Gaylord Pacific Rendering — Photo by Marriott

Gaylord Hotels' Expands Footprint with Sixth Resort and Convention Center in Southern California.

Marriott International, Inc. today announced the commencement of construction on the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center (the "Gaylord Pacific"). A ceremony was held this morning on the 500+ acre Chula Vista Bayfront, site of the anticipated 1.8 million-square-foot Gaylord Pacific. The event was attended by the Gaylord Pacific's developers RIDA Development Corporation ("RIDA Development") and Ares Management ("Ares"), finance partners, officials from the City of Chula Vista, Port of San Diego, and State of California, Marriott executives, group customers, and other project supporters.

Marriott International will manage the resort and convention center under a long-term management agreement. Russ Mitchell, most recently Director of Sales and Marketing at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, will serve as the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Gaylord Pacific and will lead a team with the goal of pre-booking more than 1.5 million room nights prior to opening.

The Gaylord Pacific is anticipated to have 1,600 hotel rooms, including 89 spacious suites with 12 Presidential suites. The project is expected to welcome its first guests in the summer of 2025 and to serve as a key component of the Chula Vista Bayfront, located in Chula Vista and within close proximity to San Diego. The resort will offer 360-degree views with San Diego Bay to the west and Chula Vista Marina to the south providing unobstructed views across the bay and on to the Pacific Ocean.

Marriott, together with the owner and development led by RIDA Development and a Real Estate fund managed by Ares Management, announced the closing on a $685 million construction loan from Wells Fargo Bank as co-lead arranger for a nine-bank consortium, including co-lead arranger Bank of America, documentation agents: Fifth Third Bank, Scotia Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, and participants: Frost Bank, Goldman Sachs, MidFirst Bank, and Taiwan Business Bank.

A construction loan from JPMorgan Chase Bank as sole lead arranger in the amount of $383 million was secured by the City and Port to support the public investment in the project.

Gaylord Pacific is expected to offer nine signature dining options with more than 418,746 square feet of indoor and outdoor convention center space, inclusive of a flexible 143,553-square-feet, carpeted exhibit hall, up to 62 technologically advanced breakout and conference rooms, five outdoor event lawns and terraces. Plans for the hotel include an expansive, glass lobby atrium with spectacular views of the San Diego Bay along with nine restaurants and bars, full-service Relâche signature spa and salon, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The resort is also slated to feature a premium outdoor waterpark complex with water slides, a full wave pool, adult and kid's pools, and a lazy river as well as ample pool seating and cabanas.

Hotel website