Of the myriad hotel choices within Carmel-by-the-Sea, only one is known as the region’s Grand Dame. Longevity, history, and welcoming hospitality have afforded La Playa Hotel the generous designation—which it proudly has embraced throughout its 100+ years and throughout its various incarnations. Its most recent refresh, led by hotel owner Marc & Rose Hospitality, finds inspiration in the writers, poets, artists, and innovators who long have gathered within the property to share creative camaraderie. Award-winning design studio Post Company credits Henry Miller, Jack London, Ansel Adams, the "King of Bohemia" George Sterling, poet Nora May French, and countless others as its muses in redesigning La Playa’s interiors. The result is an ambiance of familiar warmth, tinged with a bit of eccentricity, emblematic of Carmel itself.
Originally built in 1905 by artist Christian Jorgensen as a luxurious mansion for his chocolate heiress wife Angela Ghirardelli, La Playa once served as an artist studio for the couple and their Bohemian friends. Within just a few years, it was converted to a hotel, and has seen only five owners since its founding. Marc & Rose purchased the property in 2011, and led a renovation and reopening in 2012 prior to today’s reimagined vision.
Today, the hotel stands as a testament to its storied past, artfully blending high-design and historical architectural details for a result that is warm and convivial—a place where guests are welcome to celebrate and mingle just as the hotel’s past kindred spirits once did. “Our design honors the hotel’s history and vernacular, while ushering in the works and objects of contemporary artists and muses,” state Jou-Yie Chou, Leigh Salem, and Ruben Caldwell, partners at Post Company. “Each space is of singular and inviting design, much like the diverse cast of patrons and local characters engrained in its extensive past—resulting in an eclecticism that is a deeper reflection of what has always been, and paves the way for a new generation to gather, create, and explore.”
Where the former design highlighted a lighter and classic summer aesthetic of wicker and rattan, new elements celebrate dramatic, old-world craftsmanship such as in the restored wood box beams and corbels. The designers at Post Company embraced the building’s original Mediterranean stylings (Jorgensen initially designed the building in homage to the Spanish-founded Carmel Mission) and enhanced the vibe with sultry spaces such as a curtained nook just off of the main lobby, where a grand fireplace provides a warm welcome. Guest rooms, of which exist a great variety of sizes and orientations, are elegantly appointed with curated bars that include cocktail recipes and the makings for such, curated by San Francisco’s West Bev bar team. Curvaceous furniture balances clean architectural elements and contemporary details, such as modern sconces and original plaster shell pendants by Frances Adler Elkins, and plein-air paintings by Virginia Grossman. Bathrooms feature colorful tile by Fireclay, and blackened nickel Waterworks fixtures alongside decadent Le Labo bath amenities in their signature Santal 33 fragrance.
Outside, a verdant, natural landscape beckons. Lush, native flora surrounds shaded arcades and ocean-poised seating areas. Walking paths (lit by lantern in the evening) encourage exploration. A heated pool welcomes swimmers in every season, and a giant chess set provides a bit of visual whimsy.
A La Playa Hotel stay is studded with special little extras, such as the offer of sparkling wine upon check-in, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in the evening, and Ghirardelli chocolates placed upon each pillow at turndown. One of the hotel’s most gracious complimentary amenities is its bountiful breakfast buffet featuring made-to-order omelets, waffles, frittata, bread pudding, yogurts, cheeses, granola, fruits, pastries, and bottomless mimosas, all enjoyed within the breakfast room and terrace, with its panoramic views of the coastline.
And then there is Bud’s, named for one of the hotel’s former owners. A Carmel institution, Bud’s Bar, located just off of the lobby, is a favorite of both hotel guests and locals who store their high-end spirits in personal lockers that line a hallway, inviting the curious to examine the brass name plaques for a “who’s who” tour of Carmel’s current bon vivants. Post Company leaned into the bar’s original dark and moody vibe, merely augmenting the space’s warm, amber glow.
“Respecting the history and heritage of a place is at the heart of what we most value at Marc & Rose,” said John Grossman, president of Marc & Rose. “Being the stewards of La Playa Hotel is an honor and a privilege that we don’t take lightly. With this remodel, we focused on letting the building lead us to a design that supports the stories of the past, while infusing thoughtful amenities to meet the expectations of the modern traveler.”
Photos by Chris Mottalini, courtesy of La Playa, unless otherwise noted.
