The Lafayette Hotel Celebrates 70 Years

In the late 40s and early 50s the sounds of big orchestras filled the basement of the San Diego Hotel, now called the Lafayette in University Heights. In the old days Hollywood types would come to dine and dance in 2012 the hotel made the national register of historic places. Tomorrow marks its 70th anniversary. The hotel it has undergone a $6 million renovation and some have said that spurred a revival along El Cajon Boulevard. KPBS producer Marissa Cabrera recently took a tour of the Lafayette and houses audio postcard. -- And houses audio postcard. Welcome. I'm the general manager of the Lafayette Hotel. We have been established in this neighborhood since 1946. We were first built by Larry Amick, he was a developer from housing more than anything. He wasn't East Coast transplant person who found his way out here. It was actually a roadway and at one point. It was initially designed by Frank hope. No affiliation to Bob Hope, who is also our first guest here. As you come up you will see the red brick that looks like a large plantation house. It will be the 40 foot high pillar, white pillars, the popping redbrick, the eaves as you go through, the very grand entrance and doorway. It does look like a very old colonial building you are walking into. Almost as if you are walking downtown Charleston. A very similar feel. One of the most difficult things out here was bringing these materials out in the late 40s after the road war. At that point in time it was so expensive. Like I said, it's being a labor of love, he was able to make it happen and get it out here and get a belt in probably one of the most difficult times to build things out here. This was such a jewel for the longest time. You could certainly say that it had been a lesson taking care of throughout the years. That is what we are committed to, bringing it back to its glory. This is our conservatory with the original terrazzo flooring. The flooring is one of the things that we can touch to maintain our history. Some of the funny things is the tile in the bathroom, for example. Is considered historic tile. Going into the Mississippi ballroom, one of the popular and most active rooms in the hotel. What used to happen in this room in the day? A lot of it was dinner shows kind of thing. Old jazz bands, swing dance in different things. They would have Ava Gardner, Veronica Lake, Marilyn Monroe and all of these folks would come and eat and drink and dance and party. This is a tribute to them more than anything. So it was all celebrity hotspot? It was definitely a celebrity hotspot. Is a C-mac -- [ MUSIC PLAYING ] we actually just had our 30th anniversary for the top gun San Diego played a huge part in the filming of it. They did a lot in Coronado, did some filming at the Kansas City barbecue. [ MUSIC PLAYING ] If you watched where Tom Cruise saying you lost that loving feeling, he did that right here in the circle bar, which in the movie was the officers club. Right appear on our upper level was where that whole thing was filmed. Maverick and goes and Iceman were partying in here too. [ MUSIC PLAYING ] That is one of my favorite things down here, the top gun was down here. Not just old Hollywood, but something that I grew up with as well. [ MUSIC PLAYING ] When I tell people I work at the Lafayette Hotel, the first thing that they say to me is that hotel where the red foxes? [ LAUGHING ] now that is basically one of my intros. I like to talk to people about the red fox. I think it is one-of-a-kind. High. My name is Linda Hanover, I have worked here at the red fox for eight years. The red fox started in 1955, it was opened by a man named Frank Harris as the red fox. It had been the drugstore of the hotel. Mr. Harris brought in the wood that decorates our walls. Anyway, this would was in the basement of Marion Davies mansion in Santa Monica that is now the Annenberg Beach club. The word came from two pubs in Surrey England. The part about this being in the basement is bona fide info, because one of the docents that takes tours of the guesthouse in Santa Monica, the original guesthouse, came to see our wood and he also said every bedroom in her mansion had a fabulous fireplace like hours. Our fireplace is 1642, handcarved, from England. We are here at the pool for Johnny White's Mueller was Tarzan, he originally designed the pool. For the most part it is the place for people to cool off in the neighborhood. The future, I hope, is as a story full as our past. I'm passionate about the idea that were not just a hotel, we are a help of social activity in this beautiful neighborhood in one of the cities -- greatest cities in America. That story was produced by Marissa Cabrera and Emily Jankowski. The Lafayette 70th anniversary celebration takes place tomorrow night. You can find details on a website, KPBS.org along with the gallery of historic photos. We are going out today on music by the San Diego euphoria brass band which will be performing at the Lafayette's birthday bash. Thank you for joining us today