Leisure Life & Glamour - The LaFayette Hotel and Club | San Diego, California

Video Description

We stayed at the historic and eclectic LaFayette Hotel and Club in San Diego, California and this is what it looked like. https://www.instagram.com/thelafayette https://lafayettehotelsd.com/ #vlog #sandiego #hotels #travel Since its opening in 1946, the LaFayette Hotel and Club boutique hotel has been a symbol of leisure life and glamour in the area. Walking into the lobby, it feels like a city within a city, suspended in time. But what time, exactly? Is it really a flashback or more like a dream? We booked the poolside King room, a wild orchestra of patterns and textures with its canopied bed, hassled lamps and meticulous attention to detail. This boudoir-meets-bordello themed room could very well send the most fervent minimalists running for the hills. But I think it works. Quixote is an Oaxacan style restaurant with dark decor inspired by and derived from abandon Mexican churches. Very cool. The dining area, lit only by lanterns and candelabras, has a cozy and romantic feel in spite of being packed and bustling. We order some cocktails and take in the atmosphere. We’re eager to get some coffee and breakfast. We stop into Beginner’s Diner, a near perfect representation of what I would say is a classic 1940s New York style diner. We start with some excellent coffee and browse the breakfast menu. Bagel and lox for me. Cherry pie Special Agent Dale Cooper style for the lady. Damned good. I’m noticing a theme here at the LaFayette. Everywhere we go is kind-of like stepping into another place and time. But it doesn’t feel forced or inauthentic like a theme casino in Vegas or some half-assed immersive experience. No, it feels like a lot of love and care went into designing this place, and it’s appreciated. North Park is about a 5 minute drive or 20 minute walk from the hotel. We stumble upon a vintage market so we stop to take a look. North Park has a wealth of unique independent shops and places to eat and drink so we spend a good hour or so wandering around. There’s no shortage of perfectly curated gift shops and boutiques and Day to Day Vintage draws us in. What’s old is new and what’s new is… I don’t know. These vintage Bass penny loafers match my wannabe Ivy prep aesthetic but, unfortunately, they’re not my size. There’s a lot to do and see here in North Park. I’d love to spend a whole day here sometime but, right now, it’s time for some poolside relaxation so we head back to the hotel. The olympic size pool is the true centerpiece of the Lafayette, a vibrant display of striped umbrellas, checkered tiles and palm trees that feels like you’ve been transported right into an Aaron Slims photo shoot. Pure glamour. The pool deck bar menu is sort-of Tiki meets Amalfi Coast and I’m into it. I order something called a Vespa, a mix of tequila, rum, sherry, coconut and lime. Oh boy. We take our vacation-y cocktails and settle into these beautiful wicker chairs in front of our room. Niiice. Fun fact: The pool was originally co-designed by Olympic gold medal winner, and movie Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller and features a 9ft deep end, something you don’t see in contemporary hotels. That was nice. Next, we saddle up at the lobby bar for a pre-dinner cocktail. This is the central gathering space of the hotel and I can understand why. The theme is supposedly New Orleans French Quarter but I’d say it’s so much more than that. I seems tailor-made for socializing. I order a martini and, holy smokes, it is fantastic. And from the look of things, it seems like a popular choice. The natural light that comes through the bar in the evening is beautiful and the decor is something else. No TVs either, which is a big plus. For dinner, we’re back at Beginner’s Diner. This time, we go for grilled cheese and tomato soup for that gloomy weather comfort food thing. These milkshakes look like they could solve all of life’s problems but, I exercise some self-discipline, for now. Then, it’s The Gutter, an old school game room inspired bar with classic cocktails, skeeball, billiards and a two full sized bowling lanes. The Gutter is open until 2am every day and you can book ahead for an hour on the lanes. We throw on some courtesy bowling shoes and get down to business. I’m far from pro and usually happy if I break a hundred but we do our best. Like the rest of the hotel, no design detail has been overlooked and it feels as though we’ve been transported once again. Wait, where the hell are we, anyway? All in all, I’d call that a great day. Sadly, due to a private event, we weren’t able to visit Lu Lou’s, the beautiful bar and event space that hosts live jazz and, incidentally, was the set of that famous “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” scene in the film, Top Gun. We’ll check it out next time. We grab a couple of cute souvenirs and make our way home.