Located on the coast of California, Hotel Joaquin is a retreat for those looking to re-energise and soothe the soul. Read on to explore the luxury of Laguna.

 

South of metropolitan Los Angeles, along the curved coast of California, sits the city of Laguna Beach. A truly beautiful part of the West Coast, and a city that really focuses on the protection of the environment; about six miles of the Laguna Beach coastline is specifically protected by the Marine Reserve. Laguna Beach is a city that is passionate about the planet. The surrounding landscape has been transformed into designated national parks, it endorses the use of bicycles and the city bans plastic bags and plastic bottles.

 

 

Sitting pretty above Shaw’s Cove, this boutique hotel is another treasure on the Pacific coastline. Hotel Joaquin draws much of its design from the Spanish heritage that is woven into the environment it resides in. With such a close proximity to the Mexican border, this hotel embraces the culture and truly celebrates the history of the South-West Coast.

 

Located in the grid-like structure of the city, this lodge is so individual in its character; each room (of which there are 22) is so different from the next, decorated with one-of-a-kind pieces. The surfaces and the colour palette are sweepingly soft and enigmatically minimalist. Wood is the central material in this hotel, sturdy and strong. Wood is the fundamental pillar of the design, an earthy texture that is the basis of the hotel's DNA. The laid-back spaces of Hotel Joaquin invite guests to disconnect from stress, to embrace the fresh and calming design found in wall sculptures, bar stools and rugs.

 

Dipping into the off-angled pool was a heavenly escape from the Californian heat. You get the sense that Hotel Joaquin wants you to stay, they embrace each traveller that passes through their doors, inviting them to just be. The blooming outdoor space is busy with plants, each one casting dappled shadows onto the ship-lapped exterior.

 

The hotel used to be known as The Motor Inn, a motel that soon fell into neglect. But after a couple of years of hardcore renovation which began in 2016, this hotel has sprung back to life. This seaside sanctuary is something truly special, designed by Studio Robert Mckinley, Hotel Joaquin takes St. Barths as inspiration and embraces beach culture like no other. It redefines coastal living, playing with the beauty of light and the beauty of space. Stripping luxury back to purely the essentials.

 

 

The Saline Kitchen is its in-house French-Mediterranean restaurant that hails the salty nature of an ocean breeze. The chic kitchen prepares crab like no other, and the bar whisks out cocktail after cocktail, fruity and sweet. These cocktails are poolside warriors (barely anyone sits underneath the hotel's palm trees without a Mojito in hand). Saline is supremely eco-friendly and all single-use plastics have been banned from this new go-to beach hangout. Hotel Joaquin has so much Californian soul, and so much Mediterranean magic, it is a one-of-a-kind boutique. Pop here when cruising the perfect Pacific coast and rediscover your love of ocean air. Having opened this autumn, this hotel is a spectacular place for those looking for something new.