The Guild Hotel Partners With Be Saha Hospitality Group To Open New Concepts
The Guild Hotel, a landmark in San Diego’s downtown, is excited to announce its partnership with Be Saha Hospitality Group.
The team behind San Diego concepts Wormwood, Botanica, and Tahona has taken over the food and beverage operations to start the new year.
“This has been a long time coming,” said Onal Kucuk, General Manager at The Guild Hotel. “We’ve been searching for a food and beverage partner for a while now, but were patient in the process, waiting for the right fit. As a locally-owned hotel it was a priority of ours to work with a San Diego-based group. Be Saha makes for the perfect partner at The Guild Hotel, not only because they are local but also because of their artisanship and dedication to craft culture and social good.”
About The Guild Hotel
The Guild Hotel was previously a Navy and Army YMCA built in 1924 as a place for people to socialize and connect. In 2019 the building was carefully restored and distinctly modernized into the beautiful, welcoming boutique hotel property that it is today.
Central to the property and sitting just off of the bar is the hotel’s historic courtyard, which initially housed Mediterranean-influenced eatery Luca.
Since the onset of the pandemic, this enchanting space has been eagerly awaiting a new food and beverage concept to match the high quality experience that The Guild Hotel is now known for.
Be Saha Hospitality will open a new concept in the hotel’s courtyard (formerly Luca) in spring of 2023 and will also reimagine the Guild Bar, garden and lounge, as well as handle all onsite events and room service.
Renowned Tijuana Chef Ruffo Ibarra + Culinary Director Janina Garay to Spearhead
Be Saha Hospitality Group has brought on renowned Tijuana chef, Ruffo Ibarra, and culinary director, Janina Garay, to spearhead the project.
Ibarra’s resume includes working with Javier Plascencia at Romesco in San Diego, with Jesus Sanchez at three-star Michelin restaurant, Cenador de Amos, in Spain, and in Italy at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana, twice named best restaurant in the world.
Today, he owns Baja’s Oryx Restaurante and is an ambassador for World Central Kitchen and This Is About Humanity. He was inducted into the Tijuana Hall of Fame in 2022 and is President of the Mexico team at Bocuse d’Or 2022-2023, the most prestigious culinary competition in the world with a finale taking place January 2023 in Lyon, France.
Chef and culinary director Janina Garay, who is also on the Bocuse d’Or Mexico team, has been with Be Saha Hospitality since 2021, just prior to the opening of the acclaimed Wormwood in University Heights.
Garay specializes in blending Mexican flavors and European cooking techniques and has crafted savory and sweet delights at Michelin starred restaurants including Addison in San Diego and Topolobanpo in Chicago, as well as Central in Tijuana and former San Diego hotspot, Bracero.
Bridging Borders
“Be Saha’s mission is to bridge borders between cultures and people, and The Guild Hotel is the perfect place to continue sharing stories of wanderers,” said Amar Harrag, founder of Be Saha Hospitality Group. “We’re excited to give reverence to the heritage of this landmark, and we can’t think of anyone better than chef Ruffo Ibarra to create this new dining experience for locals and travelers. It is an honor to have him join our group and join forces with our culinary director, Janina Garay. We can’t wait to unveil the new concept.”
For more information about The Guild Hotel, visit here.
See you there, San Diego!
