Passing the glass doors of the lobby of the Ivy Hotel San Diego, guests step into a place of luxury and pleasure. Rich wood features along with marble and a red-hued lighting set the special atmosphere.
“Oh, it was great,” said one man checking out at the reception desk. “I would come more often, but I am from the East Coast and was here for business.”
Facing the entrance in the back of the lobby hangs a huge piece of art featuring the message, “I can’t stand the thought of living a day without you.”
The piece with its screaming colors was inspired by Michael Kelly’s gift to his sister. Kelly Capital is the owner of the hotel, which had its soft opening in May, with other opening events to follow in August.
Rachel Moniz, the hotel’s manager, already perceives a positive local buzz for the entertainment-driven hotel.
“It is surprising but we are very happy that we already have a loyal list of guests who come every weekend,” Moniz said.
The Ivy Hotel features the restaurant Quarter Kitchen, the nightclub Envy, the rooftop bar Eden, a wine room, an atrium, a boutique, 9,000 square foot of meeting space and so much more.
The hotel features 159 rooms starting at $425 per night. Very unique suites and special packages are offered for a heftier sum.
“A big point of differentiation is the butler service we have,” Moniz said.
To train their 13 butlers, the hotel hired the Guild of Professional English Butlers to come to San Diego.
“Every floor has a floor butler to accommodate our guests,” Moniz said.
This includes, for example, the setting up of the perfect atmosphere for a bath with music, wine and candles to achieve the “total sensory experience,” according to Moniz.
However, bath time may not be private time as the bathtubs are separated from the rooms only by glass. But the hotel rooms aren’t the only aspect that draws in guests.
“A lot of people also just come here to dine and then go shopping in the boutique afterwards,” said Moniz. In the open exhibition kitchen diners can see celebrity Chef Damon Gordon.
The nightclub, Envy, opens Fridays and Saturdays at 10 p.m. The cover is included for hotel guests. Envy is open to the public. For $20, it is the place to be in the Gaslamp Quarter. Connected to the club is the Eden, downtown San Diego’s largest rooftop space, with a beautiful view over the San Diego cityscape with Petco Park and the Coronado Bridge.
“The dichotomy of a formal hotel and the nightclub vibe make the Ivy unique,” Moniz said. “It is an adult playground in an urban setting. You can dance and take the elevator home. We want the total experience.”
Envy definitely has a touch of the new Las Vegas clubs, with comparable drink prices.
“From a night club standpoint we are influenced by clubs in Vegas like Tao, but we are deadly serious about the service,” Moniz said. The Ivy had huge castings for the staff members.
“Our staff is the best of the best,” Moniz said. The staff members weren’t required to have a hotel background but a positive attitude.
“We can train the technical part but we can’t train the attitude,” Moniz said.
And the staff does a very good job, always polite and friendly.
To match the hip tone of the hotel, the staff of over 400 is dressed in designer uniforms created by Tadashi.
“We call the staff’s uniforms ‘costumes,'” Moniz said.
L.A. fashion designer Tadashi usually works together with celebrities like Claudia Schiffer, Celine Dion, Shakira, Queen Latifah and Halle Berry. His collection is sold in over 4,000 upscale department stores and specialty boutiques.
For the Ivy, he created 15 different uniforms. He saw renderings of the hotel and worked with Michael Kelly to understand the property.
With the Ivy collection, Tadashi’s primary objective was to design pieces that would make a bold statement by combining the utmost style and sophistication with a large dose of energy, according to a press release.
Tadashi complemented the indulgent, design-forward urban feel of the Ivy Hotel. He took classic elements and adapted them to create hip, fashion-forward styles that revolve around the notions of seductive elegance and casual chic.
The receptionists wear black skirts with a slightly revealing khaki blazer. The bartenders dress elegantly in black, a uniform that would feel at home on a catwalk.
“We are proud of our classic, redefined service,” Moniz said. “We build up guest profiles to get an understanding of what people’s dislikes and likes are.”
While the shell of the building at 600 F St. dates back to 1914, the interior is completely new.
“We have the standards of a five-star hotel,” Moniz said. “But we are not seeking a rating at this time.”
Rating or no rating: The Ivy Hotel promises a fun and sexy experience in the midst of downtown San Diego.
The Ivy Hotel is located at 600 F St. in Downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter.