The Pearl Hotel
San Diego California
Set on the rugged Californian peninsula of Point Loma, in San Diego, is the compact, nostalgia-inducing The Pearl. Setting eyes on its intact mid-century modern façade, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d arrived in Palm Springs, the sun-drenched California desert haven of 1950s low-slung architecture.
Designed by local architect Robert Platt and built in 1959, The Pearl has had several incarnations over the years, known as the Hotel for Frank Naso, and the Sportsman’s Lodge. After a significant transformation in 2007, which took the space back to Platt’s original mid-century architectural vision, it was rebranded as The Pearl Hotel. This is in homage to the freediving Ama (meaning ‘sea women') of Japan, famous for collecting pearls. Trip Advisor soon after named it one of the Top 25 Trendiest hotels in 2012 and it still retains its groovy vibe.
In 2019, it was bought by California-based Casetta Group, a team dedicated to celebrating properties with rich architectural histories. They further revamped it to celebrate the hotel’s famed late 1950s/early 1960s aesthetic, mixed with a modern smart, sustainable design. The mid-century façade was refreshed, while communal spaces are a pick-n-mix of original and reimagined features, like the stone accent walls alongside new poolside salmon tiles by Clè.
The 23 rooms reflect laid-back Point Loma’s understated cool with a contemporary take on mid-century style, courtesy of San Diego's Pow Wow Design Studio. Think: neutral tones and organic textures like linen drapery, cane back chairs, acacia wood bedside tables, ceramic lamps, and flat-woven rugs. When it comes to sustainability, California brands outfit rooms, like Parachute bedding, organic bath products by MoonCloth, while vintage wall art paying homage to the freediving Ama
Like so many vintage motels, the beating heart of The Pearl is its centrepiece oyster-shaped swimming pool. Illuminating the inner courtyard, this heated, salt-water pool is a social hub, surrounded by a splay of tables and hanging cocoon seats. It’s also the setting for a unique ‘dive-in’ movie night each Wednesday that celebrate classic films.
This weekly event has inspired its new cocktail bar and restaurant, Ponyboy, named after the main character in SE Hinton’s story, The Outsiders. As such it offers a menu a creative reflection of his youthful, moody, rebellious, artistic, timeless and thoughtful spirit featuring a mix of well-loved modern classic dishes and drinks.
The Dive
Nashville Tennessee
Motels do not get more kitschy than at The Dive, a recently revamped novelty, adults-only motel and swim club in country music city, Nashville. With a disco ball above the bed in each room, it’s set up for partying. It opened in 1956 as The Key Motel – “Your Key For Comfort” – read the advertising posters. Each room at the Key came with all the amenities you’d expect to find at a mid-century modern motel of the time – electric heat, air conditioning, a combination bath and shower, and a pool. It had a good location, too, along Dickerson Pike, a now seedy, but once popular part of old-school Nashville where musicians used to stay when they were in town. Rumour has it Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, and even Dolly Parton stayed at the Key. Before this, the road has origins as a buffalo trail carved out by the heavy animals some 8000 or more years ago on the way to their water source. In fact, buffalo statues at the pike’s southern end pay homage to that history.
This all changed when Lyon Porter and Jersey Banks bought the Key Motel, refurbished it, and opened the Dive Motel and Swim Club in August 2019 triggering a wave of development in the neighbourhood. There are 23 rooms in total: three penthouses, three double rooms, three cabins and 14 king rooms, each with its own retro theme – think fuzzy pink bedspreads, shag carpet and leopard-print walls and a novelty feature known as a ‘party switch’: press it and your in-room disco ball starts spinning to the sounds of Dive Radio with its four channels: Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n Roll, and Sleep.
The retro-theme continues in the World Famous Dive Bar you walk through to get to your room after check-in. It features old soda-shop-style booths, bar stools, and all sorts of knick-knacks that make it old-school cool.
For the complete motel experience, there’s the 60-foot pool and hot tub out back that’s surrounded by loungers, umbrellas, and red tables that act as fridges to keep your beer cold. However, if you prefer something a little more shaken or stirred, there’s also poolside cocktail service available.
