Port of San Diego selects developer for lower-cost accommodation development mandate
May 31, 2019
The Port of San Diego’s Board of Port Commissioners, on May 14, selected Stay Open to develop and operate a new hospitality pod hotel concept on land owned by the district. Stay Open’s proposed pod hotel development would help the port district fulfill a mandate to provide lower-cost overnight accommodations on land it owns.
Commissioners selected Stay Open through a bidding process; the private partnership, which includes L.A.-based CaRE Development and New Zealand’s JUCY Snooze, was one of three bidders seeking a contract award from the Port of San Diego.
The port district, according to a statement released by its staff, was tasked with “developing lower-cost overnight accommodations by creating a new opportunity for visitors from a variety of backgrounds and incomes to enjoy the full range of coastal experiences available on the dynamic San Diego Bay waterfront.”
“The Stay Open team proposes to create a new ‘shared hospitality’ pod hotel experience where people from all over the world come to connect under one roof,” port district staff said in a released statement. “Pod hotels, marketed to budget travelers, feature shared rooms with multiple pods and a shared bathroom.”
Stay Open’s proposed hotel property would feature 220 self-contained pods (33 rooms, eight to 12 pods per room). Each pod would feature a single-occupancy bed, storage locker, power supply, ventilation control, privacy screen, security and free Wi-Fi. All guests would have access to shared bathrooms and showers, as well as a rooftop restaurant and bar.
Six private rooms would also be available, featuring private bathrooms and queen/twin beds; these rooms would be ideal for couples or families.
The new hotel would be located on Pacific Highway, in between the port district’s headquarters and Palm Street.
Port district staff is expected to begin an exclusive negotiation period with Stay Open. The project could return to the board for direction later this year.
