SAN DIEGO | HOTEL REVIEWS

San Diego's new crop of landmark and boutique hotels

San Diego has become a hot spot for renovation of historic hotels.

By Valli Herman, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
09:07 AM PDT, March 14, 2007

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San Diego has become a hot spot for renovation of historic hotels. Here's a sampling:

The Keating, 432 F St., San Diego, CA 92101; (619) 814-5700 or (877) 753-2816, www.thekeating.com. After an extensive renovation, the two-story hotel boasts 35 luxury rooms done in the sleek, signature style of Italian firm Pininfarina. Rates from $329.

Hotel Occidental"Hotel Occidental, 410 Elm St., San Diego, CA 92101; (800) 205-9897, www.hoteloccidental-sandiego.com. This downtown 1920s landmark reopened in mid-2006 as a 54-room modern hotel. Each of four floor plans includes a kitchenette, but not all rooms include a bathroom. Rates from $69.

The Sofia Hotel, 150 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101; (800) 826-0009, www.thesofiahotel.com. The 212-room hotel, built in 1926, retains its Gothic Revival architecture after a $16-million renovation that also added modern amenities such as 24-hour concierge service and yoga studio. Rooms from $149.

500 West, 500 W. Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101; (619) 234-5252, www.500westhotel.com.

The $9-million renovation turned this former YMCA for the U.S. armed forces into a hip and affordable option for downtown sightseers. The 208 guestrooms, all with shared bathrooms cleaned every 20 minutes, feature Michael Graves-designed furnishings. Rates from $49.

The Ivy, 600 F St., San Diego, CA 92101; (619) 814-1000, www.ivyhotel.com . This 159-room luxury hotel, slated to open in mid-May, is squarely in the Gaslamp Quarter. Its $85-million renovation will create 16 suites, two presidential suites and a two-level suite. Rates will begin at $450.