The Georgian Hotel
History
The Georgian Hotel was built as an intimate hideaway nestled in the once heavily wooded shoreline of the little-known seaside community of Santa Monica. Building this lavish, oceanside resort for members of Los Angeles high society was the dream of Rosamond Borde, who commissioned Eugene Durfee to construct the posh establishment in the preferred Art Deco style of the time. In 1933, the Georgian opened its doors to the rich, famous and infamous.
During prohibition, the Georgian was home to one of Los Angeles's first speakeasies and soon became the rendezvous point for many up-and-coming Hollywood studio executives and celebrities including Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. The oceanfront veranda provided a stage for martinis, jazz and notorious figures including Bugsy Siegel and Fatty Arbuckle. It was considered to be one of the most modern facilities of the time and featured a beauty parlor, barbershop, playground and dining room. Yet the end of prohibition and expansion in the 1950s marked the end of a free-spirited era; Los Angeles began to develop into a major metropolitan city and The Lady Windemere was sold, refurbished and renamed the Georgian.
In 2007, a multi million renovation was completed, including the addition of numerous amenities to the Georgian's guest rooms such as magnificent furnishings, elegant draperies and black-and-white photographs to the Art Deco lobby. Today, the Georgian continues to live up to its reputation as the hotel of choice for a loyal following of entertainment industry executives, celebrities and couples longing for a romantic getaway.
