The hotel facade at night with a lit circular colonnaded fountain in front — The facade at night with the fountain across the street. That fountain was completed in 1910, the same year as the hotel, and the man who paid for it was a part owner of the hotel.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

The US Grant stands at 326 Broadway in downtown San Diego. It opened on 15 October 1910 with 270 rooms across 11 floors, 43 of them suites. The man who built it was Ulysses S. Grant Jr., son of the eighteenth President of the United States. It carries the Marriott Luxury Collection name today, and its owner is the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, whose people were here first.

This guide walks one place per page, from the fountain across the street to the table where several women lawyers sat down in 1969 and refused to leave. Along the way it works one night out to the cent. About thirty minutes of reading.

The final page carries a tickable experience list of twelve things. Five of them cost nothing, and most guests walk straight past them. Work through them slowly.

01 · The basics

A 1910 building standing on the best corner downtown

Start with the location. Broadway is the spine of downtown San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter opens up directly across the street, the bar blocks on Fifth Avenue are five minutes on foot, the train station is ten, and the airport is ten minutes by car. This is the most genuinely downtown property in the series, and the price of that is no ocean view and no pool.

White eleven storey historic facade with palm trees and a flagpole in front — The facade by day. Eleven floors, symmetrical, with a band of cornice detail along the top, which is how Beaux Arts was done in 1910. The palms alongside came later.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

Positioning	Marriott Luxury Collection. Listed as five star in the Fora system and four stars by Forbes Travel Guide. On the Fora Reserve, Marriott STARS and Virtuoso lists at the same time
Scale	270 rooms, 43 of them suites. Eleven floors
Dates	Opened 15 October 1910. Closed for 21 months after a change of ownership in 2003 and reopened in October 2006
Owner	The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, which bought the building in 2003
Architect	Harrison Albright. Beaux Arts, at a construction cost of 1.5 million dollars
Listing	National Register of Historic Places
Address	326 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101, United States
Telephone	+1 619-232-3121
Check in / out	Check in 16:00, check out 12:00, an hour later than most hotels
Getting here	The Gaslamp Quarter starts across the street. Civic Center trolley station is on C Street, three to five minutes on foot. Santa Fe Depot is about ten minutes on foot. The airport is about ten minutes by car
Parking	Valet only, 70.00 US dollars per day. There is no self parking on site, and the nearest lot is 0.3 miles away
Fixed cost beyond the rate	No destination fee. It is the only one of the six San Diego properties in this series without one. The arithmetic is on page 7
Pets	One per room, 35 pound limit, 150 US dollars per stay, non refundable
What is missing	No pool and no spa. When it opened in 1910 it had two swimming pools and a ballroom on the top floor

Noon check out deserves its own line. Downtown hotels usually want the room back at eleven. An extra hour means one more thing on the last morning, or simply not having to rush. It is one of the few places where an old building beats a new one on the actual experience.

How to plan around it

Arriving by carvalet only, 70 US dollars a day. Parking yourself means a lot 0.3 miles away.
By trolleyCivic Center station is on C Street, three to five minutes on foot.
Departure daythe room is yours until noon, so the morning can run slowly.

02 · Public spaces

A tall lobby, and a hotel with no pool

The lobby is the one place here worth standing still in for a minute: height, rows of columns, crystal chandeliers and real palms. This is the 1910 idea that a hotel lobby is the city's living room. The same building is also honestly missing several things: no pool, no spa, no club lounge.

Tall lobby with two rows of columns, crystal chandeliers and large potted palms — The lobby. Column spacing, ceiling height and the scale of the chandeliers all follow 1910 practice, and those proportions are the part of this building a new one cannot copy.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

Lobby	Full height, rows of columns, crystal chandeliers, large palms. The 2006 renovation kept the Art Deco era elements
Grant Grill Lounge	The bar and social room beside the lobby. Live jazz at weekends
Fitness centre	Open 24 hours. Cardio, weight machines and free weights
Rooftop garden	Listed on the property amenity sheet
Business centre	Open 24 hours
Sustainability	Comprehensive recycling and food waste policies, compostable stirrers, no single use plastic stirrers, energy saving switches, electric car charging station, vegan menu options
What is missing	Pool, spa, club lounge, and self parking on site
What 1910 had	Two swimming pools, and a ballroom on the top floor. Neither is here today

