San Diego's Consortium Holdings hospitality group is looking to bring its fourth area hotel and another pair of restaurants to Little Italy.
Consortium Holdings founder Arsalun Tafazoli is currently operating three San Diego hotels. In March 2021, he finalized the purchase of North Park's 75-year-old The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows for $25,815,000 then performed a $31 million renovation. Then later in 2021, Tafazoli purchased Little Italy's 67-room, European-style La Pensione Hotel for nearly $18 million. In 2022, he entered into a longterm lease for Coronado's 29-guestroom La Avenida Inn for an undisclosed price.
Under his newly formed Inside Voice LLC, Tafazoli recently acquired six properties on on Kettner, Juniper and India at the northern end of Little Italy at a cost of $13 million in order to build a boutique hotel, two restaurants, offices and a wellness center. He is currently appealing a decision by the San Diego Airport Authority that his proposed Little Italy hotel project violates land use regulations due to its presence in a flight path. This week, San Diego's Development Services Department published a notice explaining an "overrule hearing" has been requested
This is not the first time Consortium Holdings is seeking to overturn flight path restrictions. In 2016, CH has to challenge the airport's land use rules in order to renovate the former Nelson Photo building and transform it into what is now Born & Raised steakhouse.
Named Dreamboat, Consortium Holdings planned Little Italy project would be the company's first ground-up build out. The property would include a hotel, wellness center, a rooftop garden lounge, two restaurants, and underground parking. The property would also house offices and would serve as the company's headquarters.
In addition to the Dreamboat project, Consortium Holding is also working on several other properties. The company recently unveiled Lou Lou’s Jungle Room, a live music venue and supper club in the basement area of The Lafayette Hotel. They are also adding a spa concept inspired by Russian, Roman and Turkish bathhouses to the hotel, as well as a fine-dining restaurant named Le Horse Continental Room.
Consortium Holdings has also recently begun renovating Starlite bar and restaurant in San Diego's Middletown area. The company has also started construction of Leila, a 5,000+ square-foot Persian bar & restaurant opening later this year on 30th Street in North Park. CH founder Arsalun Tafazoli also owns the shopping plaza at 3401 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights, which sits across the street from Blind Lady AleHouse and approximately a half mile from CH's Polite Provisions. The company is also planning to open a new bar and restaurant in Coronado.
If the appeal on the Dreamboat hotel is approved this spring, Consortium Holdings hopes to break ground at 2345 Kettner Boulevard starting in 2025. For more information, visit consortiumholdings.com.
