Magically Minimalist

Located in the grid-like structure of the city, this lodge is so individual in its character. Each room (of which there are 22) is so different from the next, each decorated with one-of-a-kind pieces but all of which work into each other like a perfect puzzle. The surfaces and the colour palette are like breaths of air from the coast, sweepingly softly. Wood being the central material in this hotel, sturdy and strong, is the fundamental pillar of the design, an earthy texture that is the basis of the hotel's DNA, bringing guests back to nature.

The laid-back spaces of Hotel Joaquin invite guests to disconnect from stress and embrace the fresh and calming design found in wall sculptures, bar stools and rugs. Our room had a delightfully retro record player on the side table, with a selection of records tucked away behind, and we of course couldn't resist switching it on as we watched the sunset, bopping away to a little Marley before we headed out to dinner. It was details like this that engaged us so and made us feel at home when of course we were 5,451 miles away from our beloved (but grey) London.

A swim bag is placed on the wall, in white letters it says “Swim A While” and oh we did. Dipping into the off-angled pool was a heavenly escape from the Californian heat. You get the sense that Hotel Joaquin wants you to stay, they embrace each traveller that passes through their doors, inviting them to just be. A true slice of laid-back luxury. The blooming outdoor space is busy with plants, each one casting dappled shadows onto the ship lapped exterior.

A West Coast Rebirth

The hotel used to be know as The Motor Inn, a motel that soon fell into neglect. But after a couple of years of hardcore renovation which began in 2016, this hotel has sprung back to life. This seaside sanctuary is something truly special, designed by Studio Robert Mckinley, Hotel Joaquin takes St. Barths as inspiration and embraces beach culture like no other. It redefines coastal living, playing with the beauty of light and the beauty of space. Stripping luxury back to purely the essentials.

The Saline Kitchen is its in-house French-Mediterranean restaurant and it hails the salty nature of an ocean breeze. The chic kitchen prepares crab like no other, (dare we say it, maybe better than Marylands East Coast crab) and the bar whisks out cocktail after cocktail, fruity and sweet they are poolside warriors, barely anyone sits underneath the hotel's palm trees without a Mojito in hand. Saline is supremely eco-friendly and all single-use plastics have been banned from this new go-to beach hangout.

Hotel Joaquin has so much Californian soul, and so much Mediterranean magic, it is a one-of-a-kind boutique. Pop here when cruising the perfect Pacific coast and rediscover your love of ocean air. Having opened this autumn, this hotel is a spectacular place for those looking for something new.