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I recently decided it was time for a weekend getaway to San Diego, to visit friends, favorite restaurants and see what “America’s Finest City” was up to! My regular readers know this is one of my favorite getaways – and they are always different!
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Julie Chavarria, Director of Leisure Sales for Se’ San Diego, while she was traveling though Arizona promoting her amazing new hotel. During our lunch, I was invited to come see the hotel the next time I was in town. Never being one to miss out on a new hotel, new experiences and always wanting to see what new innovations and programs are being launched, I decided to call Julie and see if she had availability for the first night of my adventure in San Diego. Luckily she did!
One of the first things that impressed me about Se’, was the call I received from the Chef Concierge, Chuck Huller, about 5 days prior to my stay to introduce himself and offer to help me make Tee Times, Dinner Reservations or anything else that would make my stay more enjoyable! WOW! I’ve stayed at some of the best hotels in the World, and this was the first time I actually received a phone call, in advance, to see how my experience could be made more enjoyable. It was perfectly timed as I wanted to take some of my friends to dinner at the onsite restaurant Suite & Tender, by James Beard award winning executive chef Christopher Lee. Chuck took care of all the arrangements and sent me an e-mail to confirm the reservations and offered me is direct phone line in case I needed anything else. We are off to a great start with Se’!
So, on a beautiful Friday morning in Tucson, I boarded my favorite Southwest Flight to Lindbergh Field in San Diego. I fly Southwest about 40 flights per year. I am not sure why, but just getting aboard, getting settled with my iPhone, coffee and a magazine is like coming home! The flights are usually on time, the crew is ALWAYS accommodating and happy, and the trips are just so easy.
Anyway – back to the trip at hand! When I arrived in San Diego it was overcast, cold and dreary, and after leaving a warm, beautiful day in Arizona, I was wondering if I made a mistake. But that is what travel and exploring are all about, so I headed to Hertz to get my car and then to a few business appointments I made while in town. It is great when you can mix business with pleasure on these trips!
I arrived at Hertz and went to the car, and was surprised and excited that is was a new Altima Hybrid! I’d been dying to try a hybrid, but had not had the chance – until today. The first thing I noticed was no key, just a switch. Now that part was not all that surprising as I had gotten used o my moms Mercedes not having a key. The strange part was that when I pushed the button a little light came on and simply said “ON”, but there was absolutely no engine starting or noise of any kind. I assumed it was not working, turned it off, made sure the car was in Park, and hit it again, still NOTHING! I got out of the car, made sure the electronic locks where off, reentered the car and tried it again. Still nothing! I went ahead and put the car in drive, no noise, but as I eased off the brake – IT MOVED FORWARD! For those of you that have a hybrid, you probably think this is a little weird – but I was so amazed by the lack of noise while the car was in electric vehicle mode. Once I got out of the parking spot, the engine roared to life and all was good in the world. It took me awhile to get used to the car engine stopping every time I got to a stop sign or intersection, and being completely silent – but I sure got used to it over the weekend, and climbing back in my Expedition at the end of my trip sure had me thinking about a better way to get around.
OK, I’ve finished my work and headed to Se’ San Diego to settle in and see the hotel before meeting my friends for dinner. When I first arrived at the hotel, I was escorted into the lobby though this amazing, huge wooden door that was absolutely beautiful and pivoted in the middle to allow it to open enough to “sneak” in, like you were entering some kind of super secret clubhouse or private enclave. Once inside you are struck by the simple design, but soaring ceiling, floating staircase and multitude of textures! There is not the traditional desk, where you wait in line to check in, but comfortable seating where you are offered Se’s Signature Cocktail, the Zen Royal, made of organic vodka infused with cucumber and rosemary, and topped with sparkling wine. It was perfect! It is very light and refreshing with a taste of vodka, but not overwhelming. Within just the first 10 minutes of my visit the entire experience was perfectly crafted to relax, take away any pressure of the day and prepare you for an incredible stay.
Next the hostess brought my room keys right to me, asked if I had any questions or special requests, then politely took my credit card and went off to get me checked in while I enjoyed my drink and took a closer look at the lobby and thought about my plans for the evening. Once I arrived in the room, I was again awed by the beautiful one bedroom suite (Thanks Julie!), sweeping views of the city, and again all of the textures and exotic materials used in the décor, it was stunning!
We had reservations for dinner at 7:00 PM, so my friend Whitney and I met in the lounge at 6:00 PM for a drink and to catch up on life! The lounge was again awash in textures, from Stingray leather covering the bar, to exotic wood furnishings, a “Flame” wall, live plants covering another wall – it was simply amazing and relaxing at the same time. In the evenings on the Weekend - the rooftop Lounge "Siren" has a series of incredible performers that do a Cirque-type of show and presentation while perched over the hotels pool - it was impressive to say the least!
I have to wrap this up, so I will tell you that the dinner in Suite and Tender was another “Feast for the Senses” with simple, small portions, but combining many different and unique flavors and combinations – you’ll have to check it out to get all the details!
