If a planner could mold the perfect meetings destination, what might it include? A city large enough for culture, cuisine and sizeable hotel blocks but small enough for walkability? An international airport somehow wedged right downtown? A sunny, Mediterranean climate almost every day of the year? And how about a stunning coastline and major attractions ideal for group events? Unless this planner wants to also try and cram in a ski resort next to the beach, they might as well save some time and simply come to San Diego.
"Sometimes we forget that we have seven regions in our area, but we are so compact," says Margie Sitton, vice president of sales for the San Diego CVB. "We are a city-center location, resort destination, airport destination and fun destination, all within an hour away in any direction."
Due partly to neighboring Los Angeles, those unfamiliar with San Diego sometimes lose sight of it under the pervading conceptions of "Southern California." But while it is certainly Southern California—perfect weather, sandy beaches, lively, energetic people—much of San Diego’s greatest appeal requires closer inspection.
Overall, many of the city’s attractions are longstanding institutions, like the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Balboa Park, historic Old Town and the numerous marinas filled with stunning yachts and sailboats. But Greater San Diego has also seen a tremendous boom in new and renovated hotels and resorts in the last few years, and its formerly run-down downtown has metamorphosed into the hottest part of the city. In many ways, San Diego is a destination that begs rediscovery.
Downtown San Diego
Just a dozen years ago, the CVB might have recommended groups head to any number of San Diego’s excellent resorts—provided they weren’t downtown. In one of the greatest downtown renaissances in the country, downtown San Diego has transformed from a largely abandoned area into a hot spot brimming with new hotels, packed restaurants and buzzing nightlife.
But this transformation is still only one of many reasons Russell Kraus, CMP, president of Centennial, Colo.-based Meetings in General, brought a group of 75 to the Westin San Diego for the National Guard Military Personnel Managers Training Conference in September.
"From my perspective, San Diego works well because of the geographic location, the many great hotels to work with and the various activities for attendees and their families," he says.
One of the best features about meeting downtown is the fact that most planners will never have to arrange for ground transportation. San Diego International Airport is almost hidden between the high-rises of downtown, literally a five-minute cab ride to most hotels. Then, it is anywhere from a five- to 15-minute walk to the San Diego Convention Center, standing right against the coast at the end of the trendy Gaslamp Quarter. With 615,700 square feet of exhibit space and an additional 204,100 square feet of meeting space, it offers a surprising 1,950 underground parking spaces, supported by an additional 2,000 adjacent spaces. The 90,000-square-foot Sails Pavilion is a particularly impressive venue for events.
The convention center also received a big boost with the December 2008 opening of the adjacent 1,200-room Hilton San Diego Bayfront, with 165,000 square feet of its own meeting space. But that’s not to say the hotel capacity was hurting before. Planners will find more than 11,000 hotel rooms within a mile, and major convention hotels like the 1,625-room Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego and 1,362-room San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina are just a quick walk away.
One of the area’s top off-site venue options is the historic aircraft carrier USS Midway. The vessel can accommodate a variety of events, including gala affairs for up to 3,000 people on its flight deck.
With so much to offer planners, it’s not surprising that San Diego has been a red-hot market for quite a long run. With the economy siphoning a little of that business away, however, the CVB is making sure planners are aware of the city’s affordability as well, and just launched a new initiative called the "(Sun)damentals of Meeting Planning." While highlighting the expertise of the CVB staff and the innovative iLead site-selection program, the initiative pays particular attention to helping planners hit that bottom line.
Coronado
Acting as a virtual island oasis, the long peninsula of Coronado stretching out in front of downtown is only a 20-minute drive away, but can feel as far as Hawaii.
As a centerpiece of San Diego history, the Hotel del Coronado has been one of the world’s top resorts since 1888, and its tranquil beach setting and classy ballrooms have proved as popular with Hollywood stars and presidents as with corporate groups. A newer option, though with equally stunning views, the Loews Coronado Bay Resort is perched on its own tiny peninsula. Its 80-slip private marina and chartered gondola cruises allow for easy access to the surrounding waters.
Along with being one of the most expensive places to live in the U.S., Coronado is also an important piece of real estate for the U.S. military. Much of the north end of the island is taken up by an air station, while a southern slice is devoted to a training center for the Navy SEALS. Groups interested in this might consider one of Loews’ unique team-building programs, a boot camp-like event run by former SEALS.
