Little Miss Sunshine in CA, Pt. 2

Day 2 of Little Miss Sunshine’s CA trip began at the Lafayette Hotel in North Park. We met Christy’s bed-jumping bestie (Marlene) there for breakfast. How they looked when they first met in 2014 at the Chateau Marmont:



12 years later and they’re ready for the next adventure, this time at Beginner’s Diner. Marlene is all about the boozy milkshakes!



The obligatory group selfie with the breakfast bounty:



Since Christy had never been to the Lafayette before, we gave her the grand tour.



I still have yet to swim in this pool.



The 1961 Showalter Fountain on the Indiana University campus was a frequent spot for us to pose, as in this circa 1994 photo:



One of our post-midnight visits to the Fountain included a Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. Yes, it can happen!



32 years later, Christy still has the urge:



Christy and I bid Marlene “adieu” and then drove to Los Angeles for another big adventure. Literally.



I finally made the trek to the film location used in “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” (1985). While the house is a different color now, it still looked the same. Just without all the tchotchkes.



My outfit was an homage to Pee Wee.



I brought along my NECA action figure for a photo. The next best thing to Pee Wee himself.





Next up: The Buxton Mansion, where Pee Wee confronted Francis on the theft of his precious bike.



How it looks today. The commentary track says that they used a wide-angle lens to make it look bigger; even taking that into consideration, there have obviously been a lot of renovations to the property since 1985.



The next stop was the Chateau Marmont hotel on Sunset Boulevard. This time it was room 67, one I hadn’t stayed in before!



Always a warm welcome.



While I took my obligatory photos of the room, Christy hung out on the balcony and called her mom.



Once done, I joined Christy and took some shots of Monteel Road below from the balcony.



When I tried to get back in, I realized that the latch on the inside had fallen back into place, locking us out of the room. Oops! I tried everything I could to get back in but to no avail.



Christy got a good laugh out of this one. “Why don’t you just call the front desk?” she asked. “Because I don’t want to look stupid,” I replied. Still on the phone, her mom shot back, “Well, ya’ kinda’ are already!” Sad but true! I called the front desk and they were up in a jiffy and all was well. No, I won’t tell you what they said when I asked, “Has this ever happened before?”



Two Christys for the price of one!



We had a view of the pool below, so we headed down for a quick bite and beverage before our evening event began.



Nothing like a Garden Gimlet to take away the embarrassment of being locked out on the balcony. The Chateau’s burger and fries are second to none.



A quick change of clothes and then it was off to the Orpheum Theatre in downtown LA:



As President of the James Dean Museum in Fairmount, Christy had been invited out for the L.A. Conservancy’s Last Remaining Seats showing of “Rebel Without a Cause” (1955).



We’ll just leave you here at the entrance until the next installment!



See more of my photography at my main website.

The Lafayette at Christmas, 2025 edition

NO place in San Diego decorates for Christmas like the Lafayette Hotel and Club on El Cajon Boulevard. Just take a look at this festively lit grand entrance!



El Cajon Boulevard used to be known as the red light district; thanks to the Lafayette, it can be labeled as the red AND green district.



Two nutcrackers greet you as you enter the premises, wearing the signature purple garb of the hotel:



Inside, an explosion of lights, trees, garland, and ornaments signal the holidays:



This little alcove, which is slated to eventually be a gift shop, is where Santa Claus makes his appearance and lets you sit on his lap. I guess my 6am visit was too early for him.



Atlas at the bar now has to bear the weight of a Christmas tree in addition to his usual globe.



A blowup Frosty the Snowman watches over the proceedings at the pool:



Even the pool floaties are themed for the holiday:



The pool bar looks magical with the lights on:



If you’re into Instagram opportunities, the Lafayette (like any Consortium Holdings property) abounds with them. A sleigh at the pool is ready for your next pose:



…and this sleigh outside the Gutter:



Beginner’s Diner was mild in its decor; just some garland strewn around the booths:



The buckwheat pancakes were devoured quickly:



If you are thinking about checking out the decor at the Lafayette, don’t expect it to be empty like my photos; that would require a 6am arrival time. By 9am, you will be swatting off others with the same goal like flies.
 
See more Lafayette Hotel and Club in San Diego photos at my main website.

From Imig Manor to The Lafayette

San Diego’s Imig Manor Hotel opened in 1946, boasting Hollywood celebrity Bob Hope as its first guest. The San Diego press reported this on June 28:

The west coast’s first large postwar built hotel, Imig Manor, officially opened today. Costing $2,000,000, the hotel has 180 units under its block-square colonial-style roof. In the center is a large patio with a swimming pool and two outdoor dining and dancing halls. Twenty-two shops line the block and one-half of corridor on the main floor.

Despite its lavish $2 million cost, not all the press was positive:

Add “Who Said the War’s Over” department: At a preview dinner for the “working press” at swanky Imig Manor last night, reporters were required to buy their own drinks at prevailing prices from the hotel’s bar.

Below is a contemporary shot of how the hotel, now named The Lafayette, looks today:



The Long Beach Press-telegram gave a bit more background on Larry Imig himself, on June 29, 1946:

Larry Imig, 31-year-old former sailor, last night formally opened his new $2,000,000 hotel, Imig Manor, built with a fortune he made in a construction business that began after he traded a car for a vacant lot 10 years ago. The 180-room hotel located on the edge of the business district, has a large swimming pool, nighclub, 700-seat dining room, bars, coffee shops and a shopping center. Imig will live in a half-block long penthouse atop the three-story structure. Imig received a medical discharge in 1935 after three years as a naval enlisted man on the U.S.S. Langley and got a job as an auto salesman in San Diego. After he had been at his job a year, a woman offered to trade a vacant lot for one of his cars and convinced him he could make a profit by building a house on it and selling it. In the following 10 years, he built 2000 homes and obtained enough money to finance half the construction of his new hotel.

Below are panels from a vintage brochure, showing interior views of the property and a map of the area:







How the diner looks today:



…and the pool:





The Mississippi Room and Circle Bar (above) are now Lou Lous’s Supper Club:





Consortium Holdings, who now owns the hotel and has been pumping money into the property at a feverish pace, has done a beautiful job of honoring the history of the hotel while bringing it into the 21st century for a whole new array of patrons. The photos in the brochure makes the hotel look a bit staid and stuffy; today, the property is vibrant and creative. Good job, CH!

See more Lafayette Hotel photos at my main website.