Beachfront hotel redesigned and upgraded as The Wayfarer San Diego

Guests at the newly expanded and improved The Wayfarer San Diego surf-chic beachfront hotel in Pacific Beach may not be locals – but will feel like they are.

This is the whole idea behind Orange County-based Pacifica Hotels’ recent refit and re-opening of the former Blue Sea Beach Hotel at 707 Pacific Beach Drive.

The transformed property features a coastal-meets-modern design inspired by the vibrant surf and skate culture of the surrounding coastal community. The Wayfarer San Diego presents refreshed guestrooms and a re-imagined lobby area with art installations and a curated book library, as well as a new locally sourced café concept.

Adam Marquis, Pacifica Hotel’s president, noted The Wayfarer is perfectly positioned to allow guests to take full advantage of all the amenities the freshly minted boutique hotel offers. Those amenities include access to other nearby local- and tourist-serving businesses, like Pacific Surf School and Woody’s Breakfast and Burgers. The very definition of a wayfarer is “one who travels on foot.”

“We’ve owned this great hotel, which has been in our portfolio for over 30 years,” Marquis said. “It’s a nice location for visiting international travelers or families. We expanded the hotel and built a back portion. We also spent $3 million re-branding the hotel.”

What locals and travelers can expect from The Wayfarer San Diego:

126 coastal-inspired rooms and suites feature private balconies – most with ocean views – custom art by famed street artist, Cheyenne Randall. Updated suites are complete with private bedrooms, innovative bunk beds, and comfortable lounge areas.
Open from sunup to sundown, Zephyr Café pays homage to the legendary SoCal Zephyr skateboarding team, the Z-Boys, featuring creative installations such as Polaroid images of San Diego on the walls and speaker heads along the front of the bar.
Guests can settle into a dreamlike getaway complemented by afternoons at the heated outdoor pool, dips in the adjacent ocean, and evenings stargazing by outdoor fire pits. The new pool deck features custom daybeds and a curated mural titled “Sirens” by David Flores.
Travelers can adopt the San Diego lifestyle with a bike ride along the boardwalk, a short stroll to the Crystal Pier and Belmont Park, or a surf session via the hotel’s partnership with Pacific Surf School. Guests can also grab local gear from brands including Catch Surf and Pura Vida from the hotel’s retail shop.

Marquis talked about the coastal-meets-modern design concept behind the Wayfarer re-brand. “It’s an internally developed brand created through

pool area 1 — The new pool deck features custom daybeds and a curated mural titled Sirens by David Flores. COURTESY PHOTO

Pacifica for independent hotels,” he said adding the hotel’s refit included developing working partnerships with other local restaurants and businesses in the area to accommodate guests and their needs.

The Wayfarer was described by Marquis as a “tailored” hotel experience where guests will be exposed to “the full essence of PB,” allowing them to “feel like locals” while they’re here.

“We worked with designers and California artists to do an expansive, custom refit featuring beach scenes with huge vinyl wall treatments and bright colors of San Diego flora going down the hallways to rooms,” said Marquis. “The greatest thing for families is that the views are just unparalleled from their balconies.

“We want to be the hotel where guests feel the most local when they arrive and be immersed in PB,” concluded Marquis. “We wanted to be an authentic representation of the local area.”