U.S. Grant Hotel
The U.S. Grant Hotel is a historic luxury hotel in downtown San Diego operated as a Marriott Luxury Collection property.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The U.S. Grant Hotel is a historic hotel in downtown San Diego, California, whose name commemorates Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States. The property occupies a prominent place in the city’s civic, political, cultural, and hospitality history. It is one of San Diego’s oldest major hotels and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel originated with Fannie Chaffee Grant, whose father, Colorado senator Jerome B. Chaffee, acquired the Horton House site in 1895. At a time when women faced restrictions on acquiring real estate, Chaffee purchased the property for his daughter. Fannie later chose to replace the earlier building with a substantially larger hotel. Her husband, Ulysses S. Grant Jr., supervised the project, which was designed by architect Harrison Albright. Because the Grants could not finance the full construction cost, San Diego voters helped provide approximately $700,000 toward a project reported to have required about $1.5 million. The new hotel opened on October 15, 1910. The original building was conceived as a landmark urban hotel. It rose 11 stories and included guest accommodation, meeting rooms, ballrooms, two swimming pools, and a ballroom on the top floor. The property later became a venue for important public gatherings. For almost 35 years, through 1974, it hosted the annual reunion dinner of the Great White Fleet Association, whose members had served on the U.S. Navy’s 1907–1909 cruise of 16 white battleships. These events brought military figures and international guests to San Diego. The hotel also played a role in the development of local broadcasting. San Diego’s first radio station, KFVW, operated from the building’s 11th floor in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The station carried live orchestra performances and broadcast an address by Franklin D. Roosevelt. KFSD subsequently used part of the 11th floor for its operations and entertainment programming, with radio towers installed on the building’s towers. A floor plan documenting the station’s former arrangement remains in the basement. The property’s Grant Grill, opened in 1952, became a well-known meeting place for downtown business, legal, and political figures. Its reputation as a power-lunch venue was accompanied by a discriminatory policy that excluded women before 3 p.m. In 1969, prominent local women organized a sit-in, leading the restaurant to end the men-only practice. The event remains part of the hotel’s institutional history, and a plaque commemorates the first women’s reservation. In its contemporary form, Grant Grill serves American cuisine and features a bar with design elements associated with the 1960s. The hotel was refurbished during the 1980s but experienced financial and operational difficulties during the following decade, when ownership changed several times. In 2003, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation acquired the property as a tribute to Grant’s perceived contributions to Native American communities during his presidency. The building then closed for approximately 21 months for a major renovation and reopened in October 2006. Today, the property operates under a franchise arrangement with Marriott International within The Luxury Collection, using the official name The U.S. Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego. It has approximately 270 guest rooms, meeting facilities, and multiple ballrooms. Its identity combines historic architecture, presidential associations, downtown convention and event services, upscale lodging, and heritage dining. The hotel has also been associated with notable visitors, including Albert Einstein, Charles Lindbergh, several former first ladies, and numerous U.S. presidents, with portraits of distinguished guests displayed on the second floor.
History
The U.S. Grant Hotel developed from the late-19th-century Horton House site in downtown San Diego. In 1895, Jerome B. Chaffee, one of Colorado’s early senators, acquired the property for his daughter, Fannie Chaffee Grant. The acquisition reflected the legal and social restrictions that made it difficult for women to purchase real estate directly at the time. Fannie later decided that the existing hotel should be demolished and replaced with a much larger landmark building. Her husband, Ulysses S. Grant Jr., the son of former president Ulysses S. Grant, supervised the construction. Harrison Albright served as architect. The project reportedly required $1.5 million, while Grant lacked sufficient funds to complete it. San Diego voters helped finance approximately $700,000, making the hotel partly a civic undertaking as well as a private development. The Grant Hotel opened on October 15, 1910, and was named in honor of Ulysses S. Grant. The 11-story building included guest rooms, meeting spaces, ballrooms, two swimming pools, and a top-floor ballroom. During its early decades, the property became an important site for civic, military, and social activity. The Great White Fleet Association held its annual reunion dinner at the hotel for almost 35 years, ending the practice in 1974. The association represented sailors who had participated in the U.S. Navy’s 1907–1909 voyage of 16 white battleships. The dinners attracted military officials and guests from outside the United States, strengthening the hotel’s reputation as a venue for formal public occasions. Broadcasting was another part of the building’s history. KFVW, identified as San Diego’s first radio station, operated from the 11th floor during the late 1920s and early 1930s. It broadcast live orchestra performances and carried an address by Franklin D. Roosevelt. KFSD also occupied part of the 11th floor for much of the 1930s, continuing the building’s role as a communications and entertainment center. Radio towers were placed on the hotel’s towers, and a surviving basement floor plan records KFSD’s former layout. The Grant Grill opened in 1952 and became a prominent downtown dining room. Its clientele included business leaders, attorneys, and politicians, giving it a reputation as a power-lunch destination. The restaurant also maintained a policy that barred women before 3 p.m. In 1969, a group of prominent local women held a sit-in to challenge the restriction. The protest succeeded in ending the men-only practice. The hotel preserves this episode through a plaque identifying the first women’s reservation. The modern Grant Grill presents American food and a bar whose design evokes the restaurant’s mid-century character. The hotel underwent refurbishment in the 1980s, but the property encountered a financial downturn in the next decade and changed ownership several times. In 2003, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation acquired the hotel. The acquisition was described as a tribute to the contributions attributed to former president Ulysses S. Grant in relation to Native American communities. The property then closed for roughly 21 months for renovation and reopened in October 2006. The renovated property subsequently became part of Marriott International’s Luxury Collection through a franchise arrangement. It is now formally marketed as The U.S. Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego. The hotel contains approximately 270 guest rooms, meeting rooms, and several ballrooms. Its continuing appeal rests on its historic downtown setting, preserved associations with presidents and other notable guests, event infrastructure, restaurant heritage, and position within an international luxury-hotel distribution system. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2006
Renovated property reopens
[1]After approximately 21 months of closure, the hotel reopened in October 2006.