Black, white and gold marble inlaid floor with a circular crest at its centre — The crest in the floor. The marble inlay puts it dead centre, so almost everyone walks over it on the way in, and almost nobody looks down.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

What follows structurallyA 1910 structure cannot have a pool and a spa inserted afterwards, because that needs waterproofing, plant rooms and floor loading, and every floor here is existing structure. So the resources went into the lobby, the restaurant and the event rooms, which is what an old building was always good at. Choosing this hotel means accepting that trade: eleven floors of historic facade and a real lobby, at the price of having nowhere to swim in the afternoon.

Worth taking slowly The palms standing between the columns are real rather than artificial. Take a sofa with your back to the door, sit for ten minutes, and follow how the cornice resolves between the column capitals and the ceiling, because those proportions were set by craftsmen in 1910 and nobody builds that way now. You do not have to order anything and nobody will move you along. It is the most expensive space in the building, and it is free.

A few timings

Walking inlook down once at the crest in the middle of the floor, set dead centre in the marble.
Weekend eveningsthe Grant Grill Lounge has live jazz.
Any hourthe gym and the business centre both run 24 hours, so jet lag has somewhere to go.

03 · Rooms

Which room to book at The US Grant｜start with how many square feet you can afford

The entry Superior room runs 280 to 325 square feet, about 26 to 30 square metres. That is the smallest starting size across the six San Diego properties in this series, a third less than Estancia and half of Grand Del Mar. The reason comes from the 1910 column grid, which is how this building was always divided.

Guest room with a king bed, deep blue carpet and white panelled walls — A guest room. White panelling, deep blue carpet, high ceilings. Room width is limited by the original column spacing, so the design spends its effort vertically.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

Superior 1 King / 1 Queen / 2 Queen	280 to 325 square feet. King sleeps 3, queen sleeps 2, two queens sleep 4. Accessible versions of each
Deluxe 1 King / 2 Queen	300 to 355 square feet, city view. Accessible versions of each
Grand Deluxe 1 King / 2 Queen	380 to 420 square feet
Grand Deluxe Tub, top floor	300 to 425 square feet, top floor, with a tub in the room
Legacy Suite / Chaffee Suite	Junior suites, 375 to 475 square feet
Landmark Suite	One bedroom suite, 375 to 550 square feet. Accessible version available
Grant Suite	One bedroom suite, 500 to 675 square feet
Signature Suite	Two king beds, 770 square feet, sleeps 4
Ulysses Suite	The largest one bedroom suite in the house
In the room	High ceilings and mouldings. Some rooms have a mini fridge, some suites have separate living and dining space, and a few suites have a balcony
Know before you go	An advisor review calls the hotel a bit dated overall and suggests leisure travellers pick a resort nearer the beach

Two queen guest room with the hotel monogram on the pillows — The two queen room. Four people in 280 to 325 square feet will be tight, and that is the one thing about this building worth working out before you book.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

What follows structurallyAn old building climbs its room ladder by finding the bays that were always larger, rather than by adding floor area. That is why one room name is quoted as a range like 280 to 325 square feet: every room really is different. For a guest booking, that has a very practical meaning. The same money might land 280 or it might land 325, and the difference is the size of a whole bathroom. An upgrade, whether from an advisor or from status, is worth more here than almost anywhere, because what you want is a better bay rather than a better name.

How to plan around it

For twostart at Grand Deluxe. Room to move begins around 380 square feet.
For fourthe two queen entry room starts at 280, so if the budget allows, jump to the 770 square foot Signature Suite.
For a tubask for a top floor Grand Deluxe Tub. The tub is named in the room type.
When bookingevery room type is quoted as a range, so ask for the actual square footage in writing.

04 · Bathrooms and access

A 1910 building with eight accessible room types

Accessibility is usually hard in a historic building, because door widths, floor levels and lifts are all inherited. The booking system here lists eight accessible room types, running from the base Superior all the way up to the Landmark Suite, and the photo library shows two different bathroom solutions.

