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LUXURY HOTEL INSIDER

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The Luxury Hotel Insider: Exclusive luxury hotel deals, features and special rates from the luxury hotel experts at Five Star Alliance.
Named one of Tripbase's Best Luxury Travel Blogs for 2011, below are Five Star Alliance's newest articles featuring exclusive information on luxury hotels worldwide including special offers and deals at the world's best hotels.

| By: Rachael Weir

Situated in the seaside town of La Jolla, the Grande Colonial Hotel was originally built as the Colonial Apartments and Hotel in 1913. Designed by celebrated architect Richard Requa, the property was the talk of the town. Today, the luxury hotel offers a chic coastal setting overlooking the Pacific Coast. Completely modernized, the property maintains architectural details from its storied past. Read more below the photo.

Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

Featuring windows that open to let in Pacific breezes, the boutique hotel's guest rooms and suites feature a coastal-inspired color palette, Keurig coffeemakers, Serta pillowtop mattresses, and goose down comforters. Continue reading below the photo.

One Bedroom Suite at the Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

Completely renovated in 2017, the NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar specializes in evolving California Cuisine with an emphasis on certified farm-to-table cuisine, as well as an extensive Wine Spectator cellar. Plus, there's an outdoor terrace with ocean views and al fresco dining. 

Check rates and availability at Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar


| By: Rachael Weir
Originally built as The Colonial Apartments and Hotel in 1913, the Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla is the California seaside town's oldest original hotel. Over the last century, the property has hosted movie stars, military personel, and guests from around the world. But do some guests never leave? Read more below.

The Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

Yes, no, maybe? Guests and staff alike have reported a variety of paranormal sightings and haunted happenings, including 2:00 AM phone calls to the front desk from occupied rooms, and the appearance of a couple in formal attire that disappears without leaving through a door or window. There's also been stories of a glowing presence in the hotel, a woman named Abigail who has appeared in rooms, played with toys, and reportedly brushed a young boy's hair. The kitchen has been the location of many stories collected over the years, with the unexplained opening and closing of kitchen doors, frying pans moving around unexpectedly, and stoves turning on and off. (Rumor has it, since the restaurant was transformed into Nine-Ten a few years ago, the happenings have quieted.) Many guests who've stayed above the bakery in the North Annex have reported the sounds of loud voices, people running down the stairs, and doors swinging open and slamming shut in the bakery--all after it has closed. 

Haunted? Someone lurking in the hallways or some guests that never want to leave? You can be the judge. Continue reading below.

Oceanview Suite at the Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

The Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla underwent an extensive renovation in 2012, to celebrate it's 100th Anniversary in 2013. Today, the historic hotel offers 93 guest rooms and suites, many with ocean views, an outdoor pool, indoor and outdoor event spaces, and the award-winning Nine-Ten restaurant. Within walking distance to La Jolla's beaches, the property is a short drive from highly-regarded golf courses, and San Diego tourist attractions.

Check rates and learn more about the Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla >>

The Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla
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| By: Five Star Alliance

Sponsored Post*

NINE-TEN Restaurant at the Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

NINE-TEN Restaurant, located at the landmark Grande Colonial Hotel in La Jolla, California, was recognized by the California Restaurant Association with "San Diego's Best Hotel Fine Dining Restaurant Award". This is the seventh consecutive win for NINE-TEN, recognizing the restaurant's excellence in Evolving California Cuisine. Celebrating more than a decade of service, NINE-TEN offers the perfect combination of sophistication and casual elegance. Diners enjoy the best of the harvest from local farmers, where produce is selected daily for the restaurant's farm-to-table menus.

Click here to visit the NINE-TEN Restaurant website >>

Welcoming guests since 1913, The Grande Colonial Hotel is a 93-room historic hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean. One-block from the beach, the property offers can outdoor pool, meeting space, and the award-winning NINE-TEN Restaurant featuring a Wine Spectator-recognized wine list.

Check rates and learn more about the the Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla >>

Grande Colonial Hotel

*The content of this sponsored article was provided by Grande Colonial Hotel. 

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| By: Five Star Alliance

The Lodge at Torrey Pines' signature restaurant, A.R. Valentien, takes its name from a talented early-1900's California artist whose works in ceramics, watercolors, and oils are now valued collectors items. A.R. Valentien features fresh regional San Diego cuisine served in an elegant, timbered room overlooking the 18th hole of Torrey Pines Golf Course. The restaurant's decor also includes an exhibit of original Valentien artworks.

Lodge at Torrey Pines

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| By: Five Star Alliance

Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla​October is a great month to bring the family to La Jolla, California.  Throughout the entire month of October, kids play and eat free at over 100 different restaurants, museums and attractions all over San Diego!  This is a fantastic opportunity for families to save a little money while enjoying an absolutely memorable trip.

And kids always stay free at the 4-Diamond Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla.  And we have some great deals and special packages for families of all sizes!  Situated in the seaside Village of La Jolla, the Grande Colonial offers classic European styling in the intimate setting of a boutique hotel.  Commanding views of the California coastline, this landmark hotel overlooks the shores of the Pacific Ocean and is ideally located just steps away from miles of beautiful beaches and 15 minutes north of downtown.    Within walking distance are world-class shopping, dining and entertainment and within a short drive are an abundance of golf, recreation and visitor attractions. Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla

The hotel features 93 air-conditioned, non-smoking guest rooms and suites (some with fully-equipped kitchens, ideal for traveling families).  Complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access is also available in each of the guest rooms and suites and throughout all public spaces.  A heated outdoor pool, valet parking, complimentary bottled water, bathrobes and evening turndown service are just a few of the luxuries guests will enjoy.