- 2003
Acquisition by the Sycuan Band
[1]The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation purchased the hotel and initiated a substantial renovation program.
- 1970
First San Diego Comic-Con takes place at the hotel
[1]The event then called San Diego’s Golden State Comic-Con was held at the U.S. Grant Hotel.
- 1969
Grant Grill changes its admissions policy
[1]A women-led sit-in resulted in the end of the restaurant’s policy excluding women before 3 p.m.
- 1952
Grant Grill opens
[1]The hotel launched the Grant Grill, which later became a prominent downtown business and political dining venue.
- 1910
Grant Hotel opens
[1]The 11-story hotel opened on October 15, 1910, under the supervision of Ulysses S. Grant Jr. and with design work by Harrison Albright.
- 1905
Replacement hotel project initiated
[1]Fannie Chaffee Grant decided to demolish the existing Horton House and replace it with a major new hotel.
- 1895
Horton House site acquired for Fannie Chaffee Grant
[1]Jerome B. Chaffee purchased the Horton House property for his daughter, Fannie Chaffee Grant.
Products and positioning
A landmark downtown San Diego luxury hotel that combines historic presidential associations, heritage architecture, upscale lodging, event facilities, and a prominent restaurant under Marriott’s Luxury Collection brand.
Hotel accommodation · 1910
Luxury guest rooms
The hotel offers approximately 270 guest rooms within an historic 11-story downtown San Diego property. Accommodation is positioned within Marriott International’s Luxury Collection, combining the building’s heritage identity with an upscale full-service hotel format.
Hotel suites
Presidential suites
The property includes three presidential suites associated with its history of hosting U.S. presidents and other distinguished visitors. The suites were tailored to requirements connected with presidential and Secret Service visits.
Restaurant and bar · 1952
Grant Grill
Opened in 1952, Grant Grill is the hotel’s signature restaurant. It serves American cuisine and includes a bar with design cues recalling the 1960s. Its history includes the 1969 sit-in that ended a policy excluding women before 3 p.m., making the restaurant both a dining venue and a notable site in San Diego’s social history.
Events and hospitality services · 1910
Meeting rooms and ballrooms
The U.S. Grant provides meeting rooms and multiple ballrooms for conferences, formal gatherings, weddings, and other events. These facilities continue the building’s long-standing role as a venue for civic, military, cultural, and social occasions.
Brand decisions
2006
Reopening after major renovationOtherBackground
The property had been closed for approximately 21 months following the Sycuan Band’s acquisition.
Action taken
The renovated hotel reopened in October 2006 and resumed operations as a historic luxury property.
Aftermath
The property became associated with Marriott’s Luxury Collection and adopted the official operating name The U.S. Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego.
2003
Sycuan Band acquisitionM&ABackground
After refurbishment in the 1980s and ownership changes during the 1990s, the historic hotel required a new ownership and investment plan.
Action taken
The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation purchased the property and closed it for an extended renovation.
Aftermath
The hotel reopened in October 2006 and subsequently operated within Marriott International’s Luxury Collection through a franchise arrangement.
1969
End of Grant Grill’s women-exclusion policyStrategyBackground
Grant Grill had restricted women from dining before 3 p.m., reinforcing its identity as a male-oriented business lunch venue.
Action taken
Following a sit-in by prominent local women, the restaurant abandoned the policy and accepted women during the previously restricted period.
Aftermath
The change became a documented part of the hotel’s history, commemorated by a plaque recording the first women’s reservation.
Recent events
- 2006
Renovated hotel reopens[1]
Product generation
Following an extended renovation, the hotel reopened in October 2006 and later operated as a Marriott Luxury Collection property.
- 2003
Sycuan Band acquires the hotel and begins a major renovation[1]
M&A
The Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation purchased the property, after which it closed for approximately 21 months for renovation.
- 1974
Great White Fleet Association reunions use the hotel as an annual venue[1]
Other
The hotel hosted the association’s annual reunion dinner for nearly 35 years, with the practice continuing until 1974.
- 1970
First San Diego Comic-Con held at the U.S. Grant Hotel[1]
Other
The inaugural San Diego Comic-Con, then known as San Diego’s Golden State Comic-Con, took place at the hotel.
- 1969
Grant Grill ends its pre-3 p.m. women-exclusion policy[1]
Other
A sit-in by prominent local women challenged the Grant Grill’s policy of excluding women before 3 p.m. The protest led the restaurant to abandon the practice.
- 1910
U.S. Grant Hotel opens in downtown San Diego[1]
Other
The Grant Hotel opened on October 15, 1910, after a major construction project overseen by Ulysses S. Grant Jr. and designed by Harrison Albright.
Sources1 sources
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