After years of planning by UCSD administrators, a new luxury resort and conference center has opened its doors on university-owned property adjacent to campus. Located on nine and a half acres across the street from Eleanor Roosevelt College, the Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa first welcomed the public in late June as part of a 65-year lease agreement with the university.
The UC Board of Regents acquired the former horse farm in 1966 as part of a larger assemblage of land in a real estate deal. University officials considered various uses for the land, including research and development space, housing for faculty and healthcare or a combined conference center and hotel complex.
They ultimately chose the hotel complex option because it “would not negatively impact ongoing expansion plans of other campus units, [it] … would provide employment opportunities for students and had a precedent of being acceptable to the surrounding community,” Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs David R. Miller said.
Estancia Hotel and Spa Public Relations Manager Carlyn Shaw estimated that approximately 15 to 20 UCSD students work at the hotel.
In determining the optimal use for the land, UCSD Real Estate Director Nancy Kossan said the university focused on alternatives that would best complement — and not preclude — campus needs, provide financial returns and receive approval from the surrounding community.
“A joint Faculty Senate-administration committee determined that the campus had sufficient land to meet the expansion needs envisioned in the campus’ master plan, so the land parcel could be used for nonacademic purposes to benefit the campus in other ways and provide a good income,” Kossan said.
Kossan estimates that once the hotel is fully operational, it will pay $600,000 annually in rent to the university. The amount will be adjusted every five years for inflation.
Over the course of the lease term, the university has the option of basing its fees on the value of the land or sharing the profits from hotel operations, Kossan said. At the conclusion of the lease, the land will revert to university ownership and the regents will decide how the land will be used.
Multiple hotel operators made offers for the lease, and administrators chose four for review by a committee made up of university faculty, staff, students and administrators. After the committee made its recommendations, the UC Office of the President awarded a joint contract to Lowe Enterprises and Destination Hotels and Resorts in January 2000.
The $60 million complex was built with a historical 1800s theme, an era in which the property was still an equestrian farm. In conjunction with the San Diego Historical Society, builders constructed the Estancia in the layout of an old California rancho estate, modeling three central brick buildings after original structures that were on site.
“The lobby is modeled after the original barn, and really has an adobe structure feel,” Shaw said. “You can see woven into the buildings white brick taken from the original structures.”
As the only hotel in Southern California certified by the International Association of Conference Centers, the Estancia possesses state-of-the-art technology and presentation tools, including a fiber optic connection to the UCSD campus, ergonomic swivel chairs, 30-inch-wide non-reflective desks and various lighting and climate controls. Its conference facilities include a 125-seat amphitheatre, a 6,000-square-foot ballroom and other various-sized conference areas, totaling 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
“We are really designed for both business travelers and families,” said Shaw. “We’re not a cookie-cutter hotel. We’re designed to be a place that gives a sense of retreat, so people don’t leave feeling they need a vacation from it — it’s like a little escape.”
UCSD faculty, staff and students are currently eligible for discounted room rates between $179 and $199 per night. Regular rates range from $219 to $370. Events to commemorate the opening of the establishment are tentatively scheduled for late October or early November and will likely include tours of the property.
