Sneak Peak Tour at Kimpton's Hotel La Jolla

On Friday General Manager Caroline Dyal gave Patch a tour of the hotel on La Jolla Shores near Torrey Pines Road. The $4 million renovation project includes room upgrades and a complete remodel of the lobby, restaurant, pool, meeting rooms, gym and offices. Kimpton, the hotel’s property manager, anticipates a re-opening of the popular hotel in late July.

Renovations began in December under the design direction of architect and designer, Gulla Jonsdottir, who has also done the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The construction crew is 80 percent done with the improvements.

Everything on the ground floor was resigned, even the driveway, which will feature firepots, a 12-foot sculpture, and stacked valet entrance.

The lobby will be open with natural light flowing in from large glass walls, a warm fireplace and casual seating areas off of the front desk.

Marine colors, shapes and materials were used in the casual hotel designs. The same fabrics, materials and stone elements can be seen from the lobby entrance, which Kimpton likes to call the “living room” through to the “sleep rooms.”

“The space is designed to be light and airy, mirroring sun-kissed La Jolla, and guests will be just as comfortable wearing flip-flops, having stepped off the beach, or dressing it up for a business meeting or evening out,” said Gulla in an announcement.

The outdoor pool deck and lounge will feature a redesigned pool steps for wading into the water, cabanas, fire pits and a bar area that will serve up cool drinks and hot tapas.

The gym will have new cardio equipment, weights and even hula-hoops.

One of the most anticipated and talked about renovations is to the 11-floor restaurant, which offers a 280-degree view of the ocean. Clay’s will be reborn as Cusp Dining & Drinks on Hotel La Jolla’s top floor when the hotel reopens. Every seat the wave shaped bar faces the view and nearly every table has a view of the ocean as well. Chef Donald Lockhart will be serving up coastal Mediterranean dishes.

With quick and easy access to La Jolla and to the rest of San Diego, we can’t imagine you will have much time to spend in your room, but Kimpton made small upgrades to this area of the hotel as well.

Designer David Lucas reportedly created the rooms to have a comfortable costal atmosphere. Beach textures seen on everything from the walls with a sea grass wallpaper and ceruse wall wood finish, to the stone flooring and glass lighting fixtures and beachy throw blankets on the bed. Most impressive was the bathroom layout that offers an ocean view from the shower.

The guestrooms also have flat screen TVs, pillow-top mattresses and 600-thread count sheet. 

If you want to see the new digs yourself, make a reservation online.

Follow us on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter