Grande Colonial La Jolla History: A Community Landmark

Grande Colonial La Jolla: A Community's Historical Landmark

In the early twentieth century, La Jolla, like mostly everywhere in the country, was growing fast. Considered by most to be a small artist colony without paved streets or home addresses, the town's population grew from 300 people in 1900 to more than 2,000 by 1920. Tourism was quickly becoming the economic base of the community and so set the stage for the emergence of what would become one of La Jolla's most loved landmarks of the past: the Grande Colonial.

Listed on The Registry of Historic Hotels of America, the Grande Colonial is La Jolla's oldest operating hotel. One hundred years ago it was a bit smaller and perhaps less formal, but just like La Jolla, the Grande Colonial grew in size and stature over the years. It is now an elegant and lively seaside hotel with a style all its own.

The hotel's story begins in 1913. Woodrow Wilson was America's new President, federal income tax began, the zipper was invented, and Cracker Jacks started coming with a prize in every box. Locally, horses and cars were still sharing an unpaved and windswept dirt road called Prospect Street. Women were strolling this and other streets in dresses that showed off…their ankles!

La Jolla was becoming an increasingly popular seaside destination and real estate partners A.B. Harlan and George Bane thought the time had come to build an informal, first-class beach hotel to offer year-round lodging. Harlan and Bane bought an ideal location overlooking the ocean on one side and the village shops on the other. The up-and-coming local architect, Richard Requa, was hired to design a hotel that included complete apartments and single guest rooms. At the time, it was common to offer both accommodations as travelers often requested long stays.

Requa's design included two structures in the popular Prairie Style, which gracefully fit in with the many bungalows that defined the village's architectural character. There were large overhangs, exposed rafters, an emphasis on horizontal lines, and a large common fireplace where visitors could gather and share the day's stories. The hotel was described as "a perfectly-appointed apartment hotel with the finest sun parlor and lobby over- looking the ocean on the Pacific Coast." Rooms cost $1 per night, and it boasted private baths, steam heat, electric lights, long distance telephone service and the best furnishings of any apartment in San Diego.

Harlan and Bane named their new establishment The Colonial Hotel and Apartments. They managed the hotel themselves from their office next door that also served as the front desk. The small community happily embraced the new hotel. Requa eventually became famous for designing The Del Mar Castle and was the master architect of the California Exposition in Balboa Park.

The Colonial was exceptionally well suited to the time and place, but soon there was more demand than supply. By 1925, Bane had bought out Harlan and began thinking bigger would be better. He wanted a grand hotel that was in keeping with La Jolla's growth as an upscale beach community. This time Bane hired Frank Stevenson—a local architect known for his large civic structures—to design a hotel that "would rival anything in the west."

Construction soon began, but building a new five-story, fireproof structure was not easy. The plan called for the original front building to be picked up and relocated on a slope around the corner.

In time, this challenge and others were met, and the hotel was completed in 1928. It was indeed impressive, touting central heating, apartments with refrigerators (un-stocked), and the first fire sprinkler system west of the Mississippi. The rooms and public spaces were "artistically appointed," the walls were shades of cream with rose and green accents and a variety of lush carpets and drapes. The furniture was period mahogany; black marble trimmed fireplaces, ornate crystal chandeliers, beautifully lit through large leaded-glass windows and French doors completed the impressive design.

Room rates for the new hotel were $3.00 to $6.00 per night and included golf privileges at the new La Jolla Country Club. Opening night was a gala social affair with a harp and violins playing period music in the lobby while Bane and his wife gave tours of the rooms. He said the new hotel was "…the concrete expression of my faith" that La Jolla would become a premier destination.

"La Jolla is a little old town unto its own. Its future, I think, is already won and the new Colonial will be in time for the show" he expressed to his new manager. The new Colonial appealed to more than just beach-going travelers, it also delighted locals by incorporating Putnam's, the popular pharmacy and soda fountain next door.

