Hotel Developments and Renovations
After a $16-million renovation, the historic Pickwick Hotel in downtown San Diego will reopen in December 2006 as the modern and stylish
Sofia Hotel. Built in 1926, the 212-room hotel will retain its gothic architecture while transforming its interior using a relaxing and organic design theme, which includes a natural color palette, fossil sculptures and natural art pieces placed throughout the property. The hotel will offer spa-inspired amenities, including a 24-hour fitness center with an on-call personal trainer and a 24-hour yoga studio featuring auto and video programming, surround sound, mats, and an on-call yoga instructor. The Sofia will also feature a business center, on-site valet parking and concierge service – all available 24 hours a day. Guests will enjoy room amenities like high-speed Internet; 20-inch flat screen televisions; refreshment centers with a coffeemaker, mini-fridge and microwave; and a selection of in-room spa services on request. The hotel’s VIP suites will offer guests a soaking tub with jets, fine art, decorative wallpaper, and plumped cushions and accessories. Room rates begin at $149/night, while the VIP suites start at $289/night. For more information, call 619-234-9200, or visit www.thesofiahotel.com. (10/06)
In early 2007,
Rancho Bernardo Inn, located approximately 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, will unveil $20 million in additions and renovations. These improvements will include a new state-of-the-art, 27,000 sq. ft. conference center, featuring a ballroom that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests, a 3,000 sq. ft. lawn with a trellis-covered patio, on-site client office space, and wireless Internet service. The Inn will also unveil a new 2,500 sq. ft. lap pool and hydro-spa, joining the Inn’s existing two pools (one which is adults-only). The remodeled spa, complete with outdoor gardens and retreat areas, will include a new menu of distinctive services. The property’s 287 luxurious rooms will also be enhanced with platform beds, new couches and chairs, upgraded linens, flat screen televisions, and new furniture for their private patios and balconies. For more information, call 800-770-7329, or visit www.ranchobernardoinn.com. (10/06)
The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club is currently updating its 35 beach-front suites, located at the north end of the Club’s private beach, with stylish new carpets, light fixtures, paint, flat screen LCD’s, stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, and dishwashers. The walls were also removed in some suites to enhance the sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and La Jolla coastline. The interiors feature a beach inspired color palette of cool blues and greens, while the modern lines of the furniture and accents exude elegance and sleekness. For more information, call 858-454-7126, or visit www.ljbtc.com. (10/06)
Completed in September 2006, the
Hilton Mission Valley San Diego’s $11-million renovation includes an extensive remodeling of the property’s 349 guest rooms, lobby and concierge area, meeting spaces, executive lounge, pool area, fitness facilities, hotel façade, and landscaping. All 349 guests rooms now feature modernized architecture, state-of-the-art Suite Dreams bed sets, desks, and adjustable task lighting. The space that once housed the Monterey Whaling Company is now home to a new, 3,000 sq. ft. high-tech meeting center, featuring three customizable rooms. The meeting spaces boast sophisticated dropdown screens, LCD projectors, sound systems, DVD/CD/VCR, wireless high-speed Internet, and ergonomic chairs. The hotel’s new restaurant, Stish, features steak and seafood fare in a hip and urban dining room. For more information, call 619-543-9000, or visit www.hilton.com. (10/06)
To be unveiled in phases through 2006 and early 2007, the
Hotel del Coronado is embarking on several grand enhancements to its historic landmark property, including a Beach Village, world-class spa, fitness center, and new restaurant, 1500 OCEAN. The cottages and villas at
Beach Village will include 78 exclusive ocean view guestrooms and suites, a private enclave with pools and hot tubs, front desk and concierge service, and access to all of the resort’s amenities. Offering one-, two- or three-bedrooms, each suite will also feature a kitchen, dining room and living room with cozy fireplace. Many will have ocean view balconies or patios. The new state-of-the-art
Spa at the Del, tentatively slated to open in November 2006, will include 22 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy, relaxation areas for men and women, and steam rooms. Guests will also be able to unwind at the Spa’s expansive private terrace and infinity pool overlooking the magnificent Windsor Lawn and the Pacific Ocean. A new fitness center will offer personal training, the latest weight and cardiovascular equipment, a studio for aerobics, spin classes, and Pilates. Opened in May 2006, the restaurant
