Hard Rock San Diego's Nightlife Gets Messier

February 10, 2009 at 12:01 PM | by juliana | 1 Comment

As promised, we have an update on what's happening with the Sweetwater and Moonstone Lounges at the Hard Rock San Diego. Yesterday, Page Six reported that the lounges' operator Rande Gerber was at odds with the hotel management company, Tarsadia. Tarsadia has effectively shut out Gerber and his crew from the bars and Gerber himself seems resigned to settling the matter in court.

But here's how it all went down, according to a source inside the hotel. Apparently, last Thursday employees arrived at the hotel for work to find the doors to Sweetwater and the upstairs roofdeck pool lounge, Moonstone, locked. Tarsadia allegedly fired 150 employees, from waiters to alcohol buyers, and then rehired only about nine employees back on their team. Apparently, Tarsadia has reached out to the club operators behind Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas to rework their nightlife.

Despite all the turmoil, the bars remain open although our insider says that last weekend was the worst weekend of business since the bars opened last year. And judging from one comment on our story yesterday, the neighborhood might not be so keen to hang out here now that all-star Rande Gerber is out.

Obviously, we think all this drama stirs from the age-old cause of disagreements and failed partnerships--one side, either Gerber or Tarsadia, wanted more money. As for the reports that Gerber's security staff was roughhousing guests, that could be true. When we were at Sweetwater last year, a bouncer refused us re-entry to retrieve our purse because the bar was closing down in five minutes. Grr.

Mudslinging aside, all this is bad for the guests and for the locals who frequented Sweetwater and Moonstone. Hopefully, Tarsadia will get some equally exciting nightlife options in their hotel.

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Tags: Rande Gerber / Hard Rock Hotels / Hotel Clubs / Hotel Bars / Hotel News / Tarsadia / → All Tags