurant on the property. “That’s where I go when I have a special occasion, like a birthday.”

After initially declining to restore the Victorian-era property, Brangham took on the project in 1997.

“When the spring came and the garden was in full bloom, I couldn’t resist,” she said, adding that the hotel opened a year later.

Brangham said she and the 30 investors intended to run the hotel for only a decade. After 17 years, she said, they finally decided it was a good time to sell - and for her to retire. “It was a longer adventure than we expected it to be,” she said.

Brangham said she’s ready to turn all of her attention to artwork, and to her son and grandchildren, ages 10, 12 and 14, who live in Washington. A painter and sculptor, Brangham also plans to travel.

You can reach Staff Writer Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @eloisanews.