Well what do you know? Redondo Beach’s Shade Hotel, in the works for nearly a decade, is finally opening its doors to the public. After an almost comical number of delays, the luxury boutique hotel will celebrate its grand opening November 18.
Proposed in 2008, the hotel was the first project planned in what’s become a small flurry of new development around the city’s waterfront. The hotel ran into problems almost immediately, however, with construction unearthing both historic artifacts and contaminated soil.
As delays mounted, tension grew between developer Michael Zislis and city officials who wanted the project finished sooner. The city, which is leasing the land beneath the hotel to Zislis, repeatedly had to push back deadlines for the project’s completion.
In March, the hotel was gearing up for its opening when a leak caused massive flooding that delayed the project yet again.
With just over two weeks to go, it looks like the 54-room hotel may finally be on its way to opening for real (knock on wood). The swanky structure spans 34,390 square feet of harbor-front property and includes a rooftop pool and separate space for dining and events.
The new hotel sits just north of a long stretch of Redondo Beach waterfront that CenterCal has plans to redevelop in the coming years. That ambitious proposal calls for the demolition of many existing structures around the city’s pier, to be replaced with a 36-acre waterfront village.
- Work Starts on Redondo's Long-Delayed Shade Hotel [Curbed LA]
- Redondo Beach's Boutique Hotel Has to Be Done in Two Years [Curbed LA]
- Redondo Beach Waterfront Could Get a Huge Makeover [Curbed LA]