In the mid-’70s, Bob Dylan holed up at the circa-1949 Malibu Riviera Hotel to write Blood on the Tracks. The Point Dume hideaway is also where Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield were rumored to have gotten away from the glare of Hollywood.
Now, the property — which was turned into the Native Malibu hotel in 2017 only to suffer extensive damage in a 2018 fire — has been reborn as Hotel June Malibu (rooms from $425 a night, 28920 Pacific Coast Highway, thehoteljune.com; more options at Booking.com and Expedia). This new chapter is a partnership between Proper Hospitality and the creative team behind its previous incarnation. The pandemic became an opportunity to build additional amenities, giving guests more excuses to stay put and unplug — those include a sunken swimming pool with scores of sun loungers and a breezy deck. “It feels like you’re walking into a family home,” says managing director Sam Shendow. Two of the 13 bungalows were redone to add double bunk beds — a guest request — but the new design remained largely minimal. “We’ve always tried to carry on the legacy, because it really was such a magical place,” Shendow says.
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The June isn’t far from another beloved Malibu gem, Calamigos Guest Ranch & Beach Club (from $650 a night, 327 S. Latigo Canyon Road, calamigosguestranch.com; more options at Booking.com and Expedia), a favorite retreat for those who don’t want to be seen. (It’s also a filming location for series including Netflix’s You.)
Fresh off a respectful redo, Calamigos — founded in 1937 and still owned by the same family — is now home to 56 cottages, bungalows and estate rooms, all newly renovated and made even more sumptuous. One-bedroom bungalow suites, for example, now have wraparound patios and outdoor tubs. It’s easy to find solitude and merriment on Calamigos’ sprawling property with hiking, vineyard massages, outdoor pizza-making classes and a starlit restaurant, The Ranch Club, with a new chef and revamped menu. Calamigos’ relaxing spa offers services from cupping and reiki to facials with LED light therapy. And guests can easily go from its forested location to surf and sand thanks to its beach service — certainly not common in Malibu — comprising loungers with umbrellas plus craft cocktails and gourmet lunches.
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This story first appeared in the Jan. 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
