Today’s post takes us to a little midcentury gem in the Point Loma area of San Diego, The Pearl Hotel. This retro beauty made the list of St. Louis Style for being one of nine “Unforgettable Retro Hotels in the USA.” From The Pearl's website:
Originally designed by local architect Robert Platt in 1959 and operated as a Sportsman’s Lodge throughout the 1960s by resident husband and wife duo, Charles and Dinorah.
Fast forward to The Pearl Hotel as you know it today. The mid-century modern motel and gem of San Diego’s Point Loma neighborhood was thoughtfully renovated with hospitality brand Casetta Group at the helm. The interiors are outfitted in a contemporary aesthetic and unique vintage decor, while maintaining the integrity of its original architectural features. The 23 unique guest rooms surround the art moderne oyster-shaped pool, which flows into the onsite cocktail bar and restaurant Ponyboy.
As a nod to the hotel’s name, the in-room artwork pays homage to the remarkable female Japanese pearl divers, called Ama, known to hold their breath underwater for extended periods of time while harvesting oysters.
I would classify it as a retro gem that is competitively priced in a decent location…if you are wanting to explore the Point Loma area. It’s far enough down Rosecrans Drive that you would find it difficult to navigate the stop-start-bottleneck traffic if you wanted to head downtown or explore the other beaches of San Diego. On the flip-side, Point Loma does have enough fare on its own to keep a tourist semi-busy and well-fed. If the lobby area looks unattended, it kind of was on the day I visited. The lone person on staff seemed very disinterested…when he could be found. It felt like a one-person show and I am sure he was stretched thin doing his duties (and his face showed it).
The lobby seating area with a gorgeous (!) view of Rosecrans:
The bar/restaurant area:
The pool, which is cute in a retro way but if this place approached anything near full-occupancy would be a very tight situation:
The room itself was clean and spacious, and very well appointed:
Large bathroom that was pretty, but definitely avoided any of the retro homage touches:
The “vintage touches” were reserved for the reading materials and other decor touches:
The view from the shared balcony won’t take your breath away, but I’ve definitely seen worse:
Would I recommend this place? Sure, but I can’t say it’s one that draws me in like the Lafayette in North Park. Both places are a bit out of the way for the typical San Diego tourist, but the Lafayette at least has a “wow” factor that is much higher than The Pearl.
See more photos of The Pearl in Point Loma at my main website.
1 comment:
Once again, thank you. Another place I've driven by, heard about, but never went into. Now the name makes more sense, and I appreciate that they went all in by choosing interior decor that goes with the Japanese Pearl diving theme. ( I haven't seen that since Sea World in the 70's-80's. It doesn't look like there's enough rooms to worry about the pool going over capacity ( but it could happen ), but that crowded walkway around the edge? Yikes. That courtyard seems like a good place for a canopy but I'm not the owner so... The room interiors look nice, certainly well maintained. The (fake) vintage radio and book are a nice touch. I appreciate modern retro stuff. All the looks of the old equipment, but made with upgraded components, less chance of fire, etc. You're right about the view, but you do get the smell of ocean breeze and that's something.
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