For 25 years, the Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort has been an integral part of the Carlsbad Village coastline. Built in 1985, this 3-story 193 room Tudor style hotel and timeshare was built around a large, central courtyard with views to the Pacific. Topia was called in to redesign that main amenity space and the landscaped grounds as part of a larger renovation project.
Since the existing resort already had amenities such as a pool, a spa and barbecues, Topia had to come up with a plan to enhance and re-imagine these spaces. The resort has a reputation for being family friendly, with groups that have been returning for 15 years. So we wanted to create a design that would be new and exciting, while still somewhat familiar. Lastly, weddings are another specialty of the resort, hosting large and small ceremonies with the ocean as a backdrop.
The newly imagined courtyard kept the main swimming pool in its current location, but increased the size by 50% and modernized the layout. A new adjacent spa was added for family play, while a separate adults only spa was located remotely. A full outdoor kitchen with vine covered trellis and bar type seating was located just off the pool area and lobby for group use. Separate barbecue counters were located nearer the rooms, for individual grilling needs.
The large grassy area was divided, with two large group fire pit patios taking center stage, while the remaining lawn is for active play or sunning. A new area, called the Pointe, was created for hosting wedding ceremonies. Finally, the plantings were all designed to evoke the beach atmosphere, while remaining water-thrifty.