US: Developer J Street is set to convert the 25-storey Tower 180 office building in Downtown San Diego into a dual-branded Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotel.
The $250 million (£197.5 million) redevelopment is one of Southern California’s largest office-to-hospitality conversions and will create a 560-key hotel complex with event and leisure amenities.
Originally constructed to house the United States National Bank, Tower 180 underwent significant upgrades in 2020, including renovations to the façade, lobby, and mechanical systems. The building is now fully vacant and includes a nine-storey standalone parking garage.
San Diego-based J Street acquired the 385,000-square-foot building in December 2023. The project will deliver two hotel brands under one roof: Hyatt Place (371 rooms) and Hyatt House (189 rooms). Both properties will share amenities including reception areas, a ground-floor market, a lobby lounge, a second-floor breakfast and lounge area, and event spaces across levels nine and ten.
Architecture firm Delawie and hospitality interiors specialist MONOGRAM at BBGM have been appointed to redesign the site, which will also include a rooftop cocktail bar. The Lurline Cocktail Club will be located on the 25th floor offering panoramic city views and a dedicated street-level entrance.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2026 with completion targeted for the first half of 2028.
Saj Hansji, founder and CEO of J Street, said: “This type of conversion project requires curiosity, creativity, and confidence. As a small and nimble firm, we were able to recognise the exceptional potential of Tower 180 and structure an offer that outpaced more institutional competitors. Over the past two years, we’ve meticulously quantified and mitigated the risks, creating a friction-free path to deliver this transformative new hotel for Downtown San Diego.”
Nirav Shah, regional vice president development at Hyatt said: “Hyatt’s partnership with J Street to transform Tower 180 is a fantastic opportunity to bring Hyatt’s Essentials Brands to the Downtown San Diego market. With J Street’s creativity and experience, this project exemplifies the transformation of office space in primary urban markets in the post-pandemic world.”
Highlights:
• J Street will redevelop San Diego’s Tower 180 into 560-key dual-branded Hyatt hotel.
• Construction on the $250 million (£197.5 million) office-to-hotel conversion is scheduled to start in 2026.
• The project will include the Hyatt Place and Hyatt House brands along with a rooftop bar and event spaces.
