{"id":137352,"date":"2025-08-11T16:17:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T16:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/137352\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T16:17:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T16:17:25","slug":"beau-hotel-brings-new-life-to-al-capones-former-gaslamp-hideout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/137352\/","title":{"rendered":"Beau Hotel brings new life to Al Capone\u2019s former Gaslamp hideout"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>New signage at The Beau Hotel (Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel)<\/p>\n

One of San Diego\u2019s oldest surviving buildings\u2014once rumored to host secret poker games led by Al Capone<\/a>\u2014has entered a bold new chapter.<\/p>\n

Formerly the Leland Hotel, the 138-year-old Victorian Italianate structure at Fifth Avenue and Island in the Gaslamp Quarter has been meticulously restored and reopened as The Beau, <\/a>a boutique hotel and gathering place that embraces its colorful history while stepping confidently into the future.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A photo of the original Leland Hotel before it was The Beau Hotel (Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel)<\/p>\n

Built in 1886 by early San Diego developers D.C. Reed and Aaron Pauly<\/a>, the three-story building originally opened as the Rand-Pauly Building. The upper floors housed the Leland Hotel, while the ground level was home to commercial tenants. At the time, the area was still known as New Town San Diego\u2014a far cry from the bustling entertainment district the Gaslamp Quarter is today.<\/p>\n

Through the decades, the building evolved with the times. In the 1950s, a modernization effort stripped away much of its historic charm: ornate window moldings were removed, and the brick fa\u00e7ade was covered in stucco. Still, the bones of the original building remained intact beneath the surface.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>An older photo of the property. (Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel)<\/p>\n

By the late 1990s, however, the once-grand structure had fallen into disrepair. In 1999, preservationist A. Leon Herrick <\/a>purchased the property and began restoring it. He renamed it Beaumanor, after his ancestral family home in Leicestershire, England, deeded to the Herricks by Queen Elizabeth I in 1595. His initial focus was on seismic retrofitting and structural preservation.<\/p>\n

When Leon\u2019s health declined, the responsibility passed to his daughter, Cathy Herrick, a pioneering preservationist in her own right.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my dad\u2019s favorite building,\u201d Cathy Herrick said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want it to leave the family. It felt like I was preserving not just a building, but his legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has become one of the district\u2019s leading forces in historic preservation\u2014the only female redeveloper in the Gaslamp Quarter and the steward of 10 nationally registered, award-winning properties. Her name is inscribed at the base of the Gaslamp Quarter Arch at Fifth and L, honoring her ongoing contributions to the neighborhood\u2019s revival.<\/p>\n

In 2010, she officially took ownership of the Beaumanor building, and in 2023, she launched a $5 million renovation to return the property to its 19th-century glory. The renovation included full restorations of the original hotel rooms\u2014now 52 in total\u2014common areas, the rooftop secret garden, and the ground floor restaurant and bar.<\/p>\n

Much of the work focused on uncovering what time and mid-century trends had been buried. Original brickwork was carefully revealed after being hidden for more than 70 years. Period-appropriate windows and fixtures were reinstalled. Some bricks even came from Coronado\u2019s PB&Y Co., selected to match the historic materials.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>(Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel)<\/p>\n

The crown jewel of the restoration is The Bar at the Beau,<\/a> which opened in May. The space blends dark, gilded touches with soft lighting and understated elegance. The original 1886 back bar remains in place\u2014now accented with gold leaf filigree and a Carrera stone countertop with underlighting.<\/p>\n

