|
US
GRANT HOTEL-THE PLACE TO STAY IN
SAN DIEGO
By Michael Hepworth
The US Grant Hotel is absolutely the place to stay in
San Diego
if you are looking to be in an “
Art
Gallery
with rooms.” The 270 room and 47 suites hotel recently underwent a $56
million refurbishment, and re-opened in October 2006 after a two-year
closure. The hotel was built by the failed businessman Ulysses S.Grant Jr
to honor his father in 1910, and since the opening on October 15th
that year, the hotel has hosted 13
US
Presidents, including both Nixon and Kennedy who gave speeches there in
1960.
In 1875, President Grant signed the executive order
that gave the Sycuan tribe the 640 acres of land in
Dehesa
Valley
that is now their homeland. Just 130 years later, the US Grant closed its
doors and embarked on a $52 million restoration project that has turned
out far better than anyone could have expected. The hotel is now owned by
Sycuan Tribe of the Kumeyaay Nation, descendants of the original settlers
of downtown
San Diego
, and their gambling profits have turned the US Grant into a haven of
luxury. Wisely the tribe decided to use the managerial skills of the
Starwood Group of Hotels, elevating the hotel from a local phenomenon to
becoming a world class facility. The hotel is also in the National
Register of Historic Places, an award that is bestowed by the Department
of the Interior.
For many of the
artists/architects/designers/consultants hired for the project, it has
turned out to be the commission of a lifetime. Rare manuscripts by Mark
Twain were found during the demolition, and when the carpet was removed on
the grand staircase, it was discovered to be grey-veined US Grant, that a
walking tour is essential when you visit the hotel for the first time.
Make sure that you get to see the official painting of President Ulysses
Grant with the bullet hole in his left eye, which was put there one
evening by well known Confederate sympathizer Wyatt Earp, in the days when
San Diego
was a bit rough and ready.
Here are just a few of the amenities available at the
Grant. There are 32’’ LCD televisions in the rooms, to go with the
marble bathrooms and the stone basin sinks. The beds are extremely
comfortable, with 300 count linens and pillow top beds to make sleeping
here one of the best experiences ever in a hotel. The luxury carpets make
it all very quiet as well, with very little unwelcome noise creeping
through in the morning. The natural earth tones of the guest rooms and
suites recall the land, mountains, deserts, seashore, stones, woods,
seas-shells of the Kumeyaay environment, and the emphasis on blue
throughout the hotel honors President Grant and the 13 other Presidents.
They also feature in room spa treatments in
association with the local Spa Velia, but major plans are in the works for
a world class Spa to be opened in the next couple of years, and when I was
at the hotel preliminary discussions were already taking place.
Celebrities and politicians are now regulars, and recent sightings have
included Christina Aguilar, Stevie Nicks, Alicia Keys and General Colin
Powell, although there have been many more. The location is perfect for a
stroll into the Gaslamp District or even a visit to
Petco
Park
, home of the San Diego Padres, still worth a visit despite their recent
form.
The spacious lobby is host to a colorful and impressive art gallery run by
an ex-patriate Russian art connoisseur. Here they sell a lot of colorful
contemporary pieces pleasing to the eye, but of course if you are a
serious collector, then this is also a venue where the owner will be more
than pleased to consult with you. Like
all quality hotels, there is a fine dining restaurant on premises, this
one being the Grant Grill, under the supervision of executive chef Mark Kropczynski and with the help of Chef de Cuisine Chris
Kurth. Originally opened in 1951, the Grant Grill was the place to be
seen in
San Diego
, but these days competition is a lot stiffer, so it is the food more than
the reputation that will ensure its success. It was such a gentleman’s
club at one time, that women were barred from entering until 3pm as late
as 1969, before a group of suffragettes invaded the room.
The handsome, late thirtyish chef employs foragers to scour the Farmers
Markets all along the
California
coast, and his menu is virtually all local produce from
California
. One obvious exception is the Hudson Valley Foie Gras, and Marks version
comes with cinnamon scented butternut squash, golden raisins and Verjus
Blanc 23. All of the fresh fish items are local such as the Halibut and
the Fire Grilled Sea Bass. The restaurant has already picked up a swathe
of local awards such as the Dirona, Zagat and Gold Medallion, and is
likely to pick up a lot more in the foreseeable future.
When I said earlier that the facility is an art gallery, then three
talented artists are represented in the hotel in various guises. Johnny
Bear Contreras is the resident sculptor at the hotel, and he has five
pieces located in the hotel on different floors. All the pieces can
loosely be described as representing the Kumeyaah faith.
Yves Clement was
commissioned to paint all the headboards above the beds in each room, and
working like a whirlwind he has delivered in style, reflecting the high
end, classy, Bohemianism of the majority of the US Grant visitors. He
leases out all 336 of his “sleeping with art” paintings to the hotel,
and his unique style gives the hotel a real cutting edge.
Marie
Najera is a multi-media artist whose murals and paintings can be
seen in the presidential suites. The
San Diego
based local artist emphasizes raw emotion in her work, incorporating
moments with people and in new places. She often favors chaos over
structure in her art and is as comfortable using ink and paper as paint
and canvas.
Fact
Sheet
Address:
326 Broadway,
San Diego
, CA 92101
Phone:
1-800-237-5029
Fax:
619-239-9517
Valet
Parking
Website:
www.usgrant.net
|
