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The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows Reviews

The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows

The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows

San Diego, CA
4.8 out of 5 rating, 43 Reviews
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4.8 out of 5 rating
4.8 out of 5 rating
43 Reviews
96% recommend it
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    Rickjames Sent on 06/13/2023
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    Was purely Amazing

    I’ve done several weddings, definitely a recommend Venue

    https://south-coast-production-group.com/weddingpackages/

    THE GOLD PACKAGE $799
    Best suited for Small Receptions
    Cocktail, Dinner and Dance Music
    Over the phone pre-wedding consultation
    Up to 4 Hours of DJ performance time
    Detailed reception timeline
    Completely customized reception music
    Announcements will be made
    Wireless Microphone + Professional Audio Setup for Reception Area
    Complementary Set Up and Tear Down
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    Jill G. Sent on 10/20/2021
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    Best Hotel and staff EVER!

    Lafayette Staff Members are the absolute BEST!!! We cannot express how grateful we are for how welcoming each staff member throughout the hotel made us, our family, and friends feel so welcome and comfortable during our stay. It truly made it difficult to say goodbye.

    Shoutouts to Lisa Kanemori, Mialani, Joseph Taumua, Krystal, Kane, Cass, Shirley, Ed and the entire support staff working this past weekend.

    We met with Lisa back in July 2019 to make wedding/reception arrangements at the hotel which was originally set for October 2020. The new hotel owners were kind enough to allow us to postpone for a year due to the pandemic. It has been an unexpected 2 year process that Lisa made sure to keep in constant communication with us to ensure everything was to go as planned. She is very organized and extremely thorough leaving us with little to no questions during the entire experience. Lisa's knowledge of the wedding/reception process was crucial in making everything smooth and effortless.

    Mialani was always a ray of sunshine whether it was via emails or in person.

    Joseph's welcoming demeanor and kind words were like a warm hug.

    Krystal was always more than willing to help out for anything we requested.

    Cass made sure everything for our reception and ceremony was set up with professional perfection. Thank you for allowing our family and friends set up and access the room when needed.

    Shirley (Aka Auntie Shirley) made sure my wife and I were well fed throughout the evening.

    Hope 46 restaurant: Heather, Amy were always attentive. The food provided for our reception received a plethora of kudos from all of our guests. The Halibut Filet constantly received rave reviews. Oh and the beans at breakfast to die for! Our families wanted to take the entire pot home.

    The hospitality the hotel staff extended to us and to all of our family and friends was above and beyond anything anyone of us have experienced anywhere else, including from other five star hotels.

    Our family, friends, including me and my wife, will definitely be back!

    Keep rocking' it! Truly appreciate all the love and care the Lafayette Hotel team extended to our family and friends. If it were up to us, raises for all who worked this weekend!
  • Dan
    Dan G. Sent on 12/31/2021
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    Amazing wedding venue!

    We were so fortunate to have our wedding at The Lafayette!

    Like many couples, we were affected by the pandemic. We had originally planned to have our wedding in 2020. We signed an agreement with the Lafayette in 2019. When the pandemic took over, we were forced to reschedule. We had to reschedule multiple times. The Lafayette worked with us the entire time. They stayed in contact with us the whole time.

    We were fortunate to set a final date and got married!

    The hotel was such a great space for all of our wedding wants and needs. The conservancy is a beautiful ceremony space. It’s very picturesque. The courtyard, where we had our cocktail hour, was set up nicely. The reception hall had ample space for our guests. The food was really tasty. The appetizers were tasty and plentiful along with the dinner buffet. Everyone had their fill of food and drinks. Lastly, the hotel offers several great spaces to take pictures. The hotel has great style.

    The hotel accommodations were great! We loved our room. We had several guests stay at the hotel. We were able to book a block of rooms and saved our guests some money.

    Lisa and the team at the Lafayette did such an amazing job! Lisa answered all of our questions. She was very prompt and responsive. We always felt that we were in good hands. The front desk staff, the hotel staff, the servers and to the event staff, treated us well. We couldn’t have asked for anything better!

    Choosing the Lafayette for our wedding was a great choice! You should definitely consider them for your wedding. You won’t be disappointed!
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    Hannah H. Sent on 02/02/2022
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    Look no further

    Our wedding at The Lafayette was magical. It’s a beautiful yet affordable venue. Our coordinator, Lisa is hands down the most amazing, professional, efficient & meticulous planner. Better yet, she is so personable & fun to be around. We feel extremely lucky to have found. Lisa who made our wedding so perfect. We had only a month to plan & Lisa executed the ceremony & lunch perfectly. We did not have to worry about anything because the moment we think about something, it's already taken care of. She also kept us on track throughout the planning process & also gave helpful opinions & suggestions.
    Additionally, all of the staff were very attentive, helpful & welcoming.
    We cannot be thankful enough for Lisa & the rest of the hotel staff. We would like for all the couples to have the greatest experience that we both had!
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    Lannice B. Sent on 01/20/2020
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    You cannot go wrong with The Lafayette!

