Throughout Southern California, and the rest of the country for that matter, hotels and motels are and have been named for a variety of things – streets, local landmarks, even their owners. But rarely if ever does one see a hotel named as a tribute to someone. Riverside County had such a hotel in Blythe – one that is still standing, albeit now apartments instead of a hotel.

Today, the building is called the El Solano Apartments but one of its former names was the El Solano Hotel. And, in another life, it started with another name – The Bungalow.

The Bungalow Hotel started prior to 1926 as a few cabins.

In 1926, Otto and Gertrude Malmgren purchased the property. About 10 years later, they added a large Spanish-Colonial-style addition. They changed the name of the hotel to the Cottage a f

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