Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
Encyclopedia
Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel is a high-rise building in San Diego composed of two towers. The towers are the third and seventh tallest buildings in the city. Developed but no longer owned by the controversial San Diego developer, Doug Manchester, the tower is the tallest building on the waterfront on the West Coast, and with 1,625 rooms, it is Southern California
's largest hotel. Because of its proximity to the waterfront, as well as its amenities, the Manchester Grand Hyatt is referred to as a spa and resort
.
vistas of the Pacific Ocean
. All rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi
Internet access, and iPod
docking stations.
The hotel has two bars: the Top of the Hyatt and the Grand Lobby Bar. The third floor holds the hotel pool and the Kin Spa.
, former hotel owner Doug Manchester decided to create an upscale bar with panoramic views of San Diego, Coronado Island, and Mexico
. The bar was awarded the title of "Best Upscale Bar" by SignOnSanDiego, and is considered, "an unparalleled spot from which to watch the sunset."
, cabana
rentals, and hosts large pool parties on holiday weekends in conjunction with Fortune Industries.
, as well as the San Diego Convention Center
. The San Diego Trolley
stops near the hotel which connects to several lines to reach the majority of the San Diego metropolitan area. The hotel is located less than a mile from Petco Park
, an Amtrak
train station, and Woodbury University
's San Diego campus.
with financial support in the amount of $125,000. The money was donated before Proposition 8 was a ballot initiative
. Before a proposition can be officially placed on a ballot for voter consideration, 700,000 signatures need to be gathered. Supporters of the proposition used the $125,000 Manchester donated to pay professionals to acquire signatures in an effort to solidify the initiative's place on the ballot
. When asked about his contribution, Manchester was quoted as saying, "When they say that we cannot say that a marriage is between a man and a woman, that's where I draw the line." While Manchester has admitted that he "supports" his employees who are gay and lesbian, he cites the fact that he is Catholic
as a motivation behind his actions.
, including Hotel Workers Union Local 30, publicly admonished Manchester for his actions, with one member describing Proposition 8 as "pure and simple discrimination
." In addition, a boycott from Proposition 8 protesters
quickly followed. The boycott
was originally intended to last one year, but subsequent protests of other Hyatt locations continued after that duration. Also in turn some gay and lesbian employees of the hotel resigned in protest.
When Manchester was the owner of the Manchester Grand Hyatt, the Global Hyatt Corporation attempted to separate his views from that of the managing corporation. Global Hyatt contended that Manchester did not speak on its behalf and that the corporation has a proven history of supporting gay and lesbian rights. In addition, the Global Hyatt Corporation issued a statement that asserts many Hyatt hotels, including the Manchester Grand Hyatt, offer benefits to domestic partners
of employees, which is optional for businesses. Californians Against Hate
, a gay-rights activist group, has estimated that the boycott resulted in a loss of over $7 million, despite Manchester's attempt to reach out to the gay community with room credits and donations. The marketing manager
for the hotel, Kelly Commerford, has confirmed that cancellations resulting directly from the protest cost the hotel $2.4 million. This figure does not include estimates for those who choose other accommodations due to the boycott. The developer, Manchester, claimed that the boycotting unions are using gay marriage support as a screen "to cover [their] real goal of organizing" the hotel's workers.
The hotel was sold near the end of May 2011 to Host Hotels and Resorts, thus severing Manchester's financial ties to it.
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
's largest hotel. Because of its proximity to the waterfront, as well as its amenities, the Manchester Grand Hyatt is referred to as a spa and resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
.
Description
The Manchester Grand Hyatt consists of two towers, the 40-story Harbor Tower built in 1992 and the 33-story Seaport Tower which was added in 2003, prompted by the positive response to the space already allocated for private meetings. A four-story building with a rooftop pool connects the towers to each other. The hotel's 1,625 guest rooms each have partial water or city views, and many offer panoramicPanorama
A panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
vistas of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. All rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
Internet access, and iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
docking stations.
The hotel has two bars: the Top of the Hyatt and the Grand Lobby Bar. The third floor holds the hotel pool and the Kin Spa.
Top of the Hyatt
The 40th and top floor of the Manchester Grand Hyatt is known as the Top of the Hyatt. Instead of a traditional penthouse suitePenthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
, former hotel owner Doug Manchester decided to create an upscale bar with panoramic views of San Diego, Coronado Island, and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The bar was awarded the title of "Best Upscale Bar" by SignOnSanDiego, and is considered, "an unparalleled spot from which to watch the sunset."
Kin Oasis
Kin Oasis is the new adult-only pool (ages 21 above) located on the third floor of Harbor Tower. The rooftop pool, described as "upscale", includes bottle serviceBottle service
Bottle service is the sale of liquor by the bottle in bars and nightclubs.The purchase of bottle service typically includes a reserved table for the patron's party and mixers of the patron's choice. Bottle service can include the service of a VIP host, who will ensure that patrons have sufficient...