Like everywhere else, the depression of the 1930's was a hardship on people in La Jolla, but WW II brought the military and prosperity to San Diego. The Colonial became popular housing for officers from nearby Camp Callan, an Army base with a long-range gunnery school on land that is now Torrey Pines Golf Course and the campus of the University of California, San Diego. Many officers stayed at the hotel with their wives, many of whom split their time between volunteering for the Red Cross and enjoying the beach. The hotel's Sun Parlor was partitioned off at night for single soldiers. One has to assume they made the most of the "inconvenience" of having to live off base.

After WWII, happier days returned, and La Jolla regained its cache as an upscale vacation spot. The La Jolla Playhouse was established, and the hotel was popular with famous actors, artists, and celebrities who were writing, painting, performing, having a tryst, or simply getting a reprieve from the pressures of Hollywood.

The good times rolled through the ‘50's, mellowed out in the ‘60's, and by 1976 the Colonial needed and got a major renovation. The new owners paid $1 million for the hotel, spent another $3 million restoring it, and then graced it with the name, The Colonial Inn. The project was popular with locals who favored controlled growth. The new owners were so successful in reviving the hotel's charm that it received the "People in Preservation" Award. The award said "The Colonial Inn…brings the very best of 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." George Bane couldn't have said it better.

By the turn of the 21st century, the Colonial was ready for more renovation and another new name, the Grande Colonial. Over the next decade, another $13 million was invested to bring it current in aesthetics, technology, and energy usage. Most notable of the new work was the purchase of two adjacent historic properties – the Garden Terraces and the Little Hotel by the Sea, the latter which over the years was also called "La Posada" and "The Heidi House."

These two buildings, celebrating a rich history all their own, are the last of the areas original small inns and have been designated La Jolla historic sites. Their preservation as extended-stay accommodations under the Grande Colonial name preserved the neighborhood's character while providing more guests the opportunity to stay in traditional beach suites that are a home away from home with full kitchens and fireplaces. Frequent long time guest Hal Schwarz said of the rooms, "you don't feel as if you're in a hotel"

All this dedication has paid off handsomely. With all its historic grandeur completely restored The Grande Colonial has an AAA Four Diamond rating. Attention is given to every detail in the rooms and the service to keep it this way, from the fine lobby furnishings to the quality of the linens in every room. The current owners and management will continue the Colonial's distinguished tradition with the objective of making it one of the most elegant boutique hotels in California. The Grande Colonial wants to be sure it's serving guests for the next 100 years, and with its romantic ocean views, crackling fire, elegant interiors, sumptuous cuisine, and impeccable service, many more guests will become firm believers.

Photo Credit:  La Jolla Playhouse founders (L-R) Mel Ferrer, Dorothy McGuire, and Gregory Peck. Photo courtesy of La Jolla Playhouse.

Hollywood And The Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

La Jolla is the proud home of the La Jolla Playhouse, a world-class theater that has produced and premiered many Broadway hits such as Tommy, Jersey Boys, A Walk in the Woods, and Memphis. The Playhouse--just like the Grande Colonial hotel La Jolla --served as the summer home for many Hollywood actors, actresses and writers who loved live theater.

In 1947, the war was over. Actors and theater- goers wanted entertainment to lift their spirits. Native son Gregory Peck and fellow actors Mel Ferrer and Dorothy McGuire, along with financial partner The Kiwanis Club of La Jolla, started a summer stock theater here in the resort town that Peck grew up in. In trying to build local support he exclaimed, "We have no idea what plays we'll present or who's going to be in them, but we guarantee you ten plays a year and our word that they will be good." Can't you just see him saying that?

The Playhouse was an instant hit with its first production, Night Must Fall. The plays were performed at La Jolla High School where the auditorium seated only 500 people. They had to build plywood risers and the audience sat on hard chairs, but it created a more intimate experience for all. Garden parties were thrown for every production's opening night. La Jolla's socialites loved rubbing shoulders with screen stars such as Olivia DeHavilland, James Mason, Ginger Rogers, and Vincent Price. And who could pass up the opportunity to sip a cocktail with Eva and Zsa Zsa Gabor. "It became the thing to do, to come to the opening and mix in the patio between acts on a beautiful summer evening" according to Peck. It must have been fun!

