who owns the catamaran resort in san diego

History of the  Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa

The Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa is owned and operated by the Evans family of San Diego. Entrepreneurs William and Anne Evans founded the company more than 60 years ago and it has been a mainstay in America’s Finest City ever since. After first opening the Bahia Resort Hotel in 1953, the Evans family acquired the right to develop land on the other side of Mission Bay for the Catamaran in 1958. Currently, Anne Evans serves the company as Chairman Emeritus, Grace Evans Cherashore serves as Executive Chairwoman, and David Cherashore and Bill Evans serve as Executive Board Members. While the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa caters to corporations big and small for conventions, meetings, and parties, the Evans family is proud to provide a fun, yet tranquil environment for families all year round.  

1958 The Catamaran opens as a modest 82-room inn with Polynesian motif after the famed Scripps family abandoned their summer estate in late 1955. This marks the Evans family’s 2nd resort on Mission Bay after building the Bahia Resort Hotel in 1953.  

1961 The Victorian-style sternwheeler Bahia Belle starts cruising Mission Bay between the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa, and Bahia Resort Hotel. The Belle, providing public cruises into the night and event venues, is now the entertainment hub of Mission Bay.

1969 The resort is remodeled with the addition of a 14-story tower with 150 rooms, suites, and studios. This expansion brought the room count to 232 and provided a group of guests with unequivocal views of Mission Bay and San Diego.

1986 The Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa expands with the addition of the 300, 400, 600, 700, and 800 buildings, bringing the room count to the current 310. The private parking structure also is built to accommodate the increased number of guests.

2001 The beginning of a great summer tradition in San Diego occurs with the first Catamaran Sunset Luau. Local luau entertainment specialists, Pride of Polynesia, provide hula dancers and fiery torch dancers for the enjoyment of guests.

2005 The South Pacific-inspired Catamaran Spa opens with 10 treatment rooms, relaxation lounge, steam room, sauna, men’s and women’s locker rooms, and a whirlpool and fitness center that overlook Mission Bay.

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Who Owns the Catamaran Resort in San Diego?

By Michael Ferguson

If you’re planning a trip to San Diego and looking for a luxurious resort experience, you may have come across the Catamaran Resort. But have you ever wondered who owns this stunning property?

The History of the Catamaran Resort

Before we dive into the ownership of the resort, let’s take a look at its history. The Catamaran Resort was opened in 1958 by Walter and Betty Zable. It was originally built as a small hotel with just 20 rooms, but over the years, it has expanded into a massive resort with over 300 rooms and suites.

One of the most unique features of the Catamaran Resort is its location on Mission Bay, which offers stunning views of the water and surrounding landscape. The resort also boasts several restaurants, a spa, and multiple outdoor pools.

The Current Owner of the Catamaran Resort

So who currently owns this beautiful property? In 2017, the Evans Hotels group purchased the Catamaran Resort from Pacifica Host Hotels. The Evans family has been involved in San Diego’s hospitality industry for over 60 years and owns several other properties in addition to the Catamaran.

The Evans Hotels group is known for its commitment to sustainability and eco-friendliness. They even won an award from the San Diego Green Building Council for their efforts to reduce energy usage at one of their other properties.

What Sets the Catamaran Resort Apart

While there are many resorts in San Diego, what sets the Catamaran apart? For one, its prime location on Mission Bay is hard to beat. Guests can enjoy water activities like kayaking or paddleboarding right from the resort’s beach.

The resort also offers unique experiences like a nightly sunset cruise on a replica Mississippi-style sternwheeler boat. And for those looking to relax and unwind, there’s an on-site spa offering massages, facials, and other treatments.

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La Jolla Heroines: Anne Evans and Grace Evans Cherashore extend their ‘work family’ across the region

A look at the La Jollans and longtime leaders of Evans Hotels, whose properties include The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla.

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Much of La Jolla’s early advancement was fueled by prolific philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. But many more women have followed in being important benefactors to La Jolla. This series by the Light highlights local women who have worked for decades to further the evolution of La Jolla and areas beyond.

The notion of family has kept Evans Hotels from floundering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re too stubborn to quit,” Grace Evans Cherashore said of the company, which was founded by her parents, William and Anne Evans, in 1953 and has been family-run since.

