Page 11 - Sandy Jackman Pantai Hotel

Sandy Jackman

Pantai Inn

Imagine traveling a few short miles from home and ar-
riving at an oasis that transforms you to another world
over 8,700 miles away. Well thanks to Sandy
Jackman, and the Jackman family, this is now
possible.
In 2010, the Jackman family took a leap of faith and
acquired a gorgeous piece of property overlooking
the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla. The gamble of course
was not with the location, which was ideal, but the
run-down dilapidated motel located on it. The property
had been vacant for almost a decade with water, gas,
electricity and other infrastructure in total disrepair.
When they began turning things on, unforeseen prob-
lems arose from one end of the property to the other.
In addition to the decayed infrastructure, the buildings
themselves were derelict with crumbling interiors and
facades. To most others, the path would have been to
tear down the neglected buildings and replace them
with new. But Sandy and the Jackman family were in
love with the charm of the almost century old buildings
comprising the acre campus. If they had simply torn
down the old motel and started with a blank slate, the
project would have not only been less expensive, but
a lot easier to achieve. They would not settle for the
easy way out as they embarked upon a four-year jour-
ney, hiring experts in historical restoration and artisan
craftsmen skilled in the old-world trades of plaster,
masonry and woodworking.
What made Sandy and family decide to bring Bali to
San Diego? “We didn’t actually. We had a beloved
friend and architect, David Soanes, who had worked
on our home and was larger than life. From his expe-
rience, having designed high-end resorts in Indonesia,
he took one look at the property and had an instant vi-
sion for what it could become. He gathered my family
and sat us in a circle in the center of the property with
our eyes closed and told us to envision rice patties,
balmy breezes, tropical paradise, lush mountainsides,
and small villages, Balinese villages. My husband
and I saw it immediately. The way the layout of the
buildings were, we could visualize the transformation
of this shoddy rundown motel into a Balinese village
paradise.” From that moment on, Sandy’s life was ab-
sorbed by Balinese culture and lifestyle. They scoured
the internet to learn everything they could about Bali;
the life, the customs, the people, the music, the food,
the clothing, the décor, the art and more. Their desire
was to have the Pantai Inn as authentic as possible
with the infusion of Bali. So luckily Sandy was able to
make contact with a woman named Mersy who was a
local Balinese woman. “It was rough in the beginning
due to the language difficulty, but before long we were
able to understand each other. She turned out to be
a great resource for us. She would drive around Bali
and take photos of different parts of the island for us to
study. I learned so much from Mersy.”
The project was moving along well, when all of a
sudden the worst thing that could have happened to
them did: Their dear friend David, their larger than life
architect, passed away.