Fodor's Expert Review Grande Colonial

Hello, Pacific Ocean. Set in picturesque La Jolla -- pronounced “la hoya” -- the Grande Colonial has sensational ocean views and a storied past. Just a couple of blocks from La Jolla Cove, the five-story concrete hotel is the coastal village’s oldest original hotel, built in 1913. In the 1950s, it housed movie stars such as Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, and Groucho Marx, who were performing at the nearby La Jolla Playhouse. Guests still get the star treatment at the historic hotel, which has bright rooms and a tranquil garden and pool.

YOU SHOULD KNOW Valet parking is $30 per night, though you can often find free street parking.

room

Light-flooded rooms feature a serene color palette of soft blue, sea green, and cheery marigold, with transitional decor that complements the hotel’s historic setting, such as striped drapes and headboards and modern brocade bedding and accessories. The ground-floor garden rooms, which boast hardwood floors, are a perfectly pleasant option, but the upper-floor ocean-view rooms are worth the splurge -- and if you can swing a suite, even better.

Bring a nightlight. The Grande Colonial is rumored to be haunted.

Photo: 2018 Renovation Model Bathroom (estimated completion date end of year 2018)

bathroom

Bathrooms feature period-appropriate touches like white beadboard wainscoting, pedestal sinks (or vanities), and black-and-white hex tile, as well as a shower-tub combo.

Photo: 2018 Renovation Model Bathroom (estimated completion date end of year 2018)

lobby

Call it classic maximalism. The hotel’s refined lobby goes for traditional European style with a contemporary sensibility, with stately Georgian arches, elaborately painted crown and ceiling moldings, patterned wallpaper, and comfortable seating in cream, midnight blue, and gold. In addition to a dreamy oil painting of La Jolla Cove, artwork hangs throughout the hotel, including a gallery wall just off the lobby.

Safety first! When the Grande Colonial was renovated in the late 1920s, it installed the first sprinkler system west of the Mississippi. The hotel’s solid concrete stairwells are still in use today. Check out one of the building’s original fire doors just off the lobby.

pool

A brick pool area features an oval pool, ample seating, and a privacy border of hedges.

gym

Guests receive a complimentary daily pass (a $25 value) to the nearby La Jolla Sports Club.

dining

The hotel is home to Nine-Ten Restaurant and Bar, a sophisticated space serving California cuisine with an emphasis on farm-to-table ingredients. Nine-Ten’s special prix-fixe menus include pairings from the restaurant’s extensive Wine Spectator cellar. Outdoor seating features a patio and a terrace with a sliver of an ocean view.

drinking

The bar at Nine-Ten has an elegant marble-topped bar and a happy hour from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. that’s been known to attract local movers and shakers.