Renovation

Built in a grand colonial style by former car dealer and developer Larry Imig, the hotel’s handsome brick façade debuted in 1946 along what was then California Highway 80. In its original incarnation, the 2.36 acre-hotel complex was designed as a “city within a city”, with 24 shops, 4 restaurants, a nightclub and 250 suites, guest rooms and apartments. The hotel became a popular stop over for Hollywood notables making the all-day trip from Los Angeles to casinos in Tijuana, Mexico.

Maybe the most significant Hollywood contribution was from former Tarzan and Olympic gold medalist swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, who’s said to have assisted in the design and construction of the 50-meter terrazzo pool. Shortly thereafter San Diego native and athlete Florence Chadwick used the pool to train for her then record breaking swim across the English Channel.

In the 50’s, San Diego Charger owner and hotelier Conrad Hilton purchased the Lafayette, making several significant changes to the complex. Hilton reduced the room count by demolishing and relocating several of the hotel’s apartment buildings and painted the brick façade. The most evident Hilton change may have been the removal of Imig’s signature from the large terrazzo star in the main lobby floor.

With the construction of California Interstate 8 in 1960’s the hotel experienced a significant decrease in occupancy. Over the next 40 years, the Lafayette saw a handful of changes in ownership and appearance, with developers and hospitality visionaries seeking to revitalize and restore the hotel to its former glory.

Hampstead Partners acquired the property in 2004 as part of an urban redevelopment venture that was to include development of hotel residences on the south portion of the complex. The project was abandoned due in part to the declining real estate market.

Realizing the beauty and potential of the now 131 room historic hotel, JCG Development began a plan to rescue the hotel from certain demise. With the assistance of the San Diego Redevelopment Agency and State of California a new strategy was formulated. In late 2010, the hotel embarked on a 4 million dollar historical renovation seeking to uncover the rich 65-year energy of the complex while carefully respecting the edifice’s historicity and the easy nonchalance of the neighborhood’s spirit.

In consideration of Mother Earth, our guests, and the hotel’s historic designation, we are employing environmentally friendly processes to complete the work in intervals.

Fear not dear traveler. Several of the larger and more disruptive projects have already been completed:

  • Retrofitting and replacement of the hotel’s signature and period era red shingled roof.
  • Exposing the original 1946 terrazzo lobby floor, for decades entombed in multiple layers of glue, carpet, and dirt.
  • Installation of a comprehensive collection of state of the art fitness equipment.
  • Refurbishment of the historic terrazzo Johnny Weismueller designed Olympic pool.
  • A complete restoration of the historic Mississippi Ballroom.