PACIFIC GROVE, CA—Domaine Hospitality Partners, LLC, and representatives from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Foursome Development Co. and the City of Pacific Grove, CA, launched Project Bella at a press conference here.
Developed by Domaine Hospitality Partners, Project Bella will be located across the street from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station at the site of the American Tin Cannery, at the end of historic Cannery Row. Now in planning with architect Mark Hornberger of Hornberger+Worstell, Project Bella aims to be the leading luxury hotel in the U.S.
Speaking from the future site of the sustainability-focused hotel, Founder and Executive Director Julie Packard of the Monterey Bay Aquarium spoke of how Project Bella intersects with the aquarium’s mission: “We all look out over one of the world’s great ocean stories. Economic boom built on extracting the ocean’s resources can now be converted and transformed into a new story of something more sustainable for humans and animals for the long term.”
Project Bella plans to offer 160 rooms and suites, all with ocean views. The hotel will include conference and meeting facilities targeted to private meetings at the executive level and for symposia and events in support of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hopkins Marine Station, and visitors to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Project Bella’s development plan calls for recognition of the Monterey Peninsula’s environmental heritage through a state-of-the-art sustainable design that will achieve LEED Platinum certification.
“My partners and I have been dreaming about building one of the leading iconic hotels in the U.S. and maybe the world. We believe we will drive significant additional visitors to the Monterey Peninsula, benefitting all businesses,” said Ron Meer, president and CEO of Domaine Hospitality Partners. “Additionally, we look forward to being a meaningful contributor to the marine research community by supporting great efforts underway in the Monterey National Marine Sanctuary and by being strong supporters of ocean sustainability, preservation, and protection.”
Mayor Bill Kampe noted, “On one side you’ve got 4.5 million visitors per year to Cannery Row. And on the other side sits Pacific Grove with four miles of the most beautiful shoreline in the state of California. Project Bella will sit directly at that intersection.”