Cherashore became chairwoman of the board of Evans Hotels in 2014 after having served as chief executive and president since 1994 and chief financial officer for the 10 years prior, a role she took on in 1984 when William Evans died.

Anne Evans served as chairwoman from 1984 to 2014. She now attends all board meetings as chairwoman emeritus.

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Evans Hotels, which started with the Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Bay, expanded to include the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa in Pacific Beach in 1958 and The Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, which opened in 2002 after an extensive renovation.

It has been “so integrated into the community,” Evans said, contributing to the region’s economic growth.

Evans and Cherashore, both La Jolla residents, have themselves contributed to the community. Evans has served on UC San Diego’s The Preuss School Founders Circle and the board of advisors for UCSD’s Rady School of Management. Cherashore served as the 2019 chairwoman of the California Chamber of Commerce, among other activities.

Evans and Cherashore answered questions from the La Jolla Light about family, advice and legacy.

Q. When did you feel you were a success as a woman?

A. “I don’t stop to reflect, ‘Am I a success?’” Evans said. “You just have to be maneuverable and prepared to respond, because it’s coming at you all the time.”

“Anne always says, ‘Keep your knees bent,’” Cherashore said.

“It’s a skiing thing, Evans said. “You have to be prepared for the slalom course, the bumps and the surprises around every turn.”

“It’s day to day,” Cherashore said of success. “Our business doesn’t have a graduation day.”

Q. What’s your advice to the next generation of female leaders?

A. “I did not experience the pushback because of gender,” Evans said. “Along the way, opportunities just seem to have come to me. Challenges also have arrived unbidden.

“Make a five-year plan. You surely cannot make a 10-year plan. Keep a positive attitude, no chip on the shoulder, no expectation of being disappointed. … Just expect to be included.”

Q. How do you build resilience to bounce back from setbacks?

A. “It doesn’t matter to me if some setbacks [were] because I was a woman or because I was old or I was too young,” Cherashore said, “because usually it’s more their problem than yours.

“My dad had a friend who’s an old Texan, and he would just say to me, ‘Gracie, just drive your own truck.’ And what that would mean is, make your own plan where you’re going. Don’t get all distracted by what other people are doing. … Don’t listen to incoming static or to applause.”

Q. What excites you about the work you’re doing now?

A. “Retooling our properties to be the very best they can be for individual leisure travelers,” Cherashore said. “Summer travel has really come back very strongly in Southern California. I feel really excited about some of the offerings that people want.

“What hotels are has evolved tremendously.” Evans Hotels has tried to “be a work family … providing good, steady, long-term jobs with a retirement plan and medical insurance for you and your family. ... That was not expected in our industry. [It] has been super, super important to us.

“We stayed open through the pandemic [to] try to maintain employment for our people. The other reason we did it was to be of service to the medical community,” working with all major health care companies in the region to provide low-cost rooms and meals for health care providers who might have immunocompromised family members at home.

Q. What keeps you awake at night?

A. “Despite having stayed open, despite paying over the … living wage, we are still, as is every hotel that I know of in San Diego, really having trouble getting enough staff,” Cherashore said.

“I think the problem is that many people moved to places with cheaper cost of living. So what has me worried, as a parent with two children in their 30s … is it’s just really hard for young people to have housing.

“It’s really an emergency here in San Diego. … I don’t think we really want to become a place that only old retired people can afford to live in.”

Q. What do you want your legacy to be?

A. “I can’t imagine,” Evans said. “I mean, I have a family, I have children.”

“I think [Evans’] legacy will be trying hard every day to do everything she could to support the growth of San Diego,” Cherashore said, “and trying very hard to be part of [the city] being a positive place for wonderful young families.

“[I want] to continue that and to have our hotels grow and our company grow cautiously and in a way that helps us to be a positive member of the community in terms of a place to work, a place to have your wedding reception, a place to … stay.” ◆

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Voice of San Diego

Unveiling the Unseen

Bill Evans, Man of Influence

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Last month, the San Diego City Council approved an uncommon lease extension for the Bahia Resort Hotel on Mission Bay.

