Design Hotels opened a boutique property in a historic San Diego building last week amid a larger U.S. expansion.
The Granger Hotel Gaslamp Quarter in the California city’s downtown is the first Design Hotels property in the market. Design Hotels is a portfolio of nearly 300 independent hotels under parent company Marriott International.
The 96-key Granger Hotel combines the property’s original architectural details, which date back to 1904, with new custom contemporary artworks and a mix of vintage and bespoke furniture, the brand shared in a release.
The property formerly housed the Merchant's National Bank, a precursor to today's Bank of America, as well as Joseph Jessop, a local jeweler in the mid-1900s.
To design the hotel, operators Alvin and Kevin Mansour worked with Erika Baker, the lead designer and in-house creative director of hospitality investment and management company Oram Hotels. The team curated artwork including a vintage Philip North painting in the lobby and two custom murals created collaboratively by Baker and local muralist Taylor Wilson.
“Inspired by the rich heritage of our location, every element of the hotel reflects the cultural nuances of the surroundings,” the Mansour brothers said in a statement, adding that the space “invites guests to immerse themselves in the local narrative.”
Other design elements throughout the property that “reference eras from the 1920s to the ’70s” include original 12-foot windows; a color palette of blush, chartreuse and cerulean; and velvet and animal-print upholstery.
The property offers two on-site dining options: cafe 5th & Lox and The Parlor Room, a lobby lounge with handcrafted cocktails.
With the opening of The Granger, Design Hotels continues its larger U.S. expansion, targeting “inspiring new destinations that catch the attention of artists and architects, designers and developers,” Ceara Sadler, senior director of brand and commercial operations for the Americas, told Hotel Dive last month.
According to Sadler, the brand has seen momentum in New York City and Los Angeles of late. Over the last 12 months, Design Hotels signed 10 hotel agreements across the U.S.