Guest bathroom with a tub, single vanity and a robe hanging by the door — A standard bathroom. Tub, single vanity, marble. Inside a 1910 structure this already counts as generous.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

Standard bathrooms	Marble surfaces. The photo library shows both tub and separate shower arrangements
Accessible rooms	The booking system lists eight: Superior 1 King, Superior 2 Queen, Deluxe 1 King, Grand Deluxe Tub 2 Queen and Landmark Suite all have accessible versions at the same size as the standard room
Two bathroom solutions	The photo library shows a tub with grab bars and a roll in shower with grab bars and a folding seat. Specify which one when booking
Price difference	Accessible versions run 5 to 9 US dollars above the standard room of the same name, which is a different rate plan rather than a charge for accessibility
Other provision	Braille or raised signage, accessible path of travel, accessible registration desk, concierge desk, fitness centre, lounge, restaurant and meeting space, and accessible van parking
The official caveat	The amenity sheet says "wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)". In a 1910 building, take that sentence seriously
Not published	Door widths and turning circles for each accessible room, a list of assistive listening and visual alert equipment, and amenity brands. Call +1 619-232-3121 if you need any of it confirmed

Accessible bathroom with an open vanity, grab bars beside the tub and a handheld shower — An accessible bathroom. Open space under the vanity, grab bars on both sides of the tub, a handheld shower. The other arrangement is a roll in shower with a folding seat, so say which one you need when booking.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

What follows structurallyEight accessible room types spread across four grades means a guest who needs one is not locked into the lowest category. At the same time, that phrase on the amenity sheet is an honest statement about a building from 1910: door widths, corridor corners and level changes in some public areas cannot all be brought to current standards. So this is a hotel to phone before booking, rather than one to tick a box on and set off.

Three questions to ask before booking

Which type"Is the accessible bathroom in this room a tub with grab bars or a roll in shower?" Both exist and the booking page does not separate them.
For a suitethe Landmark Suite has an accessible version, so access does not mean giving up a suite.
The routeask about level changes on the full path from the valet drop off to the room. That is where old buildings usually fail.

05 · Dining

Grant Grill｜what the brass plaque by the door is for

Grant Grill opened in 1951 and spent the 1950s and 1960s as the lunch territory of downtown lawyers, bankers and newspaper editors, and it admitted men only until three in the afternoon. In 1969 several local women attorneys walked in with a New York gender discrimination case in hand and sat down. They kept at it for more than a year before the policy fell. A brass plaque at the restaurant entrance marks it.

Bar counter with a row of red stools, an archway and dark joinery behind — The Grant Grill bar. Red stools, dark joinery, an arch. This stretch kept its Art Deco elements through the 2006 renovation.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

Grant Grill breakfast	Monday to Friday 07:00 to 11:00
Lunch	Monday to Friday 11:30 to 14:00
Brunch	Saturday and Sunday 07:00 to 14:00
Dinner	Sunday to Thursday 17:30 to 21:00, Friday and Saturday 17:15 to 21:00. It closes at nine
Grant Grill Lounge	Open until 22:00 Sunday to Thursday (last call 21:30) and until 23:00 Friday and Saturday (last call 22:30)
Live jazz	Weekends in the Lounge
In room dining	Available
Reservations	+1 619-744-2077, or online
The signature	Mock turtle soup, on the menu since the 1950s, reportedly made with a generous two fingers of sherry
1969	The Grant Grill Invasion. A brass plaque marks it at the entrance
The 1970s	It ran as a private club, with a telephone at every booth and brass plaques above the regulars' favourite seats
Know before you go	Client reviews rate the food highly, naming the brunch and the Grant Grill kitchen repeatedly

Restaurant interior with tufted banquettes, white linen tables and framed pictures — The dining room. Banquettes, white linen, joinery. In the 1970s every one of these booths had a telephone in it, and the regulars had their own brass plaques above their seats.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

What follows structurallyDinner ends at nine while the bars across the street run until the small hours. The rhythm inside this building is the reverse of the rhythm outside it: the hotel finishes when you want to start, and the street starts when you want to finish. Arriving from the airport after half past eight means dinner in the restaurant is already gone, leaving the Lounge, whose last call is 21:30 or 22:30. Your first flight time decides your first dinner.