1500 OCEAN features warm lighting and the comfortable elegance of a beachfront cabana setting. The arrival experience begins on the oceanfront terrace, which also provides a one-of-a-kind, intimate outdoor dining venue facing the Pacific Ocean. Inside, the restaurant features two private dining venues and a wine vault. A signature glass wall, with vibrant sunset hues, provides the backdrop for the bar, creating an energetic ambiance. Chef de Cuisine Jason Shaeffer’s menu showcases fresh Southland Coastal cuisine and wines, with selections from Santa Ynez to Cabo San Lucas. For more information, call 619-435-6611, or visit www.hoteldel.com. (7/06)
The $3.5 million historical restoration project of the eight-suite
Little Hotel by the Sea and the 10-suite
Garden Terraces, both adjacent to
The Grande Colonial hotel in La Jolla, is slated to be completed in February 2007. Built in 1924, the Little Hotel by the Sea will include restoration of the building’s rooftop loft and deck, and restoration of the 1929 Baker & Son’s elevator. The rooftop area will be used as a guest library and sitting room, as well as an outdoor terrace and dining area providing panoramic views of the Pacific. The Baker & Sons elevator, which will be restored to full operation, is a four-passenger, solid-mahogany elevator housed in a steel tower erected from solid rock beneath the hotel. Upon completion, the Little Hotel by the Sea and Garden Terraces will maintain its individual names, but will become part of The Grande Colonial hotel. The two properties will take on an interior, designed by San Diego-based Graham Downes Architecture, that represents La Jolla’s seacoast village residential style. For more information, call 858-454-2181, or visit www.thegrandecolonial.com. (7/06)
Set to open mid-November 2006 in downtown’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, the boutique-style
Keating Hotel will feature modern and expressive Italian design by Pininfarina, the world-renowned Italian design firm behind famed luxury brands Ferrari and Maserati. Located in the Keating Building (circa 1890) with a Romanesque-Revival facade, the hotel is Pininfarina’s first foray into hotel design and will feature a modern and sleek interior punctuated with historic details. The 35 luxury stanzas (Italian for guestroom) were designed to reinvent the guestroom experience by omitting interior walls that traditionally separate the bedroom and bathroom. Each stanza will feature high ceilings, exposed brick walls, Lavazza espresso machines, state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen audio and visual products, oversized windows, high definition plasma televisions, high-speed WIFI, goose down feather beds, and duvets. The hotel will also offer an on-call lifestyle concierge and an underground semi-private lounge. Slated to open in 2007 are an upscale restaurant, lounge and rooftop, glass-bottom pool. For more information, visit www.thekeating.com. (7/06)
Opened July 1, 2006, the
La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad now provides its young guests interactive and educational attractions at its new kid’s club,
Kidtopia, and teen lounge,
Vibz. Kidtopia is divided in three age groups. The infant/toddler area features a calm environment that surrounds children with age-appropriate toys, soft climb items, puzzles, and infant swings. The two- to four-year olds’ area is decorated to resemble a forest, complete with a seven-foot tree house, and offers an assortment of passive- and critical-thinking activity stations featuring books, puzzles and crafts. The four- to 12-year-olds’ area contains a three-ton, 600-gallon saltwater aquarium filled with exotic fish, a colorful mural depicting underwater scenes, hi-tech entertainment stations with games and computers, a small animal display, and a pressure sensitive light floor where kids can play games and dance. Guests ages 10 – 16 can visit Vibz, a teen lounge decorated to resemble an underground mine featuring a wide selection of music and dance activities, pool tables, air hockey tables, video games, and an X-Boxâ gaming lounge. For more information, call 760-438-9111, or visit www.lacosta.com. (7/06)
Opening in late December 2006 adjacent to San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, the 159-room luxury
Ivy Hotel will feature 16 suites, two presidential suites and one signature suite boasting two levels with a spiral staircase leading to a private poolside cabana. Additional features include Envy, a four-level nightclub; Eden, a street-level restaurant seating 220 guests; a rooftop terrace and swimming pool, and 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The Ivy Hotel was originally built in 1914 as the Maryland Hotel to host dignitaries during the Panama-California Exposition. The hotel will open as a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide collection. For more information, call 619-531-7953, or visit www.theivyhotel.com. (7/06)
