Happenings

Downtown San Diego

• Scheduled to open in late 2008, the 1,190-room Hilton San Diego Bayfront (619.270.2600; www1.hilton.com) 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; Vela, a waterfront restaurant; and 165,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 34,000-square-foot grand ballroom, a 24,000-square-foot junior ballroom and 30 breakout rooms. The 10.2-acre site will showcase a new 4.3-acre landscaped public park complete with more than $2 million in public art. 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.
  
  
• The Setai San Diego (619.702.6666; www.setaisandiego.com), formerly known as The Diegan, is slated to open this fall in downtown San Diego with 185 luxury rooms and suites, a 5,000-square-foot spa and 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
  
  
• Hard Rock Hotel San Diego (619.702.3000; www.hardrockhotelsd.com), downtown’s stylish new retreat, provides 40,000 square feet of tech-enabled indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. The largest indoor space is a 9,200-square-foot room that accommodates up to 1,000 attendees. Hard Rock’s unique event space includes an 8,700-square-foot urban garden adjacent to the rooftop pool; a 5,000-square-foot venue that features a stage, offstage VIP area and talent green room; and a 750-square-foot glass-enclosed boardroom that overlooks the entertainment venue from the mezzanine.
  
  
• The Porto Vista Hotel & Suites (619.544.0164; www.portovistasandiego.com) recently opened in downtown’s Little Italy. The hotel features 209 guest accommodations, a top-floor restaurant and lounge, a business center, a 2,500-square-foot harbor-view meeting room, and a 6,000-square-foot rooftop catering deck.
  
  
• After an extensive renovation, the 40-year-old Star of the Sea restaurant has been transformed into the waterfront Star of the Sea Event Center (619.291.7254; www.starofthesea.com). Located on downtown San Diego’s Embarcadero, the new venue, which accommodates up to 150 guests, offers great views of the bay, catering, a full bar, and wine service.

• The Sea Lodge Hotel was recently reflagged La Jolla Shores Hotel (858.459.8271; www.ljshoreshotel.com). The property features 128 guest rooms and 7,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.

• Town and Country Resort & Convention Center (619.291.7131; www.towncountry.com) in Mission Valley recently completed a two-phase renovation. The project included remodeling the Terrace Pavilion with an upscale tropical feel, relandscaping the Rose Garden, and adding a stage for outdoor performances and events.
  
  
• Liberty Station, the waterfront urban village in the redeveloped Naval Training Center on Point Loma, features the new Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Airport/Liberty Station (619.221.1900; www.marriott.com), with 200 guest rooms, a restaurant and bar, and 5,000 square feet of meeting space.

• The Hilton Garden Inn San Diego Bay (619.523.8916; www.bartellhotels.com) will open in spring 2009 along the shores of Shelter Island. The hotel will feature 125 resort-style guest rooms with private patios or balconies and Wi-Fi Internet access. The new property will also offer meeting space that can accommodate up to 75 guests, a swimming pool and a fitness center.
  
  
• The Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina (619.224.1234; www.missionbay.hyatt.com), formerly the Hyatt Regency Islandia, recently completed a $65 million renovation that included upgrades to its 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. New executive meeting rooms also feature built-in audiovisual equipment and high-speed Internet access.
  
  
• Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa (619.276.4010; www.sandiegohilton.com) finished an $8 million renovation last spring. The 357-room resort now features a refurbished lobby and retail store, a renovated restaurant and bar, an updated swimming pool, and a new poolside bar and grill.

• Gaylord Entertainment (615.316.6000; www.gaylordentertainment.com) is hoping to break ground in 2009 on a 1,500- to 2,000-room bayfront hotel with up to 500,000 square feet of meeting space. At press time, the scheduled opening date for the property was 2012.

• The Grand Del Mar (858.350.7600; www.thegranddelmar.com) opened in October. The property offers 249 guest rooms and suites; a Tom Fazio-designed golf course; a 21,000-square-foot spa; and 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom, an ornate chapel for weddings and other upscale events, an expansive outdoor lawn, and four wine rooms for intimate gatherings.
  
  
• The Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa (760.827.2400; www.sheratoncarlsbad.com) opened in San Diego’s North County in February with 129 rooms, including 13 suites; the 4,600-square-foot Ocean Pearl Spa; a fitness center; and more than 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
  
  
• L’Auberge Del Mar Resort & Spa (858.259.1515; www.laubergedelmar.com) reopened in June after a $26 million renovation. New amenities include a restaurant and wine bar complete with an open demonstration kitchen; a pool deck with an open bar and private cabanas; and a 4,100-square-foot spa. Guest rooms were also redecorated, and more than 12,000 square feet of space was transformed into scenic indoor and outdoor meeting space.
  
  
• The Rancho Bernardo Inn (858.675.8500; www.ranchobernardoinn.com) completed a $25 million renovation last summer. Facilities include a new 27,000-square-foot conference center with a 15,000-square-foot ballroom; a remodeled spa with outdoor fireplaces; a new 2,500-square-foot pool; and refurbished guest rooms with work spaces and complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access.