la valencia hotel in la jolla

I recently celebrated my birthday at one of my favorite places, La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. La Jolla at any time of year is a fantastic idea!

 

La Valencia Hotel, also known as "The Pink Lady," is a Mediterranean-style oceanfront resort located in La Jolla, California. 

This iconic hotel has breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and is the perfect destination for a romantic and quick overnight getaway.

 

I love this little stretch of La Jolla and the hotel's prime location, with stunning ocean views and easy access to nearby attractions.

We had dinner at Georges at the Cove, known for its yummy contemporary American cuisine and seafood. The stunning ocean views are breathtaking from the very top of this restaurant, and our dinner was perfect.

 

Another great breakfast, brunch and lunch spot that we love is Brockton Villa. It’s such a little cozy spot, and of course I love the old Spanish architecture of the building and courtyards. The breakfast sandwich on a croissant and the Coast Toast are out of this world!!

My husband and I always enjoy the hotel's historic charm and unique character, especially sitting in the bar for breakfast. 

 

Our favorite is a breakfast of fresh muffins and coffee with a gorgeous floor to ceiling view of the La Jolla beach and the Pacific beyond.

It was a foggy morning, but as you can see the day before was amazing! Look at the blue sky and sea! 

 

La Jolla Cove is a beautiful coastal area known for its stunning views, marine life, and unique sea caves. 

In fact the sea lions and seals make a point of sunning themselves on the rocks everyday, right down the block from La Valencia.

We always make a point of heading to the Sunny Jim's Cave for a stunning and unique view of the cove. It's a great little morning workout too! 

 

The La Valencia Hotel Pool

Sunny Jim’s Cave is accessible through the Cave Store, this cave features a tunnel with 145 steps leading down to the cave. It offers a unique perspective of the coastline and is a popular spot for visitors

 

After breakfast, we headed home but stopped at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas for a little hike around these stunning gardens.

 

This botanic garden features over 5,000 plant species and I love the Mediterranean and cactus areas a lot. There’s so much history there, but also it's a great source of inspiration for my own garden.

 

I hope you’ll follow along with me on Instagram for all the latest projects and décor I will be sharing in 2025.

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

a gorgeous day in la jolla

Last weekend, we had a chance to getaway for the day to La Jolla. It’s just a 90 minute drive here from Newport, so getting there is not a big deal, and when we arrive….  

I love to stop off at La Valencia for a peek at the view and a yummy cappuccino – with almond milk. They also make amazing blueberry muffins, but I was just an muffin observer this time around, you see I’m on the Paleo diet. More on that later…

Seriously, the day was absolutely flawless! Look at the view looking down at the pool and at the Pacific beyond.

This is the kind of place I love calling "home". We didn't stay here this time around, but I do have another longer trip planned soon. 😉  

Here’s a look at the lounge area that’s so cozy for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

This is the view from that same lounge. I just LOVE it here!!

So, after a quick pick-me-up at La Valencia, we headed down the street for a walk around the always stunning La Jolla Cove area, high above the cliffs, and looking down at the incredible wildlife and ocean below.

There are seven caves in this area, but the most famous one is my favorite, the Sunny Jim Cave that’s accessible through the Cave Store.

The Cave Store’s been around for more than a hundred years, and for a small fee, you can descend 145 steps into the underground world of the beautiful Sunny Jim Cave.

This little journey feels sort of like you’re walking down into a mine, but the end result is just absolutely breathtaking!

Do you see the profile outlined in the cave? He's so cute!

From there we continued our walk around the cliffs, around the bend to see the seals and sea lions that nap along the smooth rocks there. Do you see how well they blend in to their surroundings?

As long as you don’t bother these guys they’re harmless, and how lucky are we to get so close to this amazing wildlife?

And speaking of wildlife, how cute is this loggerhead sea turtle? She lives at the Birch Aquarium which is just around the bend from downtown La Jolla.

I hadn’t been to the Birch Aquarium in ages, and it was really a fun visit and so calming to get a glimpse of just a little bit of the fascinating underwater world.

This is the view from the aquarium, looking back at La Jolla in the distance.

I'm so thankful for such a beautiful day and can't wait to visit again soon. It's was the perfect little getaway!

ciao! fabiana

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destination: Plaza la Reina

Nestled between Beverly Hills and Santa Monica and smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles is the fun college town known as Westwood.

This charming little neighborhood also happens to be the home of my new favorite weekend retreat, Plaza La Reina, a sweet little boutique hotel conveniently nestled on the fringe of where the residential area meets the  popular downtown area of Westwood.

Plaza La Reina offers the convenience of today’s lifestyle, with the refined elegance and vintage style reminiscent of those early days of Westwood. That’s what makes it the perfect destination for a romantic little getaway. 

The stylish development of Westwood began in the 1920’s, when a master plan was created as a Mediterranean-style shopping area, with small and easily walkable angled streets. 

The prominent building style at the time was Spanish Colonial Revival with its beautifully tiled roofs and walk-through plazas and courtyards. All this vintage personality is still evident today as we walked around town.

