The IVY Hotel in San Diego
Sexy, urbane, astounding, the Gaslamp District hits the big time
Raising the bar for luxury accommodations, the IVY Hotel is the most sought after lodging, dining and night life experience in San Diego's Gaslamp district.
On the periphery of the white-hot Gaslamp District, the latest addition to downtown San Diego’s coterie of boutique accommodations, the IVY Hotel makes the transition from disreputable rooming-house to the city’s most sought after lodging and nightlife experience. A beguiling synthesis of New York chic, Miami modern, LA elegant, and lusty Las Vegas, the newly unveiled hotel recalibrates the benchmark for downtown boutique hotels.
“We created an adult playground wholly focused on our guest’s enjoyment and pleasure,” says Michael Kelly, the force of nature behind the IVY Hotel.
In partnership with his siblings, the stylish IVY is the Kelly clans’ first hometown endeavor. “We sought inspiration from the kind of places we like to go to when we’re not in San Diego—intimate, inviting, chic, and unforgettable.”
By all accounts, well done. Sophisticated, sultry, and utterly imaginative, the opulent IVY introduces San Diegans to the tenets of hospitality found at the world’s most luxurious destinations—indulge and delight.
Small Packages
At a mere seven-stories the IVY’s diminutive footprint belie its astounding amenities. Four years and $90 million dollars in the making, the former flophouse known as the Maryland Hotel, was gutted to accommodate IVY’s restaurant, nightclub, a sprawling rooftop lounge, as well as 159 luxury rooms. All that remains of the original structure is the recently pressure washed brick façade.
Amenities include
- 159 luxury suites
- Gourmet restaurant
- Subterranean nightclub
- Rooftop lounge
- Wi-fi high speed internet
- In-room entertainment systems
- Personalized sip & crave bar
- In-room dining
- Laundry/butler service
Hollywood Swingin' meets Lusty Las Vegas
Behind the understated, early 20th Century exterior lies the IVY’s urbane, new millennium interiors. With a flair for the dramatic, if not theatrical, renowned Hollywood set designer Dayna Lee of Powerstrip Studios, designed the IVY’s décor as a reflection of Kelly’s inimitable lust for life.
“I was looking for an Armani feel to the décor—masculine but not macho,” says Kelly. “Dayna and Ted were able to get inside my head and give me exactly what I was looking for. I know what I like.”
Handsome, debonair, and by all accounts successful, Kelly’s other predilections include premium cigars, fine dining, chic surrounds, top-shelf spirits, a flush night at the casino, torrid night clubs, leggy ladies, and 400 thread-count cotton sheets to sleep it off on afterwards. Except for the gaming, Kelly’s inner-city auberge has everything a bon-vivant could desire.
“Vegas gets it right,” says Kelly. “Their hotels offer everything under one roof – lodging, dining, entertainment, bars and gaming so you never have to leave the property. The IVY is a destination, not just a place to sleep.”
 |
 |
 |
