Oceanside Beach Resorts Break Ground
Today’s long-awaited ground breaking of Oceanside’s two beachfront resorts marked a celebrated and significant milestone for the city’s tourism industry, which continues to flourish amid a citywide renaissance. The project is expected to be the largest beachfront development on the San Diego coastline in more than 20 years and continues to raise Oceanside’s profile as one of the hottest up-and-coming beach destinations for visitors to San Diego County.
“Nearly two decades in planning, this pier-side resort development will complement the existing offerings in Oceanside by providing visitors with an upscale, resort experience that currently doesn’t exist in the city,” said Leslee Gaul, CEO of Visit Oceanside, the city’s destination marketing organization. “We look forward to being able to attract and service visitors who are seeking a full-service resort getaway that is just steps away from Oceanside’s legendary beach breaks and other attractions.”
Slated to open in 2020, the project is being developed by S.D. Malkin Properties, Inc. and includes two resorts offerings. One property will be a spirited Joie de Vivre hotel with 161 guest rooms and suites – most with private, ocean-facing balconies. The second property will be a Destination Hotels’ resort that features an upscale beach house design with 226 guest rooms and suites, most with full or partial views of the ocean. Operated by Hyatt, both properties will offer street-level retail and dining, as well as indoor-outdoor meeting space that takes full advantage of the ocean front location.
One of the most popular aspects of the project is the incorporation of the historic Graves House, a local icon commonly known as the “Top Gun” house due to its appearance in the popular movie, which will re-launch as a curated food outlet at the Joie de Vivre hotel. Dating back to the year 1887, the historically-protected Queen Anne Victorian currently resides on a section of the property and will be meticulously restored to its original splendor.
The completion of the beach resorts will round out a decade of growth and reinvention in Oceanside that has included a burgeoning craft beer and dining scene, thoughtful preservation and beautification projects, new building and a flourishing artisan industry. The forward momentum has given Oceanside a fresh landscape for visitors to enjoy that emphasizes the town’s coastal beauty, history, entrepreneurial spirit and quirky O’side vibe.
A few highlights include:
- New beach accommodations including the Wyndham Oceanside Pier Resort (2008) and the SpringHill Suites Marriott Oceanside (2014).
- Transformation of the 130-year-old Bunker House, which was slated for demolition, into the popular Apotheque Lifestyle Spa (2010) and recent addition of the Bunker House Wine Bar (2018).
- The Mission Avenue Improvement project that created an inviting and walkable visitor corridor with new street configuration, expanded sidewalks, improved landscaping and updated storefronts. (2014)
- Activation of a city-wide Arts Master Plan including establishing the monthly Oceanside Art Walk (2014) and solidifying the prestigious designation as a California Cultural District by the California Arts Council (2017).
- Rise of the flip-flop fine dining movement with the opening of landmark dining and craft beer venues, many housed in classic Oceanside buildings that once served as industrial spaces, car shops, newspaper buildings and grocery stands. Creative menus highlight local ingredients from the daily catch at Oceanside Harbor to produce from Oceanside’s South Morro Hills agricultural region. (2014- Present)
- Restoration and opening of the Fin Hotel, a 27-room, luxe boutique hotel that dates back to 1927 and retains much of the building’s original character including multi-colored, mosaic tile flooring in the lobby, a grand wooden-railed staircase and elegant tiffany windows. (2018)
- Live-work new build projects on formerly empty sites that include ground-floor retail and upper-floor residential. (2016-present)
- Improved public transportation and train access through upgrades to Oceanside’s Transit Center. (2018)
- Careful restoration of the 130-year-old Schyuler Building into a three-story, 10-room boutique hotel with restaurant and rooftop bar. (Opening 2019)
Oceanside is poised for even more improvements beyond 2020 that will continue to enhance the visitor experience. The Coast Highway Vision and Strategic Plan will reimagine the City’s historic highway and transform it into a pedestrian-friendly destination with a series of neighborhood “nodes” and generously landscaped “avenues.” The Pier Plaza Project envisions a more beautiful and dynamic pier and beach amphitheater area. And, planned expansion of the Coastal Rail Trail via the Loma Alta Creek Bridge Project will increase coastal access for pedestrians and cyclists as well as improve wetland habitat.
