OCEANSIDE — After years of planning and construction, two new hotels that make up the new downtown beachfront resort have opened for business.
Mission Pacific Hotel was the first to open on May 19 followed by the Seabird Resort on May 27, which was celebrated by a grand opening ceremony that brought developers, hotel management, city officials and other local leaders together.
The two hotels make up the newest and largest oceanfront resort in San Diego County in more than 50 years.
“It has been a long journey,” said Mayor Esther Sanchez at the grand opening ceremony. “This is our dream.”
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is the management company in charge of running the two hotels. Mission Pacific Hotel part of Hyatt’s Joie de Vivre boutique hotel brand and The Seabird Resort part of Hyatt’s Destination Hotels brand.
Mission Pacific has 161 rooms while the larger Seabird Resort has 226 rooms. Most of the hotels’ rooms offer a view of the ocean, and both hotels have six floors.
While the Seabird Resort offers a classic, coastal hotel design reminiscent of Oceanside’s past hotels, Mission Pacific features trendier, contemporary designs.
The Seabird’s pool is located on the third floor with a full view of the ocean and pier and is accompanied by The Shelter Club. Mission Pacific’s pool is located on the rooftop also next to The Rooftop Bar, which is already gaining in popularity since its opening.
The Seabird also features Piper, a restaurant with an open-kitchen design and a made-to-order pasta station, as well as The Shore Room Bar and Lounge facing the ocean. Mission Pacific includes a café called High/Low and Valle Restaurant, featuring meals by award-winning Chef Roberto Alcocer.
Located in the Mission Pacific courtyard facing the ocean and pier is the Graves House, also known as the Top Gun House. Renovation of the inside is still underway.
“We’re trying to get it right — trying to make it really special,” said Jeremy Cohen, senior vice president of resort developer S.D. Malkin Properties, at the grand opening ceremony.
The Seabird includes a ballroom, several spa treatment rooms, a salon and a library named after former Mayor Jim Wood, who helped push for the resort’s approval.
The resort will also offer beach rentals including chairs, shades and umbrellas, surfboards and beach games as well as the sale of food and retail items at a beach kiosk located on the Strand-South Plaza area.
For now, the resort will pay the city $300 per month to rent the space which will bump up to $800 per month once the city completes its beachfront improvement project, which will provide storage space for the resort as well as the kiosk location.
Developers and hotel management aimed to create an atmosphere that resonates with its local environment. The resort partnered with the Oceanside Museum of Art to curate its own gallery in the west wing of the Seabird, highlighting Oceanside artists, and more than 40% of the resort’s artwork spread throughout both hotels are from Southern California artists.
Pictures of Oceanside’s past are also hung throughout the hotel, showcasing coastal life and activities.
“There were so many things that this community asked for, and Jeremy listened,” Sanchez said. “This was something that we all had a hand in — every member of the public had a chance to say what it is they wanted to have here.”
Beyond the atmosphere, the resort is also striving to build partnerships with local organizations and businesses.
The resort is also still looking for more hires and hopes to employ as many locals as possible. Cohen said a majority of the resort’s employees so far are Oceanside residents.
