New Nickelodeon Resort: "Anaheim vs. San Diego"

[chrisaaron]

Marriott has released artistic renderings of their new Nickelodeon Resort that will open at Liberty Station along San Diego Bay in 2010.
It will feature:

• 650 family-focused rooms
• 100,000-square-foot water park
• Live entertainment featuring costumed Nickelodeon characters
• Game rooms and Nickelodeon-themed retail stores
• Cost $200 million to $300 million to build

The only reason I'm mentioning this is because, well... it's hideous. These renderings even make the Disney World Pop Century hotels look classy! Is this really something we want on the shore of San Diego Bay for the next 30 to 40 years?

The Corky McCriminal Company is supposed to be developing the former Navy boot camp into a viable source of income for the city, but is San Diego a strong enough destination for families that the Nickelodeon Resort can achieve a high enough occupancy rate throughout the year to make it profitable? There's the beaches, the bays, the zoos, LegoLand, and the Anheuser-Bush Cruelty to Sea Life Experience (amongst a plethora of other things), but do families pull their kids out of school to visit San Diego like they do to visit Disneyland and Disney World? Will this single resort lure people away from Anaheim like San Diego tourism officials think it will?

I'm interested in whether any of you with children would ever stay at an isolated resort like this. God knows business travelers and singles aren't going to want to camp out here. Is this doomed to fail and leave San Diego with an ugly and unoccupied building in the future?






Article here: San Diego to get SpongeBob and first Nickelodeon resort
High resolution photos here: Nickelodeon Resorts by Marriott

[testtrack321]

Ok, who whiped the cheetos on the building?

I agree. that's pretty bad.

[DLyouth27]

Wow, great post! I'm interested in seeing how this all turns out, since the only other nickelodeon "resort" is all the way in florida (and I'm not). Nickelodeon has really taken some major steps in the family-vacation industry, especially with the plans for the nickelodeon theme park in the Mall of America.

[aimster]

Sounds like it could be cool. The one in Orlando is really nice from what I've heard.

[chrisaaron]

It looks like something Frank Gehry would design if he had his eyes gouged out. Well, this and the TDA building at Disneyland.

There are just soooooo many nice hotels in San Diego. This Nickelodeon resort isn't near the beach or any other attractions and it's under the flight path of San Diego International. Utter failure...

[dsnylndmom]

We stayed at the one in Orlando before heading to WDW last year and my kids loved it. They were almost 12 and 7.5 at the time. The food offerings sucked but there was a TON of stuff to do at the hotel for the kids. Between the huge pool areas there was a lot of activities, pool, basketball small mini golf course and nightly shows(which were well done).

I don't know the location but I can see people who split their SoCal trips between DL and the San Diego staying here. Given the lack of hotels that cater to families and the popularity of Nick I don't see how it could be considered an "utter failure"

[kcnole]

The one in Orlando is really nice, but it has a nice design to it. This one looks awful.

[DonaldDuckFan]

I think its ugly, but the idea is great. I visit San Diego for business several times throughout the year, and rarely take my family because of the lack of a place like this.

This would be a great place for them to hang out during the day.