First Look: LaFayette Hotel

The LaFayette is one of North Park’s most storied pieces of real estate. Originally built in 1946, the hotel was a San Diego haven for the Hollywood crowd: Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Ava Gardner. Changed hands through the decades. Never had a full revamp. Until now.⁠
⁠
Arsalun Tafazoli, founder of Consortium Holdings, acquired the Colonial-style property last year. This is CH’s first foray into hotels; the restaurant group is known for its roster of beautiful, buzzy, always-booked SD restaurants and bars like Morning Glory, Youngblood, and Born & Raised. After a $31 million facelift by Brooklyn-based Post Company, The LaFayette is opening its doors again today, now sporting that signature CH opulence. (Zebra prints. Ostentatious furnishings. Velvet everything. It’s deliciously over-the-top.) ⁠
⁠
The LaFayette, says Tafazoli, is a “culmination of every project we’ve undertaken since our inception over 17 years ago, when we dreamed of creating social spaces that honestly reflect San Diego’s underappreciated and misrepresented cultural scene.”⁠
⁠
The initial opening phase introduces several F&B concepts: the Pool Bar, Lobby Bar, an Oaxacan-inspired restaurant, a two-lane bowling alley, a diner. More concepts, from a golden-era jazz and nightclub to a spa, are slated to open later this year. ⁠
⁠
Writer Jared Cross sat down with Tafazoli in the new space for a tour and a look back at the process.