Our History

The La Jolla Drugstore, next door to the Colonial, was soon woven into its history. In 1926, the store was purchased by Kansas native Silas O. Putnam and moved inside the Colonial’s main building when it opened in 1928. Putnam had spent one winter in Southern California’s temperate climate and decided to make La Jolla his home.

After he bought the drugstore and moved it to its new home, he added an ice cream parlor on the sidewalk that served up chocolate sodas and banana splits. The drugstore became a prime location for locals to gather, talk and watch the few passersby. The pharmacist, employed by Putnam, considered it a big day if he filled more than three prescriptions. Well loved by the townspeople, the pharmacist was also the father of Gregory Peck. Peck, who grew up in La Jolla, eventually left for Hollywood and became a movie star.

During the World War II years, the Colonial became home to many of the “top brass” from nearby Camp Callan. While the men were at Camp during the day, their wives volunteered for the local Red Cross. At night, the hotel’s sunroom was partitioned to create accommodations for single servicemen.

That same decade, the Colonial was a temporary home to some of Hollywood’s up and coming stars that were performing at the La Jolla Playhouse, founded by Peck. Charlton Heston, Dorothy McGuire, Groucho Marx, Jane Wyatt, Eve Arden, Pat O’Brien, David Niven, and many other celebrities occupied the hotel well into the late 1950s.

In 1960, the drugstore needed more space, so Putnam’s son, “Putty” moved the establishment to new quarters, much to the chagrin of the community. Over time, the once grand hotel fell into a state of disrepair.

In 1976, three local partners purchased the Colonial for approximately $1 million. The Colonial’s name was changed to the Colonial Inn. Over the next four years the hotel underwent a $3 million restoration that brought back its original grandeur.

The 75-room property was designed “like an elegant, European hotel” by San Diego’s Robert Carlisle. No expense was spared – from mahogany trim and wood moldings to stylish leaded glass chandeliers and crystal doorknobs.

The restoration was so successful that the Colonial Inn received the “People in Preservation” award from the Save Our Heritage Organization. It was said that “the Colonial Inn… brings the very best from La Jolla’s past tastefully into the present. Elegance, continental service, graceful design and décor, all embraced in the ambience of a small European hotel.”

In 1980, the space once occupied by Putnam’s drugstore became Putnam’s Grille. Reflecting the La Jolla of the 1920s, the restaurant was redesigned to feature dark wood paneling, wrought iron chandeliers and ceiling fans, oak dining sets and large picture windows that created an open, fluid environment.

The original soda fountain was replaced with a mirrored back bar and alcoholic beverages were served instead of ice cream sodas. The restaurant also stayed true to its heritage by offering diners sidewalk seating, continuing the tradition of the past 65 years.

Business continued to be good for the inn, and in 1988, it was sold for an estimated $13.85 million to a Japanese-based investment firm, Tokyo Masuiwaya California. In 1993, “La Jolla’s jewel,” as the Colonial Inn was affectionately referred to, celebrated its 80th birthday.

A $750,000 renovation of NINE-TEN Restaurant was unveiled on Wednesday, September 6th, 2017. The design, by local restaurant design firm Robinson Brown Design, was intended to be an update to the existing restaurant and create a more modern vibe while keeping the upscale mood.

New elements include a refreshing color scheme with infusions of emerald green and light wood while also keeping with the restaurant’s existing stone tiled floor. The new palette is meant to be light and contemporary with added texture and color. The restaurant’s new main focal point is the vibrant and locally inspired ocean and fauna wall panorama created by renowned local artist, Dana Montlack. The color scheme and art allude to the hotel’s iconic location at the sea and La Jolla Cove.

And then just less than two years later, Bane’s legacy continued as the hotel completed a $4 million renovation of all guest rooms and suites, including a majority of the bathrooms. The project, which started in November of 2018, was completed in phases, building-by-building, floor-by-floor. Interior design was provided by Warren Sheets Design, Inc., a San Francisco-based architectural and interior design firm, the same design firm used for the two most recent renovations of the hotel lobby, and meeting spaces.

Artfully recapturing the hotel’s storied past with a keen focus on modern sensibilities, the new design infused a classic European ambiance and a refined, contemporary sophistication. The whimsical interiors and custom baths provide a relaxing atmosphere, allowing guests to open their windows to the sights and sounds of the seaside just steps away.