san diego Travel Guide

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The Legoland Hotel San Diego is Rising!

April 18, 2012 at 6:42 PM | by | Comments (0)

For the folks who can't make it across the pond for the just-opened Legoland Hotel in the UK comes news that the Legoland Hotel San Diego, on property at the Legoland theme park, is indeed under construction and set to open in Summer 2013.

The Union-Tribune reports that excited Lego fans can even watch the building's progress via webcams:

Cameras installed last December after grading on the site began will remain on, tracking construction from sunrise to sundown, until the hotel opens in the summer of 2013. The website shows two different angles of the 250-room hotel and gives viewers the ability to watch time-lapse footage and zoom in and out of the site. The walls are currently going up, reports Legoland spokeswoman Julie Estrada.

Keen to stay here? Better get on the list. Advance room sales will open this August. Also, we're keeping our fingers crossed that "junior concierges" will be hired at this hotel too.

[Photo via Legoland Webcam]

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Kimpton's First Art Gallery Opens At The Palomar San Diego

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1047 5th Avenue [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101
April 2, 2012 at 9:04 AM | by | Comments (0)

Though many of Kimpton's spaces have a sort of art-y feel, there hasn't in fact been a dedicated art gallery space in any Kimpton hotel until now, at Palomar San Diego. A small portion of the lobby (above) has been converted into Salazar Contemporary Art Exhibits, a cozy nook that will showcase the works of local, up-and-coming artists.

The display will rotate about once a month, and hotel profits will be donated to a local children's charity that supports the arts. We don't really know how Kimpton has found the time to organize any of this, as we know they've been busy over the last few months dominating one hotel after the other.

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Here's One Way to Upstage a Hotel Restaurant Opening...

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 600 F Street [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101
March 19, 2012 at 5:34 PM | by | Comments (0)

Have the son of megastar Tom Cruise at the opening party!

The trendy Katsuya sushi chain opened at Andaz San Diego on Thursday night with some minor celebs in tow but aside from skateboarder pro Tony Hawk, clearly the biggest star there was Connor Cruise.

According to the NY Post, 17-year-old was chatting up his DJing "career" telling friends, "It's something I plan on doing long-term." Since it's already making $10,000 per gig doing it, we guess he must be doing something good. And it doesn't hurt that he's got the right connections. But we still prefer Pauly D for our fave celeb DJ.

Meanwhile, the Katsuya at Andaz took over the hotel's old Quarter Kitchen restaurant and like all other Katsuyas before it, this one features interiors by Philippe Starck and traditional Japanese fare including sushi and robata.

While you can't get Katsuya room service, you can get it to go and bring up to your room. Those start at around $250 a night.

[Photo via Zimbio.com]

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Could This Be, Free Internet at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 401 K Street [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101
January 2, 2012 at 2:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

The other day when we were investigating some hotel options in San Diego, we came across this interesting bit of info at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter--complimentary internet.

That's a highly unusual service at a Hilton hotel since it's pretty much a brand standard to charge for internet so we had to call the hotel to double-check. And indeed the internet is gloriously free!

However, there is a little caveat. While the internet is free wireless in the lobby, upstairs in the guestrooms, it's wired. So if you had hopes of working from bed, be sure to bring an extra long ethernet cable with you.

Still, with the good news from earlier today that Bryant Park Hotel has gone the way of free WiFi, could 2012 really be THE year that hotels finally listen to our "Free WiFi For All" chants? We know it's premature to be thinking like this, after all it's only the second day of the new year but we just can't help ourselves.

Know of a hotel that once charged for internet but is now offering it gratis? Let us know!

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Best Celeb Performance of 2011: Ashton Kutcher Wrecks His Marriage at the Hard Rock

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 207 5th Ave [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101-6908
December 30, 2011 at 9:07 AM | by | Comments (0)

It's what you've been waiting all year for--The 2011 HotelChatter Awards! We'll be bringing you the best and worst of the year all day today and part of tomorrow. Agree or disagree with our picks? Air your thoughts in the comments below.

In a way, it was over before it even began. Celebrity power couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore were suddenly thrown into the center of a media whirlwind when it was discovered that Ashton had shacked up with a girl at the Hard Rock San Diego—and what's worse, her "friend" was actually wiling to corroborate the entire story. Ruh roh.

After the story was leaked by this gossip blog, all sorts of details were swirling around—the confiscated cellphones, the "gaggle" of girls, the pre-sex "waiting room" (we picture them all lined up like Gaga fans at a CD signing)—but this email set the record straight. And then we found out exactly how long 'hard rock'-ing lasted. Because we were all dying to know...

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Gordon Ramsay Makes Over The Keating Hotel in San Diego for 'Hotel Hell'

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 432 F St [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101
December 21, 2011 at 2:41 PM | by | Comments (2)

The other day when we heard that chef Gordon Ramsay stayed at the Hard Rock San Diego while filming episodes for his new reality show, Hotel Hell, we were dying to know which hotels or B&Bs he was tasked with making over. As it turns out, we didn't have to wait too long to find out.

