Dive-in to The Pearl

The antics of character Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High echo off the walls of the vintage Pearl Hotel in Point Loma. “Aloha, Mr. Hand!” says a lazy, young Sean Penn on-screen as he wanders into class late. Parents laugh as they look from the film to kids reaching for the giant pearl-white beach balls floating around the pool. It is Wednesday night, which means Dive-in Movies at The Pearl.

Every Wednesday from 8 p.m. to midnight, The Pearl Hotel hosts its free “cinema social, combining eclectic film selections, food and drink, and light conversation,” according to The Pearl’s Web site. The event is not only open to visitors at the hotel, but also attracts community members to the restaurant/bar and movie night, during which great classics, blockbusters, foreign films and independent features from The Pearl’s private library are shown on the 10-foot by 13-foot projection screen above the pool.

The event is in line with the hotel’s mantra of “Down to Earth, Up with Style.” Four months ago, the hotel Sportsman’s Lodge was remodeled into the retro, swanky Pearl Hotel that sits on Rosecrans just a block away from the bay. According to the hotel’s Web site, “The Pearl re-imagines a classic California hotel atmosphere, allowing the spirit of mid-century design to thrive anew through artwork, furnishings and architecture.”

Gregory Strangman, CEO of L.W.P. Group, Inc., was in charge of The Pearl’s renovation. A successful commercial and real estate developer, he commented that “the hotel is predominantly based on lifestyle and guest experience. We didn’t want it to be a hotel where, for lack of a better word, people just sleep.”
To create the “Palm Springs, modern, vintage feel” for the hotel, Strangman included pool-side cabanas, a pet fish in each room, the hotel’s own radio station (Groove 24/7) and a restaurant. Although The Pearl’s restaurant only serves dinner, it will serve its first brunch on Feb. 24, with a pool party open to everyone from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

According to Lacy Bird, front desk operator, Dive-in Movies started in mid-September. Since then, the hotel has shown movies including The Shawshank Redemption, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest and American Beauty.

“We don’t really advertise it, but it’s open to everyone. We use word-of-mouth
marketing and just request that people who come buy food or drinks,” Bird said.
PLNU junior Ryan Inverno was present at the event.

“I liked the atmosphere,” she said. “I thought it was cool, how everything was set up. It’s free and it was fun. I think a lot of Point Loma students would like it actually.”

Crowd size varies from week to week depending on the weather and the movie of the week, so patrons are encouraged to arrive at least half an hour early to get a seat in one of the hammocks, chaises or pool-side tables.