Inn at the Mission

Project Details

Project Description

Located in the picturesque coastal town of San Juan Capistrano, The Inn at the Mission San Juan Capistrano overlooks the historic 240-year-old Mission San Juan Capistrano and represents the cultural destination through carefully curated architecture, timeless design and storytelling. Fully embracing its context and community, this four-star Autograph Collection Hotel delivers understated elegance while showcasing the history of the land and significance of the adjacent Mission.

The key design and planning concepts behind the hotel were aimed at elevating and preserving the unique history and sense of place–a magic that can only be appreciated through experience. Inspired by San Juan Capistrano's charming patchwork of architectural design, the main hotel building features stucco detailing, adobe-inspired bricks, and clay roof tiles in the Mission vernacular, while the spa and ballroom building showcases wood detailing, a double-sloped roof, balconies and exterior overhangs giving the sense that the buildings grew organically over time.

The design takes advantage of the coastal California climate with large operable windows and expanding doorways that promote an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. An ideal wedding and meeting venue, The Inn offers over 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, a full-service spa with relaxing steam room and private lounges, a sophisticated East Lawn, and a grand patio overlooking the historic basilica. The property features a series of meandering courtyards and lush landscaping inspired by Old California haciendas. Olive and fruit trees are abundant throughout the property, providing areas for calm reflection as well as shaded outdoor pre-function space. An intimate corner plaza invites the public into the property with boutique retail and shops, providing locals or mission visitors a great place to enjoy a cup of coffee or gelato.

The architecture and design features both grand gestures and fine details. Guests are greeted upon arrival via a large porte cochere with exposed heavy timber trusses. The entrance façade showcases the same stone which was used in the renovations of the Mission, mined from a local rock quarry in San Juan Capistrano. Multiple local artists and craftspeople were engaged throughout the design of The Inn at the Mission, and were key in creating the authentic environment. Highlights include a commissioned painting printed on Saltillo Tiles depicting the Rancho Days of San Juan Capistrano; a custom acrylic mural and timeline painted on location; a commissioned hand sculpted swallows inset bas-relief panel entitled “Return to the Mission; and a series of local historic photographs provided by the San Juan Capistrano Historic Society. Finally, the hotel lobby also includes custom built-ins and recessed displays where artwork and artifacts, on loan from the Mission, can be prominently showcased in a gallery-like setting.