A new play was performed every couple of weeks, bringing down a constant parade of notable stars from Los Angeles. For many of those actors, their La Jolla residence was the Colonial Hotel. The hotel's luxurious suites provided the comforts of home, an ocean view, and extra privacy for stars like Groucho Marx and David Niven, who gained reputations as pranksters whenever they came to town. When first asked to perform, Groucho quipped "Oh, I don't know, that's a very strait-laced community down there." The Colonial also hosted Hollywood greats Charlton Heston, Pat O'Brien, Eve Arden, and Jane Wyatt.

Peck delivered on his promise of quality. In 1949, Time Magazine granted high praise calling it "The nation's most star-studded summer theater…the first night audience looked like a Hollywood premier". The Playhouse changed the cultural landscape of the town. It inspired and sometimes even included aspiring locals such as Raquel Welch (Tejada) who was in the chorus for Pal Joey while she was still attending La Jolla High School.

Since the inception of the Playhouse decades ago, the Grande Colonial hotel La Jolla has enjoyed a steady stream of celebrities, political leaders, luminaries, and literati. Whether visiting for professional reasons or simply to enjoy a welcome respite, the hotel continues to be the choice of the likes of Jane Seymour, Robin Leach, Cheech Marin, Robin Wright-Penn (who also attended La Jolla High School) and Will Ferrell to name but a few.

The La Jolla Playhouse helped create a strong foundation for the arts in a town that was already home to many academic, science and business leaders. Today, the Playhouse is world-class, launching multiple Broadway hits and receiving its own Tony Award for Best Regional Theater. The Colonial quietly played its supporting role well in making La Jolla a glamorous as well as artistic seaside resort of international acclaim.

The History Of The Little Hotel By The Sea Wing At The Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

The Little Hotel by the Sea, one of three adjacent all-suite wings at the Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla, celebrated its gala grand opening on January 14, 1925.  Then owners Mr. & Mrs. Hellwig opened their new hotel and cafe', serving a "Swedish Peasant" dinner at tables arranged Scandinavian-style in a horseshoe, probably for good luck.  There were 40 guests and after this repast, chairs were pushed aside for social dancing on the polished floor.  The café was a single large room with walls of rosy brown and light varnished woodwork, blue and white checkered curtains and windows with a view for everyone.  On the upper floor were seven light, airy bedrooms with ocean views.  The building was of rather nondescript white stucco with blue window casings.

In 1928, the hotel had acquired its second owner, Mrs. Agnes Hurley and her family.  With the aid of Thomas L. Shepherd of Mann Shepherd Architects, the original small building of "nondescript exterior" was converted into a charming low-lying building of Mediterranean-style and tastefully appointed rooms.  The size was nearly doubled, and a rooftop solarium was added providing the guests with a sunny resting place with magnificent views of the Pacific Ocean and La Jolla shoreline.

In 1929, it took another stride forward when it went through a major remodeling and redecorating, under Shepherd's skillful hands.  It emerged with a new lobby and the large main window was enhanced with window boxes and tiles from Mexico.  The hotel also emerged with a six-passenger solid-mahogany elevator housed in a steel tower erected from solid rock beneath the hotel.  Soon after, it became recognized as the "The Smallest Hotel in the World with an Elevator".

The hotel continued to flourish. Its locale and atmosphere lent itself to people vacationing from all over the world. These people would return time and again because of the homelike surroundings conducive to quiet and rest.  Pages of the hotel register show the signatures of such personalities as Mrs. Cecil B. DeMille in 1927 and the Wellman family (producer/director) from Hollywood.

In 1940, a nationally known publisher and writer of children's stories, Helena Chase Johnson, bought the hotel and renamed it "La Posada". She and her family of five children lived locally with two Shetland ponies named "Peanuts" and "Pardner".  The two ponies were legends in the small seaside community, often seen grazing on the front lawn "pasture" of the Johnson home. They had the run of the family's home as if they were a pet dog or cat.  They had always shared everything that the Johnson family took part in...Holidays, birthday celebrations, even nightly dinner gatherings.  That is, until the grand re-opening party of La Posada. In 1940, the Johnson's threw a party in the hotel's roof-top solarium to which all in La Jolla were invited. It was the event of the town and one which the entire family would be present...including Peanuts and Pardner…or so they thought. Unfortunately, the only way to reach the solarium was via the hotel's new six-passenger elevator. Despite attempts, it did not prove feasible to get Peanuts and Pardner up the new elevator shaft and they had to sit out on the festivities and serve as official greeters on the ground-floor.

