Started by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in 1971, London was introduced to the first Hard Rock Cafe. As it’s popularity grew, the founders moved overseas and began to expand their franchise in 1982. The two opened several more HRCs together, but eventually Tigrett sold off his share of the company. Morton however, continued to expand and in 1995, he opened the first ever Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. As we all know, this was a huge success and has been monumental in growing the Hard Rock image.

The Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego, again, is a condo-hotel. This means that each room is owned as a fee simple property, but the condos are hotel rooms and can be rented out. Imagine a 4 Star hotel in an incredible location, add the fact that it’s in an even better location(sunny San Diego) and then add the fact that you can own a part of – that’s the Hard Rock San Diego. And did I mention that it’s a HARD ROCK HOTEL?

There are 420 rooms that consist of studios, one bedrooms and for those who really want to party, there are the Rock Star Suites. Owners at the Hard Rock Hotel, Rock Royalty, have priority access to the Gerber bars and to Nobu. They also get first dibs on concerts and events that come to the Hard Rock.

Located across the street from the San Diego Convention Center(which is expanding) and in the heart of the famous San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, the San Diego Hard Rock is an incredible venue. Patrons can enjoy a drink at the Sweetwater Saloon, or go upstairs to the rooftop and enjoy drinks at Moonstone Lounge. During the summer, the Hard Rock Hotel hosts Intervention, which is San Diego’s slightly tamer version of ReHab in Las Vegas.

And if you’re looking for a place to stay midweek for business, the Hard Rock has you covered. With over 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space (and more on the way), you’ll be well taken care of. The hotel has multiple meeting/event spaces and is the perfect destination for those who work hard and play hard. And don’t worry, if you’re over worked, or hung over, you can go and relax at the Rock Spa or work it out at the gym.

If you’re hungry, you can stop in at Maryjane’s, Pinkberry, or grab some incredible sushi at the Nobu. Owners like the Black Eyed Peas and Shawne Merriman often frequent the hotel, and other celebrities such Jessica Biel and Matthew McConaughey have also been spotted there.

Having such huge names (Hard Rock, Nobu and Rande Gerber) come to Downtown San Diego is a clear sign that we’re growing up. Whether you’re in town for business or pleasure, or you live down the street, the Hard Rock Hotel is a great place to be.

Contact Denny Oh for more info at 858–243–2092 or denny@sandiegoh.com

Click here to search the Hard Rock Hotel listings.

*photos courtesy of Hard Rock Hotel

1. Spread – Comprised of “nouveau comfort food,” Spread prides itself on its fresh food. Produce is purchased every day from local farmer’s markets and with a menu that has dishes like chocolate salad, macadamia rose pesto grits and a hibiscus blossom mole, I’m even tempted to check it out.

Spread is located at 2879 University Ave in Hillcrest. 619–543–0406.

2. Sipz Fuzion Cafe – at Sipz, you can choose from a number of dishes that are influenced by Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and Italian flavors…hence the Fuzion. Prices are a big hit here as well, with dishes in the 6–7 dollar range. All dishes are 100% vegetarian and all desserts are Vegan friendly.

Sipz has two locations:

11385 Poway Rd, Poway – 858–486–7479 and 5501 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Clairemont.

3. Lean and Green – this is about as green as you can get. Everything here is organic, recycled and eco-friendly. This place is so Earth friendly, that they don’t even have a website! With plates, “silver” ware and cups made out of corn, you can’t help but feel like a better person by dining here – even if you rolled in in your Hummer.

Lean and Green is located at 7825 Fay Ave, La Jolla (right behind the La Jolla Sports Club) 858–459–5326

4. Vegan Zone – the name pretty much says it all. Focusing on Asian influenced dishes, the Vegan Zone is a great place to stop by for a healthy meal after hitting the beach – healthy…a nice change to the typical restaurants in Pacific Beach. The Vegan Zone also has a bar with organic beers, just to make you PBers feel at home.

Vegan Zone is located at 859 Hornblend St, Pacific Beach 858–272–1913

5. Cilantro Live – Founded in 2003, Cilantro claims to be “the first organic, vegan, and raw restaurant in San Diego county.” Cilantro prides itself on not using processed foods, or cooking foods over ninety-five degrees. Only using natural ingredients like nuts, seeds, grains, sprouts, fruits and vegetables and with three different locations, this is a safe place to take any health conscious date.

Cilantro Live has three locations:

3807 5^th Ave, Downtown 619–325–0136 and 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad 760–858–0136 and 315 3^rd Ave, Chula Vista 619–827–7401

6. Salad Style – Located in the up and coming East Village of Downtown, Salad Style isn’t exactly a vegetarian restaurant. Instead, this new restaurant offers a healthy change to the normal fast food lunches. With a choice of 12 different signature salads, including choices like the Moroccan Couscous, Ahi Tuna and Tomato, Peppered Grilled Steak and a Chicken Caesar salad, meat lovers have plenty of choices here. Vegetarians are safe as well and Salad Style even offers a Totally Vegan salad as well. For orders of three or more, they deliver too.

Salad Style is located at 807 F Street, Downtown 619–255–6731