A Granada Romance: Mindy & Wade’s Story
From “The One That Got Away” to Forever: A Second Chance at Love
Hospitality is an industry intertwined with love. It’s the chance encounter in a crowded bar, the table that held a first date (and then a hundred more), the room-for-two rendezvous, and the backdrop for friends and family to gather and celebrate it all. These are the places where moments turn into memories, and memories into milestones.
Over the years, we’ve been lucky to witness countless love stories unfold across our hotels and restaurants. This February, we’re sharing a few that have stayed close to our hearts. Among them is Mindy and Wade’s—a tale of childhood friendship, lost time, and a love rediscovered. Their journey, much like Granada itself, speaks to the power of renewal and the beauty of second chances.
Their journey began back in junior high in 1985, when Wade’s family moved to California from Indiana. “We really disliked each other at first (in the drama-filled way only teenagers can create),” Mindy recalls, “but eventually ended up best friends — never anything more than that — and stayed that way through college.” Life took them in different directions; they married other people and each had a son. Years came and went, and communication dwindled to the occasional Christmas card. But fate wasn’t finished with them.
Wade reached out to Mindy’s sister on Facebook in 2010 to get her contact information. After a month of phone calls and email exchanges, they finally met in person. On that October day, they shared their first kiss, and Wade told Mindy she was the woman he compared all other women to his entire adult life. Mindy, too, confessed that she had long seen Wade as “the one who got away.” And so began their second chance.
Back then, life was busy. Both were single parents raising their boys, and Mindy worked two jobs, seven days a week. The Central Coast became their weekend refuge — a place to connect during stolen moments away from their hectic lives in LA. It was during one of these trips, in 2012, that Mindy first noticed the Granada building. “I was struck by how beautiful it was,” she says. Though she didn’t even realize it was a hotel at first, curiosity led her to call the neighboring Apple Store to ask about it. Months later, once the hotel had reopened, they booked a room.
“The minute we opened the beautiful door, we knew we had found our new home away from home. From then on, we stayed there every time we had a free weekend,” Mindy said.
Granada’s significance in their relationship deepened over the years, becoming the backdrop for some of their most meaningful moments. In 2014, during a getaway following their engagement, they wondered aloud if the hotel could host a wedding. “We knew we wanted a smaller, more intimate experience,” Mindy says. To their delight, the hotel was able to accommodate them. Over the next year and a half, they designed the wedding of their dreams — a three-day affair that included a cocktail hour, breakfast in pajamas, the ceremony, and a goodbye brunch. “Our guests still tell us 10 years later that the property and experience were magic.”
When asked what keeps bringing them back, Mindy says: “We come here to relive some of our most cherished memories while each time creating new ones. There are the ones that never change. Like the wood and iron front door and the signature scent when you walk in the lobby (IYKYK). The ivy-covered alley, the stunning and timeless brick building itself. But nothing beats the comfort of Room 1 with its beautiful fireplace and heavenly shower. And the balcony and window that we love to keep open while listening to the sounds of the bustling restaurant below. Then there is the friendliness of the staff. We have met so many amazing ones over the years, all so welcoming and accommodating. Like the exceptional Eva who was so instrumental in helping us create our wedding weekend to Rochelle who helped make our 10-year anniversary experience unforgettable.”
Beyond the hotel itself, Mindy and Wade have brought pieces of Granada’s warmth into their own home. “This Christmas, I even gifted Wade the down duvet that [Nomada] sells online, as he had gifted me a painting for Valentine’s Day that Granada had hanging in the hallway so many years ago.”
These tokens serve as daily reminders of the memories and moments that have made Granada so meaningful to them. Wade calls Granada their “living photo album”—a timeless backdrop where their love story keeps growing, chapter by chapter.
