Lyle was a gold miner (he worked a now defunct mine in the creek that runs alongside the hotel) who lived in the Groveland Hotel until he died in "his" room in 1927. He was somewhat of a recluse and wasn't missed for a few days. When discovered, he had a box of dynamite (tools of the trade) under his bed.
Lyle dislikes women's cosmetics on his dresser. He moves them to the sink nearby. Most guests return to their rooms to note the movement. One guest watched as her new makeup just "hopped" over the back and landed on the floor!
Lyle is a great tease and plays with the lights, moves items on desks in the office, and turns on the water in the shower. We had guests staying three nights. On the third morning, they returned to their room (Lyle's Room) after breakfast and found their key no longer worked in the room (these are regular keys not plastic cards). We tried the master key -- no luck. A ladder was taken to the third-story window to try to enter here. When the person with the ladder called to the one at the door, they tried the key again. This time it worked!
The Charlotte Hotel across the street was built and operated by a woman named Charlotte DeFerrari. It is said that Lyle and Charlotte were an item; when he seems to disappear for a while, we suspect they may be together.
These are just a few of Lyle's antics. Almost every employee has had a Lyle encounter. He's quite an asset. His room is our most popular.