NINE-TEN Restaurant, providing catering for all group functions, boasts nationally acclaimed chefs, an “extraordinary to perfection” ZAGAT rating and a Wine Spectator-awarded wine list.  Our Evolving California Cuisine is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

With its ideal location, gracious service and environment of extraordinary comfort, the Grande Colonial hotel provides the ideal destination for those traveling to enjoy Kid’s Free Month in San Diego this October.

Book a stay at Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla >>


| By: Betsy LeTourneau

The Lodge at Torrey Pines
You have questions, we have answers! Explore our blog series Your Questions Answered to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: Can You Recommend a Suite for Five at The Lodge at Torrey Pines?

Answer: Overlooking the world-renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course with distant views of the Pacific Ocean, The Lodge at Torrey Pines is a AAA Five Diamond La Jolla hotel located just 15 miles north of downtown San Diego. The Lodge, site of the 2008 and 2021 U.S. Open Championships, pays homage to the Craftsman era and showcases 169 rooms and suites that reflect San Diego's stress-free lifestyle while providing all the comfort and amenities you need. The resort is designed to blend in with the adjacent Torrey Pines State Reserve, which features golden sandstone formations and rare Torrey pine trees. A member of the California Green Lodging Program, The Lodge is home to The Spa at Torrey Pines and A.R. Valentien, a signature farm-to-table restaurant.

For Your Needs, We Recommend

The Blacker Suite is a luxury suite, which provides the option of a second room that overlooks the 18th green of the world-famous Torrey Pines Golf Course and offers a sweeping view of the California coastline. The generously sized suite is well over 2,000 square feet, with spacious accommodations that include central Presidential Parlor, private balconies, one and a half baths, full kitchen and two fireplaces. This suite has one bedroom with a King sized bed and an optional second bedroom with two Queen sized beds, bathroom and fireplace. Each bed is appointed with Egyptian cotton linens and quilted duvets. The Stickley-style fine wood furnishings embody the Craftsman era and are accentuated with rich fabrics and fine leathers. The bathrooms are luxurious granite and marble decor with Craftsman accents and hardwood. The bathrooms have walk-in showers and oversized tubs. In addition to the sense of historic elegance, this suite offers many of the high-tech details needed by the corporate business traveler such as large working areas, Wi-Fi, data hook-up, lap-top safes and state of the art telecommunications, Bose wave stereo systems, to name a few.

Book a stay at The Lodge at Torrey Pines >>


| By: K. Clare Johnson

Stay in business long enough, and you are bound to pick up a ghost or two. Such is the case with Grande Colonial La Jolla. We explored the alleged hauntings at La Jolla last year, you can find the full report here. The spirit of Groucho Marx, tiny jumping Abe Lincolns, a mysterious hair brushing, and ringing telephone are all de rigeur for the spirit world at this historic beach hotel. 

Grande Colonial La Jolla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 


 

See your own ghost (maybe) at Grande Colonial La Jolla >>

Want more ghost stories? Check out more haunted hotels on Pinterest and Facebook


| By: Five Star Alliance

Hyatt Regency La Jolla
Makeover. Facelift. Renovation. Freshening Up. Nip and Tuck. Whatever you want to call it, Hyatt Regency La Jolla has had some expensive work done. The resort has recently invested $12 million into its guestrooms. Set on 11 prime acres in La Jolla, CA, the luxurious hotel boasts the 417 updated guestrooms, as well a 32,000 square foot Sports Club and spa, gourmet restaurant row, and 32,000 square feet of function space.

The top-to-bottom improvements included the redesign of bathrooms and bedrooms with a contemporary, coastal chic aesthetic accented in colors of blues, greys, and yellows. The rooms feature new lighting fixtures and furnishings including chairs, ottomans, headboards and TV stands. The sleek bathrooms feature all new fixtures and finishes including glass mosaic tiles and white porcelain sinks with stainless steel faucets and hardware.

View rates, details, and more images of Hyatt Regency La Jolla >>

 


| By: Five Star Alliance

La Valencia Hotel has been a destination to remember since its opening in 1926 in La Jolla. Guests can relax by the outdoor pool with the Pacific Ocean as their backdrop.

La Valencia

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Posted in: La Jolla, CA

| By: K. Clare Johnson

Grande Colonial Hotel La JollaGrande Colonial Hotel La Jolla recently celebrated its 100th birthday. Everyone knows you don't get to that age without a few skeletons in the closet. Or in the case of the luxury hotel, ghosts in the guest rooms. For years, tales of ghost sightings and paranormal happenings have been reported by guests and staff alike. The good news is that the otherwordly happenings have always been about people having fun.

One room in the hotel is popular with those craving privacy, as it has a private entrance. Late night phone calls have been known to come from this room when it is unoccupied. There's never anyone on the other end, and when employees go to check the room, the phone is off the hook and the room is empty and the windows are locked. Some have speculated that the activity is the spirit of regular visitor Groucho Marx returning for a visit. The legendary comedian was known for late night hijinks at the hotel. Other sightings include a couple in formal attire seen in the hallway, a young woman in a guest room, several small Abraham Lincolns jumping around in a room, and a woman in white who brushed a young guest's hair. 

Many supernatural stories take place in the hotel's kitchen. Activities include stoves that turn on spontaneously, cabinets that open and close by themselves, and frying pans that move around. During remodeling the reports increased, but the new restaurant Nine-Ten seems to have sent most of the ghosts elsewhere. Guests of the North Annex, which is above the bakery, have reported loud voices, heavy footsteps, people running down the stairs, and doors swinging open and closed for no reason—all after the bakery has closed. The noises have been attributed to two young women who used to live in the apartment that is now the bakery.

Interested in reading more Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla ghost stories. Here's a full report

Fall rates at Grande Colonial Hotel La Jolla start at $199 per night >>

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