    The Lafayette hotel was the absolute BEST for our wedding - from start to finish. We booked our rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception there, and it was perfect!

    From the start, we fell in love with the vintage charm of the property. It's a time warp to a cozy, warm, classic time in the 40s when the hotel was in its prime. My husband and I grew up in southern California, but we aren't "beach wedding" people - we are as quirky and unique together as this venue, so it really sold itself.

    But then there are the people that make it EVEN BETTER. Lisa Kanemori is the best. Period. She's smart, kind, flexible, and it's clear from the moment you speak to her that she just wants what you want: a great party that makes you and your guests happy! She walked us through all the details, answered a billion emails with random questions, held our hands through all the choices and decisions that come with a decent sized wedding like ours, and she was a pleasure to work with the entire year+ that we spent planning.

    The rest of the staff was wonderful too - the catering coordinator, Gillian, was also very helpful and stepped in anytime Lisa was unavailable. They are the dream team! :)

    Then there was the fooooood! Amazing. Try anything on that tasting menu that sounds delicious, and good luck making choices! It's all so great, and the chef is VERY accommodating and helpful. He just wants to make sure you enjoy the food, and is happy to make changes as needed (although we loved everything as-is).

    Our wedding was perfect. A big part of that was this venue choice. Go check them out - you will be so glad you did!
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    Jen P. Sent on 10/07/2020
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    We had a great overall experience. Lisa and Tawn Lee were extremely welcoming and helpful!

    We got married here in September amidst the state’s strict COVID regulations which made it a bit different then we had planned but Lisa and Tawn Lee made sure to help us in any way possible so that our day would still turn out perfect! We were able to have a beautiful ceremony in the conservatory and it was nothing short of magical! After the ceremony we took the most beautiful photos in front of the hotel with the brick and pillars and it gave such a classic and romantic feel to our photos.
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    Molly Sent on 02/28/2020
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    Our wedding was perfect!

    The Lafayette was the most beautiful and perfect venue we could have asked for. We didn't have a specific aesthetic laid out for our wedding, so when we found the Lafayette we loved the idea of building around the beautiful space. There's already so much personality within the walls of the hotel that it didn't need a ton of work from us! Lisa was amazing to work with during the almost 1.5 year planning process. She was quick to answer any questions and was always helpful in filling any request we had. As we got closer to the wedding we also worked with Gillian who was just as upbeat and hardworking! They both helped our wedding to run so smoothly. We took over multiple parts of the hotel for the wedding, cocktail hour, and reception, as well as many rooms for our guests. We got so many compliments from our friends and family staying there! Then the weekend of the wedding we used the complimentary wedding suite as our getting ready room and had a TON of space. Overall it made for a beautiful wedding we will never forget. 
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    Em Dee Sent on 11/19/2019
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    Brunch and Bubbly en Blanc Bridal Shower

    Wow, just wow! I hosted my best friend's bridal shower at The Lafayette Hotel and it was nothing short of amazing. We had a Brunch and Bubbly en Blanc theme (brunch and champagne is a favorite of our bride.) We chose all white linens/decor and all our guests wore white. Lisa, the Catering Sales Manager was so helpful in setting up all the details leading up to our event. She was very accommodating and suggested an indoor event with the unpredictable weather in November. On the day of, I met Gillian, the Catering Coordinator and she was also great. The event ran smoothly and the food was delicious! We want to give a special thank you to Banquet Staff, Cass. She was attentive in our needs and made sure that we always had champagne bottles on deck. Thank you Lafayette Hotel staff for helping us shower our bride! We would definitely host another event here!
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    Julianne W. Sent on 08/09/2019
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    April Wedding

