Hotel Review

LA VALENCIA HOTEL
Soak in the views of the Pacific Ocean at this historic property

La Valencia Hotel
1132 Prospect St • 858-454-0771
La Jolla, California
www.lavalencia.com

Above the rocky beaches and below the hills, you will find the La Valencia Hotel. La Jolla, just north of San Diego, is naturally secluded, and La Valencia has long played off the exclusivity and draw of the town’s natural beauty.

But more than a traveler’s destination, it has been a hub of the local social scene. Built in 1926, on a bloated budget of $300,000, the hotel quickly became the venue for weddings, banquets and charity events. But as reticent as the locals were to newcomers, La Valencia and the town have long had a draw.

Hollywood stars have flocked to La Valencia since the 1930s, inundating tiny La Jolla; Greta Garbo, Groucho Marx and Charlie Chaplin were all regulars.

Today, the hotel’s lavish suites, top-end dining and amenities still attract the big names. “We’ve had them all,” says Cynthia Peterson, the hotel’s marketing manager. “Everybody from Oprah to Tom Hanks.”

The hotel is divided into the 15 newly completed Ocean Villas and updated rooms and suites in the original building. The villas run from 400 to 1,200 square feet, and are staffed with a private butler. After guests check in, they are met by an attendant who takes them to their quarters and unpacks their belongings.

Diners at La Valencia’s three restaurants enjoy an extensive wine list. The Whaling Bar and Grill is an old style fisherman’s eatery and watering hole. Harpoons, seafaring photos and fishing murals cover the walls. The specialty of the house is the Whaler, a hard liquor and ice cream concoction, akin to a milkshake but much less innocent.

The 12 tables at The Sky Room are very hard to reserve— not surprising, since diners can experience a 180-degree view of the Pacific Ocean from any seat in the house. What’s more, the French cuisine is among the very best in town.

Finally, The Mediterranean Room and Tropical Patio holds its own with a warm and cozy atmosphere and dressed-down menu.

Another great feature of the hotel—and perhaps the best—is actually off its grounds. In neighboring Rancho Santa Fe, the hotel has opened Rancho Valencia, a 3,500- square-foot compound of swimming pools, Jacuzzis, spas and masseuses all poised to pamper. —D.Heimpel