History of the US Grant Hotel in San Diego

History of The U.S. Grant Hotel

The U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego has a rich and fascinating history spanning over a century. Here’s the comprehensive story of this iconic establishment:

Origins and Construction (1900s-1910)

The U.S. Grant Hotel was built by Ulysses S. Grant Jr., the son of the 18th U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant San DiegoVisit California. Grant Jr. believed that San Diego needed a world-class luxury hotel to match its growing potential as a destination city.

The hotel was designed by architect Harrison Albright and required $1.5 million to construct U.S. Grant Hotel – Wikipedia. When Grant Jr. ran into financial difficulties during construction, San Diego voters stepped in to help finance $700,000 of the needed funds U.S. Grant Hotel – Wikipedia.

After five years of construction, the U.S. Grant Hotel officially opened its doors on October 15, 1910, with great pomp and circumstance at a total cost of $1.9 million MarriottWikipedia – an enormous sum for that era.

Opening Features and Early Years

The hotel opened with 437 rooms, 350 of which offered private baths – a luxury at the time – along with a roof garden and palm court, bivouac grill, and dining facilities Guide to the U. S. Grant Hotel Records. The hotel also featured two swimming pools and a ballroom on the top floor U.S. Grant Hotel – Wikipedia.

The scale of Grant Jr.’s vision was remarkable – in 1910, San Diego had only about 20,000 residents, yet he built a hotel that could house over 400 people U.S. Grant, Jr.: A Builder of San Diego – San Diego History Center | San Diego, CA | Our City, Our Story.

Sadly, Mrs. Grant (Grant Jr.’s mother) died in 1909, before the hotel was completed Guide to the U. S. Grant Hotel Records. Grant Jr. himself died in 1929, and the second Mrs. Grant remained a resident of the hotel until her death in 1942 Guide to the U. S. Grant Hotel Records.

Notable Guests and Historical Significance

Woodrow Wilson

Franklin D Roosevelt

John F. Kennedy

• Woodrow Wilson Staying at The US Grant Hotel in San Diego • The Blonde Abroad
• Franklin D. Roosevelt, who delivered his first fireside chat outside of Washington, D.C., from the hotel’s 11th-floor radio station (now the Presidential Penthouse Suite) 20 Things You Didn’t Know About The US GRANT HOTEL | California
• John F. Kennedy Tourism ReviewHistoric Hotels of the World-Then&Now

• Scientists and Aviators:

• 
• • Albert Einstein WikipediaThe Blonde Abroad
  • Charles Lindbergh WikipediaThe Blonde Abroad

  Entertainment Figures:

• 
• Charlie Chaplin
• • Charlie Chaplin, who stayed at the hotel in April 1917 Guide to the U. S. Grant Hotel Records

  Other Notable Guests:

  • Five former first ladies U.S. Grant Hotel – Wikipedia
  • Several dignitaries who visited San Diego for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915 Guide to the U. S. Grant Hotel Records

Modern Era and Renovations

In 2003, the Sycuan Tribal Development Corporation purchased the hotel for $45 million and invested an additional $56 million in renovations History Comes Alive at The US Grant Hotel | Wandering Educators. After this multimillion-dollar project, The US Grant reopened in 2006 as a member of Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury Collection The US Grant (1910), San Diego | Historic Hotels of the World-Then&Now.

Time Capsules and Traditions

An interesting historical detail involves time capsules embedded in the hotel. When construction resumed, Grant Jr. embedded a time capsule in the arch above the entry door on Broadway, complete with family photos, memories and newspaper clippings, which was embellished in 1910 with documents from the hotel’s opening day The US Grant (1910), San Diego | Historic Hotels of the World-Then&Now. In 2005, remaining time capsule contents were recovered and are now part of the hotel’s permanent collection, and a new treasure of history was sealed into the hotel in 2006 The US Grant (1910), San Diego | Historic Hotels of the World-Then&Now.

Present Day

Today, the U.S. Grant operates as a Luxury Collection hotel under Marriott, continuing to blend its rich historical heritage with modern luxury amenities. The Grant Grill, which has been a cornerstone of the Downtown San Diego restaurant scene since 1951, continues to operate as “the place to see and be seen” Grant Grill and Lounge – US Grant Hotel | San Diego.

The hotel stands as a testament to the vision of Grant Jr. and remains an integral part of San Diego’s downtown landscape, directly across from the Gaslamp Quarter.