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Within its bougainvillea-draped walls and wrought-iron garden gates, this bastion of gentility does a fine job of resurrecting golden-age elegance, when celebrities like Greta Garbo and Charlie Chaplin vacationed here. The blufftop hotel, which looks much like a Mediterranean villa, has been the centerpiece of La Jolla since opening in 1926, and a $10 million renovation in 2000 refined some of the details and added 15 villas and an enlarged pool, without breaking with its historical glamour. Brides still pose in front of the lobby's picture window (against a backdrop of the Cove and Pacific Ocean), well-coiffed ladies lunch in the dappled shade of the garden patio, and neighborhood cronies quaff libations in the clubby Whaling Bar (La Jolla's version of the power lunch). The latter was once a western Algonquin for literary inebriates as well as a watering hole for Hollywood royalty, who performed at the Playhouse at the urging of La Jollan resident Gregory Peck. One chooses La Valencia for its history and unbeatably scenic location, but you won't be disappointed by the old-world standards of service and style.

Most rooms are quite comfortable, each boasting lavish appointments, and all-marble bathrooms with signature toiletries. Because rates vary wildly according to view (from sweeping to nada), my advice is to get a cheaper room and enjoy the scene from one of the many lounges, serene garden terraces, or the amazing pool, which fronts the Pacific and nearby Scripps Park. Room decor, layouts, and size (starting at a snug 246 sq. ft.) are all over the map, too -- take a few extra minutes with the reservationist to get the right match for you. If you've got the bucks, spring for one of the newer villas featuring fireplaces and butler service. The hotel's 12-table Sky Room is one of the city's most exclusive dining rooms.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.