By Charly SHELTON

Nestled in the heart of the Buena Park, just steps away from the main entrance gate of Knott’s Berry Farm, the Knott’s Hotel has long served theme park guests and other tourists in search of accommodations. And although it’s close to Knott’s, it was never really that impressive in terms of theming or luxury. That is, until now.

In a recent unveiling that’s stirring excitement, the hotel has undergone a comprehensive renovation, reimagining its spaces to pay homage to the park’s founders, Walter and Cordelia Knott, while infusing modern comforts and style into every corner.

The transformation of the Knott’s Hotel is not merely cosmetic but a renaissance of the Knott’s legacy, blending tradition with contemporary elegance across its 322 rooms. The lobby now welcomes guests with a redesigned registration area that leads into a grand great room, inviting visitors into a space that feels both new and nostalgic. The central chandelier, reminiscent of jam jars from yesteryear, and carpet adorned with boysenberry motifs are thoughtful touches that connect the hotel’s aesthetic to its roots in the boysenberry farm that started it all.

Beyond the visual enhancements, the hotel introduces Thirty Acres Kitchen, a reimagined dining experience where the boysenberry is featured prominently in every dish. The restaurant, named in honor of the original size of the Knott family’s berry farm, offers a menu that weaves the iconic fruit into classic, hearty culinary creations like burgers, sandwiches, salads and anything else that will settle the grumbling tummies on the way out of, or before heading into, the park.

During the hotel’s preview event, I had the pleasure of sampling some of the offerings, including the Berry Farm burger and the boysenberry barbecue chicken salad, and the chipotle boysenberry BBQ chicken pizza, among others.

The Berry Farm burger, a culinary homage to the farm’s heritage, is fairly a straightforward barbecued burger with a boysenberry-infused barbecue sauce that added a unique twist to the classic dish. Meanwhile, the boysenberry barbecue chicken salad offered a slightly lighter option with a lot going on. The dressing was plentiful and the toppings were a bit overwhelming with the black beans and corn taking over the dish, overpowering some of the other more subtle flavors.

The surprise winner was the chipotle boysenberry BBQ chicken pizza. Who’d have thought that chipotle and boysenberry would work so well? The full boysenberries mixed into the sauce really brought those fruit flavors to the fore and complimented the roasty peppers and barbecued chicken well. Not something I would have ordered, but it was surprisingly good and it expanded my culinary horizons just a bit.

As the Knott’s Hotel embarks on this new chapter, it extends an invitation to guests to rediscover the magic of Knott’s Berry Farm, not just through its rides and attractions but also through a stay that envelops them in the warmth and history of the Knott family. And for park guests looking to venture out to new pastures, there’s Thirty Acres of new foods to try as well. For more information, visit Knotts.com.

And to see a full taste test of the foods mentioned here and more, scan the QR code attached to this story or visit YouTube and search Charly Shelton/ Zipahdeedoodad for the full video review.