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By Stacy Shoemaker Rauen
Photography by Tim Mantoan
After opening two hip lounges in downtown San Diego, owner Greg Strangman wanted to do something different - a little more laidback. Noticing the '60s motels lining the main drag of the city's affluent suburb of Point Loma, he grabbed the first one he could get his hands on and turned it into the chic - think mid-century Palm Springs mod meets beach cool - but affordable Pearl Hotel. "We saw that the area was changing and liked the adaptive reuse aspect,” says Strangman, owner and founder of Live Work Play (LWP) Group, Inc., who brought in local designer Michael Soriano for the project. "We paid some homage to the '60s but it hints to new modernism. It’s small, intimate, loungey, and full of energy."
Capitalizing on the motel's original U-shape, Strangman poured most of the project's money into the center indoor-outdoor public areas. Upon entering, guests are greeted by a blue-tiled reception desk adorned with a long piece of driftwood. A planter filled with white fiberglass sticks reminiscent of sea anemone stands in between reception and the quaint lounge. Here white Nelson ball wall sconces and chess and checker boards act as dividers for seats made of tan shag carpeting, tan cushions, and blue pillows that make guests feel as though they are sitting on someone's living room floor. "It’s friendly, not pretentious," says Soriano, founder of firm Onairos. "We were respectful of its original aesthetic but there's also a sense of playfulness."
Reception and the lounge seamlessly flow into the restaurant, with its mirrored brown tiled bar, high tables, and white leather stools. And the only thing separating it and the pool area is an accordion stainless steel door, which remains open at night so dining and drinking can continue in cabanas (complete with with TVs, mirrors for people-watching, and white low tables and modern Bisou chairs), butterfly chairs, and slatted wood booth seating (backed with blue, white, and orange striped cushions) surrounding the oyster-shaped pool. Massive inner tubes hanging on one wall, a 10-foot grass vertical garden, white hammock, and oversized projection screen (the hotel hosts "Dive-In" movie nights) provide whimsical touches, while original stone walls, newly planted uplit bamboo stalks, and Ipe wood suggestive of the original facade's fins surround the space and enhance the outdoor, organic feel. "I want the hotel to stimulate conversation," Soriano says. "That’s the greatest achievement - that for some reason guests like the space, but they don’t know why, it’s just intuitive."
There's plenty to talk about in the 23 retro guestrooms (the majority of which face the pool). Each one features a platform bed, vintage lamp, contemporary furniture like Kartell chairs, custom artwork - both an ocean-inspired mosaic piece by Soriano and a framed painting by a disadvantaged child from local nonprofit ARTS, and a Roku stereo tuned to the hotel's signature web-based eclectic radio station Groove 24/7. But the most unexpected feature: each room comes with its own resident goldfish in a custom glass bowl.
And there may be more conversation pieces in the future: Strangman is looking at other locations in San Diego, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and hopes to one day have a presence in Brooklyn.
For more information, visit www.neerd.com/od or www.lwpgroup.com.
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SoCal Jewel
Feb 3, 2008
By Stacy Shoemaker Rauen
Photography by Tim Mantoan
After opening two hip lounges in downtown San Diego, owner Greg Strangman wanted to do something different - a little more laidback. Noticing the '60s motels lining the main drag of the city's affluent suburb of Point Loma, he grabbed the first one he could get his hands on and turned it into the chic - think mid-century Palm Springs mod meets beach cool - but affordable Pearl Hotel. "We saw that the area was changing and liked the adaptive reuse aspect,” says Strangman, owner and founder of Live Work Play (LWP) Group, Inc., who brought in local designer Michael Soriano for the project. "We paid some homage to the '60s but it hints to new modernism. It’s small, intimate, loungey, and full of energy."
Capitalizing on the motel's original U-shape, Strangman poured most of the project's money into the center indoor-outdoor public areas. Upon entering, guests are greeted by a blue-tiled reception desk adorned with a long piece of driftwood. A planter filled with white fiberglass sticks reminiscent of sea anemone stands in between reception and the quaint lounge. Here white Nelson ball wall sconces and chess and checker boards act as dividers for seats made of tan shag carpeting, tan cushions, and blue pillows that make guests feel as though they are sitting on someone's living room floor. "It’s friendly, not pretentious," says Soriano, founder of firm Onairos. "We were respectful of its original aesthetic but there's also a sense of playfulness."
Reception and the lounge seamlessly flow into the restaurant, with its mirrored brown tiled bar, high tables, and white leather stools. And the only thing separating it and the pool area is an accordion stainless steel door, which remains open at night so dining and drinking can continue in cabanas (complete with with TVs, mirrors for people-watching, and white low tables and modern Bisou chairs), butterfly chairs, and slatted wood booth seating (backed with blue, white, and orange striped cushions) surrounding the oyster-shaped pool. Massive inner tubes hanging on one wall, a 10-foot grass vertical garden, white hammock, and oversized projection screen (the hotel hosts "Dive-In" movie nights) provide whimsical touches, while original stone walls, newly planted uplit bamboo stalks, and Ipe wood suggestive of the original facade's fins surround the space and enhance the outdoor, organic feel. "I want the hotel to stimulate conversation," Soriano says. "That’s the greatest achievement - that for some reason guests like the space, but they don’t know why, it’s just intuitive."
There's plenty to talk about in the 23 retro guestrooms (the majority of which face the pool). Each one features a platform bed, vintage lamp, contemporary furniture like Kartell chairs, custom artwork - both an ocean-inspired mosaic piece by Soriano and a framed painting by a disadvantaged child from local nonprofit ARTS, and a Roku stereo tuned to the hotel's signature web-based eclectic radio station Groove 24/7. But the most unexpected feature: each room comes with its own resident goldfish in a custom glass bowl.
And there may be more conversation pieces in the future: Strangman is looking at other locations in San Diego, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and hopes to one day have a presence in Brooklyn.For more information, visit www.neerd.com/od or www.lwpgroup.com.
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