T H E L A F A Y E T T E
Entrepreneur Larry Imig b
egan construction on this Colonial-style, boutique hotel in 1943, making it the only US hotel constructed during World War II. It opened on July 1, 1946, as Imig Manor and attracted Hollywood stars from the start — Bob Hope was the first guest.
During its early days, other Hollywood stars like Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Katherine Hepburn, and Bing Crosby checked in (and those are just the confirmed ones). The fun didn’t last forever: In 1955, Conrad Hilton (owner of the San Diego Chargers) bought the hotel, changed its name, and used it as office space.
For decades after, there were management changes and talks of demolition, but locals never lost that loving feeling for the hotel, especially when it got a cameo in “Top Gun.” After a $4 million renovation in 2012, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Lafayette Hotel
San Diego, CA
