Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [274]
La Jolla Village Lodge (Map; 858-454-0791, 800-454- 4361; www.lajollavillagelodge.com; 1141 Silverado St; r incl breakfast from $120; wi-fi) At the edge of downtown La Jolla, this 1950s-era motel was recently restored in period style with custom-built tables and chairs, teak headboards and new mattresses. Flat-screen TVs (in some rooms) are a concession to the 21st century. A roof deck gives long-distance views.
Scripps Inn (Map; 858-454-3391; 555 Coast Blvd; r incl breakfast from $175; ) Tucked behind the Museum of Contemporary Art, across from the water, this cozy inn feels like a well-loved beach cottage, bedecked with climbing vines. Its airy, rather spacious rooms mix blondwood and sandpiper motifs, and most have sleep-sofas. Its 13 units fill up quickly – book early. No air-con.
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa (Map; 858-550-1000, 877-437-8262; www.estancialajolla.com; 9700 N Torrey Pines Rd; r $240-390; wi-fi) Outside the town center, this rambling rancho-style resort with its pathways, patios and lush gardens is down-to-earth, romantic and cushy all at once. Unwind by the huge pool, during an expert massage at the spa, or while sipping killer margaritas by the outdoor fireplace. Rooms feature custom furniture, luxurious linens and big bathrooms. Two restaurants. Parking costs $17.
Grande Colonial (Map; 858-454-2181, 800-826-1278; www.thegrandecolonial.com; 910 Prospect St; r $255-535; wi-fi) Demure stepsister to La Valencia, the smartly decorated 1927 Grande Colonial exudes conservative sophistication. Great beds with floral spreads, odd-shaped rooms with Victorian-style furniture, and sunny yellow walls add to the charm. New ‘hillside’ rooms start at $375.
La Valencia (Map; 858-454-0771, 800-451-0772; www.lavalencia.com; 1132 Prospect St; r $275-575; wi-fi) Publicity stills of Lon Cheney, Lillian Gish and Greta Garbo line the hallways of La Jolla’s iconic hotel from 1926: pink-walled, Mediterranean-style, and designed by William Templeton Johnson. Its 116 rooms are rather compact (befitting the era) and you’ll find more modern amenities elsewhere, but La Valencia takes the cake for evoking old Hollywood romance. Parking costs $21.
Hotel Parisi (Map; 858-454-1511, 877-472-7474; www.hotelparisi.com; 1111 Prospect St; r $295-525; ) So many hotels call themselves ‘boutique’ these days, but the Parisi is an original, with 20 sumptuous rooms, contemporary style (think sands, russets and chocolate browns) and in-room massage services at the crossroads of everything. There’s a new-age vibe, but it’s not beyond a little humor, like a plush pineapple on the bed.
Lodge at Torrey Pines (Map; 858-453-4420, 800-995-4507; www.lodgetorreypines.com; 11480 N Torrey Pines Rd; r from $350; ) Inspired by the architecture of Greene & Greene, the turn-of-the-20th-century Arts and Crafts masters who designed the Gamble House in Pasadena, the Lodge is built in Craftsman style down to the lap joints in the cherry-wood wainscoting and the column footings of random-set stone. Discretely luxurious rooms have Mission oak-and-leather furniture à la Stickley, Tiffany-style lamps, plein-air paintings and basket-weave bathroom-floor tiling of marble. There’s a stellar full-service spa and even a croquet lawn. Parking costs $22.
Return to beginning of chapter
EATING
Budget
Porkyland (Map; 858-459-1708; 1030 Torrey Pines Rd; dishes $3-8; 8am-8pm) This tiny Mexican joint on the edge of central La Jolla has no atmosphere, but the burritos and fish tacos have a devoted following. The habanero burrito ($4.50) will make your taste buds roar (in a good way) and still leave you money for beer.
* * *
BATTLE OF THE RESTAURANT HEAVYWEIGHTS
George started it.
Since the 1980s, George’s at the Cove (Map; 858-454-4244; 1250 Prospect St; mains $15-44; lunch & dinner) has been on just about every list of the best restaurants in San Diego, if not all of California. Casual diners at George’s Ocean Terrace Bistro and George’s Bar have marveled