The Reef Lounge
When I was about four, we vacationed at the Handerly Hotel & Resort in San Diego (formerly the Stardust Motor Hotel). That place was heaven on earth as far as I was concerned. I loved the pool. Next to the pool there was a bar, and behind the bar was an underwater theater. It was here that I saw one of the most outlandish scenes I have ever witnessed.
The door to the bar was open. I peered inside to see two scuba divers capturing a mermaid with a net! This was so weird that for decades I questioned whether it really happened.
But the memory stuck with me. So, during a recent conference in San Diego, I stopped by the Handerly to check up on it. It was true. The staff directed me to a photograph of Reef Lounge patrons enjoying an underwater show with their drinks. Apparently the midnight show even featured topless synchronized swimmers.
Empty pool behind the bar, camouflaged by a plywood façade
I assumed that even if it once existed, the underwater theater would have been demolished long ago. In fact the structure still exists, but the bar is now the corporate office, and the pool is dry. Indeed, demolishing such a huge concrete structure would be very expensive and disruptive to the hotel’s operation.
I just wish I could remember whether the mermaid was topless.
This article was originally published by John McGehee, Voom, Inc. under the CC BY 3.0 license. Changes have been made.
Dec 12, 2014 @ 18:41:26
I can remember if the mermaids were topless because I was one of them. From 1969-1970 while a student at UCSD, several times a week, I donned an elaborate mermaid tail and jumped into the deliciously warm waters of the Stardust Hotel “show tank.” Two of us, the “mermaids,” swam a synchronized underwater show, and a third go-go dancer, the only topless act, did a very clever underwater routine. The dance was normally performed to the song “Tequila” by the Champs.
Dec 17, 2014 @ 01:50:21
For decades I was unsure whether this event was even real. And now I am in contact with one of the mermaids? Truth is stranger than fiction.
So, um, did you ever get captured with a net?
Dec 19, 2015 @ 18:14:26
do you have any photos you could post or video of your shows…I remember the show in 1981!…it was great!
Oct 14, 2016 @ 02:43:07
Janice..My mom was a mermaid..do you recall a blonde named Jeanne Mcintosh?
Oct 19, 2016 @ 02:04:52
What a delight to hear from all you real people after so many years of thinking this was some kind of childhood illusion.
Mar 24, 2015 @ 19:03:12
Janis what a wonderful story to share! John this is my recollection. My mom, dad and i did a weekend trip to the Stardust, Zoo, Mermaid show and Tijuana once a year from 1961-1965. I was 5 when we started going. The Mermaid bar by the pool had a show at 9pm for families ans Midnight for adults it was topless. I visited the property mid seventies it was it was storage and in the 80’s it was executive offices. the kids pool around the corner is now a garden planter. I wish they would bring back the bar as the pool still remains, it would be a hit!
May 29, 2015 @ 06:14:10
I, too, was a mermaid — one of the last, I fear. I was hired in 1979, after the Stardust became the Handlery Hotel. The other mermaids had been SeaWorld veterans, and were highly-trained and skilled. They taught me, and we had an absolute autonomous blast! when we were working, we could choose our own music and choreography, and I’d like to think it was impressive! We went topless only one number in each of the 2 nightly shows — hardly any audience was present anyway; Handlery declined to invest in the show, but it might have made another great San Diego destination, with a good costumer, sound technician, and promo ad campaign. It was unique and fun to watch, and the set-up with the water directly behind the bar, was splendid.
Such a pity, but I sure had a ball while it lasted! We never had to see the patrons in person, and had a secret dressing room, and even an actual hotel room, all to ourselves.
Swimming under the so cal skies winter as well as summer. What an experience, and a bit of esoteric, by-gone history.
Dec 19, 2015 @ 18:14:42
do you have any photos you could post or video of your shows…I remember the show in 1981!…it was great!
Jun 07, 2017 @ 02:56:16
Are you the person that lives in Hillcrest
Nov 06, 2015 @ 03:03:17
I have been staying at the Handlery off and on for the past 20 years. My family takes one of the “Parlors” almost every summer. I knew that it used to be the Stardust, and did play the old golf course a few times. Had absolutely no idea about the Reef Lounge, or the existence of the upstairs pool until I saw some pictures in the lobby area today and got curious about the history. Unbelievable! Have always loved the Handlery and consider it our “home” hotel whenever we visit SD. It’s just a comfortable place to stay…
May 01, 2018 @ 18:51:58
In the early ’60’s I was a sub for any of the gals who wanted a night off. It was fun, three of us taking turns in the pool (not topless), then sharing a comfortable room with TV, hot showers, towels, robes and light room service inbetween shows. Making $5/hour vs $3/hour as a secretary was a plus. When SeaWorld started hiring, a couple of the gals left encouraging me to try out (had taught swimming, water and paddleboard ballet through high school and college, and been certified as a SCUBA
instructor in ’57). Decided not to give up the security of a known paycheck and subsequently was secretary of the San Diego Underwater Photo Society for a number of years then hired as a technician at Westinghouse’s Ocean Research Lab working in and out of the water on nearshore studies.
Jul 14, 2018 @ 00:25:12
My wife Lois was the original under Ballet swimmer at the Reef Lounge this was early 6O`s she trained all the swimmers in the beginning , she was some swimmer she did 10 turns with the head stand it was a class act with great swimmers to bad it had to go because it was a natural fit for the City of San Diego , and a great tourist attraction .
Dec 16, 2020 @ 18:34:24
I grew up in Mission Hills, across the Highway 8, from the hotel. When my young friends and I, all of perhaps twelve years old in 1966, heard about the mermaid show, we just had to see for ourselves. There was a large storm drain that ran under the freeway, and late one night we grabbed our flashlights and headed out for our adventure. We hiked down through the canyon, made our way through the storm drain, and emerged on the other side of the freeway, close to the hotel. After a brief search, we found a stairwell leading up to the mermaid pool! You can imagine our excitement. We emerged from the stairwell, and were rewarded with a brief glimpse of the mermaids donning their costumes and gear at the side of the pool. Once they say us, we were quickly shooed away with kind laughter.
It was a great little adventure. I will always remember the kind mermaids, and their amusement at the young adolescent boys trying to get a peek at them.
Dec 22, 2020 @ 21:36:32
That’s a great story, Garth!
It’s so interesting to hear everyone’s memories about the Reef Lounge.