Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa

The Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa in Laguna Beach is right on the Pacific Coast Highway and has luxury rooms, a swimming pool, and real gourmet breakfasts.

All Photos (c) Donna Dailey

Arriving at Casa Laguna, a great Laguna Beach Hotel and spa, was the real start of our Pacific Coast Highway drive the first year we did it. We'd had a few days in San Diego, but it was time to drive the highway at last. The official Pacific Coast Highway starts at Dana Point, about 7 miles south of Laguna Beach, so Casa Laguna was our first official night on the road.

Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa:
Location and Parking

And it was right on the road – number 2510, on the Pacific Coast Highway. We were counting the numbers, saw the Casa Laguna sign, and pulled in outside the front door. The official parking was at the back, and that was our only complaint.

There's a limited number of parking spaces, and some of them very tight to get into and out of. It was a pain in the butt, to be blunt. But once we were parked, we walked through the entrance gate and into a paradise.

Casa Laguna Gardens

The gardens at Casa Laguna are gorgeous. They're lush and green, the pathways lined with ferns and trees. It's almost like being in a jungle.

And where there weren't natural plants there were potted plants, and everywhere bright red flowers stood out against the greens, the bright white walls and the terracotta colour of the tiles. It was hard to believe that just that morning we'd been whale watching in San Diego, nine miles off the coast.

Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa:
Our Room

We had the Laguna Suite, which had a living room and a bedroom, the two separated by a smart and stylish fireplace. It was cosily old-fashioned in style, and all the modern amenities (two TVs, fridge, microwave) were cleverly hidden away to help preserve the old-fashioned feel. We appreciated the whirlpool bath, too.

Our Bedroom

For us the room was the perfect place as it overlooked the Pacific Coast Highway. To be honest, we were a little worried about noise from the road, but we needn't have been concerned. In the living room there was little more than the occasional gentle background 'whoosh' of tyres going by, and in the bedroom no noise at all. And most other rooms and suites are set back from the highway.

The View As The Sun Goes Down

Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa:
Wining and Dining

The Casa Laguna has no restaurant, but there are a few choices within walking distance, and some will deliver to the Inn if you want to eat in the privacy of your room. Most guests seemed to prefer to drive or book a cab, and we had chance to chat to some of the other guests and read over the menus from local restaurants during the complimentary wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres (5-7pm).

And The View In The Morning

This was no ordinary wine tasting, either. Not only did the wine flow as freely as the conversation, the food provided was generous and excellent, including home-marinated olives, and various patés from one of the nearby restaurants.

Our Pick of the California Guides

Rough-Guide-California-2023.png

In fact the hors d'oeuvres were so filling we didn't even bother to eat out, preferring instead to relax in our lovely room as we were only going to be there for one night (the curse of the road trip!)

Breakfast Outdoors

Casa Laguna:
Other Amenities

We took a tour of the inn with one of the friendly staff. He told us that the Inn was first built in the 1920s as a private home, with some artists' studios attached. It had been an artists' retreat for a long time, till it was converted into the beautiful boutique hotel/inn that it is today. There's a lovely private pool with a hot tub and a bell tower which makes a great place to watch the sunset.

There's also a charming, intimate spa room on the lower floor (one couple had booked it for 8pm so it was nicely prepared with romantic burning candles), and a small business centre. There's free wi-fi throughout the inn, and free tea and coffee provided pretty-well all day. You can enjoy it at one of the outdoor tables, looking out on those great gardens, where you can have your breakfast too, if you choose.

Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa:
True Gourmet Breakfasts

We ate breakfast with most of the other guests in the dining room, though you can have it in your room, or outside on the shaded patio. Many places boast a gourmet breakfast when all they provide is a buffet.

At Casa Laguna they really mean it. As well as the usual cereals and pastries, there's a wide choice of cooked dishes prepared by the chef, Joshua Roberts. Some of his recipes for the mouthwatering breakfast dishes like Smoked Salmon Crepe Purse with Cream Cheese Dill Mousse and Fennel Oil (yes, really) are available on the Casa Laguna website.

And if a breakfast like that doesn't set you up for another day's drive along the Pacific Coast Highway, nothing will. Hasta la vista, Casa Laguna!

Time To Leave... Sadly

Contact Details

Casa Laguna Inn and Spa
2510 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Tel: 949-494-2996
Freephone: 800-233-0449

Laguna Beach

For more information about Laguna Beach visit the website of Visit Laguna Beach.

Unique Inns
Casa Laguna is a member of Unique Inns. For more details and for online booking information for all the Unique Inns in California, Oregon and Washington, as well as their inns in Idaho, and British Columbia in Canada, visit the Unique Inns website.


Other California coast pages

  • There are plenty of Santa Cruz downtown wine tastings including Beauregard Vineyards,Storrs Winery and Pelican Ranch Winery,all with tasting rooms.

    Santa Cruz Downtown Wine Tastings

    There are plenty of Santa Cruz downtown wine tastings including Beauregard Vineyards,Storrs Winery and Pelican Ranch Winery,all with tasting rooms.

  • Encinitas is a beach city in Southern California, famous for surfing, and regularly chosen as one of the best places to live in both California and the USA.

    Encinitas

    Encinitas is a beach city in Southern California, famous for surfing, and regularly chosen as one of the best places to live in both California and the USA.

  • Morro Bay is a delightful small town on the California coast roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and noted for the huge Morro Rock.

    Morro Bay

    Morro Bay is a delightful small town on the California coast roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles and noted for the huge Morro Rock.

  • Bodega Bay is a small California coastal town on the borders of Marin County and Sonoma County, and the filming location for Alfred Hitchcock's the Birds.

