The sprawling event at Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa appears to have begun by at least Sunday, August 16, and continued into Wednesday morning, August 19, although fencing and staging were observed being constructed as early as Friday, August 14. During that period, access to the prominent Mission Bay resort was restricted, with personnel stationed at entrances and signs informing visitors that the property was "Closed for a Private Event" and would reopen August 19 at 11:30am.
The identity of the corporate group was hardly concealed. Branding displayed around the event prominently featured both Discount Tire and America's Tire, while photographs obtained by SanDiegoVille show attendees wearing coordinated apparel bearing company branding and city or regional names. America's Tire is the name under which Discount Tire operates throughout much of California because of existing rights to the Discount Tire name in certain markets.
If the scale of the gathering seemed unusually large, so is the company behind it. Discount Tire, formally The Reinalt-Thomas Corporation, was founded in 1960 and has grown into one of the country's largest independent tire and wheel retailers, with more than 1,200 stores across dozens of states. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the privately held company also owns online tire retailer Tire Rack and has expanded through additional acquisitions in recent years. Discount Tire has a substantial Southern California presence, including numerous America's Tire locations throughout San Diego County and a store just a few miles from the Catamaran on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach.
The scale of the gathering extended well beyond a typical hotel conference. A massive professional stage and production setup was erected on the Catamaran's bayside lawn, while multiple tournament-style volleyball courts were installed directly on the sand outside the resort. Large groups of attendees could also be seen congregating along the public pedestrian pathway separating the resort property from Mission Bay while watching volleyball matches taking place on the beach.
That use of the shoreline is particularly noteworthy in light of Evans Hotels' response to SanDiegoVille only weeks earlier regarding conditions along the very same stretch of Mission Bay waterfront.
Earlier this summer, SanDiegoVille reported on repeatedly overflowing public trash receptacles immediately outside the Catamaran, where garbage was observed spilling onto the sand and being scattered across the beach by seagulls. When asked about the conditions, Evans Hotels Chief Marketing Officer Ilsa Butler emphasized the boundary between the privately operated resort and publicly maintained waterfront, noting that the trash cans are owned and serviced by the City of San Diego and that the adjacent beach and boardwalk are public property not maintained by Evans Hotels.
This week's corporate event presents a striking contrast. When the issue was overflowing garbage immediately outside the Catamaran, Evans Hotels stressed that the beachfront was public and therefore outside the resort's responsibility. But when the same waterfront became useful for a massive private corporate gathering, multiple organized volleyball courts appeared on the public sand, attendees lined portions of the public pathway to watch the competition, and activities associated with the resort buyout visibly extended beyond the hotel's property line and onto the Mission Bay shoreline.
To be clear, the presence of volleyball courts or event attendees on a public beach does not itself establish that Evans Hotels, Discount Tire or event organizers improperly restricted public access. SanDiegoVille has contacted the City of San Diego seeking to determine what permits or approvals were obtained, whether any portion of the beach or pathway was formally reserved or authorized for event use and what conditions accompanied any such approvals.
Still, the juxtaposition is difficult to ignore: the Catamaran previously drew a clear distinction between its private resort and the public waterfront when responding to criticism over conditions immediately outside the hotel, while this week's corporate gathering made conspicuous use of that same public waterfront as part of an event from which the general public was otherwise excluded.
The festivities weren't confined to daylight hours. A nearby resident told SanDiegoVille that a party associated with the gathering continued until approximately 1am Sunday night into Monday morning, disturbing neighbors around Mission Bay.
The scale of the gathering extended well beyond a typical hotel conference. A massive professional stage and production setup was erected on the Catamaran's bayside lawn, while multiple tournament-style volleyball courts were installed directly on the sand outside the resort. Large groups of attendees could also be seen congregating along the public pedestrian pathway separating the resort property from Mission Bay while watching volleyball matches taking place on the beach.
That use of the shoreline is particularly noteworthy in light of Evans Hotels' response to SanDiegoVille only weeks earlier regarding conditions along the very same stretch of Mission Bay waterfront.
Earlier this summer, SanDiegoVille reported on repeatedly overflowing public trash receptacles immediately outside the Catamaran, where garbage was observed spilling onto the sand and being scattered across the beach by seagulls. When asked about the conditions, Evans Hotels Chief Marketing Officer Ilsa Butler emphasized the boundary between the privately operated resort and publicly maintained waterfront, noting that the trash cans are owned and serviced by the City of San Diego and that the adjacent beach and boardwalk are public property not maintained by Evans Hotels.
This week's corporate event presents a striking contrast. When the issue was overflowing garbage immediately outside the Catamaran, Evans Hotels stressed that the beachfront was public and therefore outside the resort's responsibility. But when the same waterfront became useful for a massive private corporate gathering, multiple organized volleyball courts appeared on the public sand, attendees lined portions of the public pathway to watch the competition, and activities associated with the resort buyout visibly extended beyond the hotel's property line and onto the Mission Bay shoreline.
