| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
Owner of historic Santa Barbara resort hotel dies
Tuesday August 05, 2003SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) Eric Friden, owner of a landmark Central Coast hotel that once hosted celebrities including Clark Gable, has died of a brain stem injury. He was 61.
Friden died July 29 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital from an injury suffered two days earlier when he fell from his horse during a polo practice in Carpinteria.
Friden purchased the historic El Encanto Hotel and Garden Villas in 1977 and was a co-founder of FHC Hotel Management, which owns and operates nine hotels across the country. The El Encanto from 1933 to the 1950s attracted Hollywood stars such as Carole Lombard and Hedy Lamarr as well as President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Friden had plans to restore the property's buildings and grounds.
He is survived by his wife, Kerin; two sons; a sister and brother; and six grandchildren.
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