The Lodge at Torrey Pines, a Tribute to California`s Arts and Crafts Heritage, Opens in San Diego
Set amidst graceful pines and adjacent to Torrey Pines Golf Course and Torrey Pines State Reserve, The Lodge at Torrey Pines, the newest luxury hotel and destination resort property in Southern California, has recently opened its doors.
The Lodge at Torrey Pines is based on the early 1900s style of Craftsman style architects Greene and Greene, designers of the famed Gamble and Blacker houses in Pasadena, Calif. The Greene brothers exemplified the Arts & Crafts Movement`s ideal of creating structures that harmoniously celebrate Nature, superb workmanship, and indoor-outdoor living.
“The Lodge At Torrey Pines blends a luxurious guest experience with the stunning natural history of the Torrey Pines State Reserve and the artistic legacy of Southern California,” said Bill Evans, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Evans Hotels. “We`ve made every effort to ensure an authentic re-creation of the original Craftsman style of architecture and design by drawing on the talents of some of the country`s most noted craftspeople. With its elegant architecture, world-class restaurant and spa and championship golf, The Lodge offers an experience like no other hotel in America.”
Upon arrival, guests are greeted at a grand porte cochère by doormen in formal kilted Scottish dress. Designed on a residential scale, the Lodge`s entrance recalls that of a fine home. The main lobby is bathed in a warm glow emanating from the abundance of amber-colored iodized stained glass panels and light fixtures inspired by Greene and Greene and designed by Judson Studios artists, descendents of the artisans who worked on some of the original Craftsman homes in the early 1900s. Hand-crafted detailing is showcased in the fine masonry, Brazilian cherry woodwork and stone, marble and granite surfaces throughout the interiors. A rich color palate of deep earth tones creates a warm tranquil environment. Patterned area rugs and carpets inspired by the style of William Morris and a fine collection of original California Impressionist paintings help re-create an authentic Craftsman experience.
The Lodge features 175 guestrooms that offer from 520 to more than 2,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor living space. The internationally renowned architectural firm Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo created The Lodge`s overall architecture and design maximizing its dramatic setting among the famous Torrey Pines.
Graciously decorated by Kristine Smith Design Studio, San Diego, the Lodge`s interiors adhere to the Craftsman ideal. Guestrooms offer views of the golf course or a central courtyard. In the hallways, broad-hooded lanterns softly illuminate hand-rubbed wood paneling. The use of Brazilian cherry woodwork can be seen in the moldings, door castings and picture rails, illustrating quality workmanship and complementing the earthy color palette of buttery yellows, sages, deep browns and pine greens. Wooden headboards, chairs, and chaise longues feature fine inlaid Arts & Crafts motifs and carpets, and fabrics have been reproduced from original William Morris designs. The bathrooms retain the consistent design spirit, but respect the conveniences and luxuries today`s travelers require. Indulgent touches include soaking tubs, double sinks with natural slab marble and granite and polished chrome period fixtures. All golf-course-facing rooms have separate marble-paneled stall showers.
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Luxurious suites overlook the 18th green and feature private balconies and fireplaces. Appointments such as granite-topped bars, rich leather chaise longues by the beds, oil-rubbed bronze lighting fixtures, Stickley furniture, and fabrics and carpets also featuring William Morris designs help exemplify the Craftsman spirit and design. For the ultimate in luxury, The Lodge`s Gamble and Blacker suites offer more than 2,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor living space and feature two-bedrooms, indoor and outdoor fireplaces and full kitchens.
All rooms feature high-tech amenities demanded by today`s business traveler: large working areas, high-speed Internet access, personal voicemail, separate data ports, state-of-the-art telecommunications, and room safes sized for laptop computers.
The Lodge at Torrey Pines` signature restaurant, A.R. Valentien, features fresh, sophisticated cuisine served in a breathtaking setting overlooking the golf course and the La Jolla coastline. The restaurant pays homage to Southern California heritage and Craftsman architecture, with a metal-strap post-and-beam structure, handcrafted wood-framed windows, stained-glass lanterns and a frieze painted with pine boughs. Displayed throughout the restaurant are memorabilia and significant works from painter A.R. Valetien, a San Diego Impressionist renowned for his depictions of Southern California flora.
At the helm of the kitchen is Executive Chef Jeff Jackson, formerly of Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. Jackson draws inspiration for the menu from the best local provisions available during each season. The menu changes regularly depending on the season and products offered at local farmers markets, and from small growers, ranchers and fishermen. Food is prepared with minimum handling and in simple combinations allowing the textures and flavors inherent in each element to come through. Jackson`s signature dishes include: parsley root soup, hot smoked salmon with mashed potatoes, buttermilk and chives followed, by butterscotch pudding, pecan cookies and bitter hot cocoa. The wine list features California wines exclusively and showcases a variety of boutique wineries throughout the state. Casual diners and golfers between rounds can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and healthful light snacks at The Lodge`s course-side restaurant, The Grill.
Guests can enjoy a full menu of traditional therapeutic treatments and rituals at The Lodge`s 9,500-square-foot spa. The Spa At Torrey Pines features 14 treatment rooms and beauty, massage and wellness signature services that complement both the peaceful setting, as well as guests` more active pursuits, such as golf and hiking. The Spa is open to both hotel and day guests.
The spa`s design is influenced by the delicate principles of Arts & Crafts design as depicted by the style of Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The women`s area is decorated in soft pink, white and an iridescent oyster color with Mackintosh`s signature rose motif throughout, while the men`s area features a bolder palette of amber and black and a tree-of-life motif.
Guests can spend an afternoon or a day in the spa`s ample facilities, which include dry saunas, herbal-infused steam rooms, aromatherapy inhalation rooms and a private meditation room. Between treatments, guests can relax and enjoy thoughtfully designed touches such as a fireplace in the women`s lounge and a large screen television and leather club chairs in the men`s lounge.
Many of the products used in the spa are available for purchase, so that guests can continue their spa experience at home. Products such as the signature Coastal Sage Scrub are beautifully packaged in apothecary jars with the treatment`s instructions written out on a form reminiscent of a turn-of-the century prescription.
Guests may also train in a state-of-the-art fitness center offering the latest equipment, including treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary cycles and free weights.
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