San Diego’s Hospitality Scene Grows With Baby Grand’s Bold Arrival in 2025
San Diego’s beloved Consortium Holdings, the visionary team behind some of the city’s most celebrated dining concepts and best places to Stay San Diego, has its sights set on Coronado. Slated to debut in early 2025, Baby Grand will be more than a hotel—it will serve as a design-forward social haven, blending nostalgia, artistry and coastal luxury.
Positioned across from the legendary Hotel del Coronado on Orange Avenue, this new hotel in San Diego will be the first design-centric hotel to grace Coronado in decades. A $17 million collaboration with the renowned Brooklyn-based Post Company, the project will feature 31 artfully designed rooms, a lushly reimagined outdoor space and three innovative dining concepts. Known for elevating San Diego’s cultural and social fabric, CH Projects has promised to do the same for Coronado, infusing the neighborhood with its signature blend of maximalism and grandeur.
A Visionary Coastal Retreat
According to CH Projects founder Arsalun Tafazoli, Baby Grand will be more than one of the best places to stay in San Diego—it will play a key role in the evolution of Coronado’s charm. “Coronado is such a unique element of San Diego’s layered persona,” says Tafazoli.
“We wanted to create a hi-lo gathering place that reflects the island’s storied reputation…while also serving as a social hub for our neighbors.”
The design, led by Post Company, is an ode to California’s dreamy, sun-drenched lifestyle. The hotel will merge retro motifs with forward-thinking maximalism. Picture pearlescent clamshell beds, walls adorned with scenic, imagined landscapes and oversized mirrored minibars with bold red and bronze finishes. Bathrooms will feel lavishly vintage with custom wallpaper, freestanding tubs and marble details, creating spaces designed to transport guests through time.
The outdoors are no less captivating. What was once a parking lot has been transformed into a verdant oasis. Massive palm trees, lush flora and cascading waterfalls envelop what will be an alfresco restaurant concept—a jungle escape where fine dining meets immersive landscaping. Expect to encounter tented bars inspired by Napoleonic campaigns and sculptural water features that blur the line between nature and artifice.
Dining: A Feast for the Senses
Dining at Baby Grand will be a fully immersive sensory experience, featuring three distinct concepts. Guests can enjoy leisurely meals at an outdoor all-day dining spot nestled in lush, tropical grounds. Here, fine cuisine meets a surreal, jungle-inspired setting.
For vintage glamour, the chic oyster bar, Fallen Empire, offers plush velvet banquettes, clamshell chairs, and chrome accents. These details evoke the cocktail lounges of the 1950s. Meanwhile, an intimate omakase venue adds to the culinary appeal. It provides a meticulously curated dining journey that celebrates precision and elegance. The uniqueness of these dining concepts ensures this hotel will rank among the best places to stay in San Diego.
Design That Tells a Story
Baby Grand’s design narrative is rich with character. Tafazoli describes it as the fever dream of an eccentric collector—someone who hoards relics of California’s golden age while imagining a distorted, utopian future. The hotel will balance elements of chaos and harmony and nostalgia and futurism. The result? A whimsical interplay of past and present.
The lobby alone is a microcosm of this philosophy. Guests will step into a jewel box of art, ephemera and draped tapestries. Beneath a dramatic Murano glass light fixture will lie an intimate reception area with a secret. Tap on the right sculpture, and you’ll uncover an entrance to Fallen Empire.
Expanding CH Projects’ Legacy
Baby Grand, moreover, builds on CH Projects’ growing portfolio of boundary-pushing hospitality ventures, which include celebrated destinations like Morning Glory, Born & Raised, and the recently reimagined The Lafayette Hotel and Club in North Park. Similarly, like its predecessors, this new San Diego hotel seeks to create not just a space but a cultural experience that fosters community and sparks conversation.
Furthermore, with its blend of sophisticated design, inventive dining, and a touch of whimsy, Baby Grand promises to be a transformative addition to Coronado. It enriches the town’s hospitality scene while preserving its timeless charm. Ultimately, it’s a bold step for both CH Projects and Coronado.
