Reimagining and honoring its equestrian roots, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa has revealed its property-wide, $26 million redevelopment and renovation in conjunction with the resort’s 20th anniversary.
Estancia’s revamp retains historic touches mingled with modern design, refreshing all areas of the expansive property situated on North Torrey Pines Road between the Gliderport and La Jolla Shores.
Estancia La Jolla opened in June 2004 but began as an equestrian training center owned by the Black family, who bought 248 acres of land in 1947 and developed it into the real estate it is now, inspiring the La Jolla Farms neighborhood name of Blackhorse Farms and Black’s Beach just steps away.
Emerging from the redesign, three of Estancia’s buildings “are exact replicas” of Black’s thoroughbred training facility, said Estancia General Manager Eric Jenkins.
The replicas incorporate a few of the white bricks from the original buildings, he said, which include the stables, tack house and caretaker’s residence.
“It’s really cool to look at the pictures of the property before,” Jenkins said.
The renovations began in February 2023 and were “a labor of love,” he said, corralling designs from past and present.
Photos courtesy of Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa
The first to be refreshed were the 210 guest rooms and suites, which received modern accents throughout in addition to being completely redone.
The “amazing” lobby was reconfigured and expanded, with a new lobby bar and outdoor seating intended to promote relaxed lingering, Jenkins said.
Adjacent to the lobby is the new Trading Post Café for casual coffee and breakfast items and artisanal gifts.
The event spaces were also upgraded, including sophisticated barn details in the La Jolla Ballroom and a new bar at Greenfinch restaurant nicknamed “Bloom Bar” bursting with an art installation by Native Poppy.
Walking the grounds, visitors can treat themselves to a self-guided botanical tour using a posted QR code that “walks you throughout the entire 9.5 acres of the property and lists close to 200 different varietals of flowering bushes, trees, plants and shrubs,” Jenkins said.
Estancia “is laid out to always be in bloom,” he said, which includes the butterfly garden and “butterfly hotels” – to encourage population growth of the endangered monarch butterfly – and an apiary of 100,000 bees that produce about 120 to 150 jars of honey a year, used throughout Estancia’s culinary and mixology programs and amenities.
The pool is the last to be refurbished, with a new bar area, redone cabanas and more.
Saddle up and see what else is new at Estancia La Jolla!
