Small Motel in Malibu a Big Plus for Visitors

In most beach cities, the arrival of another motel is usually greeted with all the enthusiasm of a new burger stand opening. In Malibu, it’s considered a major cultural event.

The reason is simple. Despite its world-renowned status as a celebrity haunt and beach party paradise, Malibu has fewer than 100 motel rooms to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of visitors that come to its shores each summer day.

That room total will almost double later this month when the first modern motel in the coastal community opens just south of the Malibu pier. The owners of the Malibu Beach Inn, a three-story, 47-room motel, claim the California Mission-style complex is the first new beachfront motel in the town in 39 years.

“By lodging industry standards it’s tiny, but by Malibu standards it’s huge,” said Marty Cooper, one of the partners in the venture. “A lot of people have been disappointed over the years that when they come to Malibu, there’s almost no place for them to stay.”

Construction Delays

The new motel is located at the former site of the Tonga Lei motel and its Polynesian partner, Don the Beachcomber restaurant, which Cooper and his partners ran before deciding to raze them two years ago. The group planned to open the new $8-million motel last summer but the project was beset by construction delays.

“We wanted to do it right and we wanted to do it within the (planning) rules,” said Cooper, a longtime Malibu resident. “We tore down two going businesses and took a big risk on this project, but I think it will be a welcome addition to Malibu.”

Although several large hotels have been envisioned for Malibu, projects such as a 300-room hotel and conference center planned by the Adamson Cos. in Malibu’s Civic Center are too large to operate on septic tanks and must wait for the construction of a much-disputed $43-million sewer system for the area.

Even if the sewer system is completed, though, local leaders have said they will attempt to block large-scale hotel projects because they fear it will increase the likelihood of Malibu developing into “another Miami Beach.”

Cooper’s motel project, because of its modest size, did not arouse substantial opposition.

Original plans for the new Malibu motel called for a 56-unit, four-level structure with the bottom level open to allow for ocean views. But the project was scaled down by the Coastal Commission to meet the standards outlined in Malibu’s Local Coastal Plan, and the bottom level was removed.

Help Spur Expansion

The Malibu Beach Inn has received high marks from local planners and business owners, who believe it will help spur a commercial expansion on Malibu Pier, one of the local landmarks.

“One of the reason I think we have so few motels is that Malibu has never been promoted as a tourist or visitors area,” said Mary Lou Blackwood, executive vice president of the Malibu Chamber of Commerce. “It’s never capitalized on its attraction but I think projects like this will be a big asset to the community.”

Cooper said rooms in the motel will start at $135 and suites at the complex will cost about $235 per night. The motel has a small conference room, and each room has an ocean view.

“We’re thrilled that we’re finally going to open,” he said. “This is the size of hotel that people in Malibu can get behind and support.”