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The Lafayette Hotel isn’t just a place to stay. It’s a living time capsule, reimagined for the modern traveler. From its 1940s Hollywood roots to its bold, new revival, this space invites you to experience San Diego through glamour, rebellion, and reinvention.
The hotel opened on July 1, 1946 as Imig Manor Hotel, constructed by Larry Imig. Bob Hope cut the ribbon. Johnny Weissmuller (aka Tarzan) designed the pool. Frank Sinatra sipped cocktails in the lounge. When Imig Manor opened its doors in 1946, it didn’t just welcome guests, it welcomed legends.
Larry Imig, 31-year-old former sailor, opened his $2 million hotel, Imig Manor, built with a fortune he made in a construction business that began after he traded a car for a vacant lot 10 years ago. Imig received a medical discharge in 1935 after three years as a naval enlisted man he got a job as an auto salesman in San Diego. After a year, a woman offered to trade a vacant lot for one of his cars and convinced him he could make a profit by building a house on it and selling it. In the next 10 years, he built 2000 homes and made enough money to finance half the construction of his new hotel.
Designed to be a glamorous spot for Hollywood stars and wealthy guests, the hotel’s grand opening was attended by Bob Hope, and it quickly became a favorite for celebrities like Ava Gardner, Johnny Weissmuller, and Bing Crosby. In the decades that followed, The Lafayette reflected the city itself. Glamorous, gritty, and wildly alive. It became a cherished mess of mismatched eras.
In the 1950s and 60s, it was a local hotspot, but later went through periods of decline and change in ownership. For decades after, there were many management changes and talks of demolition, but locals never lost that loving feeling for the hotel. The building was passed through several owners, until Hampstead Lafayette Partners purchased 2.6 acres in North Park, including the Lafayette Hotel, for $11.5 million in March 2004. Hampstead Partners then restored the Lafayette as a boutique hotel.
The Lafayette Hotel’s new design kept its vintage charm but added fun touches like themed rooms and retro dining spaces. Aiming to become a lively spot that honors its old-school Hollywood roots while staying playful and fresh.
Continuing to welcome travelers who want to experience a bit of San Diego’s golden past. The Lafayette didn’t just get a facelift, it was reborn.
This isn’t restoration. It’s a resurrection. The renovation of the Lafayette Hotel and Club in San Diego began in October 2023 and was completed in July 2024, after a $31 million remodel by the owner, Arsalun Tafazoli. The renovations included a complete overhaul of the hotel, including new rooms, bars, restaurants, and a bowling alley.
San Diego native and UCSD alum Arsalun Tafazoli began his Consortium Holdings hospitality company, now also known as CH Projects, in 2007 with the opening of Neighborhood bar in the East Village. Fast forward to today, and Tafazoli holds ownership stakes in over 20 bars, restaurants, and hotels across the city. The Consortium Holdings founder Arsalun Tafazoli purchased the 131-room, grand colonial style The Lafayette Hotel in San Diego's North Park community, and began construction in October 2023.
Zebra prints, ostentatious furnishings, and velvet-everything. The legend returns under Consortium Holdings. $31 million later, still the life of the party.
The new LaFayette Hotel & Club brings guests on a creative exploration that features an ode to the original “city within a city” hotel concept, moving beyond a one-dimensional space that exudes well curated affluence with aspirational style. At The Lafayette, you don’t just check in, you check out of the ordinary.
Stay in a room with a personality. Order champagne poolside under string lights. Dance where legends once did.
