La Jolla (San Diego) ยท La Jolla
La Valencia Hotel
A 1926 apartment hotel above La Jolla Cove, renamed in 1928 when its tower and gold dome went up; Gregory Peck hosted friends in its Whaling Bar.
- Built
- 1926Opened December 15, 1926 as the apartment hotel 'Los Apartmentos de Sevilla'; renamed La Valencia in 1928 when an eight-story wing, tower and dome were added. The city HRB register lists a 1909 build year for the parcel, which conflicts and was not used.
- Style
- Spanish Colonial Revival / Mediterranean
- Architect
- Reginald Johnson (1926); Herbert J. Mann and Thomas L. Shepherd (1928 tower wing)
- Type
- Grand hotel
- Area
- La Jolla
- Credentials
- Local landmark; Historic Hotels of America member
The story
La Jollans MacArthur Gorton and Roy B. Wiltsie opened the hotel in 1926 as an apartment hotel designed by Reginald Johnson. Its success led them to add an eight-story wing with the hotel’s tower and gold dome, and they renamed it La Valencia. During World War II guests and residents climbed the tower to watch for enemy aircraft, and in the postwar years stars performing at Gregory Peck’s La Jolla Playhouse stayed here; Peck often hosted friends in the Whaling Bar.
Good to know
- Pets welcome
- Address: 1132 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037
Things to do
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Sources (3)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.