You won’t find any of their autographed glossies on Hotel Solamar’s walls, nor in its restaurant, the J-Six, or even in a manager’s office.
But an impressive lineup of celebrities have stayed, dined or partied at the 235-room boutique since it opened a little more than a year ago, including actor Jamie Foxx; singer, songwriter Baby Face; rhythm and blues great Al Green; rapper Eminem and the rock band Coldplay.
Last month, country singer Kenny Chesney gave an impromptu performance at the hotel’s upper-story patio and pool deck, the J-Bar, while he was a guest.
Recently, Samuel L. Jackson, who was in town for a sneak peek Comic-Con showing of the soon-to-be-released “Snakes on a Plane,” in which he has top billing, dined in the hotel’s restaurant.Devoted primarily to the comics industry, the annual event at the San Diego Convention Center, which draws thousands to downtown, serves as an ideal setting for Hollywood and TV studios to screen and show off their latest productions.
The hotel’s catering director, Ed Nesfield, said that representatives of seven studios checked into the Solamar, including NBC Universal, which hosted a private party for 300 at the J-Bar.
Aside from ambience, the allure for celebrities is the fact that the Solamar has strict rules governing privacy. Staffers may not ask for autographs or pictures, nor are they allowed to approach or talk to the stars unless it’s in the line of business or the stars themselves initiate conversation. And the property is off-limits to paparazzi.
So how does a hotel woo the big names of Hollywood?
Indirectly, Nesfield said.
“They know the Kimpton brand, and word gets around,” he added, emphasizing that the Solamar strives to give them as much anonymity as possible.
Surveying preparations on the day before NBC Universal’s gala, he said everything was going according to plan. On the deck of the J-Six bar, workers were setting up a series of tents around the pool where food would be served while a man on a ladder adjusted a movie projector, hidden out of sight in a palm tree. A white canvas tarp stretched on the side of a building would serve as a temporary movie screen.
“Soon the J-Six will have a permanent screen,” Nesfield said.
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