L’Auberge is back, but no restaurant until October

With Phase One complete on a $25 million major remodeling project, the L’Auberge Del Mar held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception on June 6. Dignitaries, local city officials and guests attended the red-carpet event.

“This is a very important day for us,” said Mike Slosser, the hotel’s general manager.

Closed for almost seven months and under a tight construction timeline in order to open in time for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines, the hotel’s initial phase opened on time and on budget.

Guests entering the hotel’s lobby will find a new, more open look with ocean views and a tropical plantation-like feel. Just outside the lobby is a new Waterfall Terrace with a 14-foot illuminated waterfall, an outdoor bar with sleek fire pit and a pool with cabana tents.

Amenities in guest rooms include iPod docking stations and 42-inch flat-screen televisions. Many guest rooms feature fireplaces and 14 garden level rooms include cabana-inspired patios.

Other aspects of the L’Auberge’s remodel will continue to be phased in throughout the coming months. A new and as-yet-to-be-named restaurant overseen by James Beard Chef Paul McCabe, will open in early October and the new 4,500-square-foot freestanding day spa is slated for a mid-December opening.