Among the interesting elements of the deal was the timing of the vote, during the last week of Mayor Jerry Sanders’ tenure, and the fact that it reached the docket at that time only by first skipping a hearing before the City Council’s committee on land use issues.

One thing that wasn’t unusual, though, was the fact that the City Council would be concerned with the status of Bill Evans, the recipient of the new lease. One of the city’s most prominent hoteliers, he’s also sat on major regional boards, is a prolific political contributor and was recently considered for a board appointment at the Unified Port of San Diego.

Evans Hotels, the company founded by his father more than a half-century ago, operates three of San Diego’s highest-profile establishments. In addition to the Bahia, it also owns the Catamaran Hotel & Spa on Mission Bay and the Lodge at Torrey Pines overlooking Torrey Pines golf course, as well as two party boats that ferry back and forth between the two Mission Bay hotels.

The Bahia became the family business’s first resort in 1953, when William Evans put forward the only bid to lease the city’s land, back when the area was still a mud flat.

William Evans died in 1984, but the business has continued to thrive under his wife, Anne Evans, who became chairwoman that year.

But the company also owes its success to their son, Bill Evans, executive VP and managing director since his father’s death, and his sister, Grace Evans Cherashore, president and CEO since 1992.

It was Bill Evans who stood before the City Council last month (along with CFO Robert Gleason, also a frequent political donor), making the case for the agreement he negotiated with the city’s real estate assets division, and pledged to make good on the redevelopment hopes he said drove both the company and the city into the deal.

A year ago, he made waves when he spoke out against the financing plan for a Convention Center expansion after he had initially been part of a Sanders-appointed task force to look into the project. He eventually supported the deal because he felt the expansion was vital to the city, but maintained his belief that the hotel taxing structure that paid for part of it was unfair to hotels that aren’t near the Convention Center.

Back in 2009, he was nominated to become one of San Diego’s three appointed port commissioners. He had the support of Councilwoman Marti Emerald, a Democrat, and Councilman Kevin Faulconer, a Republican, but the position eventually went to Lee Burdick.

He’s also a past president of a major regional hotel association and the San Diego Convention Center Corp., and a past board member of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Convention Center and Visitors Bureau (ConVis), which recently recaptured control of San Diego’s long-term marketing responsibilities from the Convention Center Corp. with Evans’ backing.

In the fall of 2005, he was one of 15 citizens — along with then-businessman Carl DeMaio — to receive a letter from City Attorney Mike Aguirre encouraging him to register as a lobbyist after a San Diego Union Tribune investigation identified him as one of the most frequent people on the appointment calendars of city council members and their chiefs of staff.

He’s also a prolific contributor to political campaigns.

In the last six years alone, members of the Evans family and employees of Evans Hotels have made campaign contributions of more than $27,000 to propositions and city officials, including the mayoral campaigns of Sanders and DeMaio.

Those donations have been spread among Democrats and Republicans, “pro business” and “union friendly” legislators, winners and losers alike.

While the family and company are regular donors to the city’s decision-makers, it’s worth putting the $27,000 over six years in context: Evans Hotels grosses more than $100 million in revenue annually, and has invested over $27 million in the Bahia property since 1985. Checks for $500 to political campaigns aren’t costly expenditures.

But its nonetheless unsurprising that the City Council would prioritize the concerns of a company whose executives sit on influential city boards, make regular campaign contributions and who’ve recently been considered for perhaps the region’s most significant appointed position.

At the City Council hearing during which the new lease agreement won unanimous approval, Faulconer personally thanked members of the Evans family for attending and praised the work Evans Hotels has done on its leaseholds throughout the city.

“You have treated this property I think extremely well. And any time that we’ve had any interactions or issues, which have been very minimal, you were always there,” he said. “That’s the type of relationship I think we wish we had with more of our tenants.”

Emerald, who along with Councilman David Alvarez questioned why the extension had been hurried to a vote before joining their colleagues in unanimously approving it, interrupted her remarks to assure she didn’t question Evans’ intentions.

“To set the record straight, I have absolute confidence in Mr. Evans and his organization, who do a first-class job with anything that they do there,” she said. “But I do respect the process for review, and I just don’t understand where’s the fire, where’s the urgency to get this done now when next week we have a new council coming in, a new mayor?”

