{"id":1044306,"date":"2026-09-05T05:13:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T05:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1044306\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T05:13:25","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T05:13:25","slug":"historic-downtown-hotel-gets-a-step-up-in-luxury-plus-its-first-pool-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1044306\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic downtown hotel gets a step up in luxury \u2014 plus its first pool \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

The now 7-year-old downtown boutique hotel that metamorphosed from a historic YMCA building is nearing the end of a multi-million-dollar upgrade that includes a new outdoor pool, reimagined lobby, curated art and a high-end restaurant with a global reputation.<\/p>\n

The owner is hoping that the latest iteration of the 162-room Guild Hotel will transform it into more of an urban resort that will attract not only new guests but also locals who can stop by for a cocktail, gourmet dinner or a dip in the pool.<\/p>\n

While the West Broadway property was positioned as a luxury hotel when it first opened in 2019, just before the pandemic, new improvements will raise the bar even higher, said Kevin Mansour, co-founder of Oram Hotels, parent company of the Guild Hotel and its sister property, the Granger, in the Gaslamp.<\/p>\n

\"Zuma,Zuma, which just opened in the Guild Hotel, is the global restaurant chain’s first West Coast location. (Zuma)<\/p>\n

There are few spaces in the hotel that have remained untouched since its opening<\/a>, from the lobby bar to the ballroom \u2014 once the YMCA\u2019s basketball court \u2014 that has been transformed into the Zuma restaurant, part of a London-born contemporary Japanese restaurant chain that opened its first West Coast dining room in San Diego.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was beautiful before, yes, absolutely, but there was an opportunity to bring out the riches of the architecture of the building and the history even more,\u201d Mansour said of the original $80 million project. \u201cSo, I think this does that. We wanted to incorporate more layers into the different areas of the hotel, and we wanted to warm it up a little bit, so you can linger. We want you to hang out and make this your living room of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Key among the reimagined Guild Hotel\u2019s new additions is a yet-to-open pool that occupies an area that was previously a garden with olive trees and a terrace designed for events. The new pool, Mansour said, will be one of the few street-level pools in downtown San Diego.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guests were asking for it, so there was a demand for a great hotel pool in downtown,\u201d Mansour said as he led a reporter on a tour of the Guild. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s an oasis in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA new outdoor swimming pool is under construction in the rear of the Guild Hotel in downtown San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Once the pool opens in the \u201ccoming weeks,\u201d says Mansour, there will be a separate pool menu with cocktails and poolside bites.<\/p>\n

Mansour declined to disclose the cost of the company\u2019s investment in the redo, saying only that it\u2019s substantial, amounting to several million dollars.<\/p>\n

The overarching design goal of the latest renovation was to create distinct, identifiable spaces that customize the experience for the hotel guest, whether it\u2019s checking in, browsing the hotel\u2019s curated retail outlet or relaxing in the Lobby Bar, says Mansour. And the location of some of the separate areas was shifted to better highlight them, like the front desk, which is now adorned with imported Moroccan tile, and a small retail outlet.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreviously, the space functioned primarily as circulation, with few places to pause or settle,\u201d explains the New York-based design firm INC Architecture & Design. \u201cThe new plan establishes places for arrival, conversation, dining and quiet retreat through subtle shifts in scale, light, color and enclosure. Moving through the building becomes a progression between openness and intimacy, echoing the YMCA\u2019s original role as both a social destination and a place of respite.<\/p>\n

An example is the Lobby Bar, considered the heart of the hotel. Stained glass was added as an accent piece to the bar, and custom curtains were added to highlight the area as a separate space for gathering. Also coming soon is an existing bar rail that will be transformed into a piece of art by a wave of draped metal.<\/p>\n

\"AtThe newly redesigned bar with stained glass panels behind it can be seen through a custom, see-through curtain that can be closed to create a separate space. (Nelvin Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Also new is a relocated lifestyle boutique that will feature curated books and art, fashion and selections of perfume, including custom scents developed for the Guild, Mansour said.<\/p>\n

\"JustJust off the front lobby of the Guild is a small retail space. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

While the Guild now has a signature restaurant with the addition of Zuma, its original dining venue, a Mediterranean concept called Luca<\/a>, was short-lived because of the pandemic. Operating in the hotel courtyard adjoining the lobby, it closed in 2020, never to fully reopen.<\/p>\n

A few years ago, the Guild announced it was partnering with San Diego-based Be Saha Hospitality Group<\/a> to take over the hotel\u2019s food and beverage operations. As part of that partnership, Be Saha was to bring in a well-regarded Tijuana chef, Ruffo Ibarra, to oversee the new dining project, which was going to focus on Cali Baja-style cuisine.<\/p>\n

The concept never took off after the Guild parted ways with Be Saha, Mansour said. The hotel, though, does offer dinner in its Lobby Bar, and the courtyard, where breakfast and lunch are served, will transform in the evenings into an area for aperitivos, Mansour said. A coffee bar is also planned for the outdoor location.<\/p>\n

\"EricEric Gilliatt installs artwork on the first floor of The Guild Hotel in downtown San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

A big component of the redesigned hotel is a specially curated collection of artwork, overseen by Oram Hotels\u2019 director of Arts & Culture, Jennifer Findley. An especially eye-catching piece is a framed tableau of dead, shrunken basketballs, all coated with tar. The artist, California native Tyrell Winston, is known for his basketball wall sculptures.<\/p>\n

The piece is meant to be, in part, an homage to the former Armed Service YMCA\u2019s role as a refuge for service members, Findley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s more known for the placement of these dead balls, but this one is more looking at kind of the blood, sweat and tears of sport,\u201d said Findley, founder of La Jolla-based JFiN Collective, an art advisory and consulting firm. \u201cAnd we loved it for the space, kind of making an homage to the military background, how much we put into life, but also an homage to the hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another piece depicts both sunrise and sunset, which was inspired by a trip the artist took to Paris, Findley said.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Mansour says he isn\u2019t finished with his luxe upgrades of the downtown property. Next up, he said, is a wellness component that will involve creating a spa in the basement area, where there is now a gym that will be expanded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWellness is going to be the key component of the evolution of the Guild,\u201d Mansour said. \u201cI think the demand is there and the guests are asking for it. If you\u2019re a local, you can come here on a staycation for an extended period of time and have a new experience every night or every day.<\/p>\n

\"OpenCourtyard area at the Guild in downtown San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think that\u2019s the beauty of this hotel. You go outside, and you\u2019re transported into a garden and, with the skyscrapers around you, you feel that sense of peace and calm, a place of refuge. You\u2019re saying, \u2018It feels like we\u2019re in the living room, hanging out.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The now 7-year-old downtown boutique hotel that metamorphosed from a historic YMCA building is nearing the end of…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1044307,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,64,1582,276,1370,3549,7264,7289,5331,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-1044306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-america","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-latest-headlines","tag-san-diego","tag-sandiego","tag-top-stories-sdut","tag-tourism","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117216729039202544","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1044306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1044306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1044306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1044307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1044306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1044306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1044306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}