On May 15, Chula Vista’s new mega resort, the $1.6 billion Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center, is set to open its doors. Thirteen years after the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan (CVBMP)—a decade-long joint planning effort by the Port of San Diego, the City of Chula Vista, and Pacifica Companies—was approved by the California Coastal Commission, the Gayord will finally solidify itself as the largest built hotel on the West Coast.
So what does a billion-dollar price tag get you?
Nearly 500,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor spaces; 1,600 rooms, including 89 suites; 12 different food and beverage concepts; a 7,500-square-foot fitness center; full-service salon and spa; and a 4.25-acre water park with slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and a giant water playground. And of course, plenty of bragging rights.
Mariner’s Bar in the atrium
The range of restaurants will all be led by executive chef Jakob Esko, who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants including The Square in London and Ulriksdals Wärdshus in Stockholm. Among some of the standouts is Old Hickory Steakhouse featuring premium steaks and an in-house dry-aging program; Growlers Sports Bar & Taproom serving upscale bar food and boasting a 75-ft screen and sports team–themed keg wall; and Cask & Crown, a speakeasy-style bar with Prohibition-era design.
Gaylord’s convention center will also be the largest hotel convention center, ballroom, and exhibit hall in the county, measuring nearly 140,050 square feet. The ambitious project came to life thanks to several key stakeholders, including Marriott, the City Council, and other local agencies.
The resort’s 4.25-acre water park
“This is Chula Vista’s decade,” Chula Vista Mayor John McCann says. “We will have billions of dollars invested in the Chula Vista Bayfront over the next several years […] and we’ll be doing a substantial upgrade on dining, designing, and amenities that the city has never had before.”
“Everybody wanted this to happen and really worked together to find a way to make it happen,” says Scott Siebert, the general manager of Gaylord Pacific. “We struck gold. In California, to get a chance to build a waterfront project is few and far between, and it’s just a really great opportunity to be part of this community.”
Gaylord Pacific’s opening comes during a time of great economic uncertainty. Tourism is down across the US, conventions are being cancelled across the country, and a potential recession looms. But Peter Borum, director of marketing and public relations at Gaylord Pacific, says the project is opening with momentum. And while he can’t share specific figures, “early demand and pace have exceeded expectations” from both national associations and international groups.
“What we’re seeing in terms of interest and bookings gives us every confidence that this property is arriving at exactly the right time for the West Coast meetings market,” he says.
With its arrival, the project has created a large economic impact and is estimated to bring in $475 million each year once it opens, according to the Port of San Diego. To date, it’s created 3,850 jobs through construction and 4,000 permanent jobs.
The resort worked with San Diego Workforce Partnership to ensure those jobs went to residents. Borum says several members of the leadership team are San Diegans, including Director of Sales and Marketing Russ Mitchell, who was the very first employee hired for Gaylord Pacific.
Cask and Crown bar
The job openings also range from entry level to more experienced management positions. “We wanted to make a major push and impact the South Bay by opening up those positions locally,” says director of strategic partnerships Marian Daryaie, who oversaw local job fairs. “That was the whole drive of those events—to hire people who live in the community.”
Beyond his excitement of the opening, Borum also emphasized his plans to showcase the area and its community through local programming and events. “We are excited to eventually explore hosting signature events like food and wine festivals, live music performances, and meaningful community gatherings,” he says. “These ideas will, of course, be developed in close collaboration with the city of Chula Vista, ensuring they are a perfect fit for the local community and respect our environmental responsibilities.”
In total, the larger 535-acre Bayfront Master Plan includes Sweetwater Park and Sweetwater Bicycle Path and Promenade, the Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay RV Resort, Harbor Park and the Pacifica Development for residential, hotel, and commercial development. McCann says working with environmental groups was key to planning the Bayfront Master Plan. “Sustainability has been a hallmark for what we’ve put on the Bayfront to ensure quality public access and environmentally friendly structures,” he adds.
Eve Hill, an employee of the nearby Bison Mobile Home Park, says she’s excited about the project because it “brings Chula Vista into today” and doesn’t expect more people in the area will negatively impact her park. “We’re private property and we’re gated,” she says. But she said the incoming restaurants would be good for residents, both because they could bring jobs, and because they’d have more places to go.
Hill says a few residents are worried about additional traffic while acknowledging that it’s been a problem prior to the opening and hasn’t heard anything from the city about mitigating it. McCann acknowledges the project will increase demand on infrastructure, but says the city worked with the Port District and SANDAG to mitigate that, expanding transit access to the area.
Artiss Redmond, owner of nearby R&R Surf Rentals, says the project “feels like the tide turning in all the right ways” because it will create opportunities for his business. “We’re excited to welcome guests from around the world and offer them a front-row seat to the beauty and adventure of San Diego Bay,” he says.
When the project is open, Borum says the hope is it’ll be more than just a building to the surrounding community. “Our hope is that thousands of people will be able to look at this hotel and say, ‘That’s where your Dad and I got married. That’s where we celebrated my son’s first birthday and my daughter’s quinceañera. That’s where I got my first job,’” Borum says.
Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center opens on May 15 with rooms starting at $350 per night.
