Hotel Laguna has maintained a sand berm and posted signs, in an alleged attempt to discourage public beach access. Photo: California Coastal Commission
A Laguna Beach hotel is in hot water for allegedly attempting to privatize the beach in front of its property. The California Coastal Commission got involved after finding out Hotel Laguna created a berm and put out signs and chairs in order to discourage the public from visiting its adjacent beach.
Hotel Laguna is an oceanfront hotel that has stood for 125 years. The business bills itself as the first hotel in Laguna Beach and the “first substantial business building.” Its website also advertises “Laguna Beach Club,” which it calls Laguna Beach’s oldest social club, and promises to provide “invites private members and hotel guests to the best beach in town with the luxurious comfort of full-service hospitality.”
According to multiple reports, it appears the way the hotel has decided to provide that experience is by creating the illusion of a private beach. According to a letter sent to Hotel Laguna by the California Coastal Commission, commission staff has confirmed reports of Hotel Laguna building and maintaining a sand berm on the adjacent beach, “in an apparent attempt to delineate its property line,” as well as installing signs alongside the berm in order to discourage public access. Recent TikTok posts and social media commenters have also blasted the hotel’s actions and called the public to make use of the public land in front of the hotel.
In response, the California Coastal Commission sent the aforementioned “notice of violation” letter to the hotel last week, warning that their actions “unlawfully discourage public access to public trust lands.” Without proper permitting, this would be a violation of the California Coastal Act, a 1976 law that protects the public’s access to the beach, and ensures that the public has the right to freely walk up to the mean high tide line at any beach. Violations can incur fines of up to $11,250 a day for each violation, though none have been levied as of yet. The hotel was given until May 23 to provide photographic evidence of the un-permitted developments’ removal, and to schedule a meeting with the commission for resolution.
This would not be the first time Hotel Laguna has crossed paths with the Coastal Commission. The letter also notes that the business was sent another violation letter in 2022. That time, the business once again placed un-permitted signs, chairs and umbrellas on the beach. In response, hotel staff agreed to remove all signage and stop staging the empty beach furniture.
The attempted privatization of public beaches has been an ongoing issue, not just limited to Southern California. In San Mateo County, billionaire Vinod Khosla has been fighting for 16 years to limit access to Martins Beach, located in front of an 89-acre beachfront property he purchased for $32 million in 2008.
We have reached out to Hotel Laguna for a statement, but have yet to receive a response.
