Bohemian Rhapsody — The Revived La Playa Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea Serves Up Storied History and Plenty of Charm

Much has been written about iconic hotels such as The Hotel Chelsea in New York City or the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles — places with rich and unique histories, big-city settings and plenty of tales to tell. A growing number of vibrant, richly designed properties also deserve our attention. La Playa Hotel in Carmel-by-the Sea, built in 1905 on the rugged Monterey Peninsula, used to be an artist’s retreat and bohemian playground richly tied to Carmel’s history as an artists colony and cultural beacon.

The 75-room mansion originally served as an artist studio and retreat for landscape painter Chris Jorgensen, who gifted it to his wife, chocolate heiress Angela Ghirardelli. In the decades that followed, it was transformed into a charming hotel in 1922 and expanded again in 1940. The 1960s stood out as a golden era with Carmel local Howard E. “Bud” Allen as new owner, who introduced the neighborhood bar and famed 10-minute happy hour. In 1983, La Playa was the site of an Apple company retreat where Steve Jobs unveiled the first working prototype of the soon-to-be-iconic Macintosh computer.

The hotel was purchased in 2011 by Marc & Rose Hospitality — the fifth owner in its 115-year history. New York design team Post Company, inspired by the historic nature of the property and seaside charm of Carmel, focused on letting the hotel tell its tapestried story while creating the amenities expected of a storied property.

Charged with returning the hotel to its original bohemian charm, the Post Company team added dark and intimate ceilings, terra -cotta floors, lush plantings, restored wood box beams and corbels. It also riched up the interiors with plein-air landscape paintings by Virginia Grossman, solid cast-bronze doorknobs, and original plaster shell sconces by Frances Elkins.

From the moody bar, step out to the terrace, twirl a time or two or tweak the cuff of your dinner jacket, as the case may be, and you’ll remember why you came here in the first place — the stunning views of Carmel Point and Carmel Bay. This is why you travel to places like these. For a little bit of history that’s been polished and served in one of America’s most charming seaside towns.

La Playa Hotel, Camino Real is located at 8th Avenue in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Room rates start at $500 per night. Get more information here.