How to plan around it

Late arrivalafter 20:30 forget a full dinner, head for the Lounge, or walk five minutes across the street.
Lunchweekdays only, 11:30 to 14:00, replaced by brunch until two at weekends.
Before you sitfind the brass plaque at the entrance. The 1969 story is written on it.
Weekend eveningsthe Lounge has live jazz and takes no reservation.

06 · Meetings and events

Nineteen venues, and one of them is vaulted

This is the commercial centre of the building. Nineteen venues and more than 33,000 square feet, and the ceilings in several of them are original vaults and mouldings. A purpose built convention centre can go bigger and flatter. What it cannot do is that ceiling.

Meeting hall with a continuous vaulted ceiling, set with classroom seating — The vaulted hall. A run of arches and columns divides one large room into a rhythm of bays. In 1910 that ceiling was structure; today it is decoration.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

Total	Marriott's own page states 19 venues and more than 33,000 square feet
Sources disagree	The Fora amenity sheet says "conference space 8,100 square feet, 19 meeting rooms". The 19 matches on both sides while the area differs fourfold, which suggests 8,100 may describe the single largest room. Confirm with the sales desk if you are running an event
Space types	Ballrooms, meeting rooms and a 24 hour business centre. The photo library shows a vaulted hall, a theatre style room and several chandeliered ballrooms
Weddings	Wedding services are listed on the amenity sheet
Accessibility	Meeting spaces and the business centre are listed as accessible
Group bookings	Ten rooms or more counts as a group, with rates negotiated directly with the hotel rather than through the standard booking system
What advisors say	Both advisor reviews call it well suited to meetings and business travel, and one recommends that leisure travellers choose a beach resort instead

What follows structurallyMeetings and events are the main revenue here, and the hotel sits within walking distance of the convention centre, so high season rates track the trade show calendar rather than the holiday calendar. Two things follow for a leisure guest. During a large show the rate jumps and the lobby and restaurant get crowded, and in the gaps between shows the same room can be a third cheaper. Checking what is on at the convention centre is more useful than checking a price comparison site.

How to plan around it

Leisure bookingcheck for a large show at the convention centre first. Rates and crowds both follow it.
Running an eventthe published areas differ widely, so ask the sales desk for actual floor plans and dimensions.
Ten rooms or morethat is a group, handled by the sales desk.

07 · Costs

The US Grant rates｜the only downtown property here with no fixed fee

This page takes one night apart to the cent. The sample is 1 October 2026 arrival, 2 October departure, one night, two adults, checked on 23 August 2026, on the Marriott STARS advisor rate. Every figure is a native US dollar quote from the booking system.

Rate and taxed total by room type

Superior Guest Room 1 King / 1 Queen	359.00 US dollars per night, 416.39 for the night including tax and fees
Superior Guest Room 2 Queen	369.00 per night, 427.97 including tax and fees
Deluxe Guest Room 1 King	394.00 per night, 456.91 including tax and fees
Deluxe Guest Room 2 Queen	404.00 per night, 468.48 including tax and fees
Grand Deluxe Guest Room 1 King	409.00 per night, 474.27 including tax and fees
Grand Deluxe 2 Queen / Grand Deluxe Tub 1 King, top floor	419.00 per night, 485.84 including tax and fees
Grand Deluxe Tub 2 Queen, top floor	429.00 per night, 497.42 including tax and fees
Legacy Suite	489.00 per night, 566.87 including tax and fees
Chaffee Suite	544.00 per night, 630.53 including tax and fees
Landmark Suite	633.00 per night, 733.55 including tax and fees
Grant Suite	744.00 per night, 862.03 including tax and fees
Signature Suite	833.00 per night, 965.05 including tax and fees
Ulysses Suite	1,488.00 per night, 1,723.21 including tax and fees