Tucked away from the rest of the city, we felt so at home staying at the Plaza La Reina. Our beautiful one-bedroom private suite was very comfortable and even included a large private terrace. 

The view from our room was evocative of Italy, as our room overlooked the beautiful terracotta roofed buildings nearby. In the evening, the twinkling city lights of Los Angeles’ modern cityscape framed the scenery. It was like having our own private apartment in the city!

Walking out the front doors of the hotel, we had dozens of great restaurant options that were only a short walk away. Some of our favorites are Tanino Ristorante, Le Pain Quotidien, Skylights Gardens, and California Pizza Kitchen. There’s even an In ‘n Out Burger nearby, which is a necessity in any college town!

Our room was filled with so many modern conveniences that you might not expect from a luxury hotel. We had a fully stocked kitchenette that even included a Bosch washer and dryer! So perfect for a weekend or for a longer extended stay!

I’m a very light sleeper, so despite being in the heart of a large, bustling city, our room was quiet and cozy and I slept like a baby! 

I crave tranquility when I travel, and the general vibe here was very relaxing. If we needed anything, the friendly staff was on hand to answer our questions.  

The rooftop terrace at the Plaza La Reina has plenty of comfortable seating and is a great place to take in the spectacular views of surrounding hillsides, curvy tree-lined streets and statuesque buildings of Wilshire Boulevard.

We got a chance to have breakfast on the rooftop while we relaxed on lounge chairs, all while enjoying the fragrance of the potted citrus trees nearby, where notes of lemon permeate the air. 

I couldn’t help but feel thankful for the beautiful, sunny January day and the lovely orange, lemon and kumquat trees surrounding us. This defines California living, at its best!

The Napa Valley Grille is now one of our new favorite restaurants, and it's where we met our good friends Lisa and Tony on Sunday for lunch and dined alfresco on their large patio. 

Also around the corner was Espresso Profeta, a darling little café that makes yummy cappuccinos. And conveniently enough, Trader Joe’s and Target are also only blocks away.  

Westwood is best enjoyed on foot. Touring the city by sidewalk is a must to take in all the sights and sounds. We had to stop a moment and take it all in, as the smell of warm buttered popcorn infused the air as we walked past the historic Fox and Bruin movie theaters. 

It brought us back to those fun college days in Westwood when the streets were packed with rowdy college kids.

Years ago, I met my future husband in Westwood when he was a student at UCLA, and I was just about to graduate high school. So, you see, Westwood is near and dear to my heart. Spending last weekend in Westwood not only gave us a chance to reacquaint ourselves with some of our favorite places, but it also gave us the opportunity meet close friends at a newly discovered restaurant in the village.

  

Since the opening of UCLA in 1929, the village of Westwood has grown and evolved graciously. Over the years, many generations of Angelinos have enjoyed Westwood’s small town environment that’s still filled with a storied past. And, of course, the bonus is having great restaurants, shops and movie theaters to visit.

The European flair of the Plaza La Reina fits in perfectly in this inviting setting. In keeping with Westwood’s lovely architectural style, you’ll immediately notice the iconic Santa Barbara tiled staircase that leads you upwards from the street level and into the intimate courtyard of the Plaza La Reina. This colorful staircase is perfect for a little photo op. 

We had such a fabulous time 

and can’t wait for our next visit!   

ciao! fabiana

Plaza La Reina

10850 Lindbrook Drive  Los Angeles, California

(310) 986-6888

For more information, visit:

www.plazalareina.com

This post is sponsored by Plaza La Reina

however all opinions are genuinely my own.

la valencia in la jolla

Continuing from my Tuesday post on La Jolla, just up the street from the Brockton Villa and the La Jolla Cave shop was our next stop, La Valencia hotel. Also known as the Pink Lady, La Valencia has always been one of my favorite places to visit for lunch, and this time, we actually got to stay here for two nights!

La Valencia was opened in 1926 and has the most amazing location overlooking the beach in the area known as La Jolla Cove. It even became a great getaway for Hollywood stars during the 1940’s and 50’s.

As you walk into the lobby, your eye is drawn to the gorgeous view straight back out of the shapely picture window of the “living room”. The living room is the coziest space ever and the vintage 1920’s details are spectacular. 

Here’s a shot of the ceiling, looking straight up.

  

And right outside the living room is the luxurious dining patio. Look at the views! It sits right above the pool area too.

It’s so fun to explore all the nooks and crannies of La Valencia. Hand-painted tiles and cheery pink geraniums are around every corner of the outdoor spaces!

The restaurants are really good too. We had breakfast each morning at The Med, where the ambiance is calm, the views are breathtaking and the food is soooo good! 

They serve the best cappuccinos and blueberry muffins! I loved sipping my coffee while watching the waves break on the shore and all sea gulls and pelicans drifting about. This is a view of the patio adjacent to the street, and the other side, of the great room has the amazing views of the pool and ocean.

The rooms are quite comfortable.

Here’s where we spent quite a bit of time, poolside.

Until tomorrow...

ciao! fabiana