Ramsay was working his magic at The Keating Hotel on F Street. The hotel has only been open for about four years but the slick Italian Pininfarina interiors (the same designers behind Maserati and Ferrari) received so-so reviews from the LA Times as well as one of our own HotelChatter Mavens, Mari, who could hardly sleep thanks to all the nightclub noise next door.

Enter Chef Ramsay.

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Gordon Ramsay Escapes 'Hell' at The Hard Rock San Diego

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 207 Fifth Avenue [map], San Diego, CA, United States
December 20, 2011 at 8:45 AM | by | Comments (0)

Well, well, well, it looks like we know where the first episode of Gordon Ramsay's Hotel Hell reality show will be taking place--San Diego. And how do we know this? Because chef has apparently been shacking up at the Hard Rock San Diego during filming.

Sources tell us that Ramsay spent five days at the hotel in a Multi-Platinum Rock Star Suite, a massive guestroom that measures over 900 sq.ft. and which includes a king bed; 42" flat screen TV; a living room with table seating for six; an oversized minibar with sink; an additional half-bath; VIP services at the hotel such as check-in, use of the green room and any other request you may have; and lastly an outdoor terrace.

While we might be content to just lounge around in this suite, Gordon also checked out the hotel's rock spa for a deep tissue massage and even drank coffee with the hotel staff at Maryjane's diner, just off the lobby.

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The Outdoor Treatment Casita Makes All the Difference at the Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 7550 Bernardo Oaks Dr [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92128
November 22, 2011 at 3:05 PM | by | Comment (1)

When we last left off with the Rancho Bernardo Inn and Spa, we told you that we got out of the room (like they wanted) and headed down to the spa for a little R&R.

The Rancho Bernardo Inn (RBI as it's known to the local folks) is a sprawling resort where the lobby, reception, the Bizcocho restaurant and the Granada cafe are housed in one Spanish rancho-style building while the guestrooms are divided amongst several others. The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn, however, is set up a little differently.

Seated near the bottom of a hill below the guestrooms and overlooking the golf course, the spa entrance is housed in a casita overlooking the spa guests-only saline pool while the locker rooms, some treatment rooms and relaxation lounge are in another casita across the way. And it's behind this building where bliss begins.

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'Two Hours' Of Pleasure Lead To Divorce For Ashton And Demi

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 207 5th Ave [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101-6908
November 18, 2011 at 9:30 AM | by | Comment (1)

We kind of saw this coming. After six years of marriage, Demi Moore filed for divorce from her wayward husband yesterday—and we've even got the tweet to prove it. @aplusk, or Ashton Kutcher as he's known outside of the Twittersphere, made headlines all over the world last month with his extramarital late-night tryst at the Hard Rock San Diego.

During an interview with UK paper The Sun last month, Sara Leal revealed she and Kutcher spent two hours having sex in the room, before Ashton congratulated himself on his performance. Typical.

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Katsuya to Open at the Andaz San Diego Early Next Year

November 17, 2011 at 1:45 PM | by | Comments (0)

Aside from sexy bondage guestrooms and a chance to see a ginger prince partying, the Andaz San Diego will now offer guests a veritable sushi hotspot from Katsuya.

The celeb fave sushi restaurant from Master Sushi Chef Katsuya Uechi will open early next year in a 6,000-sq.ft. indoor-outdoor lobby space and will be the hotel's signature restaurant. (It will replace the hotel's current restaurant, the Quarter Kitchen.)

The interiors will be designed by Philippe Starck and promise "an alluring ambiance that represents a chic and casual celebration of food and drink." The menu will feature traditional Japanese fare, sushi and an expansive menu of Robata selections prepared over an open flame. (And we guess the Hyatt affiliation of Andaz doesn't bother Katsuya's parent company SBE which operates the SLS Hotels brand.)

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The Rancho Bernardo Inn Wants You To Get Out of Their Room...

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 17550 Bernardo Oaks Dr [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92128
November 2, 2011 at 4:54 PM | by | Comments (0)

...and book an appointment at the spa or play some golf!

When we checked into the Rancho Bernardo Inn outside of San Diego the other week, we thought that housekeeping had forgotten to remove a stickie note from the TV. But upon closer inspection we saw that it was a faux handwritten note encouraging us to book a tee time on the golf course. We don't play golf so we tossed it aside.

But then we found another stickie note in the bathroom, saying "Everything looks better after a trip to the spa." And we found yet one more stickie note above the mini-bar encouraging us to hit up the hotel's Cafe Granada for some coffee in the morning. Hee! What a clever technique to get us out of the rooms and explore the property (and spend some money.)

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Naughty Ginger: Prince Harry Parties at The Ivy at Andaz San Diego

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 600 F St [map], San Diego, CA, United States, 92101
October 11, 2011 at 9:15 AM | by | Comments (0)

Wills who? The royal prince we really have the um, red hots for is Prince Harry and we're kicking ourselves for not having been at the Andaz San Diego over the weekend when Harry decided to let loose from his Apache military helicopter training.

Us Magazine reports that the Prince hit up the hotel's Ivy rooftop bar (Ivy is a nod to the hotel's former name) with 20 of his friends and started guzzling Absolut Vodka, Red Bull and beer. Then they moved to the hotel's outdoor pool deck where they watched a rugby match in a private cabana.

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