A lounge area at Omni’s Tortuga bar (Courtesy photo)
Hospitality, East Village

A Sweeping Renovation at Omni San Diego

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Just in time for the incoming hordes of animated visitors to this year’s Comic-Con, the 511-room Omni San Diego Hotel in the heart of The Gaslamp Quarter is showing off its multi-million-dollar redo, which was led by New York-based design studio, Jeffrey Beers International. 

Shades of green and brown appear throughout the property as a nod to the San Diego Padres, along with stadium-style light fixtures and stitched leather panels seen at the reception desk. The designer also incorporated maple-toned wood for the bases of custom furniture and wool-like fabrics to echo the materials used in baseball bats and uniforms. To anyone with a keen eye for interior design, the end result proves we are a baseball-loving town with an appreciation for style.

Adjacent to the lobby at street level is the new indoor-outdoor Ace Porter restaurant and bar featuring an attractive wrap-around bottle display and (gasp!) “chicken sundaes.” If you’re cool with crispy, spicy chicken tucked into a waffle cone with cinnamon ice cream, then you’ve come to the right place. Otherwise, dishes such as loaded nachos, blistered shishito peppers and house burgers might better suffice.

Six floors up is the re-imagined Tortuga pool bar and its multiple lounges that allow customers to loll over “Baja bites” and Mexican-inspired cocktails. Natural materials and neutral tones flow throughout most of the area.

The guest rooms have been transformed as well. They flaunt curvy couches, spa-like bathrooms and velvet and leather accents. If you’ve been tasked with recommending hotels for out-of-town guests who demand panache and comfort, this is a reliable addition for your list.