Where To
Eat: Searsucker
In the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter you’ll find Searsucker, a restaurant focused on delivering unpretentious new American classics from chef Brian Malarkey, a former “Top Chef” finalist. The restaurant’s private dining room can accommodate up to 32 and is tucked away upstairs, away from the main dining area.
Play: SI Teambuilding
San Diego’s relationship to the armed services runs deep — from the USS Midway to Camp Pendleton. What better way to gain a strong understanding of its military ties than with a U.S. Navy SEAL-inspired obstacle course on the beach? All programs, says SI Teambuilding’s Ron Lee, are customizable and moderated to match the fitness levels of every member of the group to be challenging, but fun.
Meet: USS Midway
An historic aircraft carrier is certainly no ordinary event venue, and the USS Midway definitely fits the bill. With room for up to 3,500 guests, it can host events of nearly any size or scope, with the backdrop of downtown San Diego and ocean views included. From intimate cocktails to lavish galas, the Midway’s options are as vast as the sea. — Deanna Ting
CONVENTION CENTERS & FACILITIES
San Diego Convention Center
(615,700 sf)
ROOM TAX
10.5 percent
READERS
Recommend
PINNACLE AWARDS GO TO:
• San Diego CVB
• Hard Rock Hotel San Diego
• Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
• San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina
The W San Diego has refreshed its outdoor lounge
San Diego is all set for a banner year of meetings
business now that a brouhaha between city hall and the city's
Tourism Marketing Authority has been resolved peacefully. Last
month, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner allocated $30 million in
annual marketing funds for tourism, though at press time the
deal was still pending formal approval.
San Diego certainly has a lot of new offerings to promote right
now. The city is planning a major expansion of its convention
center. The project, currently scheduled to wrap up in 2016,
will build on an additional 80,000-square-foot ballroom,
101,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as 225,000 square
feet of exhibit space. Together this will create the largest
contiguous exhibit hall on the West Coast.
The convention center is being expanded with careful attention
to its sustainability. Currently LEED Silver Certified, the
center's expansion is being built with the same level of
precision, using natural lighting, a solar chimney to create
natural ventilation, and water filtration systems to cut down
on runoff.
There is more space to take in the open air and warm weather
coming to San Diego in other areas as well. The city is
investing $8.5 million in a major expansion of the Horton Plaza
Park urban plaza, located downtown. The park will grow by 1.2
acres, and add a 25,000-seat amphitheater.Long-Term Changes
In February, the 337-room Embassy Suites San Diego Bay
Downtown, which completed a $3.5-million renovation of its
suites last year, was purchased by the Pebblebrook Hotel Trust.
The property will now be managed by HEI Hotels and Resorts. The
hotel has approximately 5,000 square feet of meeting and event
space.
The Town & Country Resort & Convention Center recently
refreshed the textiles in all 1,000 of its guest rooms. The
property is also upgrading its Internet capabilities: By the
end of the year, two new, faster Wi-Fi systems will be
installed in all meeting spaces and guest rooms. The resort has
a total of 225,000 square feet of meeting and event space,
including a 41,000-square-foot exhibition hall.
But development has been churning along in San Diego going well
back into last year. In June of 2012, the W San Diego completed
a $5-million renovation that introduced a new lobby, signature
restaurant, and rooftop bar, as well as new indoor and outdoor
event spaces. The new lobby, called the "Living Room," has a
lounge-like atmosphere. KELVIN, the additional restaurant, is
focused on locally sourced ingredients, and serves haute street
food like ropa vieja tacos made with braised pork shoulder and
jicama salad, and duck confit quesadillas. The W San Diego has
20,000 square feet of meeting space, including a
1,250-square-foot boardroom with stunning city views.
The Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa reopened last October
after a $30-million renovation. Work touched on public areas
and meeting and event spaces in addition to a major redesign of
the resort's 49 suites. The resort's restaurant and spa, which
offers treatments centered around the energizing benefits of
herbs, oils, and flowers, also underwent significant
restructuring. The property has a total of 12,000 square feet
of meeting space, including a 1,900-square-foot ballroom.
The center of San Diego's dining, shopping, and entertainment
offerings remains the Gaslamp Quarter, which also boasts some
of the city's most attractive meeting properties.
Last year, the Westin Gaslamp Quarter wrapped up a $30-million
renovation that began with a remodel of all 450 guest rooms.
The property's indoor and outdoor meeting space - totaling
35,000 square feet in all - was refreshed, and the fitness
center was modernized into a brand-new WestinWORKOUT fitness
studio complete with new flooring, lighting, window shades, and
cardio equipment that boasts video screens and iPod stations.
The hotel is the first property to debut Westin's new lobby
concept: vertical gardens that bring the outdoors inside with
the aim of both adding natural beauty to the space and
improving air quality.