Placidly ensconced

Casa Loma Beach House (Laguna Beach)

GETAWAYS • Laguna Beach

Perched on a rocky outcropping overlooking the Pacific, Casa Loma Beach Hotel is an ideal getaway for a quiet weekend in Laguna Beach, particularly if your goal is to not do too much of anything.

The hotel opened last year following a $15 million gut renovation of what was the Inn at Laguna Beach. Designed by Electric Bowery, the spaces have an earthy new age meets eclectic Mallorca beach club vibe.

This isn’t the typical luxury hotel set-up (i.e. a full roster of spas, chef-branded restaurants, and gleaming fitness centers). Luxury here is in the details, like the drink upon arrival, the tranquil soundscape curated by Uncanned, and the fresh cookies each evening. Ocean views around seemingly every corner help, too. With just 70 rooms, the environment is intimate. Collected objects dot the property — surf-themed coffee table books, a carved wooden bust, a ceramic planter.

The airy lobby-slash-lounge is flanked by a towering sculptural relief of a sun-worshipping goddess. Sandy plaster, rattan lamps, and terracotta floors combine with a sinuous built-in banquette and a row of dark wood tables. Open daily 7a-10p, hotel bar Cecilia’s is tucked in the corner behind glossy maroon tiles, along with a vintage reel-to-reel tape machine. Upstairs, on the rooftop Pacific Terrace, guests can watch the sunset over the ocean and gather by the firepit. On the ground level, surrounded by thick hedges and white umbrellas, the courtyard pool is a secluded alternative to Main Beach (which is literally steps away).

The rooms feel delightfully airy, likely because many of those aforementioned ocean-facing views (even the standard room I stayed in had one). Furnished with a large bed anchored by a swooping wood headboard, a small bathroom with a shower, a table with two comfortable chairs, and colorful geometric throw blankets for a bold accent, the room also included touches like a radio playing lo-fi surf rock from the hotel’s custom channel, a pour-over coffee station fueled by Canyon Coffee, and bath products from D.S. & Durga (of which I am now a convert).

I spent most of my down time placidly ensconced in the crisp white sheets of my bed, or in one of the wide lounge chairs, turned to face the ocean for a glimpse of the occasional spouting whale. Otherwise, I was walking along the boardwalk and its various coves or eating a giant gourmet pretzel from Rye Goods. I’d recommend future visitors do the same. –Grace Bernard

→ Casa Loma Beach House (Laguna Beach) • August wknd king from $609/per.