Costs beyond the room rate

Destination fee	None. The booking total contains no per night fixed charge of any kind
That 85 cents	The total carries a fixed 0.85 US dollars that does not move with the rate. The amount is close to what the California tourism assessment would come to in this rate range, and the official pages do not itemise what it is
Valet parking	70.00 US dollars per day. There is no self parking on site
Pets	One per room, 35 pound limit, 150 US dollars per stay, non refundable
Internet	Included on the advisor channel and at some loyalty tiers

Check the arithmetic yourself

The formula is rate × 1.1575 plus 0.85 US dollars. The entry room: 359.00 multiplied by 1.1575 gives 415.54, plus 0.85 is 416.39, and the system displays 416.39. The top suite: 1,488.00 multiplied by 1.1575 gives 1,722.36, plus 0.85 is 1,723.21, displayed as 1,723.21. All thirteen rates line up, to the cent.

That 1.1575 can be taken apart. From 1 May 2025 the City of San Diego split lodging tax into three zones, and downtown falls in the highest at 13.75 percent, with a further 2 percent tourism marketing district assessment for properties of 70 rooms or more. 13.75 plus 2 is exactly 15.75. Both components have an official city source.

What follows structurallyOf the six San Diego properties in this series, this is the only one that charges no destination fee. The others in the same city charge 50 dollars plus 8, or 47 dollars, or the 51 dollars up in La Jolla. On a 400 dollar night, dropping a 50 dollar fixed fee lowers the real cost by more than a tenth, and that fee usually covers things you were never going to use. Almost nobody counts it when comparing, because on the booking page it hides in the line marked other charges.

A difference that turned up along the way

Put this hotel's 15.75 percent beside the 14.945 percent up at Estancia La Jolla and the gap is 0.805 percentage points, while the published zone difference is exactly 1.00 point. The 0.195 point discrepancy is precisely the usual California tourism assessment. The reasonable explanation is that the two hotels put the same charge in different columns: one folds it into the percentage, the other lists it as a fixed amount. That is an inference, and neither bill itemises it.

Work these out before you book

Comparing ratesthe taxed total is rate × 1.1575 + 0.85, and it holds on all thirteen rates.
Against other hotelsadd their destination fee back in before comparing. This one has none.
Arriving by carvalet is 70 US dollars a day and there is no self parking on site, so parking yourself means a 0.3 mile walk.
With a dogthe limit is 35 pounds, which is stricter than most hotels.

08 · Booking

The advisor rate costs 113 dollars more. When is it worth it

This hotel sits on both the Marriott STARS and the Virtuoso lists, and both open at 359 US dollars. The Bonvoy member rate on the same date opens at 246. A gap of 113 US dollars a night. This page converts that 113 into something you can compare.

Marriott STARS	A personalised welcome amenity; daily breakfast for two; a 100 US dollar property credit once per stay; early check in and late check out (subject to availability); upgrade at check in (subject to availability); an in person welcome from hotel management and a note from the general manager
Virtuoso	Perks vary by property and typically comprise daily breakfast for two, a 100 US dollar property credit for food, beverage or spa, an upgrade, and early check in and late check out, all subject to availability
Opening rates	For one night on 1 October 2026, both open at 359.00 US dollars
Bonvoy member rate	Opens at 246 US dollars on the same date
The gap	113 US dollars a night
The key condition	The 100 US dollar credit is given once per stay rather than once per night. Breakfast comes every day
Loyalty	Marriott Bonvoy. There is no club lounge here, so loyalty breakfast is taken in the Grant Grill

Turning 113 dollars into things

One night: pay 113 more and receive a 100 dollar credit, breakfast for two and a shot at an upgrade. The credit alone absorbs nine tenths of the gap, so the breakfast and the upgrade come free. On these numbers the advisor channel clearly wins.

Three nights: pay 339 more and receive the same 100 dollar credit, once, plus six breakfasts and a shot at an upgrade. Whether that breaks even depends entirely on whether you actually come down to breakfast every morning. If you do, it is roughly even. If you do not, it is not worth it.

This is worth spelling out because the value of the advisor channel varies enormously between properties. At Fairmont Grand Del Mar in the previous guide, the advisor rate sat close to the public rate and the perks were pure gain. Here the advisor rate is clearly higher and the perks have to earn it back. Same channel, two different sums.

