Dive Brief:
- Marriott International opened the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center near San Diego in Chula Vista, California, the company announced Thursday.
- The $1.3 billion project features 1,600 rooms including 89 suites, 12 food and beverage concepts, a 4.25-acre waterpark and more than 477,000 square feet of meetings and events space, according to Marriott.
- The property is Gaylord Hotels’ sixth, and its first in California. It’s also the first Gaylord Hotels property to debut since the 2018 opening of Gaylord Rockies Resort in Colorado. Marriott says the hotel strengthens its group and convention offerings.
Dive Insight:
Gaylord Hotels Vice President and Managing Director Johann Krieger said the resort is the result of “a decade-long collaboration with the City of Chula Vista and the Port of San Diego.”
Space for meetings — the “core” of Gaylord Hotels’ brand — includes the largest hotel convention center and ballroom in California, according to Marriott. Meetings space includes 135,000 square feet of event lawns and terrace, 67 breakout rooms and four ballrooms. The property also has a full-service events team with dedicated event managers.
In addition to king and queen rooms, the hotel’s offerings include executive suites, luxury suites, presidential suites and “ulra-premium” penthouse presidential suites, according to Marriott. Penthouse presidential suites include more than 3,200 square feet of indoor and outdoor space and a private furnished balcony with panoramic views, as well as a living room, kitchenette, bar, dining table and primary bedroom with private dressing room.
The resort’s food and beverage offerings include a surf-and-turf steakhouse, a kitchen and bar with a seasonal menu, a sports bar and taproom, a seafood-focused bar and a sushi concept. The property’s waterpark also features two dedicated restaurants.
In addition to the waterpark, guests can access a 7,500-square-foot fitness center and a salon and spa.
Group and business travel continued to grow at a healthy pace in the first quarter of 2025, driven by events, according to Cendyn and Amadeus’ Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index, released last week.
Hilton is also expanding its convention center-focused hotel brand, Signia, with plans to open an Indianapolis location in 2026.
