Hotel Laguna back in the care of an Andersen

Hotel Laguna officials announced this week that Stefan Andersen, 27, has been appointed general manager, returning the facility’s leadership to the Andersen family.

Andersen is the son of Claes Andersen, who purchased the operating lease for the 65-room hotel at 425 S. Coast Hwy. in 1985 and devoted several years to transforming the property into an iconic presence in Laguna Beach, according to a news release.

After Claes’ death in August 2010, his wife, Georgia, brought in family friend Heinz Hofmann, who has more than 50 years of international hotel and restaurant experience, as chief operation officer. Although Hofmann officially retired from the business, he returned on a temporary basis to help groom Andersen’s children, Stefan and Katie, for greater management responsibilities.

“We’ve just marked the five-year anniversary since Claes’s passing,” Georgia Andersen, owner and operator of Andersen Hotels, said in the release. “It seemed the perfect time for Heinz to pass the baton to Stefan. They’ve both done so much work for the good of the hotel, and it’s a great pleasure to see Stefan take on the reins of our family-run historical hotel.”

Stefan Andersen earned a degree in culinary and hotel management at Johnson & Wales University in Denver and returned to Hotel Laguna in late 2011 as restaurant manager. He was promoted to food and beverage director in 2013 and to director of operations a year later.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to play such an important role at the Hotel Laguna,” Stefan said. “I grew up here as a kid and this place has made me who I am today. I can’t say how thankful I am for that. I’m looking forward to extending the family tradition.”

The original Hotel Laguna dates to the late 1880s, though the current Spanish-style structure was built in 1930. Hollywood stars such as Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall have stayed at the hotel.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce