as i posted last friday, i slipped away for a long leisurely weekend in laguna beach. laguna is the perfect southern california beach town, just under two hours south of Los angeles. cute little wood-shingled cottages cling to the overgrown hillsides along with their newer mansion-like neighbors and all share a stunning view of the sun-drenched pacific ocean below. it’s pretty idyllic, so when i was invited by casa laguna to come down and see their recent renovations to the old B&B, i said a very emphatic “yes, please”!
Built in the early 1900’s, casa laguna is as charming as it gets — a castle-like seaside enclave of historical buildings nestled in the heart of Laguna but just a tad down pacific coast highway and out of the bustle of the beach town shopping district — the perfect spot for a weekend retreat. casa laguna has recently been restored to its original Spanish Colonial architecture, reimagining the inn as a luxury boutique hotel while honoring its rich and textured history. With designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard at the helm, an extensive redesign of the guest rooms and lobby was completed and the hotel reopened in April 2016.
the guest rooms have been completely made over with beautiful moroccan tile floors, vintage surf photography and beautiful bedding — in fact, i think it may have been the comfiest night’s sleep i’ve ever had. i need to find out where they got their sheets because i wasn’t the only one impressed by the bedding — several other guests commented to me about just how soft they were. all the doors are painted a welcoming nautical blue and gorgeous tile work abounds — you feel a little bit like you’ve escaped to a far-off Mediterranean island retreat.
a complimentary European-style breakfast is served each morning in the quaint dining room, or on their bright and sunny terrace overlooking the pool, and the hotel has just begun serving a lovely lunch menu as well. which is nice, because honestly once you hit that pool you don’t want to leave. peaceful, uncrowded and the perfect setting complete with lush gardens and a view of the sea. it was so uncrowded that it felt more like you were visiting a friend’s really nice vacation home, rather than a hotel. perhaps, because it was originally designed by one of California’s premier architecture teams, Frank Miller and Arthur Benton, as a home for Miller’s wife Marion. casa laguna has been perched high above the Pacific Ocean for decades and remains one of the city’s most beautiful historical gems and in 2000 the property was recognized as a ‘Registered Historic Structure’ by the City of Laguna Beach.
Laguna is an ideal blend of art galleries, upscale restaurants as well as casual fish taco cafes and divey beach bars, and surf and vintage vibe boutiques. wander around in flip flops and you’ll feel just like the well-tanned locals. the beach town’s allure is best expressed on a famous gate built in 1935 that today stands at the corner of Forest and Park Avenues. It reads, “This gate hangs well and hinders none, refresh and rest, then travel on.” i may be traveling on, but i most certainly will be back to tranquil casa laguna.
