I spent $12.50 for a day inside California's new gigantic hotel

The new Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista, Calif., covers 1.8 million square feet. (Courtesy of Gaylord Pacific)

The largest hotel to debut on the West Coast recently opened alongside San Diego Bay. It's sleek and modern and has been making a splash since opening, but it's still working out some kinks. After all, the hotel is essentially a tiny city with a thousand workers and 1,600 rooms.

The Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center opened on May 15 in Chula Vista, near Interstate 5 and 10 miles from downtown San Diego. The property is 1.8 million square feet, with 1,600 hotel rooms, 12 restaurants and a water park with several pools. Rooms start at around $309 per night, but instead of spending the night, I snagged one of the hotel's day passes. On a weekday in late June, I hung out by the pool to see what's happening at the new juggernaut among California hotels. 

A tricky game to get inside

For $12.50, Gaylord's resort guest day pass gave me access to most of the hotel's public spaces, including the dining options and the lobby's atrium area - plus the water park and all of its amenities like the lounge chairs, towels and poolside services. Cabanas were also available for an additional cost. 

The gigantic Gaylord Pacific came together through a partnership between the upscale hotel brand Gaylord Hotels and local municipalities that insisted on keeping the property accessible to nearby communities.   

"We are a really solid example of public and private partnership and what can happen when local governments come together to really bring something audacious to life," Peter Borum, spokesperson for the Gaylord Pacific, told SFGATE by phone. "Part of our partnership between the Port of San Diego and the City of Chula Vista was to provide day passes to the local public and to make those available at an affordable cost, not just on a limited-time basis but in perpetuity." 

Guests can sit inside podlike booths in the atrium at the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista, Calif. (Courtesy of Gaylord Pacific)

The day passes are coveted, and snagging one was not an easy feat, but it was nothing that someone who has snatched up Beyonce tickets at retail price on Ticketmaster couldn't handle. 

When I first attempted to grab one for a visit, every pass was sold out on the website. I called the hotel and found out that the passes were in high demand, but the site releases new ones seven days in advance. I set a timer for midnight and snatched one up immediately. By the time I'd checked back on the website around 9 a.m. the next morning, the passes for the same date were sold out.

Borum said that he was unable to disclose how many passes were sold each day, but that demand is "incredibly high."

A day in the sun

I arrived at the Gaylord Pacific at 11 a.m. The water park had opened an hour before, but I wanted to make sure to see the place in full swing. 

Although the day pass is only $12.50, self-parking costs $45, plus tax. Additionally, valet parking is available for a $20 upcharge. However, upon arrival, I noticed there was free street parking along the bay. I was lucky enough to snag a spot directly across the street.

The grand hotel entrance is perched on top of a hill. There could be better signs directing people to the entrance, but the context clues were the employees outside valeting people's cars.

Treo, one of the Gaylord Pacific's several restaurants, serves seasonal fare. (Courtesy of Gaylord Pacific)

Stepping into the lobby transported me back to my stay at the W Koh Samui - one of my favorite hotels in the world. The lobby and atrium are mesmerizing, featuring large screens, a waterfall, palm trees, chandeliers and an abundance of natural light. The atrium features a bar and booths positioned within the indoor water feature. The $1.3 billion spent to build the place was on clear display - the Gaylord Pacific is teed up to become a premium destination in the San Diego region.

"The vision was to really provide a world-class, resort and convention center on the West Coast that reflected all of the amenities that the Gaylord Hotels brand is known for in a very SoCal-specific fashion," Borum said.

Once I had made it inside, I went up to the front desk to check in. The exceptionally friendly associate pointed me toward a door that would take me directly to the towel hut to check in for the day. I found myself wondering, once again, why wasn't there a sign to point guests in the right direction for check-in?

Gaylord Pacific guests float in the mega wave pool complete with a big screen. (Olivia Harden/SFGATE)

Heading outside the glass walls and over to the pool, another set of extremely nice employees checked me in. They checked my ID, and gave me a wristband and a nontoxic (whatever that meant) waterproof stamp, along with my towels. I asked about the restaurants available to me with the day pass. The worker said a day pass wasn't necessary to visit any of the restaurants inside. But it got me into the pool area for the day.

I first took in the massive, over-4-acre water park, which featured waterslides, a wave pool, a lazy river and other smaller pools. The environment was a bit overstimulating. School was out, so even on a Tuesday, there were plenty of families there to enjoy the day with their children.

I made my way over to a quieter end of the water park and found a lap pool with a bar called Sunny's. There were no signs, but I saw only adults in the area. 

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My stomach grumbled for lunch, so I lay by the pool patiently for around 30 minutes, waiting for one of the poolside servers to greet me, before finally flagging one down. The server warmly offered to bring me a menu and said they would be back in a few minutes to take my order, but never returned. So, I sat in another section of the pool area, where a server saw I had a menu and took my order almost immediately. My food was out and ready in about 15 minutes. I suspected the earlier snafu was due to understaffing.

