Nearly eight years after the former Seaside Inn was red-tagged by the City of Dana Point, the oceanfront boutique hotel is set to reopen this summer under new ownership and a new name: El Caminante Bar & Bungalows.
After extensive renovations on the historic building and many delays, guests can now book a stay at El Caminante beginning in June.
With the anticipated opening just months away, El Caminante General Manager Didi Shields said it feels exciting after so many delays.
Shields noted that she started with the Boutique Hotel company Artist Guild Hospitality in March 2022, anticipating that the hotel would open in May of that year.
“So, it’s definitely been a long road, but it’s been so worth it, because I’m so proud of this company,” Shields said. “We’ve really worked hard to present what we’re presenting right now, and now we can like taste it. It’s pretty exciting.”
Vintage record players are one of the amenities in the hotel rooms. Photo: Breeana Greenberg
Throughout its more than 80-year history, the boutique hotel changed names and hands several times. Constructed during the 1930s and originally named the Swallows Inn, the property was later renamed the Capistrano Country Bay Inn, then the Seaside Inn.
At one point, the hotel was the “go to” for famous people in the day. The Dana Point Historical Society noted that during its time as the Swallows Inn, celebrities including June Lockhart, Dean Stockwell and Jerry Lee Lewis stayed at the hotel.
Later, as the Seaside Inn, the property landed itself on Yelp’s 10 worst motels list, Shields added.
Now renamed El Caminante Bar & Bungalows, the hotel markets itself “for the wanderers.”
The extensive renovation of the historic property kept the structure intact, Shields said. Throughout the renovation, Shields explained that owners Danny Hyde and Jeff Finn of Artist Guild Hospitality kept a vintage touch to the design.
The bathroom tiles were hand-picked from Mexico. Fixtures in the bathrooms follow the vintage design, with light switches and knobs reflecting the 1930s period style.
The extensive renovation of the historic oceanside hotel kept the structure intact, with the new owners including a vintage touch to the design. Photo: Breeana Greenberg
“There’s been a lot of love and definitely a lot of time and effort put into the little details,” Shields said.
Hyde has also been working on a mural along the hotel’s side fencing, Shields said, and is now halfway finished.
During Dana Point’s 2022 State of the City video, Hyde and Finn explained that they purchased the hotel out of foreclosure after the city had initiated a health and safety receivership aiming to clean up the property.
The two explained during the video that the inspiration behind the hotel style is “an elevated Spanish Hacienda.”
“We really got inspired by a lot of the original Doheny homes,” Finn said.
After extensive renovations on the historic building and many delays, guests can now book a stay at El Caminante Bar & Bungalows beginning in June. Photo: Courtesy of El Caminante Bar & Bungalows
During a media tour of the hotel this week ahead of the anticipated opening this summer, Shields explained that rather than having a typical front check-in area, staff will check guests into their room using iPads anywhere on the property.
“We’ll come to you,” Shields said. “So, if you want to be in the lounge, at the bar, or you want us to walk you to your room, we basically will check you in while you’re walking to your room or having a drink or just chilling on the sofa.”
The lobby-lounge area features a fireplace and bar where guests can order coffee or cocktails.
“The bar will be open all day long, same as the barista,” Shields said.
Nearly all of the 30 rooms feature a private balcony or patio opening out onto PCH, and all have ocean views.
“What’s really cool about this place is there’s so many places you can sit, relax and enjoy yourself,” Shields said. “You can either get fresh air where you get the panoramic view of the ocean, or in the back courtyard area, or you can sit in the lobby.”
Originally, the owners planned to include a pool on the property but ran into difficulties and delays trying to get permitting. Instead, a large fountain sits on the hotel’s front lawn offering guests a spot to soak their feet and enjoy the ocean view, Shields said.
El Caminante owner Danny Hyde is painting a mural along the hotel’s side fencing and is now halfway finished. Photo: Breeana Greenberg
“Most people just want to put their feet in and chill,” Shields said. “That’s going to be such a cool place to just put your feet in, either grab something out of the minibar or have us make your beverage and sit around the fountain, check out the ocean, chill and have a good time.”
There will also be lounge chairs around the fountain and a mobile liquor bar that will move around the property.
Guests will be notified of what time the liquor bar will be coming by so that they can order a drink from their patio or around the fountain, Shields said.
“You don’t literally have to leave your room, and you can just sit on your sofa, light up your chiminea, have a Bloody Mary and look at the ocean and just forget about life,” Shields said.
The hotel will also run its kitchen out of an Airstream travel trailer, anticipating that addition in August.
“We will be opening up with a full breakfast … and then eventually we’ll turn it into a full dinner once the Airstream gets here,” Shields said.
Each room also features a CD, cassette and vinyl record player, with the hotel offering a library of albums that guests can check out.
In addition to checking out cassettes, CDs and records, guests can check out an iPad and free weights to follow along with workout programs.
“You’ll be able to do either Pilates or yoga or we’ll have straps or hand weights where you can get it from the front desk and actually work out on your private patio, or you can jump on a bike and take it to the beach and do something on the beach,” Shields said.
Shields noted that none of the rooms offer telephones, as the hotel encourages guests to be present and enjoy their environment.
“There’s a reason they don’t have phones, because we want you to get away from the phone, and the TVs don’t face the bed for a reason, because we don’t want you to be sitting in the room watching TV all day,” Shields said. “It’s there if you do want to turn it on, but we really want you to escape … and just look at the beauty of the world and be stress-free.”
The hotel will also offer e-bikes for guests to explore the city without a car, noting that during the summer, guests can use the city’s free trolley to get around.
“Once you park your car, we don’t want you to have to get in your car again,” Shields said. “Get a bike, ride out there, jump on the trolley, forget the car, forget the road.”
Shields noted that guests hoping to explore the state beaches can pick up a free parking pass at the front desk.
A rooftop bar is still in the works for the hotel, aiming to open by August.
Rates start at $199 a night for the Ocean View King room and go up to $749 a night for the Hacienda Suite, for a limited introductory offer.
“We actually have some phenomenal rates,” Shields said. “Because we’ve been delayed, we haven’t really done a lot of marketing or advertising. So we really want to get heads and beds, and we want to get locals in first.”
“So, we have some really great local rates where it’s almost 50% what our rates are going to be so that you can come and experience the property,” Shields continued. “The actual community has been so supportive and everybody has been stopping by; everyone wants to try it out. We really want to get locals in here first.”
El Caminante worked with several mixologists to craft a creative, high-end bar menu, Shields said.
Shields noted that she’d like locals to enjoy the spot as a place to relax and enjoy a good cocktail and for guests to experience something they’ve never experienced before.
“Personally, I’ve been in the industry for 40 years, and I’ve never been a GM for a hotel like this,” Shields said, noting that the details in the design of the boutique hotel make it stand out.
The boutique hotel is awaiting final permitting, Shields explained, but El Caminante is looking toward an early June opening.