San Diego County's newest beachfront hotel is open for business. However, some people may be surprised by its location.
Located in Imperial Beach, the Pier South Resort has 78 rooms, a spa, rooftop deck and a restaurant owned by the Cohen Restaurant Group. The hotel has oceanfront views from Coronado to Mexico.
All of it means tax revenue the city has never had.
"This hotel we're expecting to bring us about $300,000 a year," Imperial Beach Mayor Jim Janney said.
But Janney says this means more than money to IB.
“I think you can talk financially, but it really gives a sense of pride to a lot of people here,” he said. “It’s an amenity that not only is for visitors, but people locally can use it, too.”
Dennis Hogan, who owns the nearby Wave Café, has been anxiously awaiting the hotel’s grand opening.
“I think it’s going to be real good. Been waiting four years,” Hogan said.
“(It) took a little longer than we expected, but the product is enormously better than we expected,” Janney said.
Being near the mouth of the Tijuana River, Imperial Beach has a history of poor water quality after storms, which results in closed beaches. But Janney says it won’t be an issue during the peak summer months. He argued because of its history, the water in IB is tested more than anywhere else in the county.
