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"La Puerta was definitely the highlight of our SD trip. We came in here on Friday afternoon for Happy Hour. They had A/C (yay for no…" read more »
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This place is nice to visit if you are looking for a lounge area. We came on a Friday early night and enjoyed watered-down red bull vodkas at a price. The sand got in our heals. No one was using the pool.
Just fine for a free venue!
Cell phone conversation:
Friend: "Hey Lisa, where you at tonight?"
Me: "I'm at a bar... at the beach with sand in my toes... on a roof... in down town Diego!"
That's pretty awesome. Needless to say, my friend (from Portland, OR) was quite confused and needed some clarification. How many bars can you say that about and be telling the truth.
I love how it has beach sand. It makes you feel like you are at the beach. The only problem with it is that it can be hard to walk on, especially if you get kinda tipsy, and the sand gets in your shoes. But it's still pretty darn cool. They have cool seating arrangements as well. They got some chairs around fireplaces and then even some 70's style hanging chairs. The drinks are certainly pricey but the experience is still kinda worth it. Plus they have a downstairs dance floor and some loungey areas on the middle level that I think is where people sometimes make out (not me, but other people).
Gorgeous and unique rooftop "beach" complete with sand, umbrellas, and lounge chairs. I loved the wooden tables and VIP cubes with wispy white tulle curtains. Tasty ginger mojito.
Note that "rooftop" in this instance really only means "outdoors". The view is by no means spectacular, but the decor makes up for it.
Went on a Monday afternoon at the start of happy hour and the place was empty. Happy hour specials are nothing to write home about, but this is a relaxing place to sit back with your feet in the sand and enjoy a frosty beverage as trip-hop music plays quietly in the background.
Also of note: not that the lounge is a kids place at all, but it was a pleasant surprise to see the bartender produce a pile of buckets and shovels for two young girls to dig with as their mother (presumably a hotel guest) enjoyed a drink in the sun.
i love, love love rooftop bars! and this place happen to have sand too! the place have nice comfy lounge chairs. warning: do not wear high heels, if you dont want to walk all weird on the sand.
I waited at the tiny, empty bar for about 15 minutes. The poor lady next to me, already seated at the bar trying to suck what alcohol was left off of the melting ice in her clearly empty glass, had been waiting even longer. The bartender never once acknowledged me, but seemed like he was going to get to us (as there are only 3-4 people waiting). Then he decides to service some dudes in Affliction tshirts right when they arrive (towards the end of my 15 minute wait). What. The.
Poor lady asks, "What's going on? I've been waiting," to which the barfucker replies, "We're all waiting for something aren't we?"
Long story short, this place is wack. The bar a few levels down had great service, no sand, and no douche nozzles.
Unique venue since it has beach sand on the rooftop. It was much smaller than I had expected but still cute and chill.
Cause it's on the rooftop and there's sand, I suggest to wear flip flops and to come during the summer so you don't freeze. They have a fire pit there but the seats are always full.
We stuck to drinking some Sex Waxes and they were hella good. It wasn't strong but something nice to chill with.
I don't know what the typical crowds are during the weekdays but I had gone here with my boyfriend while we were dating and in mid conversation, an older lady we had seen earlier that had come with a male companion started talking to us. She was slightly drunk but all in our face. Can you say awkward? This complete stranger was leaning in and had her hand on his thigh. So I lean in closer to him to give her the impression that he was my boyfriend. She eventually got the hint and went her own way.
Later in the evening, we see her, her male companion, and another dude, go up the elevators. I'm assuming into a room and right there I told my now boyfriend that I think she was a swinger and was trying to recruit us! Effin nasty but one hell of a memory with the Beach!
Not exactly going to make the top of my list for my next Saturday night out! I went this past weekend with a group of 6. We couldn't even go up together because they had hit capacity, so we got split up and had to wait what seemed like forever for the other half to get let up.
We should have just told them to get out of line. What a waste of time. Who wants to stand in heels in a bunch of sand and do nothing?! Yes, nothing, everyone was just standing around, nothing exciting at all going on up there. And the high ratio of males to females should have at least been a highlight, but NO... where did these guys come from?! Not impressed!
