What service can you provide to groups that they normally might not receive?
One of the benefits to both groups and conventions staying at the Omni San Diego is that they have at their disposal a highly experienced “Les Clefs d'Or Concierge” staff to provide them with the personal, dedicated, and creative service that they deserve.
The Concierge can provide welcome remarks to convention general sessions, do spousal meet and greets, plan special team building and off site group excursions, arrange for interpreters and translators, provide special pricing for groups at local attractions and assist with group dinners and dine-arounds, among many other services.
What are your bar or nightclub recommendations?
If you are looking for a great night on the town at a club, bar or lounge, the Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego is the perfect place. For the club scene, two of the hottest and most popular dance clubs are Club Fluxx and Club Stingeree. Both clubs have the best DJs in the industry and play the latest dance and club music. The clubs attract a young, hip and energetic crowd that likes to see and be seen.
If the club scene is not what you are looking for and you prefer something a little more mellow, check out Croces or Patrick's. Both venues feature the best live jazz and blues music and are known for the quality of the performers that play there on a nightly basis.
If a good bar and drink are more your style, two of my favorite places are Vin De Syrah and The Field. Vin De Syrah is not your typical wine and cheese location–the subterranean eclectic and artistic bar has an amazing wine selection and great cocktail mixologists. The Field is a warm and friendly irish pub and the minute you walk in, you feel like you’re actually in Ireland. It is the perfect place to sit with friend for a few laughs and enjoy one of the over 50 whiskeys available.
Can you recommend a good place to take a stroll?
San Diego is a great walking city and downtown San Diego's waterfront is the perfect place to take a stroll. Across the street from the Omni is the San Diego harbor, which offers a great pedestrian pathway that is designed for a leisurely walk or jog.
Along the harbor walk, you will find great restaurants, interesting specialty stores, tributes to our naval and military past, tall sailing ships, modern cruise ships, the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum, and peaceful and scenic places to stop and overlook the beautiful water.
Are there any quirky places we should check out?
One of the most interesting and quirky communities in San Diego is an area called Ocean Beach. This area is known for its great surfing and also for its 1960s bohemian feel, almost anything says, attitude. You will find a mix of funky one-of-a-kind stores alongside antique dealers, coffee shops, bars and surf shops. You’ll never forget this spot!
What is an unusual request from a group you’ve had?
Being a large group and convention hotel, the Omni San Diego Hotel has had many unique requests made of the Concierge. One of the most memorable group requests that I had was for a group of financial planners that wanted to have each of his attendees receive a pair of custom cashmere socks that had the individuals’ initials on one side, the company’s initials on the other side, and a smiley face on the toe.
Locating the cashmere socks was not difficult, but finding a location that would custom embroider initials and color match all the initials and smiley faces within 24 hours was the challenging. But a challenge is something our Concierge thrives on and this particular request was one that we loved accomplishing.
A party of 12 wants to have dinner right away. What restaurant can accommodate last-minute requests of this size?
We are fortunate the only reservation challenge a party of 12 will face is choosing from the multiple restaurant options the hotel and Gaslamp has to offer.
What’s a unique event that has taken place at your property?
With the Omni's unique location of being connecting to a major sports stadium, we have had many memorable and major events occur within yards of our hotel's front door. Some of those memorable events include incredible sports events and playoffs, world tour concerts of the Rolling Stones and Madonna, and a historic opening day baseball pitch by former President Jimmy Carter, who was also the very first guest of our hotel.
To discover more eye-opening insights from top concierges, just visit our Concierge Insights section!
