Don’t be fooled by the slightly old-money country-club name, or by the building itself, which at over a hundred and ten years old is surely one of San Diego’s oldest — the Keating is as of-the-moment as it’s possible to be, utterly emblematic of the current fascination with high-design boutique hotels.
Interiors, incredibly, are by Pininfarina, the Italian studio responsible for designing Ferraris and Maseratis. And if the connection between sports cars and hotels is difficult to see, one look inside clears it up — the Keating is aspirational hotel design at its peak, its plasma-screens bigger, its sleek modernist furniture flashier, its Bang & Olufsen sound systems more banging and its open-plan glass-walled bathrooms more nakedly on display than any of the competition. These are the Maseratis of luxe-boutique hotel rooms, with all the options: in-room Lavazza espresso machines, high-end Dornbracht bathroom fixtures, and loft-style exposed brick walls.
The Keating’s location, at the edge of the fashionable Gaslamp quarter, is perfect for the nightlife-fixated bachelor or bachelorette — though there’s always the option of table service in the underground lounge. A signature restaurant is set to open soon, but until then guests will have to make do in the neighborhood, luckily home to any number of San Diego’s better establishments.
author Daily Tablet Hotel, source www.tablethotels.com
