California Road Trip: Hearst Castle Upstairs Suites Tour and Roman Pool

As I have mentioned in my previous posts about Hearst Castle, I have always been fascinated by William Randolph Hearst, so visiting Hearst Castle was a dream come true. After taking the Grand Rooms Tour at Hearst Castle, I was a bit disappointed we only got to see four rooms, so I couldn’t wait to see Hearst’s private rooms.

Our tour guide was hilarious, which automatically set a fun tone to our one-hour tour. The Upstairs Suites Tour started off by showing us some of the guest rooms and the library specifically for guests. I loved seeing the ornate Doge’s Suite, which was modeled after the stunning rooms at the Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy. Just like with the Grand Rooms, I thought the guest suite didn’t have a cohesive look, but I really liked the teal curtains and painted ceiling. Some of the other guest rooms were not quite as extravagant, but all of them had unique tapestries and ceilings. I loved how each bedroom included clothing to show us what the guests would have worn while visiting Hearst Castle.

I was most excited to see William Randolph Hearst’s Gothic Suite, where he lived with Marion Davies. His study was stunning, but I was surprised that his bedroom was plain in comparison to the rest of his house. For a man who loved extravagance, he chose to have a simple bedroom with few artifacts. I did love that he had a portrait of each parent on either side of his bed, a common practice during the Victorian era. Marion Davies also had her own room, and I loved how elegant it was compared to the others with its red four-poster bed.

Before leaving Hearst Castle, we stopped to admire the Roman Pool, Hearst’s indoor swimming pool, which is tiled from the ceiling to the floor. It took 15 years to build and features marble copies of Greek and Roman deities and athletes. We were told that the staff and volunteers at Hearst Castle get to swim in the pool with their friends once a year, and I can’t imagine what a fun experience that would be!

If we are ever close to San Simeon, California again, I would love to go back to Hearst Castle and do the Cottages and Kitchen Tour and the Evening Tour. Now that I’ve gotten a taste of life at Hearst Castle, it would be so fun to see more!

All photos in this post were taken by Olya at The Siberian American and posted with permission from Hearst Castle.  

Catch up on our California Road Trip: 

Quick Thoughts

Seven-Day Itinerary From San Diego to San Francisco

Exploring Old Town San Diego 

San Diego Old Town Trolley Tour 

La Jolla Cove 

San Diego Zoo Tips

San Diego Zoo Private Tour

Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Views from Hearst Castle

  Hearst Castle Grand Rooms Tour