To be clear, the presence of volleyball courts or event attendees on a public beach does not itself establish that Evans Hotels, Discount Tire or event organizers improperly restricted public access. SanDiegoVille has contacted the City of San Diego seeking to determine what permits or approvals were obtained, whether any portion of the beach or pathway was formally reserved or authorized for event use and what conditions accompanied any such approvals.
Still, the juxtaposition is difficult to ignore: the Catamaran previously drew a clear distinction between its private resort and the public waterfront when responding to criticism over conditions immediately outside the hotel, while this week's corporate gathering made conspicuous use of that same public waterfront as part of an event from which the general public was otherwise excluded.
The festivities weren't confined to daylight hours. A nearby resident told SanDiegoVille that a party associated with the gathering continued until approximately 1am Sunday night into Monday morning, disturbing neighbors around Mission Bay.
Then came the fireworks. At approximately 9pm Tuesday, August 18, a fireworks display erupted over the Catamaran and Mission Bay, surprising nearby residents who said they had received no advance warning. The unexpected display also prompted concern from Mission Bay Puppy Rescue, located approximately a quarter-mile south of the Catamaran. A representative contacted SanDiegoVille following the show, reporting the "usual complaints of animals and fireworks" and noting that the display occurred on a Tuesday night without apparent advance notice. Fireworks can be particularly disruptive to dogs and other animals because of their sudden explosions, flashes and unpredictable noise, making advance notice valuable to nearby residents, pet owners and animal facilities.
The episode raises broader questions about how one of Mission Bay's largest waterfront resorts balances lucrative private events with a surrounding shoreline that remains public. The Catamaran has long incorporated its location on Mission Bay into its guest experience through watersports, boat rentals, bonfires and other waterfront amenities. Evans Hotels previously told SanDiegoVille that although it does not maintain the public beach and boardwalk, its employees regularly remove litter and debris from areas adjacent to the resort.
This week's event puts that earlier distinction into particularly sharp relief. When SanDiegoVille questioned trash accumulating outside the Catamaran, the company emphasized that the beach and boardwalk belonged to the public realm. This week, however, that same public realm became a conspicuous part of the experience surrounding a private corporate takeover of the resort. The Catamaran can be bought out. Mission Bay cannot.
SanDiegoVille has contacted Catamaran Resort and parent company Evans Hotels seeking information about the duration and scope of the resort buyout, the use of adjacent public spaces, permits or approvals for organized beach activities and the fireworks display, whether any portions of the beach or walkway were authorized for exclusive event use, and whether surrounding residents and businesses were notified in advance.
SanDiegoVille has also contacted the City of San Diego seeking confirmation of any permits or approvals issued in connection with the event, including for the organized volleyball courts and fireworks display, and has reached out to Discount Tire for additional information regarding the purpose and scale of the gathering.
This article will be updated if responses are received.
The Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa is located at 3999 Mission Boulevard along Sail Bay in San Diego's Pacific Beach community. For more information, visit catamaranresort.com and evanshotels.com.
The episode raises broader questions about how one of Mission Bay's largest waterfront resorts balances lucrative private events with a surrounding shoreline that remains public. The Catamaran has long incorporated its location on Mission Bay into its guest experience through watersports, boat rentals, bonfires and other waterfront amenities. Evans Hotels previously told SanDiegoVille that although it does not maintain the public beach and boardwalk, its employees regularly remove litter and debris from areas adjacent to the resort.
This week's event puts that earlier distinction into particularly sharp relief. When SanDiegoVille questioned trash accumulating outside the Catamaran, the company emphasized that the beach and boardwalk belonged to the public realm. This week, however, that same public realm became a conspicuous part of the experience surrounding a private corporate takeover of the resort. The Catamaran can be bought out. Mission Bay cannot.
SanDiegoVille has contacted Catamaran Resort and parent company Evans Hotels seeking information about the duration and scope of the resort buyout, the use of adjacent public spaces, permits or approvals for organized beach activities and the fireworks display, whether any portions of the beach or walkway were authorized for exclusive event use, and whether surrounding residents and businesses were notified in advance.
SanDiegoVille has also contacted the City of San Diego seeking confirmation of any permits or approvals issued in connection with the event, including for the organized volleyball courts and fireworks display, and has reached out to Discount Tire for additional information regarding the purpose and scale of the gathering.
This article will be updated if responses are received.
The Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa is located at 3999 Mission Boulevard along Sail Bay in San Diego's Pacific Beach community. For more information, visit catamaranresort.com and evanshotels.com.
Originally published on August 19, 2026.
