72 | REFINED REFUGE

Hotel Joaquin’s unassuming exterior offers luxurious privacy on a swanky swath of South Coast Highway

Recharge and relax as Hotel Joaquin whisks you away to a haven of fresh decor and unparalleled service.

If the world is my oyster, Hotel Joaquin is the perfectly-rounded pearl situated on the inner edge of said oyster. The mini-resort, as it is described to me by general manager Reinhard Neubert (formerly of Santa Barbara’s Belmond El Encanto and Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore), features 22 rooms carved into South Coast Highway on the northern end of Laguna Beach. Far-flung gems such as the shores of St. Barthelemy and Montauk are called to mind as I imbibe and unwind in the hybrid bar-lobby-living room, which appears as though it was curated by everyone’s coolest, most well-traveled friend.

Records line the wall opposite the crackling fireplace, welcome and inviting although it is mid-July—it is the atmosphere it suggests, that this is somewhere you arrive not to stop in, but to stay awhile. The bartender/bellhop/desk manager (each staff member at Hotel Joaquin wears many hats, primarily that of ‘friend,’ as the quaint property facilitates an irreplicable intimacy between staff and guests) notices my infatuation with my surroundings and offers to make me a welcome cocktail. Sunken into the plush white couch atop a mesmerizing blackand-white checkered rug, I humbly refuse at first, though am easily swayed as he offers to guess my favorite libation. I am initially shocked, and then validated, when he guesses correctly (spicy Paloma with mezcal). This cements my theory that this slice out of the coast must be some fantastical haven.

The enchantment grows thicker as my key—yes, a real, manual key!—turns in my suite’s lock and I delight at the unveiling of a bespoke domicile, the interiors as intuitively designed as the lobby’s.

Each suite at Hotel Joaquin is unique, with a different view, layout, and slightly variant aestheticism from the next, though all share the common core values of luxury in simplicity and simplicity in luxury. The neutral and art-accented living area is complemented by one of the most beautiful bathrooms I have had the pleasure to use, lined entirely with light teal tiles, a dark marbled sink and bath, and gold fixtures. I am stealing more than a few interior ideas. Every suite also excludes a television or electric alarm clock in favor of a record player, a curated stack of vinyls, and a knock at your door in the morning letting you know your personalized coffee order has arrived.

Both this decor and standard of service have facilitated a level of luxury afforded only by the feeling of complete comfortability in my surroundings, as if I may send for my things and move right in. Put simply, the hotel seems to exist at my convenience, showing itself or disappearing into the background of the larger experience with impeccable timing.

While privacy is a top-billed asset, the property less so maintains the aura of an impersonal hideaway and more so the air of a highly exclusive club, though Joaquin’s only membership fee is the rate of a room. Enforcing this sanctity is the steadfast rule that Hotel Joaquin’s sole and lauded restaurant, Saline, caters purely to guests. The menu boasts an ever-changing array of seasonal offerings, most of which, as you may have guessed, come from the salty Pacific that is Joaquin’s backyard. Fresh catches are prepared daily and enhanced by earthy sides with imaginative finesse. The dining experience alone is worth spending the night. Plus, the feeling of finishing an award-winning meal and merely crossing the well-manicured lawn to text for tomorrow morning’s coffee before melting into a plush duvet to ride out my food coma is utter heaven.

As if I am not effectively transported by the property, the pool and its surrounding lounger beds cultivate a beach club sensibility fit for Ibiza with a playlist to match, though at a respectable volume at which you may also choose to read a book or carry on a conversation with your newfound vacation friends. This is the other inimitable fact of Hotel Joaquin: should you be looking to socialize, the intimate atmosphere is a ripe ground for connection building, only adding to the exclusive air about the space.

Spritzes are shared over stories on massive white lounger beds and suddenly it is happy hour again, the sun setting beyond the palms that shroud Hotel Joaquin from the particularly suburban strip of South Coast Highway. Another masterful Paloma is concocted behind the bar, and another—the walkability of the hotel into downtown’s exquisite restaurant scene is a hidden plus—before we bid adieu to our acquaintances, though just for a short while. We will reconvene for post-dinner aperitifs and, as always, rousing conversation. And, even after we part the next morning, buzzing from a fresh brew but distraught at the thought of departure, we are comforted in knowing that we will always have Hotel Joaquin, that we will return home into open arms soon again. *

hoteljoaquin.com