Where the advisor channel actually pays at this hotel

In the upgrade. As page 3 explains, room types here are quoted as ranges, 280 to 325, 300 to 355, 380 to 420, and each room really is different. No two rooms in an old building are the same, so having somebody push for a good bay before arrival matters more than landing a better sounding room name. Tommy is an independent Fora advisor, and the package above is what that channel provides.

What to do when booking

Do the sumcount the nights. One night almost always wins; three or more depends on breakfast.
Put it in writinghigh floor, a tub, the quiet side, and ask for a written reply.
The creditcomes once per stay rather than per night, so confirm how to use it before you arrive.

09 · Review round up

Five from clients, and "it depends why you came" from advisors

The Fora system holds 2 advisor reviews, and clients score it 5.0 across 10 reviews. That is the highest client score in the series, with one important qualifier from the advisors: this suits meetings and business travel, and leisure travellers should choose a resort by the beach.

Praise that recurs

A historic building kept in immaculate condition, with a formal and grand feel
Service praised by name, from valet and front desk through to the Grant Grill floor staff
Clean rooms, antique furnishings, and beds mentioned repeatedly for comfort
Food rated highly, with one review calling the brunch absolutely delicious
Location: the Gaslamp, the waterfront and the airport are all close, which suits both an anniversary and an ordinary work trip
The range and quality at Grant Grill, and the weekend live jazz

Criticism that recurs

It feels dated overall, with one advisor putting it exactly that way
Not a holiday hotel. An advisor recommends the beach for anyone here to enjoy San Diego
No pool and no spa
No self parking on site, valet only

How to read these reviewsFive from clients and reservations from advisors is not a contradiction. Guests mostly came for a specific purpose, a meeting, an anniversary, a ball game, while advisors are filtering for every kind of traveller. So the useful question is what brings you to San Diego, rather than whether this hotel is good. For a conference, a theatre night, the Gaslamp, or a train to Los Angeles, it has almost no competition. For water, an ocean view, or a day beside a pool, the other five guides in this series all beat it. Read the reviews together with your itinerary.

What to watch for in the reviews

Purposedecide first whether this is business or holiday. The score changes completely.
Datedcomplaints about age are usually measured against new towers. This building went up in 1910.
Room typebecause every room is a different size, opinions on rooms vary more here than at other hotels.

10 · The area

A park across the street, and the Gaslamp beyond it

The surroundings here are the densest in the series. The door opens onto Broadway, Horton Plaza Park is across the street, and the sixteen blocks of the Gaslamp Quarter start just beyond it. There is more to do on foot than by car, which is rare in San Diego.

Horton Plaza Park	Directly across the street. The Broadway Fountain at its centre was completed in 1910, the same year as the hotel
Gaslamp Quarter	Across the street and south. The bars and restaurants of Fifth Avenue are about 5 minutes on foot
Civic Center trolley station	On C Street, three to five minutes on foot
Santa Fe Depot	Amtrak and Coaster, about 10 minutes on foot
Waterfront	Broadway Pier is about 10 minutes on foot
Petco Park	About 15 minutes on foot
San Diego Convention Center	About 15 to 20 minutes on foot
Balboa Park and the zoo	About 10 minutes by car
Airport	About 10 minutes by car

Alternatives at a comparable level

Palihotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter: the same block, 122 rooms, a design led small hotel. A price grade lower for almost the same location. There is a separate guide on this site.
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego: waterfront, 1,625 rooms, convention centre next door. Choose it for an ocean view and large meetings. There is a separate guide on this site.
InterContinental San Diego: a new waterfront tower, 400 rooms, 19 floors, with ocean views. Choose it for new construction and the water. There is a separate guide on this site.
Estancia La Jolla: the La Jolla bluff, 210 rooms, ten acres of garden. Twenty minutes north for quiet and greenery. There is a separate guide on this site.
Fairmont Grand Del Mar: Carmel Valley, 400 acres, golf and three Michelin stars. The furthest contrast from this page in the series. There is a separate guide on this site.