According to Cathy Herrick, the building\u2019s lower level\u2014now called Smuggler\u2019s Alley\u2014was once a Prohibition-era speakeasy. Rumor has it that none other than Al Capone hosted secret poker games there.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cScarface\u201d Al Capone is shown here at the Chicago Detective bureau following his arrest on a vagrancy charge as Public Enemy No. 1 in this 8 x 10 black & white original wire photograph that has attached the original news bureau caption on verso, dated \u201c2-26-31.\u201d The caption describes his appearance before the Chicago Detective Bureau on vagrancy after a court appearance at the hands of Federal marshals on contempt. Other date stamps and notations refer to the photograph\u2019s subsequent use by the newspaper, including another article attached, dated January 26, 1947, upon Capone\u2019s death. Capone earned the nickname \u201cScarface\u201d from a bar brawl when he was 18 years old, working as a bartender and bouncer for gangster Frankie Vale. Capone went on to become one of the most ruthless gang leaders ever, whose Chicago operations were routinely disrupted by famous federal agent Eliot Ness (The Untouchables). Comes with a certificate that unconditionally guarantees the authenticity of this item. Chicago Bureau (Federal Bureau of Investigation) \u2013 (Photo Wide World Photos. \u2013 Item Catalog Cotta Have It! Collectibles, Inc. via Wikipedia\/https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Al_Capone_in_1930.jpg)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a speakeasy, a hidden place with its own energy,\u201d she said. \u201cNow we\u2019ve brought it back\u2014not just cosmetically, but in spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> (The building\u2019s lower level\u2014now known as Smuggler\u2019s Alley\u2014once hosted Prohibition-era poker games led by none other than Capone. (Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel)<\/p>\n

Inside The Beau, curated photographs and archival images track the property\u2019s long story\u2014from its Gilded Age<\/a> beginnings to its role in Prohibition to its mid-century transformation. One historical photo shows the original Leland Hotel before its 20th-century remodel.<\/p>\n

The bar\u2019s cocktail menu pays tribute to that layered past. Guests can order drinks like the \u201c1886 Old Fashioned\u201d or the \u201cNight Porter,\u201d a bold espresso martini that nods to the building\u2019s rumored late-night past.<\/p>\n

The kitchen, led by Executive Chef Robin James (formerly of Top of the Market), offers a menu of elevated American comfort food. Signature dishes include Duck Pot Pie, Braised Pork Shank, and Whole Roasted Branzino, while small plates like Beef Cheek with crispy chickpeas and Chilled English Pea Soup offer inventive touches. Desserts include a playful Beau Sundae and a nostalgic Pineapple Upside Down Cake.<\/p>\n

Overseeing hospitality is Brandi Evans, director of Food & Beverage. She brings leadership experience from the San Diego Padres, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, <\/a>and the Las Vegas restaurant scene. Her influence ensures an experience that is polished and personal.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Beau Hotel unveiled its newest addition, The Bar at the Beau, in May. (Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel)<\/p>\n

The Beau remains a family-run property. Cathy\u2019s son, Evan Anderson, now serves as Executive Vice President of her company and oversees day-to-day operations across their hospitality portfolio, including this one. Staff report directly to him, ensuring that three generations of vision are reflected throughout the building.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Beau Hotel today. (Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel)<\/p>\n

Over the years, the structure has housed a wide range of tenants: a milliner and dressmaker, a tailor, a moving and transfer company, an insurance office, and even an undertaker. Now, nearly 140 years after its debut, it serves once again as a gathering place\u2014this time with a renewed sense of style and purpose.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Many tenants have called the property home. (Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel)<\/p>\n

\u201cRestoring The Beau was never just about business,\u201d Cathy Herrick said. \u201cIt was about honoring the history, my dad, and this neighborhood that has given us so much.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe Al himself would appreciate this new version even more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"New signage at The Beau Hotel (Photo courtesy of The Beau Hotel) One of San Diego\u2019s oldest surviving…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":137353,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5134],"tags":[82476,5229,1582,276,20697,30315,42132,26935,3549,7264,24667,82477,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-137352","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-al-capone","9":"tag-america","10":"tag-ca","11":"tag-california","12":"tag-gaslamp","13":"tag-historical","14":"tag-landmarks","15":"tag-locations","16":"tag-san-diego","17":"tag-sandiego","18":"tag-tenants","19":"tag-the-beau-hotel","20":"tag-united-states","21":"tag-united-states-of-america","22":"tag-unitedstates","23":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","24":"tag-us","25":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115011036621596351","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}