Located in La Jolla, CA, adjacent to Ellen Browning Scripps Oceanfront Park and La Jolla Cove, the renovation of this 1959 boutique hotel transforms an aging property into a contemporary coastal resort worthy of its setting. The design is centered on the Pacific, with expansive glazing and generous private balconies creating stronger connections to the ocean and coastline from nearly every vantage point.

The comprehensive renovation modernizes all 104 guestrooms and suites, along with the hotel’s public and back-of-house spaces. A reconfigured lobby includes a new bar, common-area restrooms, and a 400-square-foot expansion, while a new pool, amenity deck, pool bar, and outdoor dining terraces expand opportunities for guests to experience the coastal setting. Structural improvements include alterations to select stairways and elevators, as well as accommodations for concealed structural steel and mechanical systems revealed during construction.

Working within the existing building envelope was a significant design constraint, as the five-story hotel predates current coastal height regulations. New building systems, including elevator overrides and rooftop equipment, required carefully integrated solutions within the fixed volume. Limited as-built documentation also required the design to evolve as demolition exposed existing structural and MEP conditions.

A restrained exterior palette of smooth-finish stucco, solid-color metal panels, and wood-grain finishes provides durability in the coastal environment while adding visual depth at prominent areas of the building. The renovation also improves the nearly 70-year-old property’s energy and water efficiency, stormwater management, and indoor air quality, bringing the hotel up to current standards while preserving its essential connection to the La Jolla coastline.