The Other Historical Hotel in San Diego – Courtyard by Marriott in Downtown

When we think of historical landmarks in San Diego, the following sites come to mind: Mission San Diego de Alcala; El Prado Area; Lighthouse of 1854; Mission Beach Rollercoaster; and the ever popular Hotel Del Coronado. Nestled in the heart of downtown San Diego- a stone's throw away from the historic Gaslamp District, stands a lesser-known historical landmark– the Courtyard by Marriott?

Yes, you heard it correctly, the Courtyard by Marriott in Downtown San Diego. Originally the San Diego Trust & Savings Bank built in 1928, the hotel majestically rises 240 feet above street level. The building's architect was a well-known San Diegan by the name of William Templeton Johnson. He was known also for building the County Administration Building, the La Jolla Library (the Anthenaeum), and the Fine Arts Gallery and Museum of Natural History in Balboa Park.

The San Diego Trust & Savings Bank was founded in 1888 by Joseph Sefton, Sr. and continued to operate as a bank until its closure in September 1996. The bank's upper 11 floors were originally local office space. William Johnson's office was located in what is now the Presidential Suite of the hotel. A portion of the 14th floor was originally a shooting gallery, where Mr. Sefton encouraged all his tellers to practice shooting in the event of a robbery. Keep in mind that this was during the time of Prohibition, Al Capone, and Bonnie & Clyde.

The Cupola on top of the hotel was San Diego's first aviation beacon and was reportedly added to the original plans because the Seftons wanted this building to be the tallest in San Diego. In 1994, First Interstate Bank acquires San Diego Trust & Savings Bank and bears this name for two years until the bank closed in 1996. The Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown opened on October 19, 1999 with 245 guest rooms, 5 meeting rooms and a historic landmark designation/title. It cost 27 million dollars to renovate the bank into a hotel.

The bank's safety deposit room has been preserved and converted into an executive conference room. When the bank closed, some of its long-time customers decided to remove the face plates of their safety deposit boxes as mementos. To honor their dedication, Marriott has chosen not to replace these safety deposit boxes with mock doors. 98% of the historic fabric of the hotel has been preserved. The 35 columns around the lobby are all made from various types of marble from three different continents. During the renovation from bank to hotel, each marble piece was numbered, removed, cleaned, stored and carefully replaced to its original spot.

In 2013, the hotel completed a 6 million dollar revitalization of all its guest rooms, meeting spaces and all public areas. The focus of this revitalization was to incorporate a unique mix of old and new that seamlessly blends the bank's Italian Romanesque revival architecture with modern decor to create that timeless allure.

The old and historic San Diego Trust & Savings Bank on the corner of Broadway and 6th Ave.

A functioning mailbox inside the hotel. A throwback from another time.

The lobby ceiling. Takes you back in time.

The lobby

Mural in the bank/hotel foyer

Foyer near the elevators to the guest rooms

The old bank's vault. Preserved with its safety deposit boxes. Converted into an executive conference room for clients.

The vault's door weighing roughly 47,000 lbs but very well cantilevered so you can move and close it with just one finger.

Inside the vault/conference room. All safety deposit boxes kept and maintained.

Safety deposit boxes. Some with their face plates/doors removed by clients when bank closed. The number 13 is not part of the numbering system for safety deposit boxes. It's considered bad luck then and now.

Beautifully-appointed guest rooms. The design harks back to the old office spaces of the 30s.

View of downtown, San Diego Bay and Coronado Bridge in the distance