Mission Valley/Old Town
Only a hop, skip and jump from the border with Mexico, San Diego benefits from a rich blend of cultural heritage. An excellent destination for groups to experience this is in Old Town, a state park that combines historic buildings and landmarks with a number of excellent Mexican restaurants. The Old Town Trolley departs every 30 minutes, offering groups a guided tour of Old Town and beyond.
Nearby, at the end of Mission Valley’s Hotel Circle Drive, the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center offers 225,000 square feet of meeting space, 1,000 guest rooms, 30 acres of landscaping and six restaurants. If that’s somehow not enough, Hotel Circle Drive is packed with more than two dozen low- and mid-range hotels.
And if shopping is of interest to attendees, they will be thrilled in Mission Valley, a major shopping hub of Southern California, with several large shopping centers.
La Jolla/Mission Bay
At the west end of Mission Valley, the geography opens up as it nears the ocean, culminating in an icon of Southern California lifestyle—Mission Beach. With Mission Bay pinching it from behind, the beach itself is actually a thin strip of sand and prime real estate, and is a haven for every manner of sunbather, surfer, roller-blader and beach bum.
There are certainly no beach bums at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina, however, a gorgeous property that underwent a $65 million renovation two years ago and features a signature waterfront restaurant.
Just to the north lies the idyllic community of La Jolla. While technically part of the city of San Diego, many consider it its own separate town. Among its many highlights, La Jolla is home to the renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography (featuring a fantastic aquarium), the beautiful Torrey Pines State Reserve, the 6,000-acre La Jolla Underwater Park and Ecological Preserve, and numerous beaches.
Golfers will delight in the Torrey Pines Golf Course, a well-known stop of the PGA Tour, and nearly everyone in the group will want to visit the charming village of La Jolla. Some of the top meetings resorts in La Jolla include the Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, the Lodge at Torrey Pines and the beachfront La Jolla Shores Hotel.
North San Diego County
The uninitiated might imagine that North San Diego County would not have as much to offer planners as the city center, but they would be in for quite a surprise. In fact, a number of the top resorts in the country are sprinkled throughout this relatively rural area—an ideal option for exclusive meetings. Among the list of top-caliber resorts: The Grand Del Mar, L’Auberge Del Mar, Four Seasons Resort Aviara, Rancho Bernardo Inn and La Costa Resort & Spa.
For off-site events, the San Diego Wild Animal Park is a natural choice. Fully equipped for group events, with meeting space and catering, the huge park allows exotic animals to roam free in the style of an Africa safari. Another big draw, Legoland California is quite kid-oriented, but can do wonders for lightening up a serious group of corporate decision-makers.
Because of these qualities, North San Diego County is both the antithesis of the city as well as its perfect complement. Whereas the city offers planners a tight, walkable package of hotels, entertainment and convention space, the North provides exclusive resorts, remote surroundings and silent golf courses. And it’s still only a half-hour from the airport.
East San Diego County
Heading inland, San Diego transforms from a water-centric city into a rugged open landscape featuring endless outdoor recreation and several meetings-ready resorts.
Much of East San Diego’s recent rise into the meetings market is thanks to the explosive Indian gaming industry, which has helped give birth to such properties as Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, Borrego Ranch Resort & Spa and Sycuan Resort. Here, planners will find first-rate golf courses and tennis facilities to complement the buzzing casinos and well-appointed guest rooms and meeting space.
As a direct contrast to spa treatments, boardrooms and roulette tables, however, East San Diego is also teeming with outdoor adventure pursuits. The 650,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, for example, has more than 100 miles of biking, horseback riding and hiking trails, and the nearly dozen lakes and reservoirs make for excellent fishing and water recreation.
South San Diego County
With a demographic that is nearly 70 percent Hispanic, it should be no surprise that the Mexican border plays a heavy influence on the culture of south San Diego County.
The city of Chula Vista is where most of the meeting space and hotel rooms are found, but there are several unique off-site venues to be considered as well. The U.S. Olympic Training Center, which operates year-round, can be a thrilling destination for those interested in sports, and the facility has both meeting space and potential for group team-building events.
—Hunter Holcombe is a freelance writer who covers leisure travel and the meetings, conventions and incentives industry.
