“What a long strange trip it’s been…”
While Hotel Seven4one’s inception back in August of 2008 represented an exciting new chapter in the landscape of Laguna Beach’s downtown hospitality district, the major architectural and practical transformation of the longstanding Eiler’s Inn Bed & Breakfast did not happen overnight. In fact, it’s taken five years.
This building wasn’t always the chic, clean & modern space it is today. It was constructed in 1940 by the couple who would run Eiler’s Inn for decades, serving as a quaint, simple bed & breakfast at the beach with none of the frills – literally. Even into the 21st century, the rooms had no televisions or phones. Gas stove broiler-heaters and cottage art comprised much of the in-room decor. The common spaces throughout the building were littered with vines & plants, bolstered by a large, New Orleans-style fountain at the center.
And there’s a lot of history in this building’s bones. The Eiler’s Inn was named after an infamous and eccentric Laguna Beach character; it quickly became a beloved and intrinsic part of the Laguna community. In the 1960s and 1970s, it served as a hippie flophouse of sorts, playing host to some interesting lives. The most notable guest was Timothy Leary, who stayed for extended periods of time while he was publishing his writings and running for governor of California. He ran against Ronald Reagan in 1969 with a campaign dubbed “Come Together – Join the Party.” It was for this effort that John Lennon wrote his song “Come Together.”
Fast-forward nearly a half-century and, after a complete “studs-up” renovation, this same building is actually hanging its hat on its ability to facilitate people “coming together” at some of the most important and special times in their lives. But it hasn’t been an easy journey.
Hotel Seven4one was inaugurated in 2008 with the idea of providing modern-day vacationers and business travelers alike with a boutique hotel experience otherwise absent from one of the most prestigious and beautiful seaside resort towns in the United States. So initially, Seven4one operated as a traditional hotel – you could rent individual rooms, pop in for a drink and an appetizer at the bar, or simply stop by to lounge on the upstairs patio and catch the sunset.
Today, under new ownership & management, the idea is a turnkey wedding or event experience. You’re getting an entire hotel to yourselves – its guest rooms, common areas and facilities – for a night, weekend or longer. Included is a team of dedicated professionals to flawlessly execute every aspect of your event and stay. An in-house wedding and event coordinator comes with the venue, directing a full service event & hotel staff to do everything so guests are simply celebrating and relaxing.
Although intimate and unique “Wedding Weekend” experiences are our forte, there are countless ways to use the property; really, any excuse to get a bunch of your favorite people together to take over a hotel is a good one. It sounds awesome to have an entire boutique hotel at the beach in Laguna to yourselves, doesn’t it?