"We're not currently fully staffed. We have about 1,000 ‘Stars,' that's what we call our team members currently, and we've hired the vast majority of those over the past three months, and we've been ramping dramatically. We will be at about 1,600 full-time members when we are at full capacity," Borum said. 

Inside the lobby of the Gaylord Pacific are sleek check-in booths. (Olivia Harden/SFGATE)

The menu for Sunny's was upscale Baja Mexican fare. I ordered the fish tacos, which came with battered fish, a cabbage slaw and a spicy mayo sauce. I also ordered a side of esquites, one of my favorite Mexican dishes - corn off the cob, covered in mayo, cotija cheese, lime and chili powder. I also ordered a mojito, and it all cost about $60.

The mojito was strong in the best way - a perfect amount of liquor that gave a nice buzz without sacrificing the taste or quality of the drink. The fish tacos were pretty good, not underwhelming or overwhelming in flavor. The flaky fish played well with the crispy cabbage, and the sauce was a nice addition. But the best bite of the day was the esquites. The restaurant did not skimp on toppings. It was a decadent delight and, honestly, some of the best I've ever had. I devoured every kernel in the small cup.

While I was eating, I noticed some adults and children splashing and playing in the water. I asked my server whether there were any quiet or adult pools available. She said I was at the adult pool, but kids were allowed in it - an answer that left me confused, but now made me curious. Borum clarified that the pool was not adult-only, providing families with options to rent cabanas in the area.

"We have a lot of seating and a lot of cabanas that are family-friendly throughout the water park, and so to call it an adults-only pool would limit the ability for families to be able to book those seats in those cabanas, but it's not as popular for children as it is for adults to have a lap pool next to a full-service bar," Borum said. 

The Shallow End Grill at the Gaylord Pacific serves more kid-friendly dishes like bacon fries. (Courtesy of Gaylord Pacific)

He also noted that one of the more negative pieces of feedback from guests was the inconsistency in how associates relay information to them.

"We are a brand-new hotel, and so just coming out of the gate, we've stubbed our toes on a couple of issues as we get things up and running. There have been some things like our staff not having the right answer to restaurant hours or pool hours, as they change on a day-to-day basis," Borum said. "But we're constantly taking that feedback into account and constantly and continuously improving."

After lunch, I checked out some of the more kid-friendly areas. The wave pool was a blast, with perfectly timed rhythmic waves that caused some guests to squeal with delight. At several high-energy water slides, attendants stood with markers to make sure kids were tall enough to use them. The lazy river was one of my favorite areas. Inner tubes were available for a sleepily paced lap around the pool. The area also had a family pool and a kiddie pool for smaller children. 

At the family pool, guests can enjoy bites from Shallow End Grill, with more kid-friendly options, including burgers, chicken strips, fries and soft serve. Nevertheless, the menu still offers cocktails, beer, wine and seltzers for adults.

The Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista, Calif., took three years to build and cost $1.3 billion. (Courtesy of Gaylord Pacific)

"We really pride ourselves on being something for everyone under one roof, and it's really hard for families who are traveling in Southern California to find a combination of relaxation and luxury and entertainment all in one place," Borum said. 

A peek inside Growlers Sports Bar and Taproom

On a Tuesday afternoon, the ambiance inside Growlers was quiet, but I could easily imagine what the bar looked like while the NBA finals aired on the massive wall-to-wall screen last week. The host engaged in small talk as they escorted me to a table. I opted to sit outside, as the patio was far away from the noise, but had a great view. My server immediately offered to turn on the heat lamp as the ocean breeze had brought a slight chill.

The Snake River Farms wagyu beef burger at Growlers Sports Bar & Taproom in the new Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center in Chula Vista, Calif. (Courtesy of Gaylord Pacific)

I ordered the Snake River Farms wagyu beef - a burger on a brioche bun topped with bacon, truffle aioli, caramelized beer onions, a white cheddar cheese sauce (which I swapped for smoked cheddar), and lettuce, along with a side of fries, for $31 before tax and tip. 

The burger was a bit unbalanced, but it's possible that ordering it with the cheese sauce as intended would have made a difference. The truffle aioli and caramelized beer onions were both bold with big but conflicting flavors. However, the patty and bacon were perfectly cooked, and the bun had the perfect texture and remained intact under the girth of such a jam-packed burger. Growlers has a great ambiance with a decent menu at an upcharge you'd expect at an upscale hotel, but it's not completely outrageous.

Final thoughts at checkout

After my meal, I headed home after five hours, contemplating the day's adventures. It's evident that there were some discrepancies with the service, but the staff was exceptionally kind, even through any missteps or snafus, and I'm confident it will improve. Though the property should consider turning its lap pool into an adult-only or lap pool, which would still comply with California law. 

As a young adult with no children, I'm not Gaylord Pacific's target audience, and that's OK. As Borum explained, the hotel was designed to accommodate every kind of Californian, even if just for an afternoon. 

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