THE US GRANT, opened in 1910 and built by Ulysses S. Grant Jr. to honor his Civil War hero father, closed in January 2005 for a $52 million renovation. The 270-room hotel, located at the foot of the historic Gaslamp Quarter, will debut in October 2006 as a member of Starwood’s prestigious Luxury Collection, comprised of over 80 one-of-a-kind properties across the globe. The 11-story hotel is being enhanced to emphasize its circa 1910 origins, including the addition of wrought iron exterior lights, stunning third floor rooftop gardens and the restoration of the original grand entrance on Fourth Avenue. Nine-foot ceilings, extensive crown molding, imported custom wool carpets, and rich white-on-white Italian linens are featured in each room. Native American art decorates each foyer and bath, and one-of-a-kind works by noted French artist, Yves Clement, have been blended into the wall moldings above each bed. The Grant Grill, the hotel’s signature 95-seat restaurant, will welcome back its patrons with a soothing color palette of espresso and ‘US Grant blue’, original artworks, dramatic lighting, and a menu of market-fresh, Native Californian regional cuisine and a wine program showcasing local wineries. The property’s 35,000 sq. ft. of meeting and banquet space is also undergoing enhancements to include state-of the art technology amidst architecturally and artistically distinctive space. For more information, call 619-232-3121, or visit www.usgrant.net. (7/06)
Scheduled to open in late 2008, the new 1,190-room
Hilton San Diego Convention Center Hotel will offer a resort atmosphere in an urban setting. Located adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center and across from PETCO Park in downtown San Diego, the 30-story hotel will feature a health club and spa, upscale retail shops, food outlets, and a waterfront restaurant. In addition to waterfront views from the rooms, lobby and meeting spaces, the 10.2-acre site will showcase a new 4.3–acre landscaped public park. The park will be enhanced with more than $2 million of public works of art and be the termination point of the Balboa Park Corridor that links Balboa Park to San Diego Bay. A broad public promenade will connect the hotel development with the waterfront and the rest of South Embarcadero, providing open space for informal gatherings and special events. For more information, visit www.portofsandiego.org/projects/hiltonhotel. (2/06)
The
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego is currently under construction and slated to open spring 2007 in downtown’s historic Gaslamp Quarter. The property will be the city’s first branded condo-hotel, with 420 luxury rooms and suites, all for sale to individual buyers. The property will infuse cutting-edge design by San Diego-based architectural design firm Graham Downes and embrace the trademark rock ‘n’ roll attitude, 24-7 service and high-octane nightlife for which Hard Rock hotels are famous; it will feature a signature restaurant operated by NOBU and an ultra lounge and sky bar by Rande Gerber. The 12-story, 315,000-sq. ft. hotel will house a world-class spa and fitness center, state-of-the-art screening room, landscaped outdoor pool deck with private cabanas, a 7,000-sq. ft. music venue, retail boutiques, and 40,000 sq. ft. of unique indoor/outdoor banquet and meeting space. Units for sale will range from studios to rock star suites, all with a hip, electric vibe featuring “floating” cantilevered furniture, state-of-the-art lighting, home theatre entertainment centers featuring LCD televisions, CD/DVD and iPod connections, a martini bar, plush feather-top bedding, 300-thread count cotton linens, oversized work stations, WiFi Internet access, and a laptop safe. For more information, visit www.hardrockcondos.com (11/05)
The Grand Del Mar Resort & Spa, Manchester Grand Resorts’ newest luxury property, is set to debut in mid-2007. The new 261-room resort hotel will offer 5-star accommodations, including 19 suites; an 18-hole, 400-acre Tom Fazio-designed golf course; a full-service, 21,000-sq. ft. luxury spa; Kid’s Club; Teen Lounge, and 39 ownership villas. Also onsite will be 20,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space that includes a 10,000 sq. ft. grand ballroom. Opened in September 2006, the resort’s restaurant Addison features a distinctive Mediterranean-style décor. Spanning 6,000 sq. ft. and seating 90 people, diners enjoy four indoor fireplaces, an expansive outside patio, sweeping golf course panoramas, and a full wine room and wine bar with floor to ceiling wine storage. The resort is being built on a 24-acre pad nestled among the rolling fairways and manicured greens of the lush Grand Golf Club in Del Mar. The buildings will juxtapose the romance and opulence of Mediterranean design with a Southern California flair. Featuring an exotic mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Moroccan, and Venetian elements, the resort pays tribute to the distinctive style of Addison Mizner, an architectural visionary whose design approach launched the “Florida Renaissance” in the 1920s. Amidst the fine art, antiques and beautifully handcrafted details of the landmark property will be a special, uncommon touch: a private chapel. For more information, call 858-350-7600, or visit www.thegranddelmar.com. (2/06)