This would be better suited for a nice summer afternoon than a night out on the town.
Slutted-up broads in 4-inch heels pretending they're in LA/New York/Vegas
+
2549873 decibel, undanceable techno and trance from 1996
+
5 magenta-colored drinks
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Floor made of sand
=
America's Funniest Home Video Montage
What a great spot for a team event of birthday party!
I went with a group of colleagues when I was in San Diego for work, and we had a great time!
You feel like you're on small island about 5 stories high, in the middle of the city. The sand is heated and is a cute way to hang out with your friends or co-workers and just chill.
The drinks were great! I also remember they serve small plates, and the food was pretty good.
I was there during the week around 7pm in August of 2005, and it was an after-work-crowd. Picture this... businessmen in suits with rolled up pants and shoeless. It's a really soothing atmosphere!
Despite my attempts of trying to avoid hanging out in Downtown...I was half-forced into going to this place...It was actually quite beautiful...and was treated quite well...(perhaps it had to do with the crowd we were with.) I had sand in my heels...but that's what happens when you go to the beach. :) Music was a-ok. Bottle service was amazing. Although it is a mission to find the restroom...
Beautiful rooftop for the beautiful people. A sandy beach decor with a few lounge chairs and cool seats. Glitterati is in full effect here. Dimwitted hoochies and boozing frat boy types sure make for interesting people watching. Get me out of here.
I was here for the 90210 premiere party with M, F, W and a few other friends. Now, the actual party was actually at all 3 lounges here, but I'm reviewing the Beach at W because this is where the VIP section was, and pretty much where I hung out most of the night.
First of all, the W is a very nicely designed place. Contemporary, lots of wide open spaces, very much style conscious. The lounge spaces downstairs have a nice feel, and are pretty angular in design.
Upstairs is a very interesting space, as they chose a beach motif, which in my opinion is a risky choice, yet it's pulled off brilliantly. There entire central area is literally a sandbox, replete with beach furniture to complete the metaphor. I say it's risky because there were a lot of females wearing high heels, and they were not comfortable at all. In fact, I got a good deal of sand in my shoes as well. However, it was well worth it.
The crowd was mixed, young, and friendly, and the staff was well behaved and super friendly. Drink prices are mid-range, but tip the bartender a $20 on your first drink and you'll have no problems being taken care of for the rest of the night.
All in all, a fun place to hang out in SD.
A group of us went here on a Thursday night and ended up having a great time. I was pretty impressed with the layout and that there was actually sand in the bar. I loved the fire pit...really created the beach atmosphere and provided a cool place for people to chill.
It was pretty mellow on this Thursday night but I can imagine it's pretty busy weekend nights. The mojitos were awesome although they were $12 a pop, probably not surprising at a W hotel but figured it was worth mentioning so you don't get sticker shock. I had a great time starting my first San Diego weekend in the W, perhaps it was the great cocktails and the cool bar or perhaps it was the great group of people I was drinking with. Big up to Michael E. Ruggy J, Miriam W and Amber K (who isn't a yelper yet...what up with that?) LOL.
I'm sure I'll be back to this bar on future San Diego trips.
I love this outdoor bar/lounge concept!
We came late on a Sunday night after a concert and the place was practically empty - which was fine by me, I wanted some nice cozy romantic time with the BF!
When you walk up to the Beach terrace, you're greeted by the most amazing fire pit! They have wall to wall seating with lounge chairs interspersed throughout the "sandy" lounge area. The bartenders were awesome, attentive and pour a strong drink!
I would be curious to see how this place is during a Friday or Saturday night!
The Beach Bar at the W Hotel, Downtown San Diego, is a really kewl, hip, and happenin' spot. I went often ... loved the outdoor venue late night for a nite-cap, fresh air, roof-top, cabanas, fire-pits, and beautiful people.
Then, I had a baby and 'out went' late nights frolicking among the beautiful people.
