San Diego convention hotel plans revealed
Officials from the Port of San Diego have taken the first step on the road to a new hotel and convention center complex in the city.
Port commissioners have voted to start negotiations with a developer for the project to be located on a 535-acre site in Chula Vista.
Houston-based Rida Development Corp. has been chosen to develop the site and the firm has previously built large scale hotels in Houston, Pittsburgh and Orlando, Florida.
Port officials have drawn up a plan for a 1,600-room hotel with 415,000 square feet of meeting space and 100,000 square feet available for food and beverage outlets.
There will be sufficient vacant land left to expand with more hotels and retail space at a later date, port officials said.
A similar plan was first mooted back in 2008 when Gaylord Entertainment, which runs the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, was selected as developer.
That $1 billion project was shelved after Gaylord failed to agree terms with organized labor.
Gaylord has since merged with Marriott and did not submit a proposal this time.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps