In the heart of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter
Why host an average meeting when you can produce an award-worthy show? Buttoned-down business amenities with rock 'n' roll style, that's the mix at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego’s venues. Our stunning event spaces for up to 1,000 guests include 40,000 square feet of rooms, halls, and outdoor terraces.
The Edge: Floor-to-Ceiling Windows and Striking Views
A dynamic 4,000-square-foot space ideal for anything from intimate private concerts to spectacular banquets for weddings and corporate events. Floor-to-ceiling windows with three balconies offer striking views of the entrance to the Gaslamp Quarter.
Elevation: Premier 11th Floor Event Space
With tons of unique features and VIP amenities, everything you need for a stellar stay in the Gaslamp Quarter is at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, where you're not just a guest, you're a rock star.
Hard Suite King Suite
Our Hard Rock Suites offer a generously-sized bedroom, luxury lounge and bathroom that flow seamlessly together. Enjoy space for relaxation, entertaining or a pre-night out nap. It's the perfect place for your attendees to chill and recharge.
Hard Rock Hotel’s Vibrant Lobby
There's something electric about being in the middle of it all. Hard Rock Hotel San Diego puts you in the limelight with chic accommodations in the heart of downtown and the famed nightlife of the Gaslamp Quarter.
Memorable Rock Star Experiences for Attendees
At Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, meetings are transformed into memorable rock star experiences where every attendee feels like a VIP.
Legends: 8,700 sq. ft. Main Event Room Like None Other
An 8,700 square foot main event room like none other. Legends divides into six equal sections to accommodate events of differing sizes and features spectacular colored lights, acoustic panels, countless branding opportunities and state-of-the-art AV capabilities that allow full-customization of your next event.
World-Class Cuisine at Nobu
At Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, you don't have to go far to sample some of San Diego's finest dining and nightlife. Located in the heart of downtown and steps from the Gaslamp Quarter, the hotel puts it all in easy reach. In fact, you can experience some of San Diego’s best dining without leaving the property.
Float Pool & Lounge: A Stylish Open-Air Oasis
Our fourth-floor pool lounge is a stylish open-air oasis during the day, evolving into an elegant event space at night complete with a direct elevator from the lobby, built-in heaters, fire pits, and private cabanas.
Float Pool & Lounge: SD
Offer a signature cocktail at the dedicated bar as a DJ spins your favorite tunes, or take your soiree poolside with plush seating and private cabanas. There are countless options at Float, recognized as San Diego’s favorite hotel rooftop.
Adding diversity to San Diego's F&B scene
Tacos, fajitas, quesadillas and other Mexican staples are typically associated with the San Diego culinary scene, largely due to the city’s proximity to Mexico. But San Diego actually has a wide diversity of food and beverage choices, which is expanding during the culinary revolution taking place at restaurants, food trucks, cocktail and wine bars, and breweries. The Point Loma neighborhood is known for its seafood dishes, North Park features Asian and Middle Eastern selections and a beer festival, downtown boasts cuisines from throughout the world as well as craft cocktails, and Little Italy pays homage to Mediterranean traditions. “In San Diego, you’ll find all the world-class features you’d expect from a major metropolis, like incredible dining and nightlife,” says Candice Eley, director of communication for San Diego Tourism Authority. “The diversity of the destination provides endless options for meeting planners.” A group of women leaders are active players in the widespread culinary movement. Some of them have been pioneers for 20 years and have opened restaurants without much fanfare, while others are making an impact with their modern twist on traditional recipes and their entrepreneurial skills in launching new ventures. It’s been a male-dominated industry, but things are changing. Here are some dedicated, creative women who are helping to make San Diego an even more attractive culinary destination.The Initiators
Veggie platter at El Jardin (Photo by James Tran) As a grande dame of San Diego innovative cuisine, restaurateur Tracy Borkum brought her passion for Italian flavors and California ingredients to her Urbana Kitchen Group. Since 2004, she has been opening several food businesses in Southern California, including Cucina Urbana in the Bankers Hill neighborhood, Cucina Enoteca in Del Mar and Cucina Sorella, a full-service catering company and an online retail shop based in the Kensington area. With an educational background in theater and no experience in the food and beverage industry, this London food entrepreneur embarked on a journey in 1995, marked by some failures and many successes. After closing her first fine-dining restaurant in 2005, with no money in her bank account, she took a leap of faith and conceived a disruptive concept—providing a menu with no items exceeding $20. Her first restaurant that implemented this concept, Cucina Urbana, was welcomed by the community, and in a few years, she was able to recover the losses she suffered from her previous restaurant. The rapid success of Cucina Urbana helped her to fund her restaurant group and expand the business outside of San Diego. The rustic-chic design, casual environment, vibrant atmosphere and sharing-style dishes helped the Cucina restaurants gain widespread acclaim—and the contemporary Italian cuisine fit the Southern California taste. Deborah Scott, popular chef and partner of Cohn Restaurant Group—one of the industry’s largest groups in the city—is a pioneer in the local F&B scene. A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, she relocated to Southern California in 1992 and two years later, she launched her first venture, Indigo Grill, a modern Latin kitchen in Little Italy. Scott developed the concept, designed the menu, and worked both in the front and back of her restaurant. A year later, she met David and Lesley Cohn, and her life completely changed. Together, they opened a series of successful eateries, most recently Coasterra on Harbor Island. In her kitchen, there are around 40 women—hired for attitude, not for gender. She teaches them that in a male-dominated industry, they need to speak up when a situation doesn’t feel right. “There has always been abusive behavior in the kitchen and there will probably continue to be abusive behavior in the future, but it’s up to each individual to not be silent,” Scott says. “No one has to take abuse, and no one has the right to put anyone in [an uncomfortable] position. So, speak up. The good thing is that it is so much easier to have a voice today than in the past.” She’s committed to strive to always think outside the box: She recommends two of her original dishes at Coasterra, Ahi Toastada and Caesar with Carne. “Above all, when you are at the restaurant, have the guacamigo (guacamole-making friend) visit your table. They are fun and make guacamole tailored to your liking,” Scott says.The New Generation

Drink in Pink
Local breweries and restaurants are appreciating the refined taste of many women in determining the quality of a beer or a bottle of wine. This is the case, for instance, with Modern Times Beer, the popular beer production company and brewery in Point Loma, with other locations in Los Angeles and Portland. Oregon. Morgan Tenwick is the quality assurance manager of the company, and her role is to assure the high caliber of each can or bottle that is distributed. In recent years, the beer industry has seen a growing number of women in leadership positions. Micaela Cano, for instance, is the bar manager of Pizza Port, a successful brewery in San Diego founded by Gina and Vince Marsiglia in 1992. Located on Ocean Beach, the company has won more than 91 medals and awards, and has five locations in the San Diego area where groups can taste the signature Grand View Ale, Chronic Ale, Amber Ale and Swami’s IPA. Faith Fulginiti, with nearly two decades of hospitality experience, is now wine director of the new Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse inside InterContinental San Diego, the first West Coast location for the restaurant chain. Fulginiti, who spent the last decade running the $8 million wine program at its Manhattan outpost, will oversee the award-winning wine list. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater, and discovered that the life of a sommelier is similar to a performing artist—both involve holding staff tastings, teaching classes and conveying passion. She has found that among women, there is strong solidarity and support in the industry. “Starting in 2012, an annual Women in Wine Leadership Symposium in New York City has celebrated—and collaborates with—women in the wine industry,” Fulginiti says. “It is a phenomenal event that brings women together to support each other. There is so much talent out there. I look forward to one day helping to establish a group in the San Diego community that offers the same respect for everything that we bring to the table. “I come from an all-female sommelier team at Del Frisco’s in New York City that celebrated women in wine, and that is a huge focus of mine. Additionally, we just kicked off a successful wine dinner featuring a female winemaker, Sally Johnson of Pride Mountain Vineyards.” Attendees might see her at the front of the restaurant, making recommendations regarding the 1,200 bottles from around the world. One of her favorites is Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon by Paul Hobbs Crossbarn Winery, which goes great with the restaurant’s steak selections.Cater Your Event


Top Hotels and Meeting Venues
One of the most significant meeting event cities in the United States, San Diego has many attractive hotels and resorts. The new Carte Hotel & Suites San Diego, slated to open in June in the Little Italy neighborhood, is a 14-story hotel with 240 upscale guest rooms, along with a restaurant, rooftop bar with fireplaces, wine shop and 3,000 sq. ft. of flexible event space. In the downtown area, The Guild, a 162-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio property, is a great option. Housed in an iconic, 1920s-era Army-Navy YMCA building, its interiors show off the latest hotel-design trends with their airy spaces, refined details and contrasting colors. The boutique hotel encompasses 18,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space, including 4,000-square-foot ballrooms. Also downtown, Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina showcases 1,360 guest rooms and more than 280,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space, with marina views and two new 36,000-square-foot ballrooms. Moreover, it has just launched Neighborhood, a catering program designed specifically for meetings and events. Built as a beachfront resort with 757 guest rooms, Hotel Del Coronado offers 65,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space with ocean views and a private white-sand beach for an after-party event. For planners who want to add entertainment, Hard Rock San Diego (420 guest rooms) downtown provides 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 8,700 sq. ft. of terraces next to the rooftop pool and bar. Housed in a resort-like setting, Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego is a perfect location for an award gala event. The property provides 1,628 guest rooms and 320,000 sq. ft. of flexible space, including four ballrooms, multiple reception areas and 61 breakout rooms. Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina offers stunning views of the marina. It features 1,053 rooms and 115,932 sq. ft. of event space. Situated on a private island in Mission Bay, Paradise Port Resort and Spa has 462 bungalow-style guest rooms and more than 80,000 sq. ft. of event space. Pantai Inn, located on the gorgeous LaJolla coastline, is ideal for small groups, corporate retreats and executive outings. The boutique property has 30 guest rooms and 289 sq. ft. of indoor meeting space for 20-24 people. For more room, the courtyard can be converted to a meeting space for 40-60 people, and they are open to property buy-outs.A Carlsbad Feast