However, W decided to sponsor a once-a-month Wednesday afternoon Mommy Happy Hour at the Beach Bar. Momeez drink cocktails and eat discounted menu items. Listen to the euro lounge tunes. The kids play in the sand with pales and shovels provided by the W Hotel. It's a wonderful afternoon get-a-way!
Call ahead ... confirm the dates because this is a seasonal event. Invite your 'girl'friends with babies! Enjoy!
this place blows so hard but i guess what should you expect from the w. i read some good reviews from yelp and we checked it out while visiting san diego last weekend.
the bartender was a huge prick, and the drinks were like a million dollars each, even just for a shitty bud lite in a can. the sand was NOT heated, as advertised, FYI, and the cabanas were filled with creepy, stereotypical couples. hardly anyone there, shit music, NO view at all, despite what others have said.
i would rather share a 40 with one of the homeless people sleeping outside than come back here.
While I can certainly see the appeal to San Diego visitors, I can't say this is gonna be a regular weekend stop for me in this lifetime or the next. For a change of scenery last weekend, a friend and I decided to hit this place up since neither of us had ever been before. Sand at a rooftop bar?? Extremely hot weather all day?? Perfect!
No.
First of all, parking. Three choices: pay THIRTY-FOUR DOLLARS for valet at the W or pay TWENTY DOLLARS at a lot nearby or WALK FOREVER after finally finding street parking for free. We are cheap and voted for option 3.
Second of all, on the plus side, there was no cover. Thank god because as soon as I heard the terrible generic "lounge groove on a saturday night" music as we walked up the steps, I knew it was gonna be a one-drink kind of place.
Third of all, and I expected this, the drink prices were ridiculous. I mean, it is the W, and downtown, so I was thinking realistically. But $8 for a well?? Maybe I've become a dive bar snob but that seems crazy for a non-flashy bar.
Fourth. The seating. I don't like the way they arranged it. There are benches against one wall (on the sand)... a couple of chairs kind of scattered at one end. And that's it! I would "get it" if there were maybe some tiki torches or little bars implanted in the sand to hang out at, but no one wants to stand awkwardly sipping their drink in the middle of the sand. More chairs, couches, benches in the middle, something please?
Weird crowd too. I'm assuming there were mostly hotel guests in attendance.
Anyway, thanks, Beach, for another reminder of why I steer clear of downtown on a Saturday night!
For coworkers, friends visiting from out of town, or girly nights.
Plan to wear shoes to this place and expect to get sand in them. As with any straight bar downtown, the drinks are overpriced and the crowd is a little less than friendly. Still, it's amusing to watch those silly girls in stilettos fall over themselves in the sand.
Save this place for a special occasion with a group of friends. It's not for the casual friday/saturday night hangout.
I was really impressed when I first saw the bar, it's VERY beach-like - sand floor, open air, etc. Other than that though, I wasn't impressed. The techno music didn't really work with the beach-like atmosphere, the David Blaine magic tricks projected on the wall didn't really work with the theme either, and the drinks were pricey.
If they toned the music and "wall entertainment" down it would be a really fun, chill bar, but until then I'm going to press on.
I just had the opportunity to go to Beach when some friends were staying at the W. We went in to check out their room and decided to hit the Beach and get a drink.
The floor was covered in sand and it was very swanky. There were heaters in a few places, a huge fire pit with sets placed around it, modern lounge chairs spread about, cabanas with benches and curtains, a long bench along the wall of the bar and a nice sized bar with a good selection of drinks. The wall had surf videos projected on it and the open air was the perfect setting for a San Diego bar. The music was pretty good. They had a DJ inside spinning some house and dance music.
This place was a nice place to have a drink and share some nice conversation. I loved the cabanas! I would be a bit concerned if I were management though since the glass wall that was supposed to keep people from falling stopped just short of ledge behind the cabanas. If any ridiculously drunk idiot tried to screw around over there, there is a risk of them falling off of the ledge.
All in all, I really enjoyed this place. It felt like a NY bar with a beach theme and a San Diego vibe!
