Five Laguna Beach hotels undergo renovations

Five Laguna Beach hotels undergo renovations, here's a highlight of what to expect.

Hotel Laguna (949-494-1151) has recently completed a property-wide renovation that includes a makeover of the former Terrace Café, now named OceanView Bar  and Grill; Lobby Gallery, with rotating artwork; and, most notably, behind-the-scenes photos from the Pageant of the Masters as design accents in the newly renovated guest rooms.

Ocean View Bar and Grill

Inn at Laguna Beach (800-544-4479) recently completed a multi-million dollar renovation which included all 70 guest rooms, the lobby, meeting rooms, and the pool and pool deck. They are also the first hotel in Laguna Beach to implement 100 percent renewable wood key cards, completely eliminating plastic key cards. The Nordic birch wood, used for the key cards, is harvested from certified sustainably managed forests in Europe which reduces the carbon footprint by lowering CO2 emissions. These PVC-free biodegradable wood key cards also help reduce oil-based plastic waste.

Laguna Riviera (949-494-1196) Undergoes Facelift and Beachfront Upgrade - This beach front resort has remained in the hands of one family since its inception in 1948 and offers guests a choice of over 40 rooms and a 1,500 square foot classic 1930s beach bungalow. New pathways to the beach for guests and the opening of sun drenched terraced patios with direct beach access of the Beach Bungalow will result in an additional space for family gatherings, small weddings or company parties. Over the last two years, Laguna Riviera has completed a facelift of the guest rooms. The new room style reflects the attitude of the resort owners and preserves the iconic beach feel of the property. Original paintings and murals adorn the walls of much of the property exemplifying the inspired nature of the artist community for which the city is renowned. A unique, heated salt water pool, Finlandia sauna and bubbling salt water hot tub round out the host of amenities for guests.

Pacific Edge Hotel (800-843-6895), recently unveiled The Deck on Laguna, a 160-seat open-air beachfront restaurant. Guests can nosh on casual beach fare, sip on freshly made cocktails, or catch a sunset. Guests visiting The Deck on Laguna can relax on lounge chairs in the sand, store paddleboards at the beach valet, take a surf lesson, or rent a cabana. The property also recently added five fully private beachfront (indoor/outdoor) cabanas (that open out to a deck with direct access to the beach) and offer a menu of “extras,” including a masseuse, mobile airbrush spray tanning, manicure/pedicure, and a personal photographer/videographer. Available for day use only and you don't have to be a hotel guest to take advantage of this special pampering. Each cabanas can accommodate up to eight people.

Pacific Edge Cabana

 Surf and Sand Resort and Spa (800-524-8621) recently completed its $3 million property refreshment that included guest rooms and suites (including three penthouses overlooking the sea), the pool deck, Aquaterra Spa and Splashes Restaurant. These new design elements have transformed this idyllic oceanfront resort to a more modern aesthetic. The resort features 167 guest rooms that sit terraced above the sea. Its newly remodeled pool, with a modern-chic design, features new cabanas, chaise lounges, a mosaic tile wall designed by a local artist and a newly added poolside bar.

Summer 2012 Art Festivals

Art-A-Fair

777 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

June 29 - September 2

10am-9pm, Sunday – Thursday

10am-10pm, Friday and Saturday

As always Art-A-Fair brings together international, national and local artists for a compelling display of art. Ranging from paintings and photography to ceramics, textiles and jewelry this festival has something for everyone. In the shaded and garden-like grounds of Art-A-Fair it’s easy to get lost in the aisles of artwork that surround you as you explore looking for your next treasure. This year the work of Bonnie Leigh caught my eye. She carves and paints intricate sculptures from gourds. Some of the pieces can take over a year to make, depending on how long it takes for the gourd to dry.

Another artist who caught my eye was Melissa Culley. She creates delicate and gorgeous teapots that look like angel fish. Each one is unique and utterly breathtaking.

Sawdust Art Festival 

935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

June 29 – September 2

10am – 10pm, Daily

The Sawdust Art Festival showcases arts and crafts from 200 artists that live and work right here in Laguna Beach. This year they welcomed  quite a few new artists to the mix.  As I wandered the grounds, I came across two artists I haven’t seen before, Art Zdanowski a photographer, and Michele Holt a mixed media artist.

Art’s eye for capturing the stunning imagery of nature is unparalleled. In fact his photo of the iconic Laguna Beach lifeguard tower won him a blue ribbon at the Orange County Fair in 2011. It took him nearly 8 months to find just the right moment when the clouds formed and the sun began to set behind the tower to capture the perfect image. See this and many other images from around the world at his booth.

Michelle’s work is an eclectic mix of textiles, signs and paintings. All her work has an eastern organic flare to it that is both colorful and vibrant. Michele specifically focuses on the ancient art of batik and dye-making peace flags and hemp pillows.

