Ocean Park Inn (OPI), a family-owned and operated hotel celebrating 30 years in the heart of Pacific Beach, is now open after a year-long property-wide renovation. The beachfront hotel, situated on the iconic Pacific Beach boardwalk just steps from the sand, has unveiled a refreshed exterior, pool deck and lounge area. Set to flow with the property’s mid-century meets the beach vibe, the building exterior has a new look echoing the interior enhancements brought to life by Los Angeles-based bespoke interior architectural design firm, Clear on Black.
“It was time,” said Carl L. Ross, president/CEO, Clear on Black. “After two generations of evolution as a family-owned property, it was time to update and take a hard look at what Ocean Park Inn could really be. It was originally constructed as a Tiki-themed hotel, which at the time, was a unique market position. But gradually things on the inside became worn and, outside the property, the hospitality world had evolved incredibly. We began in 2017 with the design for the renovation of the guestrooms. The public areas followed.”
The newly transformed pool deck encompasses an abstract mid-century pattern made of recycled rubber and features crisp white sun loungers with teak accents to complete the clean, modern aesthetic. The hotel has also introduced a new brand aesthetic and website to reflect the community and underlying mid-century tiki theme.
According to Ross, two things inspired the updated design. “Courageous owners and the surf culture of the area, specifically Pacific Beach. There hasn’t been a property in the comp set which reflected in anything specific to the area of any meaning. The owners saw this vision as an opportunity to re-brand and take OPI to where it genuinely belongs,” he said.
The Lai family has operated the landmark hotel since 1967, introducing the Ocean Park Inn brand and its current location in 1991. The phase three lobby enhancements showcase contributions from local artists including an art installation by Randall Engstrom of Randall’s Sandals, ocean-inspired tabletops by Brett Olson of Wave Surface and a walking tour of Pacific Beach by photographer John Cocozza.
“At the inception of every project, we begin with a Diagnostic & Discovery Phase, which involves research and a set of evaluations we have developed to better surface the true constraints and opportunities of the project,” Ross said. “From this, we begin to arrive at a clear understanding of the project direction. In the case of OPI, we drew upon the local surf culture and the original hotel’s identity of a true ‘tiki’ theme. It became a path to bringing the depth and authenticity of this into a physical form that expresses the truth of Pacific Beach and OPI. We brought those references both literal and metaphorical into aspects of the design, such as artwork, wood tones and textures and the motifs. It seems that the strength of identity comes from deep research translated into design, far better than fabricated stories.”
The fourth and final phase of the renovation is set for 2022 and will include a long-awaited guest-only surf and tiki-inspired cocktail pool bar.
“The design is very surf-culture oriented, with deep references to surf terminology,” Ross said. “For example, the interior wall facade of the bar is a ‘quiver’ of surfboards mounted vertically, with a surfboard countertop and the exterior facade at the pool deck is being clad in reclaimed barn wood vertical siding…For the exterior bar roof, we will have sliced-up surfboard tails which are ‘shingled’ on top of each other almost like fish scales. This is all about crafting an authentic Pacific Beach experience. Our guests come from all over the world and by offering a more tailored and focused experience we will be allowing our guests the ability to stay in or head out to explore the other great local venues. Pool furniture will be coordinated with the guestroom furnishings. We also updated the building exterior with new cool-crisp gray and white paint and new textural wood planking.”
In the lobby, there’s a graphic mid-century floor with white paneled walls, Ross said, along with a large, saltwater reef fish tank to view.
“The finishes and colors of the lobby are an extension of the guestrooms,” he said. “Jadeite green, dandelion yellow, wet sand, cloud white and of course the absence of blue. There is a new IG (Instagram) spot with our tagline ‘Hello Sunshine’ as you first walk in. Even the guest corridors are treated specially, with full-height, corridor-long photo murals of the local area. The pool deck done in an abstract mid-century pattern is made of recycled rubber which is soft underfoot. Crisp white sun loungers with teak accents complete a very clean modern aesthetic. Service is what the hotel is known for, so we paired the great operations with a design that now expresses the youthful vibrancy of the community. The Tiki heritage is infused with the Pacific Beach surf vibe to create a truly authentic, one-of-a-kind OPI experience.”
