By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Nightlife Blogger
I am thrilled to announce that San Diego has a new tiki bar, and it is not a speakeasy. It is one where you don’t need an advance reservation, you can stay as long as you like and it even has a pool.
It is the Tiki Social experience at the Omni’s Tortuga Pool Bar and Terrace at the downtown hotel by Petco Park. Lasting through Sept. 1, this is a tropical paradise, one with a true Polynesian vibe and a potent rum drink called The Coconut Islander served in a large coconut.
“What’s in it?,” I asked the drink’s creator, a kana dressed in an aloha shirt with a lei around his neck, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry. Beachbum didn’t pause a second: “The better question is what’s NOT in it.” Suffice to say it has Bacardi gold, Myers dark and some other ingredients that are mixed well together for a tasty cocktail that, I noticed about halfway through the first one, delivers a nice Hawaiian punch. They are priced at $23, which might seem to be Vegas expensive, but having one of them is enough to start swaying like a palm tree in a tropical breeze and two of them will be about all you’ll need for the day or night.
Other drinks are the Totem’s Kiss with either rum or vodka and – of course, this being San Diego – a tequila cocktail called The Tropical Tease (both $17). Here’s a list of more Tiki Social cocktails, which inspire me to return until I’ve had nearly all of them:
• The Coconutty Islander served in a fresh coconut (Platinum Rum, Coco Reàl, Passion Fruit Liqueur, Coconut Water, Lime, Macadamia Liqueur)
• Totem’s Kiss (Choice of Gold Rum or Vodka, Vanilla Reàl, Allspice Liqueur, Lime, Orange, Cinnamon, Bitters)
• Mai Tai Have Another (Gold Rum, Dark Jamaican Rum, Orgeat, Orange, Lime)
• The Tropical Tease (Blanco Tequila, Mezcal, Raspberry Reàl, Lemon, Pineapple, Crème de Cacao)
• The Bitter Birdie (Rum, Campari, Pineapple Liqueur, Lime, Bitters)
• Donovan’s Reef (Malt Scotch, Crisp Apple Reàl, Lemon, Pineapple, Triple Sec, Chili Liqueur)
There is also a food menu.
Beachbum – a tiki historian, cocktail author and owner of the critically acclaimed restaurant Latitude 29 in New Orleans – helped design the bar, which reminds me of places in Waikiki Beach. It’s open, airy and spacious. There is the bar, which has a thatched roof around it, and a large lani with tables and couches and a second lounge area at the back that is under a roof. The pool is just beyond the lanai The only thing missing is tiki torches, tho when I was there for the opening, there was a Hawaiian fire dancer.
One other element I really like is the fact that there are heat lamps over the bar and the outside lounge area, which means you can keep wearing your aloha shirt even when things turn chilly on our cool San Diego nights. It feels like you’re in Hawaii. That level of attention to detail impressed me becuase if they have thought that through, then I feel confident they have thought of everything.
“At Omni, we’re always looking for fresh ways to create memorable experiences for our guests and Tiki Social is the perfect way to do just that,” said Michael Innocentin, Chief Marketing Officer at Omni Hotels & Resorts. “It offers a unique, immersive way to celebrate the season and connect guests with the spirit of summer.”
The Tiki Social experience at Tortuga Pool Bar and Terrace is already popular. The first night on a Wedneday in late June all the barstools were filled and there were several people mingling in the lounge areas. Many of them were wearing Padres jerseys – the team had played a day game – which shows that people going to Petco Park have alredy made this a pre- and post-game destination.
The bar is open to the public but to use the pool you need a day pass ($60, available here).
Don’t worry if you want to experience Tiki Social and you’re not in San Diego. It is also at there other Omni hotels:
• Omni Amelia Island Resort & Spa (Fernandina Beach, FL)
• Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park (Atlanta, GA)
• Omni Berkshire Place (New York NY)
• Omni La Costa Resort & Spa (Carlsbad, CA)
• Omni Las Colinas Hotel (Irving, TX)
• Omni Fort Worth Hotel (Fort Worth, TX)
• Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate (Orlando, FL)
• Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa (Frisco, TX)
• Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa (Rancho Mirage, CA)
Kevin Wilkerson is an award-winning journalist who publishes PubClub.com. This article was written by a human with no assistance from AI or ChatGTP.
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