A Sleek New Laguna Beach Hotel Plays Homage to the City’s Forgotten Past

Long before its golden sands and rocky coves became reality TV-famous, Laguna Beach was known as an enclave for artists, eccentrics, surfers, and bohemians. In fact, its history as a creative epicenter dates back 100 years or more: In the 1900s, plein-air painters flocked to its idyllic shores; in the 1930s, it was a hideaway for Hollywood stars; in the 1960s, free-spirited flower children descended in droves. At some point or another, everyone from Judy Garland to Timothy Leary to the spiritual guru Osho called Laguna Beach home.

“There’s a kind of collaborative and creative alchemy that occurs here,” explains John Grossman, president of hospitality group Mark & Rose. “It’s really part of the DNA of this town; a lot of creative people sought refuge here.”

Thanks to Mark & Rose’s latest project, Casa Loma, more creatives are likely to come. Perched on a cliff above the main beach, the recently reopened 70-room hotel certainly feels like a beacon: its crisp, postmodern facade can be seen from nearly any stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway that rolls straight through town. Formerly known as the classic coastal hotel The Inn at Laguna Beach, the 1989 property has been renamed and reimagined after an extensive renovation by Venice-based architecture and interior design studio Electric Bowery. Now, it’s all soft neutrals, warm wood, curved archways, natural textures, and open sight-lines.

It’s also one of the few hotels in Laguna Beach that’s situated right on the beach, and thus, the Pacific Ocean is an obvious draw. Its glittering expanse can be seen from every common space—including the rooftop terrace and cliff-side pool—as well as nearly all of the well-appointed suites and guest rooms. The hotel is so close to the waves, in fact, that the beach’s main walking path is just steps away from the hotel’s clay-tiled, lobby bar.

The proximity to the beach amplifies Casa Loma’s understated, barefoot charm. An onsite radio station plays an endless mix of vibe-y, vintage surf songs; hand-made art, tapestries, murals, and artifacts curated by the graphic design and branding firm LAND decorate the tables and walls. “It’s all meant to be symbolic of the spirit of this place,” Grossman says. “We wanted the design and the experience to nod to the history of this town in a soulful way.”

Capturing the spirit of the place was also the goal of the opening weekend, which was marked by an immersive, one-night only performance by the Los Angeles-based, Shonda Rhimes-backed IAMA Theatre Company. Drawing inspiration from the life of local surf legends like Dick Metz, the group performed an original play called “The Infinite Swell” in six vignettes scattered across various locations around the hotel. Among the guests in attendance? Actors Adam Shapiro and Katie Lowe, as well as Shonda Rhimes and the now 95-year-old Metz himself.