Hotel Laguna Makeover Showcases Pageant Backstage Magic

July 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Laguna Beach, California / July 17, 2011 - This year, friendship, community and local history are all playing parts in a major renovation for Hotel Laguna, one of Laguna Beach's best-known landmarks. It's the result of a collaboration between old friends inspired by a sense of history and tradition that harks back to the spirit of cooperation - neighbors helping neighbors - that was at the heart of life in early Laguna a century ago.

The hotel's owner, Georgia Andersen, together with her husband Claes, bought the 65-room establishment in 1985. After Claes' death last summer, Andersen concluded that the hotel needed some serious improvements. "I've heard the hotel called 'the grand lady of Laguna Beach,'" she said. "This is her facelift." Following some additional storm damage this winter, plans for a major renovation were set in motion.

In its various incarnations, the iconic Hotel Laguna located at 425 S. Coast Highway dates back more than a century. Its rooms looking out over Main Beach and the Laguna shoreline have provided idyllic getaways for everyone from foreign dignitaries to many of Hollywood's brightest stars. It is the oldest and easily the most recognizable establishment in Laguna Beach. In 1930, it was rebuilt in the style it maintains today: a white, Early California Mission-style, three-story building with Spanish arches and its signature bell tower.

As Andersen was beginning plans for the hotel's remodel, some upgrades and repairs were obvious, but when it came to determining the amenities that would create the hotel's new look and feel, she turned to her close friend, Evalyn Daniel-Putnam, for assistance. The two had known each other for many years; their daughters were best friends. Daniel-Putnam's consulting firm, Daniel Fine Art Services, has provided art consultation since 1984 for a broad spectrum of clients including the Montage and Ritz-Carlton. But when her friend approached her for help, the project wasn't just about business. "Anything I can do to help," Daniel-Putnam told Andersen. "This was a labor of love."

Daniel-Putnam brought in Paul Jones from Las Vegas-based Project Dynamics for a fresh perspective. With input from Jones, Daniel-Putnam suggested to Andersen using eye-catching photographs taken behind the scenes at the Pageant of the Masters as design accents.

Another friend of Daniel-Putnam's, local artist and former Festival of Arts exhibitor and board member Roark Gourley, put the consultant in touch with Festival of Arts Marketing and Public Relations Director Sharbie Higuchi to discuss a possible tie-in between these two Laguna Beach institutions.

Andersen, Daniel-Putnam and Higuchi were in agreement about the possibility of placing Pageant photographs in the hotel's rooms. "Everyone was thrilled," Daniel-Putnam said.

Once Higuchi had received approval from the Festival's board of directors, a series of color photographs was selected from the Pageant's archives. Printed on fine art paper, the large scale (40"x50") photos feature behind-the-scenes images of the last-minute fine tuning that goes on backstage before the curtain opens and the lights come up on a Pageant "living picture." The photographs showcase the stage magic that goes into transforming three-dimensional sets and costumed-and-made-up cast members into artful illusions.

After working closely with Andersen and Daniel-Putnam on the selection process, Higuchi was pleased with the ways in which the photographs also complemented the hotel's legacy. "There's something magical about the images," Higuchi said. "They make you aware you're in the presence of Laguna's art and history."

The hotel's "facelift" is expected to be completed by early fall, culminating with an open house and celebration. In addition to luxurious upgrades throughout, Andersen is also planning a conceptual makeover for the hotel's Claes Restaurant, which will be renamed Claes' Ovation. It will now feature "Festival fare" including small plates and a three-course prix fixe menu especially designed for visitors on their way to the Pageant and art festivals. And, in keeping with making the hotel's transformation a family-and-friends affair, Andersen's son, who recently received his Bachelor of Science in hotel management, will be returning to Hotel Laguna to carry on in the family business.

In the meantime, Andersen's enthusiasm about her collaboration with Daniel-Putnam and Higuchi is infectious. "We make a good team," she happily stated.

The Pageant of the Masters will be performed nightly from Thursday, July 7, through Wednesday, August 31, 2011. Tickets for Only Make Believe, the 2011 Pageant of the Masters, may be purchased at www.PageantTickets.com. Tickets start at $15. For further information, call 949-497-6852, or toll free 800-487-3378.

About Hotel Laguna
Prominently located in the heart of downtown Laguna Beach, Hotel Laguna is a historic boutique 65-room hotel with a European flair sitting on an exclusive stretch of the Southern California coast. Hotel Laguna was the very first hotel in Laguna Beach and the first substantial business building as well. Being the most recognizable structure in Laguna Beach, this building of Spanish-style architecture was built in the 1930s and has given 112 years of almost continuous service. Picturesque, romantic and harboring an intriguing past, the Hotel Laguna was purchased by the Andersen Family in 1985. Soon after, the interior and exterior were refurbished and the ‘Grand Old Lady’ quickly became an award winning establishment with multiple outlets, including The OceanView Bar & Grill, Private Banquet Rooms and the newest on-property inauguration, CLAES Ovation!


Contact Information

Sarah Lawson
Marketing & Media Relations | Hotel Laguna

425 S. Coast Highway | Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Phone: (949) 494-1151 | Fax: (949) 497-2163
sarah@hotellaguna.com | www.hotellaguna.com
Facebook: facebook.com/hotellaguna | Twitter: @Hotel_Laguna

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Prominently located in the heart of downtown Laguna Beach, Hotel Laguna is a historic boutique 65-room hotel with a European flair sitting on an exclusive stretch of the Southern California coast. Hotel Laguna was the very first hotel in Laguna Beach and the first substantial business building as well. Being the most recognizable structure in Laguna Beach, this building of Spanish-style architecture was built in the 1930s and has given 112 years of almost continuous service. Picturesque, romantic and harboring an intriguing past, the Hotel Laguna was purchased by the Andersen Family in 1985. Soon after, the interior and exterior were refurbished and the ‘Grand Old Lady’ quickly became an award winning establishment with multiple outlets, including The OceanView Bar & Grill, Private Banquet Rooms and the newest on-property inauguration, CLAES Ovation!