Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa has completed a $13.9 million renovation that gave a new look to its 210 rooms, added a newly landscaped lawn for weddings and outdoor events, and an apiary overseen by a hotel beekeeper.
General Manager
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
The hotel rooms were last remodeled in 2012 and “the design aesthetic was starting to look a little dated,” said Estancia General Manager Eric Jenkins.
Still to come in the hotel owned by Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is an additional $11 million in renovations later this year centering on the lobby, pool, and main ballroom, Jenkins said.
Pebblebrook earlier this year completed a $22.5 million renovation of the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter.
The 9.5-acre Estancia site is a former equestrian estate that was once owned by William and Ruth Black, for whom the nearby Black’s Beach was named.
In the 1960’s, the Black family transferred the property to the University of California San Diego with a request that the land be used for a hotel to benefit La Jolla and the university.
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa opened in 2004 in partnership with UC San Diego.
The hotel has three brick buildings modeled after the original buildings from when the property was used as a horse farm to train thoroughbred horses.
The renovation plays off that history in the redesign of the rooms, including new furniture.
“The rooms are, for all intents and purpose, a brand-new space,” Jenkins said.
In all but 11 suites, tubs were replaced with walk-in showers, and bathroom entrances are through doors made to resemble barn doors.
The new color palette is deep rust and denim blue, with what Jenkins described as “striking pops of color,” with Mexican-inspired tile entries to each room.
“It still has an elevated and luxury feel to the rooms. We want to give a nod to the history of the property, and at the same time, remind people that they are staying in La Jolla,” Jenkins said. “Sometimes, when you walk into a hotel room, you don’t know where you are. It’s the same thing everywhere.”
Bees and Butterflies
Estancia, with its ties to the past, is meant to be distinctive. There are pictures of horses in every room and the furnishings have leather strapping, reminiscent of a horse tack room.
New furniture in the rooms has rounded edges, which Jenkins said adds to a nostalgic feel and adds to the distinctive look.
“The prior product was very nice, but it was more angular furniture fixtures than you would expect in a hotel room,” Jenkins said.
In addition to the room redesign, the landscaping in five existing lawn areas was ungraded with artificial turf, replacing grass to conserve water, and a new 1,000-square-foot lawn was added, along with the apiary that was added in cooperation with Alveole, an urban beekeeping organization.
A butterfly garden, planted with milkweed butterfly plants to attract migrating Monarch butterflies, was also added.
“For me, it’s just cool to see Monarchs flying around the property,” Jenkins said.
Honey from the bees will be used by the hotel’s chefs and available for sale to guests.
A floral installation by Native Poppy was added to the hotel’s Greenfinch Bar.
Jenkins said that about 55% of Estancia guests are traveling on business related to the nearby life science companies or the university, which is across the street from the hotel.
Nightly room rates vary depending on the time of year and type of room, but average $359, Jenkins said, adding that the hotel has an average occupancy rate of 80%.
“We are at pre-pandemic occupancy levels,” Jenkins said.
Unlike most hotels, Estancia never closed during the pandemic, because it was considered an essential business with its proximity to life science companies in Torrey Pines.
“It was a quick rebound for us,” Jenkins said.
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
Founded: 2009
Headquarters: Bethesda, MD
CEO: Jon Bortz
Business: Real estate investments
Employees: 150
Website: www.pebblebrookhotels.com
Contact: 240507-1300
Notable: Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (NYSE: PEB) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) organized in December 2009 to acquire and invest in upscale, full-service hotel and resort properties in or near urban markets in major U.S. gateway cities.
