Renovation transforms aging Little Italy hotel into new Courtyard by Marriott

The fifth-floor skydeck at Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Little Italy which contains a pool fitness center and restrooms under construction on Aug Photo by Drew Sitton Times of San Diego The largest hotel in Little Italy is set to finish a renovation project in mid-September The -story hotel with guest rooms at Front St has been open to guests since the renovation began six months ago but amenities like the pool ballroom and fitness center have been off-limits A restaurant and bar in the lobby will come later When construction is complete despite tariffs and material shortages it will officially become a Courtyard by Marriott Hotel making it one of the only branded hotels in Little Italy It is not quite the typical Courtyard hotel it is full function larger and has more meeting space On average a Courtyard hotel has less than square feet of meeting space but between its Amici Ballroom and Cardini Boardroom the Little Italy location has more than square feet of meeting space that could host everything from business gatherings to weddings We re more of a hybrid Courtyard explained Linnet Bautista director of sales and marketing Design wise they ve allowed us more liberties because of the size of it and also the neighborhood We do want it to be a seamless transition to Little Italy And so it s a little bit more elevated The popular walkable neighborhood has more boutique and pricy hospitality options Courtyard Little Italy has a lower price point with rooms starting at meant to attract business travelers and tourists alike The hotel intends to attract locals too especially with partnerships and discounts at local businesses Want to try a fancy new restaurant and enjoy a inadequate glasses of wine in Little Italy Instead of Ubers both means drop a car in the garage let the hotel book the restaurant and walk through the charming neighborhood there isn t that much of a difference in price And leave after a continental breakfast the next morning Our guests not only do they just get opportunities for restaurants that are hard to get into but we are also able to give them a discount as well mentioned Alpha Barry general manager The spiral staircase in the Fibonacci room which leads to a bedroom on the top story of the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Little Italy on Aug Photo by Drew Sitton Times of San Diego The opportunity to lead a renovation his dream job and live in San Diego his dream location has made the experience especially exciting for him Nobel Venture Group of Atlanta bought the hotel in the first quarter of this year It officially became a Marriott on Jan and renovations fast kicked off From until this year the hotel was a DoubleTree by Hilton Before that it was a Radisson since opening in Part of the work we re doing here is really impacting Little Italy as a neighborhood because we re ripping up the sidewalk bringing up the code putting up new trees new lighting new artwork Barry declared So the old DoubleTree needed particular updating and part of the owners wants and desires when they took this on is to really elevate the hotel and impacting everybody as much as realizable Much of the exterior stayed the same in the renovation with local artist Hanna Daly of Hanna s Murals adding bright art deco-inspired murals of the San Diego beach on the corners facing Union Street The fifth-floor sky deck is significantly different post-renovation The fitness center doubled in size and gym-goers even have a view of downtown San Diego from the large windows A restroom was added while the modest pool stayed the same Hanna Daly of Hanna s Murals created an art deco-inspired abstract mural for the corners of the hotel as seen on Aug Photo by Drew Sitton Times of San Diego Inside the color palette is more neutral with tans embodying the sand of San Diego beaches with hints of green Swirling lines in the lobby symbolize the sea while windows bring in light from the sky San Diego s heritage of sea sand and sky was the theme of the renovation The hotel has four room types all with views of the city or skyline Majority of have Juliet balconies The standard room has two queen beds or one king bed Unlike majority of downtown hotels they also have suites which include sitting rooms In premium options the Fibonacci rooms on the nd floor have a spiral staircase up to the bedroom on the very top floor There are also massive -square-foot hospitality suites with conference tables and a kitchenette There s no shortage of Marriott hotels in downtown San Diego Two other Courtyards are even in the Gaslamp not to mention there s a Granger Hotel AC Hotel Alma Westin Moxy and a regular Marriott Inside a standard room with a king bed at the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Little Italy on Aug Photo by Drew Sitton Times of San Diego Expand the scope out and iconic properties like the US Grant Guild Hotel and Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina emerge This Marriott s location makes it unique The reaction in one word is that it s delight Bautista of Oceanside declared This is my th hotel in my career Never have I seen that reaction And so it s infectious Its popularity already has been established Barry explained the hotel has sold out the last seven weekends