L'Auberge Del Mar-- our absolute favorite new escape from Los Angeles
We pride ourselves on being the Queens of Weekend Getaways-- especially from Los Angeles where we have both lived for several years-- so we are hard pressed to hear of somewhere fantastic we haven't already been. Until last week. Scrambling to find a luxe yet fun and somewhat affordable hotel in a beach town south of LA for a mini-celebration for one of our friends who is a bride to be, we stumbled upon L'Auberge Del Mar. It looked beautiful, chic and vibrant but we didn't know much about Del Mar, aside from the fact that a race track is located there -- which at the time was not a major selling point...
We investigated further and discovered that Del Mar is about 20 minutes north of La Jolla, is on the beach and is quaint as quaint can be. We also learned that L'Auberge Del Mar was completely refurbished in 2008 and our talented friend interior designer Barclay Butera handled all the design! After checking the rates, which were several hundred dollars less than other 5 star hotels nearby, we booked the Resort level rooms at L'Auberge.
From the moment we pulled in the four of us girls could not stop exclaiming how much we loved the hotel. We oohed and aahed over every lamp, piece of furniture, view, cocktail and morsel of food. It sounds ridiculous, but we were thrilled with the place. Barclay honestly executed the perfect balance of chic and luxurious with casual, upbeat, beachy elegance.
The 120 rooms feel special with built ins, white marble, wet bars, Ikat green covered chairs in sitting areas, sea grass lampshades, fireplaces or balconies (or both if you get lucky!), inspiring coffee table books and a book on the history of Del Mar.
After a quick change into our bathing suits we settled into lounge chairs by the pool which maybe our only not glowing comment would be-- it's a little small. There were plenty of chairs available and we ordered cocktails (the best is the Opalescent! We personalized it by asking for it on the rocks with a splash of club soda) and salads and french fries. Delicious. After some pool time we checked into the spa for massages. The decor is vibrant and relaxing at the same time- bright blue ceilings, orange armchairs and burbling fountains adorn the "relaxation room" and we loved all of the products available to try in the Ladies Locker Room. After a steam in the steam room, we all went off for our massages. Too often at hotel spas someone emerges from their treatment a little disappointed-- the four of us all had great massages and would love to try one of the special Sojurn treatments next time.
We primped for the evening and reconvened at the Bleu Bar's firepit over Opalescents and a flatbread pizza topped with proscuitto.
The night air got a bit chilly and we moved inside to the Lobby Bar to wait for our table (the cabana-- the way to go!!) at the award winning Kitchen 1540 restaurant located in the hotel. There was some delightful people watching- a blend of good looking tanned San Diego types, mixed with snow leopards and young surfers, etc. You get it. More riveting than reality TV.
Dinner at Kitchen 1540 was delicious and the ambiance was festive and intimate. We loved the scallops, steak, beet salad, and the homemade vanilla ice cream-- we loved everything, but these were the stand outs. The service is friendly, knowledgeable and professional too!
After dinner we were not ready to call it a night and decided to check out the bar our young waiter had recommended- Jimmy O's. As it was right across the street and we'd had a few drinks, it sounded like a fantastic idea! We were met with a line outside a throbbing club/bar and this sign:
Still, a good idea we think, especially when a group of Turkish men invite us to come to the front of the line with them for a swifter entry... As soon as we entered Jimmy O's we were crushed by people and one of the brides to be was affronted by a mustachioed older Serbian gentleman who was in loooove. EEK! We were over it and ditched our drinks and escaped from the groping clutches of Jimmy O's, and back to the lovely lobby bar of the L'Auberge for updates on the snow leopards from the comfort plush couches....
The next morning (a wee foggy headed) we had a hearty breakfast at the hotel's outside Waterfall Terrace. Might we recommend the breakfast burritos and pastries! Feeling a bit more of ourselves again, we hit the town and explored the shops. The "Main St" of Del Mar is adorable and harkens back to a simpler era.
There are some cute shops selling bathing suits, a book store, a Banana Republic (where we all did well-- cute stuff for Spring!), and a few shops that were not entirely appealing...
Before we hit the road back to LA, we had lunch at a spot in town called Americana. We sat outside on their quaint sidewalk patio and can tell you the burgers were better than the salads (when are they not!) but everything was good, particularly the fries. And we loved the iced coffees made with coffee ice cubes so the coffee doesn't get watered down-- genius!
We were beside ourselves having to leave our new favorite hotel and community... until we meet again, L'Auberge Del Mar. Like this weekend.
