The Baby Grand Opens on Coronado

The Baby Grand, a new, 31-room project from the minds at San Diego hospitality group CH Projects, opened May 14. Inspired by Coronado’s early beach culture, The Baby Garden boasts lush, overgrown landscaping; private lagoons; secret bars; sculpted rock formations; and open-fire dining.

CH Projects, in collaboration with Post Company, envisioned The Baby Grand as a social hub and neighborhood gathering place on the island. The 6,000-square-foot site was formerly an asphalt parking lot, but today features mature plantings, gas-lit torches, partially hidden statues, planted trellises and tented structures, all recalling early expedition camps along the Coronado coast.

© Ethan Jones

“We wanted The Baby Grand to feel less like a hotel you check into and more like something you stumble upon, like you discovered it halfway reclaimed by time and decided to stay,” said Arsalun Tafazoli, founder, CH Projects. “It’s our attempt to create a social, slightly surreal gathering place on Coronado where history isn’t polished over, but left visible and alive, and where people can move through spaces that unfold slowly, connect, and make their own version of the story.”

Guests pass through a central oasis to uncover an outdoor bar and coffee shop, as well as Night Hawk, a Greek, open-fire restaurant integrated into the landscape through rock-formed booths and banquettes. In the lobby, musical giant Swizz Beatz developed a transportive soundscape complemented by vintage tapestries, custom trim, a fabric ceiling and a dramatic central chandelier. The high-gloss, custom check-in desk anchors the room, and a back bar provides coffee during the day and cocktails at night. Statues and artifacts remind guests of fragments left behind from another era; cleverly, one such artifact conceals the entrance to Fallen Empire, a hidden oyster and Champagne bar tucked discreetly behind the lobby.

© Ethan Jones

“We approached The Baby Grand as a deliberate departure from the casual, beachy aesthetic typical of Southern California hospitality,” said Leigh Salem, partner, Post Company. “From mosaic floors and mirrored walls to iridescent clamshell beds, each element contributes to a rich, cohesive world that feels assembled over time. The design is theatrical, but never overly choreographed – there’s a sense that it’s still unfolding and evolving.”

Visitors calling The Baby Grand home for the night find themselves immersed in ornate, transportive guest quarters, with the centerpiece of each room a custom, iridescent clamshell bed. Schumacher wallpaper features tropical scenes, which pairs nicely with high-gloss wood ceilings, oxblood trim and parquet flooring. Furnishings include a custom chaise, animal-print stools, marble tables, and a curated mix of vintage artwork and sculpture. Each room also boasts integrated reading lights, mirrored custom cabinetry and an oversized in-room bar.

Bathrooms occupy nearly half of each guestroom’s footprint, accessible through pocket doors with intricate mosaic tile flooring leading to fluted marble wash consoles, glass-enclosed shower rooms and clawfoot soaking tubs, finished with bold wallpaper; marble, jewel-toned mirroring; and custom light fixtures.