Almost unnoticed, Downtown’s hotel industry is in the midst of a construction boom. What started with last year’s opening of the Hilton Gaslamp continues with earnest construction on the ballpark Omni San Diego Hotel, W Hotel and expansion of the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau tracks 8,498 rooms available to visitors. By the end of 2005, that inventory will have grown by about 5,756 if all the rooms are built.

The largest of the bunch will rise thanks to the efforts of the San Diego Unified Port District. The port is providing $46.5 million in rent credits to Hilton Convention Center LLC to develop a $250 million waterfront Hilton Hotel — with 1,100 to 1,200 rooms — at the former Campbell Shipyard site to serve the San Diego Convention Center.

“This will help fill the urgent need for hotel rooms to house guests of the newly expanded convention center,” says Steven Shultz, assistant director of communications for the port. Shultz also points out that this is one of the last premier waterfront sites left in Southern California. When finished, the Hilton will bring the number of hotel rooms on tidelands to nearly 7,000.

Also in the planning stages on port property is the Spinnaker Hotel, located at Fifth Avenue Landing. Waiting on a feasibility study, plans call for this to be a high-end hotel with about 250 rooms.

The W Hotel promises a hip party place at its rooftop bar, Beach.

Omni San Diego Hotel has closed financing on $104 million for its project across from the ballpark that includes 512 rooms topped by 36 privately owned luxury condominiums. Room rates will begin at $200 a night. “Our key client will always be the conventioneer,” says Greg Clay, senior vice president of JMI Realty. “But we’re not trying to be the host hotel for the convention center. Our goal is to be the choice for people not wanting the congestion of the host hotel.” Completion is set for April 2004.

The $170 million Hyatt expansion includes a 34-story tower of 750 guestrooms, 36 of which will be suites. The decor of the new tower will be consistent with the existing tower. “We won’t have a new and an old tower,” says Rob Cameron, director of Hyatt’s sales and marketing. “It will all be the same. Although the Hyatt also is counting on the convention center to fill its rooms, it is more than equipped to fill itself with in-house conventions. Cameron says it’s not uncommon to have groups of 2,000 to 3,000 people at events in the ballroom. Weekend rates are $189 to $325.

The nationally touted W Hotels has chosen San Diego as the location for its first Southern California hotel. The 261-room specialty inn is set to open on Dec. 6 just south of Little Italy. With its rooftop bar featuring heated sand, fire pit and private cabanas, the project has serious nightlife potential. “It’s a very hip hotel,” says Rob Stirling, director of sales and marketing. “It’s all about substance, style and decor. We want our guests to get a feel of the pulse and energy.” Room rates range from $189 to $389.

By 2005 and with 14,254 rooms, Downtown will be ready and able to handle all the visitors a fully booked San Diego Convention Center can generate — and your relatives, too.

— Maria L. Kirkpatrick