Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE GRANDE
COLONIAL HOTEL
LA JOLLA
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When it opened in 1913, The Colonial Apartments and Hotel, as it was known, was the talk of the
town and a foundation for the community. Designed by Richard Requa, the original white, wood-
framed building stood perfectly situated overlooking the ocean.
When George Bane became the sole owner of the Colonial in 1920, he realized the tourist poten-
tial of this picturesque seaside town and decided to give the Colonial a new look. He commissioned
an architect to design a hotel that would “rival anything in the West.”
The existing building was physically moved to the rear of the property and a four-story, con-
crete, mixed-use structure was erected in its place. With 28 apartments and 25 single hotel rooms,
the new Colonial Hotel had the first sprinkler system west of the Mississippi, along with solid, un-
supported, reinforced cement stairways and fire doors that can still be seen today.
Even with its new safety features, the Colonial was awesome. The design of “sunburst” windows
and semi-circle domes of leaded glass above the French doors captured the sunlight, bathing the
interior of the hotel. Inside, the new hotel included colonial fireplaces with marble hearths, ornate
chandeliers, and richly colored sofas and chairs. Rooms rates ranged from $25 to $50 per month.
The La Jolla Drug Store, which sat next door to the Colonial, was purchased in 1926 by Kansas
native Silas O. Putnam and moved inside the Colonial. The drug store became a prime location for
locals to gather, talk, and watch the few passersby. The pharmacist Putnam hired considered it a
big day if he filled more than three prescriptions. The pharmacist was also the father of Gregory
Peck, who grew up in La Jolla. After becoming a movie star, Peck founded the La Jolla Playhouse.
Charlton Heston, Dorothy McGuire, Groucho Marx, Jane Wyatt, Eve Arden, Pat O'Brien, David
Niven, and many other celebrities occupied the hotel well into the late 1950s, while performing at
the playhouse.
During the World War II years, the Colonial became home to many of the senior officers from
nearby Camp Callan. While the men worked during the day, their wives volunteered for the lo-
cal Red Cross. At night, the hotel's sunroom was partitioned to create accommodations for single
servicemen.
In 1976, the Colonial was purchased by three local partners for approximately $1 million, and
the name was changed to the Colonial Inn. In 1980, the space once occupied by Putnam's drug store