    Bodega Bay

    Bodega Bay is a small California coastal town on the borders of Marin County and Sonoma County, and the filming location for Alfred Hitchcock's the Birds.

  • Santa Monica Pier is just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica near Los Angeles, with an amusement park, an aquarium and many other attractions.

    Santa Monica Pier

    Santa Monica Pier is just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica near Los Angeles, with an amusement park, an aquarium and many other attractions.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel recommends some of the top wildlife spots along the California coast.

    Top Wildlife Spots on the California Coast

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel recommends some of the top wildlife spots along the California coast.

  • Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.

    Oceanside

    Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.

  • PCH Travel picks the best time to visit Mendocino, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

    Best Time to Visit Mendocino

    PCH Travel picks the best time to visit Mendocino, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.

  • Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.

    Coastal California Guidebook

    Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.

  • A walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey and Carmel provides lots of photo opportunities, especially of the Harbor Seal Birthing Area.

    Point Lobos State Reserve near Carmel and Monterey, with photos

    A walk around the Point Lobos State Reserve near Monterey and Carmel provides lots of photo opportunities, especially of the Harbor Seal Birthing Area.

  • Drive the Pacific Coast Highway and you have to cross Bixby Bridge in California, ten miles north of Big Sur and 30 minutes south of Monterey.

    Bixby Bridge

    Drive the Pacific Coast Highway and you have to cross Bixby Bridge in California, ten miles north of Big Sur and 30 minutes south of Monterey.

  • The Pelican Inn and Suites in Cambria on California's Central Coast has oceanfront views, swimming pool, gardens, and is right on the beach near Hearst Castle.

    Pelican Inn and Suites in Cambria on the Central Coast of California

    The Pelican Inn and Suites in Cambria on California's Central Coast has oceanfront views, swimming pool, gardens, and is right on the beach near Hearst Castle.

  • The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.

    Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo

    The Lighthouse Inn at Point Cabrillo is a romantic, historic guesthouse on the Mendocino California coast, on the Pacific Coast Highway.

  • Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway include some of the best independently-owned boutique hotels, spas, and lodges in California, Oregon and Washington.

    Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway

    Unique Inns on the Pacific Coast Highway include some of the best independently-owned boutique hotels, spas, and lodges in California, Oregon and Washington.

  • Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast Highway in California has its famous boardwalk, beaches, wine tastings, Surfing Museum, Mission, and Marine Discovery Center.

    Santa Cruz

    Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast Highway in California has its famous boardwalk, beaches, wine tastings, Surfing Museum, Mission, and Marine Discovery Center.

  • Pismo Beach is a small beach town on California's Central Coast, a resort famous for surfing and clams.

    Pismo Beach

    Pismo Beach is a small beach town on California's Central Coast, a resort famous for surfing and clams.

  • San Luis Obispo in California is half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on the Pacific Coast Highway and with lots of things to do and see.

    San Luis Obispo

    San Luis Obispo in California is half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, on the Pacific Coast Highway and with lots of things to do and see.

  • San Simeon is a tiny town of a few hundred people close to Hearst Castle on the California coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

    San Simeon

    San Simeon is a tiny town of a few hundred people close to Hearst Castle on the California coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

  • Carlsbad is a beach city north of San Diego in southern California famous for its flower fields, LEGOLAND resort and water park, surfing and SEA LIFE Aquarium.

    Carlsbad

    Carlsbad is a beach city north of San Diego in southern California famous for its flower fields, LEGOLAND resort and water park, surfing and SEA LIFE Aquarium.

  • La Jolla in southern California is north of San Diego off the Pacific Coast Highway and has museums, restaurants, hotels, beaches, and the Birch Aquarium.

    La Jolla, in southern California

    La Jolla in southern California is north of San Diego off the Pacific Coast Highway and has museums, restaurants, hotels, beaches, and the Birch Aquarium.

  • The Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino on the California coast is an eco-resort with yoga classes and the award-winning Ravens Restaurant.

    Stanford Inn by the Sea Mendocino

    The Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino on the California coast is an eco-resort with yoga classes and the award-winning Ravens Restaurant.

  • Historic and romantic Vagabond's House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Carmel is a great place to stay with free wine and cheese and generous breakfast.

    Vagabond's House Inn

    Historic and romantic Vagabond's House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Carmel is a great place to stay with free wine and cheese and generous breakfast.

  • Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.

    Whale Watching in California

    Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.

  • Monterey in California is off the Pacific Coast Highway and home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Monterey State Historic Park.

    Monterey, on the Pacific Coast Highway in California

    Monterey in California is off the Pacific Coast Highway and home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Monterey State Historic Park.

  • Dana Point in California is the official start or end of the Pacific Coast Highway, and its attractions include whale watching, and Doheny State Beach.

    Dana Point

    Dana Point in California is the official start or end of the Pacific Coast Highway, and its attractions include whale watching, and Doheny State Beach.

Recent Articles

RSS

  1. Slingshots, Color, and Open Roads: How to Explore California’s Spring Wildflowers

    May 01, 24 11:10 AM

    Beaches. Mountains. Deserts. Cities. California has a lot, and it’s known for a lot, but in the mix of some of the most incredible scenery in the United States, one excellent feature is often overlook…

    Read More

  2. Best Things to Do in Monterey

    Apr 30, 24 07:57 PM

    fishermans-wharf-monterey.webp
    The best things to do in Monterey, chosen by Pacific Coast Highway Travel, include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, whale watching and Fisherman's Wharf.

    Read More

  3. Pacific Coast Highway Fully Reopens 2 Months After Mudslide

    Apr 24, 24 11:14 AM

    After two months of lane closures on PCH in Malibu, the highway has fully reopened.

    Read More