For a lot of meeting groups that have been there, San Diego once felt like a well-kept secret. Although it's smaller than many other major meeting destinations out West -- including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas, just to name a few -- its weather, accessibility, venues and attractions easily hold a candle to theirs.
San Diego's secret appears to be out, however: In San Diego County, the number of hotel rooms under construction during the first six months of 2018 increased by more than half (63 percent) compared to the first six months of 2017, according to the San Diego Union Tribune, which last week published local results from Atlas Hospitality Group's semi-annual survey of hotel development.
"Fueling the enthusiasm for ongoing development has been an unstoppable run-up in hotel occupancy and revenue levels over the past eight years that is outpacing the nation as a whole," reported the Union Tribune, which said occupancy rates in San Diego remain in the high 70 percent range and are forecast to stay there for the foreseeable future; the national rate, it said, is 66 percent.
All told, the Union Tribune said San Diego County has 20 hotels with 3,061 guest rooms in various stages of construction. Plus, four other new properties already have opened so far this year.
Before they plan their next San Diego event, planners should therefore take stock of the area's new and future additions. Here are five of the most notable:
• LEGOLAND Castle Hotel: In April, LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad, Calif. -- an hour north of San Diego -- opened LEGOLAND Castle Hotel. The resort's second hotel, the castle-inspired property has 250 guest rooms, each of which has two sleeping areas -- one for children and one for adults. Each children's sleeping area includes bunk beds, a trundle bed, a television, a LEGO building station and shooting stars illuminated on the ceiling. The hotel also has an onsite restaurant, multiple play areas for kids, a giant movie screen, a resort-style pool with interactive water features and a tented stage for live plays and shows.
• Gaylord Bayfront Resort and Convention Center: Next year, work will commence on a new hotel and convention center on San Diego Bay in Chula Vista, Calif., 15 minutes south of San Diego. Operated by Gaylord Hotels, the project is scheduled for completion in 2021 and will include approximately 1,600 hotel rooms, a 415,000 square-foot convention center with 275,000 usable square feet of convention and meeting space, and associated retail and resort-style amenities, such as restaurant/bar/lounge facilities, recreational facilities, a spa, a pool with a lazy river, and bike and boat rentals. More than 250 acres have already been set aside for protected wildlife and habitat, and 46 acres will consist of new parks, trails and bike paths.
• InterContinental San Diego: Scheduled to open in September, InterContinental San Diego (pictured) will be San Diego's first InterContinental hotel since 1987, when Marriott took over what is now the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. The waterfront property will have 400 guest rooms, including 24 suites, each of which will have water views. There also will be five dining venues, a fourth-floor rooftop pool and sun deck, a health and wellness center that will have a personalized video wall and an outdoor yoga terrace, a lobby-level Club InterContinental lounge with a private outdoor terrace and 35,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, plus 60,000 square feet of outdoor event space.
• Willows Hotel & Spa: In March, Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, Calif. -- 30 miles west of San Diego -- opened Willows Hotel & Spa, a boutique "resort within a resort" that includes 159 suites, a full-service spa, a fitness center, a saltwater pool, three dining concepts and access to the newly expanded Viejas Casino.
• Sycuan Casino Hotel: Viejas isn't the only casino in San Diego County with new lodging. In March 2019, Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, Calif., will open a major expansion that will include 60,000 square feet of new gaming space and a 12-story hotel tower with 300 guest rooms, an 8,451-square-foot spa and fitness area, a resort-style adults-only pool, a family-friendly pool, a lazy river, several new dining outlets and numerous meeting spaces, including an 11,401-square-foot ballroom and a 5,297-square-foot junior ballroom.