Little Italy’s Carté Hotel has finished a significant overhaul that goes well beyond swapping out furniture and repainting walls.

The hotel has rebranded entirely, gutted and redesigned its first floor, and brought in RMD Group to launch Canvas Café + Lounge – a restaurant and bar concept that’s now open to both hotel guests and the local San Diego community.

What Actually Changed

Gensler, the global architecture and design firm, handled the lobby transformation with the goal of making it feel like the neighborhood’s living room rather than just a hotel reception area.

The new space uses warm tones inspired by San Diego sunsets and blues pulled from the Pacific, creating something that’s meant to feel welcoming whether you’re checking in or just stopping by for a drink.

The lounge area features relaxed seating for post-work drinks or casual meetings, and the new bar is the visual centerpiece – handcrafted tilework, ambient backlighting, and a curated selection of artisanal spirits, local brews, and wines.

Beyond the bar, there’s a dining room that shifts throughout the day, offering a more casual vibe for breakfast and lunch before transitioning to full-service dinner and lounge seating in the evening.

Canvas Café + Lounge Brings RMD Group Into the Mix

RMD Group, which has built a solid reputation across San Diego’s restaurant scene, is operating Canvas. The menu focuses on seasonal, wellness-forward ingredients that change based on what time of day you show up. Breakfast includes dishes like Sun Dried Tomato Labneh Turkish Eggs.

Midday brings smoothies with spirulina, turmeric, and cacao – particularly useful if you’ve just finished a workout at FIT Athletic Club, the 28,000-square-foot fitness facility connected to the hotel that guests can access for free. Evening shifts to shareable plates like Hamachi Crudo paired with handcrafted cocktails.

The beverage program, curated by RMD Group’s Mixologist Nick Hirsch, includes drinks like Heaven on Earth for Espresso Martini fans and Flightless, a spirit-free option made with Seedlip Grove, rhubarb, and pink grapefruit soda.

The cocktail menu pulls inspiration from San Diego landmarks and cultural references, which is a nice touch that gives the drinks some local context rather than just being generic craft cocktails.

If you’d rather stay in your room, there’s an in-room dining menu available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Rooftop Gets a New Purpose

The hotel’s rooftop is also being completely reimagined, though it’s taking a different direction than you might expect. Instead of becoming a public rooftop bar, it’ll primarily function as a premier event venue for weddings, meetings, and private celebrations.

RMD Group will operate it, and while it’ll occasionally be open to hotel guests and the public during select days and hours, the focus is on curated programming and private events rather than walk-in access.

The Bigger Picture

The rebranding, led by creative agency Love & War, positions Carté Hotel around the idea of “Made in San Diego,” leaning into the city’s maker culture, art, design, and food scene. Given its location in Little Italy, that positioning makes sense.

The hotel is trying to function as a gateway to San Diego’s cultural pulse while offering what they’re calling a “wellness-driven retreat.”

Between the redesigned lobby, the new restaurant and bar, and the emphasis on local partnerships, Carté is positioning itself as more than just a place to sleep. Whether that resonates depends on execution, but the bones are there.

See you there!

Stop by Canvas for a meal or drink, check out the redesigned lobby, and see what Little Italy’s most ambitious hotel transformation looks like in person.

📆 Now open | Canvas Café + Lounge: Breakfast until 11 AM, Lunch until 4 PM, Lounge & Dinner 4 PM – 10 PM
📍 401 W Ash St, San Diego
ℹ️ More info here

See you there, San Diego!