Raise The Roof

From a sexy rooftop retreat to a hot bar and cool rooms, San Diego’s Ivy Hotel is raising the bar for renovation with its A-list clients and rates starting at US$450.

By Mary Scoviak -- HOTELS Magazine, 11/1/2007

It is payback time for San Diego-based Kelly Capital. Co-founder Michael Kelly tested his fortune-building knack for playing distressed assets by powering past the initial US$50 million renovation budget to reinvent San Diego's former Maryland Hotel as a 5-star adult playground. More than US$80 million later, the city's historic Gaslamp Quarter has one of the coolest boutique hotels around, the 159-room Ivy, and high-spend domestic and international travelers, highly social locals and highvisibility celebrities have to new place to play.

"Seductive, voyeuristic, bigger, better" are adjectives that come up frequently in conversation about the firm's vision for the hotel. "We are looking for people who expect excellence and fun all at the same time. Ivy Hotel caters to those who work hard and play harder," says Jessica Martinez, director of marketing, Ivy Hotel. "It brings a little of Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas to our guests. Nothing like the Ivy Hotel exists in San Diego with a premier restaurant, nightclub and hotel under one roof."

Rev Up Revenues

Getting all the saleable fun Kelly Capital wanted under one historically protected roof posed major challenges for SB Architects, San Francisco, and Powerstrip Studio, Los Angeles. The lobby, restaurant, two bars, a nightclub, meeting rooms and break-out space had to be fitted into two floors with only 20,000 sq. ft. (1,858 sq. m) each. Guestrooms had to be designed individually, like custom homes, to accommodate a column grid designed long before oversized modern rooms and suites.

SB Architects started by shrinking the most obvious nonrevenue generating space: the lobby. "Each guest is checked in individually, so there really was no need for a check-in desk," says Scott Lee, vice president and principal, SB Architects. Space freed up from that change was allocated to the primary revenue drivers: the restaurants, bars and nightclub. By creating a series of mezzanines, the architects delivered intimate but visually connected spaces. "They can accommodate a large number of people without making small groups feel lost," Lee says.

Fire-rated glass assemblies maximize transparency between the restaurant, bar and lobby spaces. In Ivy, getting to the destination is half the fun. A VIP elevator available only to hotel guests connects Club Envy, the Ultra Lounge, and the city's largest rooftop experience, Eden. One of Eden's cabanas has its own secret: a spiral staircase that winds up to one of the 17 suites. Inside, what could be more apropos for an adult playground than a suite that features its own fire pole? Just like a play yard, Ivy has ample options for socialization. Guests can take a swim or relax in Eden to end their day, but its fire pits and its view add marketability to groups and social gatherings. Despite its small footprint, the property has five bar experiences, ranging from VIP areas (a must in San Diego where memberships at the posher addresses go for US$1,500 to US$2,500 and sell out in a few months) to highprestige bottle service and what Kelly describes as "interactive" experiences. "Revenue generation flows directly from the highly charged social nature of the property," Lee adds.

Even the restaurant can be customized. Powerstrip Studio used a wood and glass loggia to create an outdoor dining area within the indoor Quarter Kitchen. Principals Dayna Lee and Ted Berner laid out spaces that are deliberately asymmetrical. "Some people like to be the center of attention; others want to watch. We layered these spaces for voyeurism and social rapport so that the design accommodates all," the designers say.

Each locker room has its own lounge. A co-ed lounging space has oversized chaises, perfumescented air, soft water sounds and books, which opens up sales potential for couples, spa parties and bridal/wedding groups. Guests who enjoy a gathering space can retreat to the world of plush silk and chenille carpet in the second floor Silver Haven lounge. "Guests are encouraged to visit the spa even if they do not have scheduled treatments," Prager says. "Once they see the unique design and the unusual spaces, many guests are intrigued enough to book a service." (Use of the facilities is included in the US$15 per day resort fee.)

Since no guests have the same expectations, Ritz-Carlton and La Prairie required options for customization. Draperies can be drawn to make private seating even more private. Guests can choose from nearly 50 CDs. They have an option of having any of four different scents piped into any of the 17 treatment rooms. Light refreshments can be served from the spa's dedicated prep/pantry area. Guests can sample individually prepared Tea Forte or Champagne as they relax and unwind.

The spa doesn't just offer treatment rooms; it offers a menu of experiences-from the couples Two If By Sea room to the VIP Private Cove. This kind of versatility has bottomline benefits. Lynne Florio, president of La Prairie, estimates the spa averages 3,000 treatments per month, making it one of the busiest in the Ritz-Carlton group