The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows

A 1946 Hollywood Hideaway, Reopened and Reimagined

Larry Imig built this hotel in 1946 in North Park, and Bob Hope was the first name in the guest book; Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, and Frank Sinatra reportedly followed in the years after. The property closed, changed hands more than once, and eventually earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places before CH Projects, the San Diego hospitality group behind a string of the citys best-known bars, took it on. A 31 million dollar renovation closed the doors for most of a year and reopened them in July 2023 as a dense, theatrical mix of hotel, restaurants, bars, and the kind of pool most cities do not have anymore.

Why It Works

Few hotels on a Luxe shortlist can claim a pool designed by Johnny Weissmuller, an Olympic swimmer turned Hollywood star, and fewer still have the documentation to prove it: National Register status, a 2024 induction into Historic Hotels of America, and a renovation budget that shows in the tilework and the custom wallpaper rather than a press release. The Lafayette earns its place for density as much as pedigree, a 24-hour diner, a restaurant inside a former church, a bowling alley, and a pool worth visiting even for guests staying elsewhere, all under one historic roof in a neighborhood most visitors would otherwise skip.

Why This Location

El Cajon Boulevard puts the hotel in North Park rather than downtown or the coast, a deliberate trade of beach proximity for one of San Diegos most walkable restaurant and craft-beer neighborhoods, University Avenue and 30th Street both within easy reach on foot. It suits travelers building a trip around food, design, and nightlife rather than a sunbathing itinerary, with downtown and Balboa Park a short rideshare away when the mood shifts. The absence of a beachfront address is precisely the point: this is a destination in its own right, not a base camp for somewhere else.

Fast Facts

• Prix: Premium

• Vibe: Old Hollywood glamour, Gothic and Tudor flourishes, theatrical rather than restrained

• Chambres: 133, individually styled with four-poster beds and custom wallpaper

• Best For: Design-minded travelers, couples who want a story to tell, groups planning a night that does not require leaving the building

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: The Olympic-sized pool, designed by Johnny Weissmuller and still the centerpiece nearly eighty years later

• Dining: Beginners Diner, a 24-hour vintage diner in the lobby; Quixote, an Oaxacan restaurant set inside a former church; additional bars including a rum bar and jazz club

• Amenities: Historic pool with poolside bungalows, The Gutter bowling alley and game room, Diptyque bath products, National Register of Historic Places listing

• Attractions: North Parks restaurant and craft-beer scene, University Avenue, Balboa Park a short ride away

The Pool Johnny Weissmuller Designed

The Olympic-sized pool, with a deep end reaching ten feet, is the hotels original centerpiece and the reason it earned a swim club reputation long before the current owners arrived. New custom tilework and lap lines sit alongside leopard-print lounge chairs and fringed umbrellas, a knowingly theatrical update rather than a sober restoration. Poolside bungalows offer balcony or terrace views for guests who want the pool as a backdrop rather than just an amenity, and the space draws locals buying day access as readily as it does hotel guests upstairs.

Gothic Glamour, Suite by Suite

Rooms take their cues from Gothic, Victorian, and Tudor design rather than the neutral palette most renovated hotels default to: layered patterns, brocade fabrics, custom light fixtures, and four-poster beds with in-room bar setups built in. Walk-in showers and Diptyque amenities keep the comfort modern even as the decor leans deliberately backward, a combination that rewards travelers happy to trade a few extra outlets for a room that looks like nowhere else in the city.

Before You Book

This is a hotel to book for the experience as much as the sleep: expect noise from the diner, the bars, and the pool scene on weekend nights, and pack for a stay built around eating and drinking on site rather than a quiet retreat. Electrical outlets run scarce in both rooms and common areas, worth planning for if travelling with several devices. North Park rewards a car or rideshare for anyone venturing toward the coast, but for a night built entirely around the hotel itself, nothing needs to move at all.