Book a Room Menu (800) 764-4614 Previous Slide Next Slide About Us Our History Executive Team Clean & Safe Stay Sustainability Careers Awards & Accolades Ayres Magazine Our History It all started with a $2 train ride... During the building boom of the early 1900's, subdividing was rough, tough and risky. In 1905, Frank H. Ayres took a $2 train ride from Ohio to California with his wife and young son Donald to explore land development opportunities for his employer - an Ohio real estate firm. In those pre-Hollywood days, climate and oranges were the main attractions bringing visitors to California. Many stayed, including Frank, who immediately bought eight small ranches in the mid-Wilshire district of Los Angeles and was charged with overseeing the land's development after becoming a partner in the Ohio firm. Eventually, Frank left his employer to form his own company, Frank H. Ayres & Son and continued to develop land throughout L.A. County. It was then that the Ayres' brand of high-quality property development made its mark on Southern California, and a bona fide tradition had begun. With horse-drawn equipment, Frank Ayres carved Southern California's bean fields and pig farms into prosperous residential and commercial communities. The young company developed nine subdivisions in the Wilshire area from 1905-1910, and the dream was just beginning. To this day, all Ayres projects draw on the vast knowledge and experience of generations of its family business—scroll down to explore our history throughout the years. Early 1900s Previous Slide Next Slide View All 1920s & 1930s 1940s & 1950s 1920s & 1930s In the roaring 20's, Don Ayres Sr., Frank Ayres' son, entered the family business. The father and son team increased productivity, even venturing to build a few homes. Movie-making had now become a full-fledged industry, and demands for lots and homes rose. Quickly, confidence in Ayres grew stronger, and, from 1923 until the early 1930's, the company developed 11 large tracts of single family home sites, apartments and commercial units in the Pico/Robertson area. Frank Ayres and his son were also instrumental in connecting Santa Monica to the greater Los Angeles area. It's been said that the Pico-Robertson-La Cienega business district was able to stave off the impact of the Great Depression due, in part, to Ayres' forward thinking perspective. 1920s-1950s Previous Slide Next Slide View All 1960s & 1970s 1980s 1980s cont. 1990s 1960s & 1970s In the middle of the previous decade, Don Ayres Sr.'s son, Don Ayres Jr., joined the firm, perpetuating a family tradition of quality land development. Don Sr. took over the land subdividing function and Don Jr. started the firm's homebuilding interests. In the coming decade, the Ayres brand would become a recognized name, creating distinctive homes in well-planned areas from the San Fernando Valley to San Diego. In 1960, the company designed a subdivision of 400 homes on a small piece of land. Don Ayres Jr. took charge of the project. The lot size was small and took some imaginative thinking, resulting in Newport Shores. The community of luxurious beach homes on the ocean was yet another tribute to Ayres' problem-solving capability. Versatility and innovative thinking are just two Ayres family characteristics that sparked company growth and broadened the firm's area of operations throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Years of hard work and innovation laid the foundation for what would become the next big adventure for the Ayres name. 1960s-1990s Previous Slide Next Slide View All 2000s 2000s cont. 2010s-Present 2000s In 2001, the Ayres Hotels brand was launched with the opening of Ayres Hotel Laguna Woods, Ayres Hotel Anaheim, and Ayres Hotel Seal Beach. Between 2001 and 2005, all hotels were transitioned and became Ayres Hotels, a collection of handcrafted boutique hotels with European-inspired décor, living room style lobbies, and a home-like atmosphere. In 2002, Ayres Hotels was awarded the Orange County Business Journal Family Owned Business Award in the Large Business category. Doug Ayres continued to elevate the brand with the opening of the exquisite Ayres Hotel Manhattan Beach in 2004. Sign In Ayres Hotels 355 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Reservations (800) 764-4614 reservations@ayreshotels.com Stay Connected Sign up for the latest news and offers from Ayres Hotels. Please Enter Your Email Facebook Instagram Pinterest YouTube Careers Book Direct Blog Ayres Magazine News Room Site Map Privacy Policy Accessibility All rights reserved © 2021 Hotel Website Design & Full-Service Hotel Internet Marketing by NextGuest Digital