    Our wedding at The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows was absolutely wonderful and everything we had imagined. All of the staff at the hotel were excellent and very accommodating to us and our guests.
    The hotel had a lot of variety of kinds of hotel rooms for our guests to choose from which was great as we had a lot of guests from out of country. My family rented a bungalow which had 3 bedrooms two bathrooms, kitchen, living room and dinning room. It had plenty of room and was a great spot for the bridal party to get ready the day of. We also had the penthouse suite for the guys to get ready in.
    Lisa, our wedding coordinator at the Lafayette, was excellent! She was always very patient and answered any questions we had very quickly. In the few days leading up to the wedding we had some last minute schedule changes to which Lisa was very gracious and accommodating. Lisa always kept us very informed and did whatever she could to make our day perfect
    The food the day of was delicious! The ceremony space was beautiful and had lots of light. There are also lots of pretty and unique places to take pictures at the hotel.
    All in all it was a great day and the Lafayette Hotel was a great spot to have our wedding!
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    Camille P. Sent on 12/23/2020
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    Wedding and Baby Shower

    We love Lafayette. We had our wedding here 2019. The team, venue, and food were amazing. The process was pretty easy and they’re super flexible. So much was included in their packages for the most part I feel like I just has to show up. 2020 we had our baby shower a month before the pandemic. Once again they work with our budget and allowed us the freedom to make the shower what we want. Lafayette will always have a special place in our heart.
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    Adriana S. Sent on 01/07/2019
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    Magic made

    Absolutely everything we were looking for. Cool surroundings, great staff/service and excellent food. Staff went above and beyond to make sure our wedding day was perfect. They met our every need and treated us like royalty when we stayed the weekend.
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    Tammy Sent on 11/19/2018
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    Threw our Welcome Party/Rehearsal Dinner and Day After Brunch at the Lafayette!

    We worked with Kara Elkins to host our Welcome Party/Rehearsal Dinner the night before our San Diego Zoo wedding, as well as the Day After Brunch. Kara was responsive and easy to work with. We met in person for the initial tour, and then did everything by e-mail afterwards. She always offered to speak on the phone if I wanted as well.

    For the Welcome Party we had the Old Town Buffet option and the food was great. In particular, the skirt steak was amazing, people kept going back for seconds and thirds. Service and bartenders were top notch as well. For example, my 12 year old cousin has a peanut allergy and asked if any of the desserts were safe for him to eat. One of the servers went to find out, but returned and told me she was unsure because the cakes were delivered from somewhere else. However, she asked the kitchen to make my cousin a dessert he could eat and brought it out to him! So nice and sweet and just going that extra mile.

    We had the Sunrise Brunch Buffet on Sunday, which is traditional breakfast food but was delicious as well (perfectly crispy bacon!).

    For both events we used the Conservatory area which is really pretty. They opened up the outdoor patio for us to use during the party which has a lovely view of the pool. It was easy and convenient to plan because set up, linens, chairs, tables, etc. are all included so we didn't have to worry about any of the extras. After choosing the food we basically showed up and had a wonderful time with all our guests.

    We also rented the bridal get ready suite the day of the wedding to get makeup and hair done. It is well lit and has AC, as well as extra seating for us to hang out and have girl time (at one point we had the makeup artist + 2 assistants, me, 7 bridesmaids, and 2 moms in there). They also brought orange juice in for us (we could've had mimosas but declined as we'd all been drinking too much the night before, haha).

    We stayed there for our wedding weekend as well, as did most of our out of town guests. We booked the larger suite for ourselves so the groomsmen could get ready there, and that worked out well. Our guests loved the hotel, it is historic and has an old timey boutique feel that is unique. Kara left us a card with some chocolate and wine when we got back after our wedding, that was a nice touch.

    Overall, highly recommend the Lafayette, our wedding weekend went perfectly and all our guests had a wonderful experience.
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    Lindsay K. Sent on 12/13/2018
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    Lafayette Hotel Fall Wedding

    The hotel was beautiful with an old hollywood vibe! All of our guests loved relaxing at the pool area in the days leading up to the wedding. The Mississippi Ballroom was a perfect location for our reception. Plenty of room for our guests to move about and dance. Our sit down dinner food was tasty. We used the clamshell to display our wedding cake and groom’s cake. It was nice to have all of our guests in one spot since this was a destination wedding. My family rented a bungalow which was wonderful to have the space to store all the wedding decor and have a space for the groomsmen get ready in. We also rented the penthouse the night before the wedding for all of the girls to get ready in the morning of. It was great for pictures! And the food at the Hope 46 restaurant was delicious! We had our bridesmaids luncheon there the day before the wedding. Everything in one location was very convenient since we were from out of town. This was such a great place for a destination wedding!
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    Jeremy H. Sent on 10/10/2020
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    Brilliant kind and beautiful hotel & staff

    Lisa and the entire staff at Lafayette made us feel at home. They are awesome people who were attentive and provided us the perfect experience
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    Marissa Sent on 10/18/2020
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    Leap Day Wedding

