Hotel Laguna
Introduction
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Images
Hotel Laguna - 1930s
Hotel Laguna Guest Book - 1931
Hotel Laguna Brochure - 1960s
Hotel Laguna can be seen steps away from the Pacific Ocean
Backstory and Context
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The Hotel Laguna was
completed in 1888, and then rebuilt the same year following a fire that destroyed the original structure only 66 days after the hotel's grand opening. The hotel was a popular destination during the travel boom
in the late 1800s, attracting travelers from all around the nation and helping to give Laguna Beach its reputation for luxury travel.
After the recession of the late 1890s reduced travel, the hotel was placed on the market several times before a new owner was found. The hotel was demolished in 1928 and then rebuilt using modern building construction as well as traditional architectural features such as the white Spanish arches that surround the exterior of the building. The new Hotel Laguna became a center of Laguna Beach's social life, with celebrity guests such as Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn and John Barrymore staying at the hotel.