2026. “It’s going to be very Spanish, inspired by Moroccan and Moorish influences, and it’s going to give this old grande dame of the Cypress a new lease on life,” he says. One of Gruwell’s favorite local hotel projects was restoring Tradewinds Carmel in 2004. “We completely restored its Japanese and Asian influences. It’s a beautiful property in Carmel that takes you to another place,” he says. He lists the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill in San Francisco as his favorite project overall. “It was a very classical hotel that needed a major facelift, and I gave it to it. I gave it the grandeur that once was there,” says Gruwell. He calls the project “monumental,” leading to his first of many appearances in Architectural Digest. Gruwell’s process of working with clients includes learning their desires for the outcome of the project. “They want a log cabin in Aspen or they want a beach bungalow, a residence on the ocean that is all about the beach and the sky and the trees around them— you need to find out where their house is and what they want,” he says. Gruwell recommends interviewing three designers to assess if there’s a match in both energy and communication before starting a project. “It’s all about communication. They have to communicate to me, I have to communicate back to them. It’s a whole interplay of a dance of asking questions and getting answers and creating this and getting results,” he says. The Charles Pacific Grove is located at 581 Pine Ave., Pacific Grove. 717-8692, thecharlespacificgrove.com. At the Stilwell Hotel in downtown Carmel, Gruwell created a sleek, serene, modern look for the rooms. ROBERT MILLER 26 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® HAVEN 2025-2026 2014–2024 700 Cannery Row, 2nd Floor 831.646.5446 Sun-Thurs 12noon-6pm Fri & Sat 12noon-7pm www.atasteofmonterey.com 1315 Pacific Ave (831)515-7018 GOLDEN BLISS Fine Jewelry www.supersilver.com Super S I L V E R Now offering permanent bracelets! Santa Cruz - Downtown (831)460-9696 Capitola Mall (831)477-1932 Capitola Village (831)462-9696 Old Town Sacramento (916)443-2801 San Luis Obispo (805)784-0462 SuperSilver_1-6v_Haven25_kb.indd 1 7/24/25 11:37
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