You can't drink on the beach anymore and if you want a taste of beach party feel w/o breaking the law, stop by the W Hotel's rooftop bar, Beach.
There was heated sand surrounding the bar area, fire pits and cabanas to mimic the real beach.
The drinks were good and the atmosphere was nice. It was a perfect night at the Beach.
First, I'm not a big clubber/bar hopper, but I've been to my fair share in San Diego and Los Angeles and I have to say that I enjoyed this one because it is unique. I visited this locale as a mini-after party to my ten-year high school reunion and it was fun watching all of my female alumni remove their shoes and dance around barefoot. It was tricky figuring out how to get up there in the first place, but it was great once we were there. I can't speak of the spirits or prices, but the atmosphere was great!
as far as rooftop bars go, this definitely isn't my favorite. it has a pretty boring vibe. the beach gimmick is fun for a few laughs because inevitably some chick in heels will faceplant. it's fairly isolated from other spots downtown, so don't expect to hop around much.
i guess if you just want to hang out it's not a bad place. there's no cover and the music is just right if you want to be able to talk to someone. but in general i prefer altitude or even jbar for a no-cover rooftop.
This is a nice enough bar, but if you want a rooftop bar, I'd go with Altitude, which is higher up and overlooks Petco Park, so it provides better views. Also, it's more centrally located. The W is about 4 blocks north and 4 blocks west of the Gaslamp, which makes for a not-so-pleasant walk when wearing stilettos, hammered. Hence, come here either as your last stop, or if you plan to spend the entire night. Another negative (to some of us) - the crowd is very uppity/white collar/ professional/dry- very much like the crowd with whom I work every day and have no desire to consort with outside of work. Gold diggers and those interested in networking may disagree.
i don't like sand in my heels with a drink in hand
but for you, i will.
Delicious martinis and a beautiful rooftop with a fire pit. There is no cover charge, but sometimes there is a line which is why I recommend eating dinner at the restaurant because then you can just go right into the bar. I should also add that the door guys have always been cool.
This was a regular spot for me when I lived in San Diego and I miss it dearly. Love that there is no cover charge and I've never had to wait in line outside. When you enter the W Hotel there is a bar/lounge to the right, then you have to walk up 2 sets of stairs to get to the Beach. I always felt that the drinks I ordered from the downstair bar were WAY stronger (as in sometimes I couldn't finish one) than the drinks ordered upstairs at the Beach, but that's definitely ok with me. Be aware that on busy nights there can be a huge line waiting to go up to the Beach, so make sure that if you go back downstairs you are content with staying down there. Another plus is that there are CLEAN restrooms on both floors.
am i the only one that hated this place?! i have to preface this all by stating that the reason we went in the first place was for a birthday extravaganza and i had never so much as heard of it, therefore, i didn't select the venue nor was i informed about the sand.
following a dinner at the Red Pearl Kitchen (next on my review list!) and plenty of sake, the various 25 members of the party split into cabs and made our way over to the W. here we waited a few moments for the whole party to assemble and the next thing i know I'm schlepping up stairs with a wristband on and listening to someone blabber about cabanas and bottle service. remembering that at this point I'm quite tipsy, i wasn't focusing on the fact that the place was fairly empty for 10:30 on a Saturday night.
so I'm thinking, yay fun we're going outside! look how pretty! and then i see it: SAND! everywhere! surrounding all of the cabanas taking up the entire roof. SAND! are you kidding me?! every single girl in our party was wearing heels and the cabanas only seat about 12 so you do the math. terrible! add alcohol to the mix and it only gets worse.
no eye candy to speak of. when we finally did locate the dance floor (after going down numerous flights of stairs with sand in our shoes) the music sucked. sorry but not everyone loves techno. anyways, thanks to the crowd and an abundance of booze the night was more of a wash than anything else.
attention please! W- sand, heels, alcohol and slippery stairs?? accident (and lawsuit) waiting to happen.
only bonus: bathrooms were easy to find and because there was NO ONE there we didn't have to wait! yes!
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