The Sofia Hotel in San Diego
Historic Hotel Reincarnated as Affordable Boutique Accommodations
From flophouse to plush boutique hotel, The Sofia Hotel is San Diego's most sought after lodging in the downtown district.
The Sofia Hotel, formerly the Pickwick Hotel, has been beautifully transformed from dodgy flophouse, to San Diego’s best value in boutique accommodations.
Timing is Everything
“My husband bought the Pickwick Hotel in 1986,” says Judi Carroll Winslow, Vice President of Winslow Investments Limited, Inc. “When the mortgage was paid off in 2006, we decided to renovate and re-brand as the Sofia Hotel. This beautiful old hotel deserved it—and we knew the time was right in San Diego.”
Ugly Duckling to Gorgeous Swan
Unfettered by humongous mortgage payments, Winslow, and her husband Ken, embarked upon an interior transformation of the old girl. “We kept the rooms the same size, but optimized the space with custom built furnishings—like solid mahogany headboards, dressers, built-in closets, and modernized bath fixtures. We redid everything short of starting from scratch,” says Winslow, who was also the projects’ General Contractor. “The hotels’ entire infrastructure, from plumbing to electrical, has been updated.
“We worked closely with Anjum Razvi—an extraordinarily talented interior designer—who also holds an architectural degree. Every inch of space in these rooms was carefully thought out—down to the custom reading lights over the bed and laptop safes in the closet. Her attention to detail resulted in beautifully appointed rooms where no comfort or convenience was spared.”
It’s true, the diminutive rooms have more amenities than a downtown studio condo – minus wireless internet access. “We decided to forego WiFi due to the buildings’ steel infrastructure, and restrictions by government employees who need secure access,” says Winslow. “However, our business center is equipped with high-speed access and open 24/7. We’ve added several scaled-down meeting rooms to attract small business groups—who might not need a large, expensive conference center.”
- Business center open 24/7
- Yoga Space
- Gym and workout studio
- Onsite restaurant
- Laptop safes
- In-room fridge and refreshments
- Pet-friendly rooms
- Custom furnishings
- Built-in closets
- Luxury bedding
- Flat screen TV’s
- High-speed internet
- Modernized bath fixtures
- Scaled down meeting rooms
- Proximity to Convention Center
- Walking distance to shopping and nightlife
- In-room spa servies
- Non-smoking environments
Designated as a historic buidling, the Sofia was saved from the wrecking ball as downtown development reached a fever pitch. Sofia's proximity to Horton Plaza, Petco Park, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, Seaport Village, Sea World, Old Town, and the Embarcadero will keep guests' vacation schedule filled to the brim.
At $149 a night the Sofia Hotel has become the darling of the San Diego Convention and Visitors center. “We’ve booked close to $1million in business before we even completed the project,” says Winslow. “They love us at ConViz.” And so do budget-conscious visitors with boutique hotel tastes.