I’m Andrew Keatts, a reporter for Voice of San Diego. Please contact me if you’d like at [email protected] or 619.325.0529 and follow me on Twitter

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Disclosure: Voice of San Diego members and supporters may be mentioned or have a stake in the stories we cover. For a complete list of our contributors, click here .

Andrew Keatts

Andrew Keatts is a former managing editor for projects and investigations at Voice of San Diego. More by Andrew Keatts

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Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa

View prices for your travel dates

• Excellent 4,743
• Very Good 1,270
• Average 539
• Terrible 203
• All languages ( 7,012 )
• English ( 6,835 )
• German ( 61 )
• French ( 42 )

" Book the suite that you are able to walk out to the bay! "

" Garden room deluxe was great. 700 building just not well cleaned "

" Avoid a tower room "

" Tower rooms seemed older. Pool rooms seemed noisy. "

" The rooms that walkout to the beach/bay are definitely worth it! "

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa - UPDATED 2024 Prices, Reviews & Photos

Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa

3999 Mission Boulevard, Mission Bay, San Diego, CA 92109, United States of America – Excellent location – show map

Cleanliness

Value for money

Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa Reserve now

Located 100 yards from the Pacific Ocean, this San Diego resort features an outdoor pool and full-service spa with beauty treatments. Rooms at the resort include free Wi-Fi. Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa provides rooms with balconies or patios. Every room contains a flat-screen cable TV with HBO and an iPod docking station. Guests can enjoy on-site dining at the property's restaurant, Oceana Coastal Kitchen. Guests can also rent inline skates and bicycles at Catamaran Resort Hotel. Water sport rentals, sand volleyball courts and children’s activities are also available at the hotel. The Catamaran Hotel Resort is 4 miles from SeaWorld. The San Diego zoo is 10.5 miles from the hotel.

Couples in particular like the location – they rated it 8.9 for a two-person trip.

Distance in property description is calculated using © OpenStreetMap

• Outdoor swimming pool
• Private Parking
• Non-smoking rooms
• Fitness center
• Tea/Coffee Maker in All Rooms
• Private beach area

Property Highlights

Top Location: Highly rated by recent guests (9.1)

Want a great night's sleep? This hotel was highly-rated for its very comfy beds.

Private parking available

Saved to 3269 lists

Availability

Select dates to see this property's availability and prices

Property practices

Categories:, hotel area info, restaurants 1 restaurant on site.

• Cuisine American
• Open for Breakfast • Brunch • Lunch • Dinner • Cocktail hour
• Ambience Modern

Amenities of Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa

• Free toiletries
• Outdoor fireplace
• Outdoor furniture
• Bicycle rental Additional charge
• Movie nights
• Water sports facilities on site Additional charge
• Flat-screen TV
• Cable channels
• Fruit Additional charge
• Wine/Champagne Additional charge
• Tea/Coffee maker
• Parking garage
• Accessible parking
• ATM on site
• Baggage storage
• 24-hour front desk
• Daily housekeeping
• Dry cleaning Additional charge
• Meeting/Banquet facilities Additional charge
• Fire extinguishers
• CCTV in common areas
• Smoke alarms
• Key card access
• 24-hour security
• Vending machine (snacks)
• Vending machine (drinks)
• Air conditioning
• Smoke-free property
• Wake-up service
• Facilities for disabled guests
• Room service
• Open all year
• All ages welcome
• Heated pool
• Pool/Beach towels
• Beach chairs/Loungers
• Locker rooms
• Yoga classes
• Full-body massage
• Couples' massage
• Back massage
• Spa/Wellness packages
• Spa lounge/Relaxation area
• Spa facilities
• Beach umbrellas Additional charge
• Hot tub/Jacuzzi
• Massage Additional charge
• Spa Additional charge
• Sauna Additional charge

See availability House rules

From 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM

Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card at check-in

Until 11:00 AM

Cancellation/ prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodations type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check what conditions apply to your preferred room.

Children & Beds

Child policies

Children of all ages are welcome.

Children 18 and above will be charged as adults at this property.

To see correct prices and occupancy info, add the number and ages of children in your group to your search.

Crib and extra bed policies

Cribs and extra beds aren't available at this property.

