MONTEREY, Calif.
Domaine Hospitality Partners, LLC, and representatives from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Foursome Development Co., and the City of Pacific Grove, California, announced the launch of Project Bella.
Developed by Domaine Hospitality Partners, Project Bella will be located across the street from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station at the site of the American Tin Cannery, at the end of historic Cannery Row. Now in planning with world-renowned architect Mark Hornberger of Hornberger+Worstell, Project Bella aims to be the leading luxury hotel in the U.S.
Speaking from the future site of the sustainability-focused hotel, Founder and Executive Director Julie Packard of the Monterey Bay Aquarium spoke of how Project Bella intersects with the aquarium’s mission: “Economic boom built on extracting the ocean’s resources can now be converted and transformed into a new story of something more sustainable for humans and animals for the long term.
“Success for this building was built on sardines, as we all know. Success for the Bella project is going to be built on guests from around the world appreciating and caring for this amazing Bay,” Packard said.
Project Bella plans to offer 160 rooms and suites, all with ocean views. Rooms will be designed, built, and furnished to the highest levels of luxury and to a standard shared by only a very few of the world’s best hotels. The hotel will include conference and meeting facilities targeted to private meetings at the executive level and for symposia and events in support of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hopkins Marine Station, and visitors to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
“It’s going to be one of the most magnificent hotels ever built on the waterfront,” said Ted Balestreri, managing partner of Foursome Development Company. Balestreri also spoke of the importance of keeping the Marine Sanctuary clean, safe, and accessible, so that people learn to love and respect it.
Project Bella’s development plan calls for recognition of the Monterey Peninsula’s environmental heritage through a state-of-the-art sustainable design that will achieve LEED Platinum certification. According to the U.S. Green Building Council there are currently only four LEED Platinum hotels certified in the U.S.
No current timeline for the hotel’s construction was provided during the announcement. An article in the Monterey Herald said it could be years before construction starts due to a need for a zoning change for the hotel (to be approved by voters), and a question of sustainable water supply.
A website has been launched for the project at www.domainehotels.com/project-bella.htm.
