The Lafayette: San Diego’s immersive 1940s themed design hotel that bridges fantasy with reality

The new Lafayette, designed by Brooklyn-based Post Company, goes beyond a one-dimensional space, exploring the notion of a “city within a city”. Reimagined but true to its roots, the hotel’s design boasts an ornate style distinctive to each space, with luxury details like custom designed linens and in-room bar set-ups. Each room has its own niche, but warm colors and florid tones tie the spaces together into a united community where all guests feel tranquil, a classically Southern Californian aesthetic.

In CH fashion, the food and beverage destinations within The Lafayette bring a particular expression with each concept. A tribute to the golden era of the diner, Beginners Diner is a historical recreation of a 1940s Worcester lunch car, welcoming guests 24/7 and conveying feelings of familiarity and wonder. The details were brought to life with the help of a diner historian, crafting the ageless, glowing aura of a spot to have any meal, at any time. The hotel goes a step further in its timelessness, boasting a vintage bowling alley, cocktail bar and game room. The Gutter, inspired by Henry Frick’s personal bowling alley at the base of the Frick Museum, welcomes guests with rich mahogany and Manhattans, as a whimsical escape to a distant era of leisure.

The Lobby Bar is circular in design under the soaring glass atrium flooding the space with light, anchored by the Atlas statue and surrounded by a hand-painted ceiling by Brazilian artist Joāo Incerti. Constructed with detailed wood and delicate banquettes, the bar provides a convenient meeting space and starting point to the vast array of dining and entertainment rooms within the hotel. The guests can feel at ease under the wrought iron lamps, contrasting the disoriented guests stereotype of large hotels.

A luxury hotel stamp, the Pool Bar on the property is simultaneously composed and excessive, with a sun-drenched stone patio cascading into the checkered pool. A connecting garden-like deck is surrounded by an abundance of nature: overgrown bougainvillea, citrus, and jasmine shine vibrant natural color schemes on the encircling area. Scalloped umbrellas shade striped chaise longues and rattan clamshell chairs along the pool’s perimeter, evoking 1980s luxury inspired by the Amalfi Coast. Aperitivos, spritzes, and refreshing bites are featured on the menu.