No age restriction

There's no age requirement for check-in

Pets are allowed. Charges may apply.

When booking more than 3 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

Accepted payment methods

Cash is not accepted Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.

The fine print Must-know information for guests at this property

Please note:

The hotel allows only 1 room per reservation.

There will be a resort fee at the property beginning 1 October 2018. Please contact property for pricing details.

Resort fee includes:

Complimentary WiFi access in guest rooms and public areas

Use of beach chairs and umbrellas on Bay Beach, towels at the resort pool and whirlpool and fitness center

Two in-room waters per day

USA Today newspaper each morning in the lobby

Discounts at the on-site spa, Morays’ Happy Hour and Oceana Coastal Kitchen

Complimentary local and domestic long-distance phone calls.

Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.

FAQs about Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa

How far is catamaran resort hotel and spa from the center of san diego.

Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa is 7.5 miles from the center of San Diego. All distances are measured in straight lines. Actual travel distances may vary.

Does Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa have a restaurant on site?

• Oceana Coastal Kitchen

How much does it cost to stay at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa?

The prices at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa may vary depending on your stay (e.g. dates, hotel's policy etc.). To see prices, enter your dates.

What is there to do at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa?

• Swimming pool
• Couples' massage
• Water sports facilities on site
• Bicycle rental

Does Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa have a pool?

Yes, this hotel has a pool. See details about the pool and other facilities on this page.

What are the check-in and check-out times at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa?

Check-in at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa is from 4:00 PM, and check-out is until 11:00 AM.

What type of room can I book at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa?

Does catamaran resort hotel and spa have a hot tub for its guests.

Yes, there's a hot tub. You can find out more about this and the other facilities at Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa on this page.

How close to the beach is Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa?

The nearest beach is 350 feet from Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa. All distances are measured in straight lines. Actual travel distances may vary.

The Best of San Diego

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• SeaWorld San Diego

Convention Centers

• San Diego Convention Center

Institutions

• San Diego State University
• University of San Diego
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• San Diego City College
• National University
• San Diego Miramar College
• Torrey Pines State Reserve
• USS Midway Museum
• Maritime Museum of San Diego
• Balboa Park
• Old Town San Diego State Historic Park
• Cabrillo National Monument
• Sunset Cliffs

Popular Areas

• Coronado Beach
• La Jolla Cove
• Liberty Station

Shopping Areas

• Fashion Valley Mall
• Coronado Shopping Plaza Shopping Center
• Coronado Ferry Landing Shopping Center
• Clairemont Village Shopping Center
• Spreckels Theatre
• San Diego International Airport (SAN) 5.1 miles
• North Island (Halsey Field) Naval Air Station (NZY) 6.6 miles
• McClellan-Palomar Airport (CLD) 23.3 miles

Train Stations

• San Diego - Santa Fe Depot Amtrak Station

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Evans Hotels Brand Portfolio

Discover the Evans Hotels brand portfolio which includes The Lodge at Torrey Pines, the AAA Five Diamond resort in La Jolla, as well as the Bahia Resort Hotel and Catamaran Hotel Resort and Spa that are conveniently located in Mission Bay by SeaWorld and other local San Diego attractions.

Step into the timeless craftsman charm of The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Overlooking the world-renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course with views of the Pacific Ocean, the AAA Five Diamond rated resort features 170 rooms and suites, 2 restaurants, a full service spa, versatile meeting spaces, and unprecedented service.  

Discover the picturesque natural beauty of the Bahia Resort Hotel. Tucked away on a fourteen-acre peninsula in Mission Bay, the 313-room resort is a beachside escape for experiencing the best of San Diego. Lush tropical gardens, miles of sandy beaches, and 20,000 square feet of versatile conference space set the Bahia apart for a Southern California adventure.  

The Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa is a Polynesian-themed destination located on the shores of Mission Bay and mere steps from San Diego’s famous Pacific Beach. The resort features 310 rooms and suites, lush tropical gardens, award-winning dining at Oceana Coastal Kitchen, The Catamaran Spa and proximity to SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego International Airport.  

The signature restaurant at The Lodge at Torrey Pines is San Diego’s original farm-to-table dining experience by Executive Chef Kelli Crosson.

Situated just steps from the beach, Dockside 1953 is the new nautical-inspired restaurant at the Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Bay.

Built in 1983, Evans Garage is an ever-evolving collection of vehicles spanning seven decades and is available for private events.

Savor wood-fired dishes adjacent to the Torrey Pines Golf Course at the casual dining establishment at The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

Relax and rejuvenate at San Diego’s only beachfront spa, nestled on the shores of Mission Bay at the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa.

Located at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, the 9,500-square-foot space features 14 treatment rooms and services inspired by its natural surroundings.

Experience chef-driven, California and seafood cuisine as well as a modern, ocean-inspired design at the bay front Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa.

The 60-foot Bahia Belle sternwheeler boat cruises the waters of Mission Bay seasonally for public runs as well as private events.

This large facility employs approximately 35 employees and provides laundry services for Evans Hotels' resort, spa and restaurant properties.

Catamaran Resort and Spa

Hello everyone! This is a friendly reminder that any of these fun places we may visit, we are a guest at. Please treat both businesses and trails with the utmost respect. We here at Hidden San Diego follow the 'Leave no Trace' mantra, meaning whatever you bring with you comes back with you. If you see trash on a trail, please do your part to help remove it. Remember, we are not picking up trash from another person but instead cleaning up for Mother Nature. Happy adventures!

3999 MISSION BOULEVARD  SAN DIEGO CA 92109

32.790647992, -117.25162787

Dog-Friendly:  Yes    Kid-Friendly:  Yes

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About the Catamaran Resort

The Catamaran Resort and Spa is San Diego’s premier Polynesian-themed resort located in Mission Bay . When visiting get ready to enjoy a lush paradise over-flowing with fun things to do and see!

View room options

We stayed in their Bayfront Suite while visiting which I highly recommend to anyone interested in booking a stay!  From our front door we could see (and loudly hear) the lobby’s waterfall.  I would open the door often just to hear the sound of the soothing water.

From the back-door we were right along Mission Bay.  During the evening’s luau we literally got to watch and appreciate the show right from our hotel room!

Room Amenities

Restaurants

The Catamaran Resort has two restaurants on property: Oceana Coastal Kitchen and Moray’s Outdoor Lounge.  Although they sit right next to each other, they both have their own unique features and different menus.  Visiting both is a must!

Oceana Coastal Kitchen

View their menu

Moray’s Outdoor Lounge

We came here for their Sunday Champagne Brunch and this was hands down one of the best brunches I’ve ever had!! They had oysters, crab legs, charcuterie boards, a variety of salads, vegetables, sushi, fruit and so much more!

Personal Experience

I have visited the Catamaran Resort in the past for their luau and was blown away with how beautiful this property is.  Immediately when you enter the lobby you are greeted with a 20 foot waterfall complete with live orchids and other exotic plants growing out of it. It such a welcoming spectacle to see!

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Site of the Catamaran Resort, Pacific Beach, in 1948

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Photo by Unknown, 1948

Site of the Catamaran Resort in 1948, which was built in 1958. The photo was taken from Mission Bay in front of Dr. Ballard's and Mr. Gleason's yards, both notable San Diegans.

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Catamaran Resort Hotel or Bahia, Mission Beach? - San Diego Forum

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Catamaran Resort Hotel or Bahia, Mission Beach?

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I’ve narrowed the hotels down to these 2.

We are a couple in our 50s and prefer busier/livelier places to quiet.

These both look in a good location.

We like a hotel with a nice decent sized pool.

Is one hotel more recommend than the other or any others you may suggest as open to suggestions.

4 replies to this topic

These are sister hotels that are very similar and they even have a boat that runs between them in the summer. The Catamaran is closer to more restaurants and to the ocean, so I'd say that area is a bit more lively than right around the Bahia.

Out of your options I would definitely choose Catamaran based on location and proximity to bars and restaurants. Water activities and beach chairs are set up in front of the hotel, you can walk to the ocean, and find some great restaurants within walking distance- try Woodys for a casual breakfast on the ocean or Grass Skirt for a fun Hawiian inspired speakeasy.

