Summary:
- Elite opened Tiller House, a Tribute Portfolio by Marriott, in Laguna Hills, CA.
- The hotel sits on land that was once part of the Moulton Ranch.
- It is near Irvine Spectrum Center, Laguna Beach and Disneyland.
Tiller House, a Tribute Portfolio by Marriott, is now open in Laguna Hills, California. The 76-room boutique hotel sits on land that was once part of the Moulton Ranch and highlights the history of Orange County cattle baron Lewis Fenno Moulton and his wife Nellie Gail Moulton.
Tiller House is near Irvine Spectrum Center, Laguna Beach and Disneyland and includes a fitness center and an outdoor pool. It is owned by Elite Hospitality, led by Principal Kevin Akash.
Akash said Tribute Portfolio Hotels focus on connecting guests with local history.
“Tiller House is not a standard hotel, but a hotel woven within this community,” he said. “We wanted to create something that celebrated the 21,000 acres of land that Moulton Ranch resided on, allowing guests to experience the legacy of Lewis Moulton and Nellie Gail and how much their sheep and cattle ranch was a commodity to Laguna Hills.”
The hotel’s interior design is by Atwater Inc. Studio of Los Angeles, led by Stina Funch, while the architecture is by HMR Architecture of Huntington Beach, the statement said.
Akash credited Funch and her team with developing the Moulton Ranch theme.
“It was Stina and her team at Atwater who leaned into the Moulton family story and knew we could do a lot with it,” he said. “They helped us through every step of the way and it shows in the finished product.”
Eclipse Hospitality of Phoenix procured custom furniture for the rooms and lobby. Eclipse’s Principal Anand Patel said the project required custom furniture for 76 rooms and the lobby.
“This was a great opportunity and challenge for us to procure and build all these unique pieces,” he said.
The hotel partnered with the Moulton Museum, which provided art and historical material. Several areas display images and artifacts from Moulton Ranch, the statement said.
Akash said the hotel aims to serve as a community representative.
“We want the Tiller House to serve as more than just a hotel,” he said. “We want it to be a place where guests can learn the roots of the community they are staying in.”
In August, Peachtree Group and Paso Robles Hotel Partners opened The Ava Hotel, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, in Paso Robles, California.
