The Lafayette Hotel and Club

"An all-day food menu is available for those perched at the Lafayette Hotel’s pool bar or on the deck overlooking the handsomely restored pool area. Ranging from classics like deviled eggs topped with smoked salmon roe and a club sandwich to a banh mi, the dishes can even be ordered straight to one of the poolside lounge chairs, though visitors who want to take a dip in the pool will need to purchase a Swim Pass through OpenTable." - Helen I. Hwang, Candice Woo

"With several dining options at this North Park hotel, fanciful holiday decorations festoon every corner. Open 24 hours, the Beginner’s Diner will serve a Holiday Platter with braised turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. The lobby lounge will host a Holiday Tea Service with desserts like eggnog panna cotta, and the cocktail bar will serve seasonal drinks like hot toddies." - Helen I. Hwang

"From the moment you step past the stately columns of this Colonial Revival historic beauty, it’s clear that you’re in a local hotspot. Forget minimalism; here, the vibe is a riot of textures, patterns, and colors. Think canopy beds with tiger-striped fabric and red-and-blue striped textiles to match the upholstered headboards. Snake-shaped reading lamps twirl up bed posts flanked by opaque palm leaf sconces.Then, there’s the floor lamp with a fringed, cheetah-print lampshade and the camo-meets-houndstooth upholstered footstools. Even the toilets are hand-painted rococo thrones, in retro bathrooms with black-and-white tiled showers. None of this should work, but somehow it does, with the complimentary colors and luxe textures sparking excitement, not headaches. The vibe feels lush and layered, almost like it was added to over time by a favorite great aunt who watches Some Like It Hot every night while clutching an ice-cold martini." - Archana Ram, Beth Demmon

"Why book? The Lafayette is a suspended-in-time Technicolor fantasy where you are the star—a 1940s movie star, that is—wandering between your cushy room and the pool, multiple restaurants, and boisterous bars in this mini neighborhood of a San Diego hotel complex. Set the scene From the moment you step past the stately columns of this Colonial Revival historic beauty, it’s clear that you’re in a local hotspot. Young creatives sip cold brew from the combination reception desk and coffee bar while working on their laptops in the lobby, with its party of patterned banquettes, checkerboard floors, and fireplace. Visitors in blazers and polos pair business lunches with martinis on the pool deck, and are joined by guests and locals come quitting time, where the pool bar’s Amalfi-meets-Caribbean vibe calls for breezy linen and tropical prints. The Art Deco-chic lobby bar hosts glammed-up guests sipping cocktails, while ten feet away in the Beginner’s Diner it’s T-shirts and jeans day and night. Multiple, vastly different environments offer a choose-your-own adventure of a stay: Stumble out of bed late and hit the pool chairs for some sun and hair of the dog, or gussy up for craft cocktails and haute bites. The backstory The Lafayette luxuriates in a long, star-studded history. The hotel first opened in 1946 and counts actor and comedian Bob Hope as its first guest; other members of the Glitterati to grace the halls include Betty Grable, Frank Sinatra, and Ava Gardner. Nina Simone once lit up the stage of the onsite live music venue and dining venue (then the Mississippi Room) now called Lou Lou’s Jungle Room; the same space where Tom Cruise crooned The Righteous Brothers' You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ for the 1986 film Top Gun. Johnny Weissmuller, who played jungle-swinging Tarzan in several films in the 1930s and ‘40s, lent his expertise as an Olympic gold-medal-snagging swimmer by designing the showpiece of a swimming pool, where guests and locals with a day pass lounge on the green, white, and pink checkerboard deck. This hotel changed hands a few times, and even served as office space for local companies for a while: The 1990s harkened a return to its hotel past as a locally loved hotspot despite then-tired interiors. In 2022, CH Projects purchased the Lafayette and its two-and-a-half-acre property, adding its first hotel to a lengthy list of gabbed-about bars and restaurants in town–like Fortunate Son, the gilded homage to Chinese-American takeout restaurants, and the Invigatorium, a coffee shop and adjoining bar with caffeine-jolt interiors (check out the lei-wearing giant dinosaur and the dragon mural crafted from Post-its). Rather than a global hospitality group with little interest in the community, CH Projects owns and operates properties only in San Diego, with a knack for creative gathering spaces in historic buildings. The company tapped Brooklyn-based design firm Post Company to completely overhaul the hotel complex and bring back the Golden Age of Hollywood hue. Following a nine-month renovation with a whopping $31-million price tag, the hotel reopened in July 2023. The dedication to dreaming up immersive, narrative-driven environments as much—if not more—for locals rather than drop-ins is clear. Guests toss back whiskey at onsite bowling alley and bar Gutter, and hob-knob between espresso-martini sips at live music venue, Lou Lou’s, alongside neighborhood residents who drop in multiple times a week. The rooms Forget minimalism. Here, the vibe is a riot of textures, patterns, and colors. Think canopy beds with tiger-striped fabric and red-and-blue striped textiles to match the upholstered headboards. Snake-shaped reading lamps twirl up bed posts flanked by opaque palm leaf sconces. Horizontal chair-rail molding divides the walls, each decked out in half custom toile and half tropical wallpaper featuring bush babies. Then, there’s the floor lamp with a fringed, cheetah-print lampshade and the camo-meets-houndstooth upholstered footstools. Even the toilets are hand-painted rococo thrones, in retro bathrooms with black-and-white tiled showers. None of this should work, but somehow it does, with the complimentary colors and luxe textures sparking excitement,not headaches. The vibe feels lush and layered, almost like it was added to over time by a favorite great aunt who watches Some Like It Hot every night while clutching an ice-cold martini. Differences between rooms in the main hotel and the two floors surrounding the pool are slim—mostly just a brighter palette by the pool—but pick a poolside pad for the best experience of this social hub; the slightly higher price tag is worth it. Poolside rooms on the first floor open out to the pool deck while second-floor ones boast generous balconies. On both floors, the pleasant hubbub and bumping soundtrack from the pool deck floats in through the double doors that lead outside. That said, if you’re looking for more subdued surroundings, stay in the main hotel’s third or fourth floors; ideally, the fourth-floor suites with their clawfoot tubs and separate living rooms complete with fireplaces. Food and drink You might find yourself wondering why a squeaky-clean retro diner shares a property with a dark lapsed-Catholic-chic Oaxacan restaurant. Much like the pattern play in the guestrooms, the culinary offerings are a delightful clash, letting guests both globe-trot and time-travel without leaving the hotel grounds. Beginners is a painstakingly recreated 1940s diner suffused with gleaming chrome and neon signage, plus red banquettes, checkered floors, and custom dish ware. The diner doles out luxe spins on Americana favorites–say, meatloaf and French dip with wagyu beef–with a stellar breakfast selection. The banana bread pudding French toast is a must, served with toasted walnuts, sliced bananas, and whipped cream. Those with a side of crispy hash browns are the perfect way to start the day. Or close out a night, as Beginner’s is open 24 hours a day, and in the wee hours of the morning you’ll find folks digging into plates of biscuits and house-made sausage gravy as they try to soak up the milk punches from the lobby bar. Meanwhile, executive chef José Cepeda slings syncretism in Quixote as he melds his family’s Oaxacan recipes with a few global flourishes. Just take the togarashi, a kicking Japanese spice mixture, tossed across beautifully grilled octopus and a mole made of seeds. While his sauces are his specialty, particularly the slightly sweet black mole that joins the duck carnitas memelita, the menu’s standout is the crab corn doughnut–a large arancini-like ball graced by blue crab and caviar, with a kick from a burnt chili emulsion. The dining room is date-night dark, though if you’re looking for a deep conversation, maybe head elsewhere as busy dinners create a delightful din here. Elsewhere, the lobby bar slings New-Orleans leaning cocktails (get the grasshopper), and what Gutter lacks in a menu, it more than makes up for with its Manhattan. Grab an espresso tonic in the lobby cafe-meets-check-in. The pool bar, with its tropical drink list, also serves food from Beginners. And on deck: dining options at Lou Lou’s and French fare at Le Horse, another restaurant slated to open in June. Of course, all this is if you can tear yourself away from the in-room bar that’s so stocked–nearly 50 spirits, plus garnishes and cocktail tutorials–that you can’t even rightfully call it a “mini bar.” The spa When it opens this June, the onsite spa will feature a steam room and a cold plunge. Rather than private treatment rooms, the space is inspired by a more social Turkish bathhouse. Meanwhile, check out the in-room Diptyque bath products and the plush velour robes while you wait. The neighborhood/area A perk of the lively, hipster-leaning North Park neighborhood is the fact that there’s tons to do within walking distance, from the seemingly endless amount of taprooms (North Park Beer Company is a must for IPA fans) to the independent shops and music venues. Hoof it to the gayborhood of Hillcrest with its lively bars, fuel up with a slice at old-school Bronx Pizza, and then spend the day exploring sprawling Balboa Park, which is about a twenty minute walk from the Lafayette. Do check out the old-school restaurant Red Fox, too. The classic steakhouse once called the hotel complex home before it moved across the street a few years back. The service Service in the main hotel is upbeat and familiar, with staff sporting retro-inspired purple uniforms ready to help with drinking and dining recommendations. Or, you can use the text concierge line, managed by an actual human on the other end, for recommendations sent to your phone. The restaurant service is especially hands-on, where servers will sing the virtues of an obscure sotol, give you the real scoop on what breakfast dishes not to miss, and advise you to ask the staff at Beginner’s to warm up your dinner leftovers later, as the rooms don’t have microwaves. For families The hotel offers family suites in the main building, with king beds and two full bunk beds. Though given the price tag and general sense of panache, this isn’t the place you’re likely to see rowdy kids splashing around the pool. Eco effort Waste-reduction efforts at the Lafayette include onsite recycling, large shower products in the bathrooms rather than landfill-clogging mini bottles, and locally sourced items to reduce emissions. All the restaurants participate in organic waste composting. Accessibility For such a historic building, all public spaces are accessible with ramps, elevators, and other accommodations. Save for four penthouses on the fourth floor of the main hotel which are only reached by stairs, all of the Lafayette’s rooms are accessible. Anything left to mention? If you’re looking for a quiet getaway, stay here Sunday through Thursday, when the hotel’s celebratory vibe is more chill. Those nights, the pool bar closes at 10 p.m. and the lobby bar at 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, it’s hopping, with Gutter and the jazz club open until 2 a.m., the lobby bar open until 11 p.m., and the pool bar bumping until midnight." - Nathan Tavares

"Lobby bars are usually boring but the central bar in CH Projects’ reimagined LaFayette Hotel is a sparkling centerpiece worth drinking in. The menu offers tried and true classic cocktails like the Sazerac splashed with absinthe and a crushed strawberry and cucumber Pimm’s Cup." - Kelly Bone