How to plan around it

Day onewalk a loop of Horton Plaza Park across the street. Five minutes covers it.
Eveningthe hotel closes at nine and the Gaslamp is five minutes away, running very late.
Without a cartrolley, train and airport are all within a walk or ten minutes, so this hotel works with no car at all.
For a gamePetco Park is fifteen minutes on foot, and walking back after beats sitting in traffic.

11 · History and detail

One building, two changes of owner, and a line nobody put on the wall

The Horton House stood on this ground first, built by Alonzo Horton, the man who founded modern downtown San Diego. It came down in 1905, and on 15 October 1910 the new building by Ulysses S. Grant Jr. opened on the same site, named for his father, the eighteenth President of the United States.

Gilt framed oil portrait set into the centre of a wall of glass panels — A portrait on the wall. A wall of glass panels leaves one bay for it, which is an unusual way to hang a picture in a hotel and reads as a statement about who the building was for.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

A handful of names that add up to this place

Alonzo Horton	The founder of modern downtown San Diego. His Horton House stood on this ground until 1905. He sold the park across the street to the city in 1895, having intended it for guests of the Horton House
Ulysses S. Grant Jr.	Son of the eighteenth President. He oversaw the construction of this building, which opened on 15 October 1910
Harrison Albright	The architect. Construction cost 1.5 million dollars, of which 700,000 was raised with the backing of San Diego voters
Louis J. Wilde	A banker and part owner of the hotel. He donated 10,000 dollars to build the fountain across the street
Irving J. Gill	Designer of the Broadway Fountain, completed in 1910 and modelled on the ancient Greek Choragic Monument of Lysicrates
The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation	Bought the building in 2003. The Kumeyaay are the indigenous people of the San Diego region. The hotel then closed for 21 months of renovation and reopened in October 2006
1970	The first Comic-Con was held in this building
1969	The men only policy at Grant Grill fell. A brass plaque marks it at the entrance
Sources disagree	On how many US presidents have stayed here, Wikipedia says 13 and the San Diego tourism authority says 16. This site does not adjudicate

Gold metal doors with relief ornament set into a dark marble wall — Relief work on a set of metal doors. Metalwork at this level was how a hotel announced its standing in 1910. Today it is a door in a corridor.Photograph supplied by Fora Travel

Line those facts up and a short, clear thread appears. Horton built the first building, Grant's son built the second, the city's voters covered close to half the cost, a part owner put a fountain across the street, and in 2003 the building on this ground returned to Kumeyaay hands. The hotel's own material leads with presidents and celebrities. That sequence of ownership gets mentioned far less often.

Worth taking slowly The fountain across the street went up in 1910, the same year as the hotel. Cross the road at night, stand beside it and look back at the facade, and you get the view its designers wanted you to have: fountain in the foreground, eleven floors of white facade behind it. That composition has held for more than a century, through two changes of ownership, one demolished hotel and twenty one months of closure. There is no ticket, and you do not have to be a guest to see it.

Things you can do five minutes from your door

In the lobbylook down at the crest in the middle of the floor, then up at the cornice above the columns.
At the restaurant doorfind the brass plaque from 1969.
Across the streetstand beside the fountain and look back. That angle was designed in 1910.

The US Grant San Diego Review: 1910 Grandeur, No Pool

A 1910 building standing on the best corner downtown

A tall lobby, and a hotel with no pool

Which room to book at The US Grant｜start with how many square feet you can afford

A 1910 building with eight accessible room types

Grant Grill｜what the brass plaque by the door is for

Nineteen venues, and one of them is vaulted

The US Grant rates｜the only downtown property here with no fixed fee

Rate and taxed total by room type

Costs beyond the room rate

Check the arithmetic yourself

A difference that turned up along the way

The advisor rate costs 113 dollars more. When is it worth it

Turning 113 dollars into things

Where the advisor channel actually pays at this hotel

Five from clients, and "it depends why you came" from advisors

Praise that recurs

Criticism that recurs

A park across the street, and the Gaslamp beyond it

Alternatives at a comparable level

One building, two changes of owner, and a line nobody put on the wall

A handful of names that add up to this place

How a day runs, and who this building is for

Right for

Wrong for