My suggestions with details are in your other thread from a few days ago. But not clear if you've narrowed down your choices between these two, or are open to other places. You state both possibilities in this post.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60750-i41-k14663172-Which_area_to_stay_for_a_first_timer-San_Diego_California.html#119936350

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Esquire names the top new hotel in North America and Europe: It’s in San Diego

The historic Lafayette Hotel, which debuted its $34 million redo last year, is ‘pretty damn cool,’ the magazine editors said of the 2024 new hotel of the year

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El Cajon Boulevard is hardly a hot spot for San Diego tourism, but when the more than $30 million redo of The Lafayette Hotel made its debut last year, it was an almost instant success — so much so that it’s just been named the best new hotel of the year by Esquire magazine.

The 139-room hotel isn’t new, having been built in 1946, but last year’s renovation has been lauded as a remarkable transformation of a tired property that decades ago had attracted Hollywood’s elite but in recent years had been rarely updated. The San Diego hospitality juggernaut, CH Projects, invested $34 million — and counting — into a meticulous update that also includes seven new restaurants and bars, the last of which will open later this year.

The Lafayette leads Esquire’s top 41 new hotels in North America and Europe , surpassing a Rosewood Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island and Rome’s opulent Bulgari hotel.

To arrive at the final ranking, Esquire said its editors and contributors traveled “thousands of miles to experience new and newly renovated hotels to select the most dynamic properties worth telling a story about.” To make the list, properties needed to transcend “ordinary luxury” in such categories as design, culinary excellence, wellness, cultural vibrancy, and their connection with nature, the magazine said. This is the third year of the Esquire ranking.

“Perhaps no property we visited will change the way you think about a city more than our Hotel of the Year: The Lafayette serves as an ambassador to the richness of San Diego’s culture,” the editors wrote in an article published Tuesday online. “And it does so with a range of nonstop hospitality options that include incredible cocktails, a vibrant pool scene, a twenty-four-hour diner, and even bowling.”

In addition to the diner and a two-lane bowling alley, there’s an elegant lobby bar, a Oaxacan restaurant fashioned from a decommissioned church in Mexico, a jazz club and a yet to open fine dining restaurant.

CH, known for its large portfolio of popular restaurants — among them, Born & Raised and Ironside — and eclectic bars — the speakeasy Raised by Wolves and False Idol — worked with Brooklyn-based Post Company on the design.

“Honestly, this is pretty surreal, especially when you look at many of the hotels on this (Esquire) list that includes incredibly idyllic places in terms of being on a beach or in a larger city,” said Arsalun Tafazoli, co-founder of CH.

“Our whole raison d’etre for the project was that while San Diego has some incredible hotels, they’re predicated on the real estate they occupy. So for us to do something culturally intact that’s a reflection of our pocket of subculture and for us to beat out these world-renowned destinations, it’s pretty special. And this being our first hotel project and being amateur hoteliers makes this sort of validation that much more special.”

Tafazoli said the hotel’s financial performance, including that of its dining and drinking venues, is exceeding the company’s original expectations. He noted that 80 percent of the overnight stays are locals looking to enjoy a staycation, and on weekends it’s totally booked. Occupancy is softer mid-week, he said.

“If there’s a criticism, some people don’t anticipate that level of activation,” he said. “If you’re looking for a calm thing, it can be a pretty over-stimulating environment.”

Esquire’s impression of the Lafayette mimics in many ways Tafazoli’s original aspiration when he set out to take on a project that he said other hotel developers eschewed because of its location away from San Diego’s tourism hubs.

“Unlike most hotels, the Lafayette does not feel as if it were made by committee,” Esquire wrote. “No corporate board or focus group is going to tell you it’s a good idea to reassemble an abandoned Mexican church for the interior of an on-site Mexican restaurant or to build a two-lane bowling alley in your basement bar in homage to the final scene in ‘There Will Be Blood.’ It’s these outlandish ideas that have transformed a property ... into a prime example of what a hotel can be when it thinks of hospitality not as giving the guests what they think they want but as showing them what’s pretty damn cool.”

Still to come at the hotel is Le Horse, an upscale dining room that is expected to have some tableside preparations like sliced prime rib, and a spa concept that is supposed to reflect a confluence of Russian, Roman and Turkish baths.

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