The hotels' name was changed once again in 1957 when a young woman named Heidi and her husband (both arriving straight from Switzerland) took over the management and added to its atmosphere of a European-style "Pension".  It was named The Heidi House until 1966 when it changed to its final and current name, The Little Hotel by the Sea.

In 2007, the property officially became a part of the historic Grande Colonial after operating as a residential apartment complex for the previous 30 years.  Prior to its conversion into hotel accommodations, the Little Hotel underwent a $3.5 million historical restoration project, adding a total of 8 new, residential-style suites to the Grande Colonial's existing inventory of guest rooms and suites.  Upon completion, the wing maintained its individual name as the Little Hotel by the Sea wing.

Two significant elements of the Little Hotel by the Sea project include the restoration of the building's rooftop "loft" and deck, and the restoration of the 1929 Baker & Sons elevator.  Today, the rooftop area is used as a guest library and sitting room, as well as an outdoor terrace providing panoramic views of the Pacific.  The Baker & Sons elevator was also restored to full operation.

The Little Hotel by the Sea wing of the hotel is located at 8045 Jenner Street.  To recognize its historical significance in the development of La Jolla, the building was designated as a historic site in 1984.  The Grande Colonial is located at 910 Prospect Street in La Jolla, California. For additional information, call 858-454-2181 or visit our website at www.thegrandecolonial.com.

A Jewel From The Start: The History Of La Jolla

"La Jolla is a bit of sea coast of many moods and manners… It has a magnetic charm and personality, and once under the spell, it grips our lives and thoughts ever afterwards."

Those were the words used to describe La Jolla early on in the official publication of the La Jolla Chamber of Commerce. Everyone who visits La Jolla sees that those words remain true today.

From the downtown elegance, beachside Cove, cliffs, and Children's Pool to the long stretch of beach at La Jolla Shores, this resort town has fun, charm, and class to spare. It's no wonder that generations of residents and visitors have found themselves renewed by the scenery, climate, and soothing waves that roll onto the beaches of this Pacific paradise called The Jewel of the Sea.

This is as true today as it was in 1887 when Frank Botsford, a successful New York stockbroker, who is considered to be the father of La Jolla, was so awe-struck by the area's perfect weather and natural beauty that he bought it - for $5.50 per acre. From the beginning, Botsford envisioned turning this enchanting place into a resort community. It wasn't long before he surveyed the land and built a small, attractive home for his family on what would become Prospect Street.

Within a few years, Botsford had managed to attract a steady flow of tourists from Los Angeles and San Diego. They would come to enjoy the hiking, swimming, exploring, and beach-life that the area offered. There were no first-class accommodations at the time; in fact, there were no accommodations at the time. That early in La Jolla's history, vacationers slept in tents at the Cove. Like the Kumeyaay Indian tribe before them, visitors listened to waves breaking on the shore and watched sunsets over the water in a world that seemed unchanged for centuries.

In 1894, La Jolla started to grow beyond cottages and tents. Like many resorts, this was helped along by the opening of a railroad and a hotel. Short- and long-term visitors arrived on the Abalone Special–a quaint train with open-air cars that offered scenic and breezy rides to and from San Diego. Visitors who preferred accommodations more genteel than a tent could stay in the La Jolla Park Hotel, a magnificent Victorian with steeply pitched roof lines and wide verandas.

Unfortunately, the Park Hotel succumbed to a fire, but it succeeded in laying the foundation for La Jolla becoming a first-class seaside resort. It was located adjacent to where the Grande Colonial stands today. It was where Ellen Browning Scripps, the local philanthropist, founder and donor to major local institutions and parks, stayed when she first visited the town. Thankfully, there are still a few pre-1900 buildings standing, with Brockton Villa being the most well-known. It is now a popular restaurant across from the Cove and enjoys the same magnificent ocean view it has always had.

