Hospitality company Dovetail + Co has opened its first California property and restaurant, Palihotel San Diego and Saint James French Dine.

Dovetail acquired the 122-room full-service hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter of “America’s Finest City” in 2022 and brought in Palisociety as a brand and operating partner.

Originally opened in 1913 as the St. James Hotel, the eleven-storey building soared over San Diego as the city’s tallest building and a beacon of Victorian architecture.

Today, the stately structure maintains its original two-story neon sign, intricate tin ceilings, stained glass windows, hexagon tile floors, and marble staircases, all hailing from the early 1900s. As Palihotel San Diego, the property’s historic charm is infused with preppy-meets-nautical design.

The guest-exclusive roof deck offers daily social hour and city views. Saint James French Diner, the new on-site restaurant, nods to the hotel’s past while marrying diner and bistro cuisine.

In-room amenities include Bellino fine linens, Diptyque bath amenities, a Nespresso coffee machine, SMEG mini fridge, a fully stocked minibar, complimentary Wi-Fi, and more. With the Pawlisociety program, the hotel is pet friendly, too.

“We are excited to bring new life to the historic Saint James Hotel and introduce Palihotel’s brand of authentic hospitality to San Diego,” says Dovetail + Co founder and CEO Phil Hospod. “We have confidence in California as a beloved travel destination and hope to expand our California portfolio.”

Palihotel San Diego joins Dovetail + Co’s portfolio of unique properties in storied locations. Dovetail most recently opened Wayfinder Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii, the second outpost of is original Wayfinder brand.

Earlier in 2023, Dovetail’s reimagined Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa in Bermuda was named to Condé Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” and Travel + Leisure’s “It List” of the best 100 new hotels in the world.

Other critically acclaimed Dovetail hotel projects include Urban Cowboy Lodge in the Catskill Mountains of New York and Wayfinder Newport in Rhode Island.