La Valencia Hotel, Mediterranean hotel in La Jolla, United States.
La Valencia Hotel is a pink-stucco Spanish Colonial Revival building overlooking La Jolla Cove, designed by architect Reginald D. Johnson and opened in 1926. Its central tower carries a yellow-tiled dome above vertical windows and a dark grid panel; a lower wing holds a terrace with a blue-and-white striped awning, a white balustrade and the script sign "la Valencia". A cursive "La Valencia" sign with "HOTEL" stands above the arcade of the two-story left wing, and a palm grows in front.
Opened in 1926 as Los Apartmentos de Sevilla, an apartment hotel designed by Reginald D. Johnson in Spanish Colonial Revival style. It was renamed La Valencia in 1928 and survived the Great Depression. It became an original member of Historic Hotels of America in 1989 and was renovated in 2014.
The hotel's Whaling Bar, open from 1945 to 2013, drew writers Raymond Chandler, Theodor Geisel, Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal, and by May 2021 reports pointed to its return to its original space. Its three restaurants are The Med, La Sala and Café La Rue.
The hotel stands above La Jolla Cove, so the cove's water and coastal walk are a short walk downhill from the entrance. The surrounding village streets are compact and walkable, with shops and galleries close by. Guests arriving by car should expect limited street parking in the village and use the hotel's own parking arrangements.
The Whaling Bar, open from 1945 to 2013, drew writers Raymond Chandler, Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal; reports in May 2021 indicated it would return to its original space. The hotel opened as Los Apartmentos de Sevilla in 1926 and was renamed La Valencia two years later.
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