Perched atop rocky cliffs in Laguna Beach, California, Casa Loma Beach Hotel replaces The Inn at Laguna Beach. The 70-room hotel, run by Marc & Rose Hospitality, embodies the easy breezy attitude of its coastal site with craft-led furnishing and site-specific design elements. California-based firm Electric Bowery and graphic and branding firm LAND collaborated to outfit the property into a laidback, luxurious stay, a design that references Laguna Beach’s history from early days of Prohibition to its flowering as a go-to for creatives, surfers, and crafts people.


The property greets guests with a sculpted mural by LAND located in the sand and clay-toned lobby. Immediately the wooden furnishings and material palette draw parallels to the Mediterranean. Clay tiles, plaster wrap, and organic curvature make this even more true. In the lobby and throughout the property, archways offer recessed nooks to take a break, their curved form appearing as if carved from the rocky cliffs beneath the hotel.


In the guest rooms, the design continues its coastal, site-informed references with a quiet, uncluttered approach. The custom headboards, built-in desks, case goods, and sofas resemble the sinuous forms of surfboards. Lighting and banquettes mimic shapes of the seascape. Textiles, from the checkered upholstery to traditional ticking stripes, add a touch of beach-side styles. Woven lighting fixtures throughout the property resemble mini beach hats, a playful detail to round out the retreat.

Throughout the property, LAND contributed more custom details, emphasizing the beach’s history to creatives. The Texas-based studio designed hand-painted canvas tapestries, artwork on the walls, and screen-printed decor.

The warm, bohemian spirit is felt through every aspect of the retreat feeling hand-touched. Even the music in the lobby, played through a vintage hi-fi reel-to-reel player for the onsite radio station, is on-theme with a selection of coastal and California tunes curated by Uncanned.