    Lisa, Kara and team were absolutely fantastic! Aside from being incredibly friendly, attentive, and helpful they were extremely professional with all the details. Their patience and genuine care for us was overwhelming during such a busy and hectic time for us. We wouldn't have changed any part of our special day and thanks to the this team and the Lafayette family we had a beautiful wedding. If you have not yet been inside this gorgeous venue I highly recommend doing so. It is unique and charming and our family loved it! We feel so lucky to have had so many people we love share this moment in a place with so much history. Thank you for being a part of our day of love 💕
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    Caty Sent on 06/26/2018
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    Our wedding was the perfect day! Bill Songer and the staff at the Lafayette Hotel went above and beyond our expectations! Every detail and arrangement were accomplished with positive attitudes and the utmost professionalism! Every guest complimented on the unique venue and how delicious the food was! It was a spectacular experience that exceeded our expectations! We are most grateful to Bill and his staff for making our special day so very wonderful! Not only did the staff fulfill every request, they were also helpful with helping us find outside vendors for music, cake, and flowers! WOW! Best experience ever!!!
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    Nicole Sent on 03/12/2017
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    DO IT!!!! It's easy, with a taste of old Hollywood and the price is right. Nick was punctual willing to take all steps to make your day special. Tasting was very intimate with chef Ryan, food was excellent. The kitchen prepared my husband a vegan meal with no hesitations.
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    Nicole Sent on 12/06/2016
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    We live in NYC and decided to have our wedding in San Diego because I am originally from there AND, from our research, it seemed to be a city we could host our wedding and stay within our budget. Plus, who doesn't want to visit San Diego in December?!

    Both my now husband and I found the Lafayette in our initial searches and were immediately drawn to the eclectic style of the hotel and the affordability. Taylor from the start was incredible. Planning a wedding from across the country has its challenges but with Taylor on the other end, I found it to be pretty easy without many obstacles and enjoyable. Her associate Nick was also incredibly helpful.

    At least half of our guests flew in from NYC and immediately fell in love with the hotel. The food was outstanding; the ceremony was in the conservatory and could not have been more perfect; so many photo opportunities at the hotel and the surrounding area. The cocktail hour and reception were both in the Mississippi Ballroom and at the end of it all, we were told it was the best wedding our friends had ever been to.

    It is a pleasure to write a recommendation for the hotel, Taylor and the entire staff. We can't wait to go back to visit and celebrate future anniversaries.
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    Julian Sent on 12/12/2016
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    Please consider The Lafayette for an event! Our recent wedding was absolutely amazing. Taylor was very helpful and accommodating throughout the whole process, she made sure that we were well taken care of and made the lead up to the big day go as smoothly as possible. The venue itself is absolutely stunning, so wonderful for photos. Lastly. the food was outstanding. I had so many compliments from our guests that it was the best food they had ever had at a wedding. I would definitely recommend this venue to others.
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    Kristina Sent on 11/30/2016
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    Taylor Nestra and Nick Sanders were amazing to work with while planning our wedding. They patiently answered our questions, were gracious with their time and always helpful! The venue is a gem! Over 70 percent of our guests traveled for this wedding and they of those traveling, most of our guests stayed at the Lafayette. It's a great alternative to the stuffy hotels downtown and it's just gorgeous!
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    Pam Sent on 11/23/2016
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    We quickly became raving fans of The Lafayette when they were so accommodating in helping us to work out the details for our wedding. The staff was phenomenal, Taylor and Nick were always a step ahead of us in handling things before we even knew we needed them. Everything from the food, the rooms, the set-up/break-down, front desk, even with helping us to stay to our budget, they were very professional and outstanding in every way! We highly recommend them for any event.
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    Victoria Sent on 12/01/2016
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    This venue is the absolute BEST. My now husband and I immediately fell in love when we set foot inside the hotel, Taylor and her staff were great, responsive to our needs and helped us every step of the way. I could not have dreamed my wedding at a different location and they certainly helped make this the wedding we both dreamed about.
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    Shelly Sent on 08/25/2016
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    Taylor was awesome. We told her our budget and she gladly worked with us. Everything was perfect!!!!
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    Sharon Sent on 04/27/2016
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    We had an amazing experience for our wedding at the Lafayette! Our wedding had the perfect backdrop, which made for an amazing experience and great pictures. Our guests were all very impressed with the venue and the customer service in every department. Taylor was very responsive, helpful and great to work with through the whole process. The food was also amazing! The groom is a chef so this was very important to us. Chef Ryan went above and beyond to make our experience special. They exceeded our expectations in every way.