Festival of Arts

650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

July 1 –August 31

10am – 11:30pm, Daily

This year Festival of Arts celebrates its 80^th year! Again they bring us some of the finest artwork from 140 of the area’s artists. New to this year’s show is the ability to listen to pre-recorded interviews with select artists on your mobile phone. I loved getting a window into the artists mind and finding out what inspires their work and motivates their creativity.  Also new this year is TGIF@FOA which is a celebration of the weekend with craft beer, pretzels and folk music. It’s a fun way to ring in each and every weekend throughout the summer.

Passport to the Arts 

Don’t miss a moment of the festivals! Return again and again for the special events and food with the Passport to the Arts. The Passport gets you unlimited admission throughout the summer to all three festivals plus a one-time parking pass at ACT V for $21.50

By Anne-Marie S.

Laguna Beach Arts and Culture featured at John Wayne Airport

The Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau formed a committee of the major non-profit arts destinations of Laguna Beach to showcase Laguna’s art past and present as part of John Wayne Airport’s exhibition program titled: “Orange County: Destination Art & Culture.”  The exhibit debuts on July 15^th, 2012, and runs through October of this year.

The Laguna Beach exhibit entitled “A Legacy of Art” features – Laguna Beach Yesterday, Laguna Beach Today and images from Sawdust Art Festival, Art-A-Fair, Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters, The Laguna Playhouse and Laguna Art Museum, dating from 1904 to the present.

John Wayne Airport Orange County launched the new program in conjunction with the opening of its new Terminal C in November 2011. The program allows the airport to highlight Orange County’s non-profit arts and cultural venues to the millions of passengers and visitors who travel through the airport each year.

“Laguna Beach has long been synonymous with the arts – both visual and performing,” said Alan L. Murphy, Airport Director. “We are delighted to help showcase these amazing venues and hope that passengers and local residents alike will be moved to see some of them first-hand in beautiful Laguna Beach.”

The 11 wall-mounted art display cases are located along a pedestrian walkway between Terminal B & C ticket counters, prior to the security checkpoints, and are open to the general public for viewing.

“We are honored that Laguna Beach has been chosen to feature its wealth of arts and cultural organizations in the summer/fall 2012 exhibit at John Wayne Airport,” said Judith Bijlani, president and CEO of the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau.

Cynthia Fung, exhibit curator and Marketing Director for Sawdust Art Festival, explained “the showcases tell the story of the arts of Laguna Beach and the history of our festivals through both two and three- dimensional works of art and photographs.”

The Genius, 2012 Pageant of the Masters

Up close with a "living picture"

There is an excitement in the air this time of year in Laguna Beach. The town is flooded with visitors and locals enjoying the summer sun with the hot topic on everyone’s lips being ‘art.’ It’s no wonder because with the warming of the weather it means it’s festival season and time for the world-renowned production of  Pageant of the Masters. Celebrating their 80^th anniversary, the Pageant of the Masters has been combining the world of theater and art by creating tableaux vivants – “living pictures” of some of the world’s most well-known works of art.

Each year the Pageant comes up with a new theme, new tableaux vivants, an original score and other unique surprises. This year, Director Diane Challis Davy chose a theme of power and strength that explores the relationship between art and advances in science and technology, The Genius. “I’m curious about the materials and techniques used by the old masters,” Challis Davy said. “One hundred and fifty years ago, artists had to make their own paints! In a way, you had to be a chemist. I’m fascinated by the huge roles played by developments in optics and photography when painting realistic works. But, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy The Genius.” In fact, you only need a sense of wonder (and maybe a cozy blanket) to enjoy the show.

The lights go down, music from the live orchestra plays and we hear the narrator announcing the start of the show. The curtains part and we see the first tableaux, Samuel F.B. Morse’s “Gallery of the Louvre.” The audience sits spellbound seeing this life-sized picture. We all know that there are volunteer actors in the roles of the people featured in the painting, however it is difficult to distinguish them...as there is no movement. The narrator tells us that Morse featured himself front and center in the painting and as he says this, the actor playing Morse breaks his pose and turns to face the audience. All at once we sigh with the shock of seeing him move. The show continues like this, repeatedly putting the audience in a place of awe and wonder when seeing famous works of art (by Michelangelo, Manet, Rockwell, Rodin, van Gogh and many others) come to life right before our eyes.

There is a famous quote by Vincent van Gogh that is featured in The Genius that I think sums up the show just perfectly. “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars make me dream.” While you sit in the outdoor amphitheater, under the starry sky, watching this extraordinary production, you too will be moved to dream.

See Genius nightly at 8:30pm

July 7- August 31, 2012

Tickets start at $15

By Anne-Marie S.