Without an upscale hotel, visitors stayed in the many bungalows and small inns that sprang up in the village and along the low cliffs by the ocean. These quaint bungalows came to define La Jolla's image and the local tradition was to name them as one would a grand estate - very tongue-in-cheek. There was Honeysuckle Lodge, Wysteria, Wigwam, Matterhorn, Red Roost, and many others. The most famous was Anna Held's Green Dragon Colony, which became the place for the literati who were increasingly visitingthe town. Miss Held was known for her many eccentricities, including having cut a hole, not a window – a hole, in her bathroom wall so she could see the ocean when she bathed.

Holidays in particular were big days for family outings in La Jolla and events were sometimes staged to entertain the crowds. There was a balloon ascension with "Professor" Romeo the aeronaut, and on July 4th, 1898, local cliff diver, "Professor" Poole, even lit himself on fire before jumping the 100 feet into the sea in front of an astounded crowd. Showing its more serious side, the town established the Torrey Pines State Reserve in 1899 to save the unique trees and preserve some of the most spectacular scenery in the country for future generations to enjoy.

La Jolla came into its own in 1913. In this year, the local newspaper was established, the first theater opened, construction of The La Jolla Women's Club began, and the first buildings of The Colonial Hotel were built. Local realtors, A.B. Harlan and George Bane saw the need for another hotel with proper accommodations, including private baths. Their hotel, The Colonial Hotel and Apartments, established a more mod- ern approach to lodging and met the increasing expectations of the people who were vacationing in La Jolla.

By the middle of the 1920's, a real estate boom was underway. Although the streets weren't yet paved with gold, they were now paved, which encouraged more tourists and the businesses that catered to them. The Abalone Special was replaced with a streetcar called The Red Devil, and more hotels were being built in town. Growth and expansion seemed to have no end in sight. George Bane saw where things were headed and decided it was time to expand The Colonial to meet the increasing demand. It took years of planning and construction, but in 1928 he opened a new building that was larger and grander than anything in La Jolla.

During the 1930's and early 1940's, life was relatively quiet in La Jolla as it weathered The Great Depression. The biggest sensation was the glider port - a take-off and landing area high above the ocean on the cliffs of Torrey Pines. This area, home to flying thrill-seekers, was as popular then as it is today. In 1940, the United States Army closed the glider port and opened Camp Callan - a coastal artillery school - in anticipation of going to war.

The Colonial Hotel did its civic duty by hosting officers, enlisted men, and their families in overflow housing throughout the war. During the day, many of the officer's wives volunteered at the Red Cross, making bandages at The La Jolla Women's Club just down the street. At night, the Colonial was full, busy, and certainly a great place to be living. One cannot help but feel sorry for the men and women who had to endure the hardships of living off base. According to Skip Hunter, a local restaurant owner who first came to La Jolla in the 1940's when stationed at the camp, "Camp Callan was the country club of the army."

After World War II ended, La Jolla returned to the business of fun and the entertainment of tourists. While most of the Camp Callan land was turned over to the State of California, which built the University of California, San Diego, the rest eventually became the Torrey Pines Golf Course. In 1947, actor Gregory Peck and several friends founded The La Jolla Playhouse. The La Jolla native called the town "a magical little resort community", and La Jolla became known as "Little Hollywood" for several years. Producer Delmer Daves said what kept the stars coming to La Jolla was very simple, "serenity".

In the 1960's, La Jolla became known for its tennis and golf, with a little surfing thrown in. Actually, it was a lot of surfing. La Jolla has a major beach break at Windansea Beach that was so popular with the Baby Boomers that the Beach Boys included La Jolla in their surf anthem, "Surfin' USA."

For the last 50 years, the Boomers have settled down and the town has grown into a premier resort, shopping destination, and upscale suburb of San Diego. La Jollans can boast having some of the most expensive real estate in the country, with some ultramodern homes perched almost 825 feet above the ocean on Mount Soledad. La Jolla offers every possible luxury in a relatively small, beautifully laid out town with four-star restaurants, art galleries, clothing boutiques, and jewelry stores. La Jolla could fairly be called San Diego's Rodeo Drive.

All the while, the Grande Colonial has played its part as host, gracefully watching over the village for 100 years, providing guests and residents with a valuable sense of history and community in this enchanted place called The Jewel of the Sea.