Poolside at Se San Diego

Back in January I wrote a little piece on Se San Diego, which is a new Luxury Hotel in Downtown.  At that time the place was not entirely finished (pool bar and lounge, penthouse, and a few other elements).

Well its finished now!  I was invited to their Opening Reception last night and its fantastic!  The Pool Bar and cabanas are very chic and the lounge furniture is super comfortable.  I was having visions of myself lounging by the pool this coming summer!  There is also a lounge immediately off the pool which would make an awesome space for a cocktail party.

I have not even gotten to the food and drinks!  Don’t know the name of it but I had a sparkling wine and elderflower liqueur concoction…yummy!  The most popular drink of the evening was a blueberry, acai berry and vodka beverage.  Crab Cakes with Avocado Aioli, Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Cantaloupe and Lobster Mini Salad, Steak Canapes with Teriyaki Glaze….every bite was delicious!

One of the things I loved about the party was you still felt like you were in San Diego, but with a very hip luxe vibe.

Kudos to everyone at Se San Diego for not only throwing a fabulous party last night, but for being part of such a fantastic property!  Can’t wait to see more fab events there!

Downtown San Diego has been enjoying quite the boom!  The Ivy Hotel opened in 2007 as THE chic & luxe hotel in the Gaslamp.  It was shortly followed by the Hard Rock Hotel and let’s not forget the newly renovated W hotel.  But now we have another treat to add to the mix…Se San Diego.

Designed to be an oasis amongst the buzzing downtown, walking into Se is like walking into another world.  The attention to detail in the lobby alone is incredible…stingray skins cover the concierge and reception desks…but the staff will immediately inform you that no stingrays were harmed in the process.  The skins come from a preserve and were gathered after the natural shedding process…how’s that for chic and eco-friendly!

A custom designed lighting sculpture hangs in the lobby and is more akin to a mobile than anything else.

And that’s another thing!  Installation pieces abound throughout the hotel.  The staircase wall is lined with a fin-like installation, the restaurant (Suite & Tender) has black wood panels with etchings of different words and phrases (some naughty and some nice), and the spa reception desk has an awesome backdrop of miniature teacup-like sculptures in the loveliest shade of foam green.  Its worth the visit just to see the art in the joint!

And the guest rooms….dark hardwood floors.  I was sold on that alone!

The hotel bar is cool, dark and sexy…perfect for an evening drink.

No expense was spared in the design of this property.  Boasting mainly an Asian-inspired theme, Se actually fuses together inspiration from every conceivable point in the world but in the most fluid aesthetic imaginable.  Incredibly tactile, you want to feel everything you see, but the sensory experience does not stop there.  The quirkiest part of the hotel are the elevators…white acrylic walls with embedded crosscuts of wood pieces that emanate the most subtly sweet aroma.  Again…the attention to detail is beyond anything I could have imagined.

And let’s not forget the ballroom.  Located on the 4th floor (someone correct me if that’s wrong), the east wall of the ballroom is filled with windows from floor to ceiling, and the ceiling has a sculptured element with wood panels overlapping each other.  I love the modern feel of the whole space!

As you can see, I like the place.  So next time your downtown and find yourself near the House of Blues cruise into the bar of their new neighbor…Se San Diego.

Image Courtesty of SeSanDiego.com

Website: SE San Diego

Address: 1047 5th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101

Se has had their soft opening and is due for their Grand Opening in February.