Laguna Beach, California
Hotel Joaquin
Cliffside Wonder
What it is
An art-filled breezy beach hotel on Shaw’s Cove that looks like an Anthropologie catalogue sprung to life, with a private seafront restaurant, bar, and gleaming outdoor pool.
What it isn't
For families. All guests must be 18 and over, and you’ll need to be 21 to book.
What we think
It’s one thing to visit California, but it’s another thing to live it—soaking up the constant sun and salty air from a kayak or oceanfront hike. At Hotel Joaquin, “carpe diem” is practically on the welcome mat: guests have free use of a flotilla of outdoor gear from the charmingly named Adventure Outpost, including paddleboards, snorkeling gear, kayaks and surfboards. (Be sure to stop by Saline for what’s arguably the best comped hotel breakfast on earth each morning, which may include housemade ‘rawnola’ and smoked salmon and roe platters to wow Gwenyth Paltrow herself). Rooms, designed by Studio Robert McKinley, are part St. Barths, part 1950s SoCal; book Barto for a private patio that peeps out on the pool deck, or Soleil for a bathroom lined in graphic cut stone and Juliette balcony overlooking the glimmering Pacific. There is something especially exquisite, though, about Thalia—where the blonde wood platform bed and sunlit stone soaking tub is exactly what Joni Mitchell was singing about all those years.
You're here because
Every room is equipped with a record player, and you’re feeling groovy, baby.
The Moment
The fact that Saline is just for hotel guests may bar it from being awarded any Michelin stars—but after tonight’s meal, taken as the sun slipped below the Pacific, you may just give them all the stars yourself. The oysters with absinthe jelly and mignonette, and the steak salad with greens grown right on the hotel roof….this is the stuff California dreams are made of.
Restaurants & Bars
Saline - uses all fresh ingredients with a focus on Middle Eastern spices and flavors
Location
On the main drag of Laguna Beach—the Coast Highway—a block walk from Shaws Cove and the stocked tide pools of Crescent Bay Beach.