, cabana
Cabana
A cabana or cabaña may mean:Structures:*a small hut built with a thatched roof, most commonly built in tropical climates near bodies of water, or...
rentals, and hosts large pool parties on holiday weekends in conjunction with Fortune Industries.
Location
The Manchester Grand Hyatt is located on the Gaslamp Quarter’s waterfront, a few blocks away from the Gaslamp Quarter, Seaport VillageSeaport Village
Seaport Village is a shopping and dining complex adjacent to San Diego Bay in downtown San Diego, California. It houses more than 70 shops, galleries, and eateries on of waterfront property. The Village contains several freestanding buildings in an assortment of architectural styles, from...
, as well as the San Diego Convention Center
San Diego Convention Center
The San Diego Convention Center is the primary convention center in San Diego, California. It is located in the Marina district of downtown San Diego near the Gaslamp Quarter, at 111 West Harbor Drive...
. The San Diego Trolley
San Diego Trolley
The San Diego Trolley is a light rail system operating in the metropolitan area of San Diego. The operator, San Diego Trolley, Inc. , is a subsidiary of the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System ...
stops near the hotel which connects to several lines to reach the majority of the San Diego metropolitan area. The hotel is located less than a mile from Petco Park
PETCO Park
Petco Park is an open-air ballpark in downtown San Diego, California, USA. It opened in 2004, replacing Qualcomm Stadium as the home park of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. Before then, the Padres shared Qualcomm Stadium with the NFL's San Diego Chargers...
, an Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
train station, and Woodbury University
Woodbury University
Woodbury University, founded as "Woodbury Business College", is a private, non-profit, coeducational, nonsectarian university located in Burbank, California.-History:...
's San Diego campus.
Proposition 8 controversy
Doug Manchester, chairman of Manchester Financial Group, sparked controversy in 2008 when he backed California's Proposition 8California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
with financial support in the amount of $125,000. The money was donated before Proposition 8 was a ballot initiative
Initiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
. Before a proposition can be officially placed on a ballot for voter consideration, 700,000 signatures need to be gathered. Supporters of the proposition used the $125,000 Manchester donated to pay professionals to acquire signatures in an effort to solidify the initiative's place on the ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
. When asked about his contribution, Manchester was quoted as saying, "When they say that we cannot say that a marriage is between a man and a woman, that's where I draw the line." While Manchester has admitted that he "supports" his employees who are gay and lesbian, he cites the fact that he is Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
as a motivation behind his actions.
Boycott
The support caused an immediate response from gay-rights organizations, including GLAAD, which canceled all events planned for the hotel. Labor unionsTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
, including Hotel Workers Union Local 30, publicly admonished Manchester for his actions, with one member describing Proposition 8 as "pure and simple discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
." In addition, a boycott from Proposition 8 protesters
Protests against Proposition 8 supporters
Protests against Proposition 8 supporters, including the Roman Catholic church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which collaboratively campaigned in favor of California's Proposition 8 through volunteer and financial support for the measure, took place starting in November 2008...
quickly followed. The boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
was originally intended to last one year, but subsequent protests of other Hyatt locations continued after that duration. Also in turn some gay and lesbian employees of the hotel resigned in protest.
When Manchester was the owner of the Manchester Grand Hyatt, the Global Hyatt Corporation attempted to separate his views from that of the managing corporation. Global Hyatt contended that Manchester did not speak on its behalf and that the corporation has a proven history of supporting gay and lesbian rights. In addition, the Global Hyatt Corporation issued a statement that asserts many Hyatt hotels, including the Manchester Grand Hyatt, offer benefits to domestic partners
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
of employees, which is optional for businesses. Californians Against Hate
Californians Against Hate
Californians Against Hate is an American non-profit organization public benefit corporation which works as a political watchdog organization. It was founded in 2008 to draw attention to the major donors to qualify and pass California’s Proposition 8...
, a gay-rights activist group, has estimated that the boycott resulted in a loss of over $7 million, despite Manchester's attempt to reach out to the gay community with room credits and donations. The marketing manager
Marketing management
Marketing management is a business discipline which is focused on the practical application of marketing techniques and the management of a firm's marketing resources and activities...
for the hotel, Kelly Commerford, has confirmed that cancellations resulting directly from the protest cost the hotel $2.4 million. This figure does not include estimates for those who choose other accommodations due to the boycott. The developer, Manchester, claimed that the boycotting unions are using gay marriage support as a screen "to cover [their] real goal of organizing" the hotel's workers.
The hotel was sold near the end of May 2011 to Host Hotels and Resorts, thus severing Manchester's financial ties to it.