Project rendering (HKS Architects)

The Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center is a new 22-story 1,600-room resort and convention center development, opened on May 15, 2025 along the Chula Vista Bayfront. Gaylord, a high-end national convention hotel brand owned by Marriott, built the hotel as called for in the Chula Vista Bayfront project master plan, a collaboration with the City of Chula Vista and the Port of San Diego. This is the sixth Gaylord in the company’s portfolio, and the first west of Colorado.

The original occupant of the site was SDG&E’s South Bay Power Plant, acquired in 1999 by the Port of San Diego and later demolished in 2013 to make way for the resort. Construction would later begin in August 2022. The property was developed by Houston-based RIDA Development Corporation and designed by HKS Architects.

Hotel as of August 31, 2025 (Benji Comiskey / BuildSD)

The hotel features 1,600 guest rooms, a four-acre water park, and more than 10 restaurants. Additionally, the site has a convention center with over 477,000 square feet of event space. The site is located half a mile from H Street Transit Center, providing potential connections with the Blue Line Trolley, MTS bus routes 701 and 709, and local community shuttles operated by the City.

The Gaylord Pacific resort marks a turning point for the formerly industrial Chula Vista bayfront, as an anchor for both the City and Port’s aims to transform it into a residential center and major tourist destination.

Further reading

City of Chula Vista - Chula Vista Bayfront https://www.chulavistaca.gov/residents/chula-vista-bayfront

HKS Architects - Gaylord Pacific Hotel and Convention Center https://www.hksinc.com/what-we-do/projects/gaylord-pacific-hotel-and-convention-center/