The Hotel's Most Important Guest

There's a sea lion that keeps taking over a hotel pool and stealing people's lounge chairs. But instead of being kicked off the property, she's treated like the hotel's most important guest at all times.

Wendy, the sea lion, knows how to relax, and she has great taste. After she spends her mornings swimming in the ocean around Santa Cruz Island, she prefers to wind down poolside. Because the pool at the Hotel Solymar is situated right by the edge of the ocean, she's decided that this is her ideal personal retreat.

A Day in Wendy's Life

She'll usually take a quick dip in the pool, swim a few laps, and maybe float on her back for a bit while enjoying the sun. Then, when she's done swimming for the day, she'll pick the lounge chair that looks the nicest, and then spend the rest of the day napping.

She's not shy about stealing an occupied lounge chair if it happens to be the one that she really wants. Wendy is highly respected at the hotel, and because she's around so often, guests are told about her as soon as they check-in. But most of them already know that she's around because she's frequently featured on their website and social media.

Safety First

Of course, as playful and curious as she is, Wendy is still a wild animal. Employees monitor the pool area around the clock to make sure that she's always given at least 6 feet of space and isn't fed any human food.

Wendy is so happy with the accommodations that she sometimes brings a friend to enjoy the amenities too. It seems this clever sea lion has found the perfect balance between wild ocean life and luxury hotel living.