Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina is opening a new 6,000-square-foot outdoor roller rink, “Downtown Skate,” with a view of San Diego Bay, on Monday.
Close to Seaport Village, the Rady Shell, Petco Park and the Gaslamp District, the hotel will offer the opportunity to skate under palm trees and docked boats on its Marina Terrace through Jan. 5.
General admission includes 90 minutes of skating and skate rentals for $25 per person. To purchase tickets, visit this link.
In the spirit of the holiday season, the hotel wanted to have an ice rink but after discovering the amount of water it would take to sustain it, they pivoted to a roller rink, according to Dan Shaughnessy, director of sales and marketing at Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina.
Traditional ice rinks require over 10,000 gallons of water in a 42-day season. The Marriott will use less than 10% of that to fill the barrels that surround the rink, which also relies on less power as it doesn’t need energy-intensive chiller machines like an ice rink does.
“We decided to go with a much more sustainable experience for our guests and still have a nice elevated holiday activity,” Shaughnessy said.
Special events at the rink are set to include a DJ every weekend, local food trucks and theme nights:
- Nov. 25-26, Dec. 16, 17, 23 and 30 – Industry Nights for members of the hospitality industry; workers will receive discounted tickets.
- Dec. 13 – Swiftmas Skate, celebrating Taylor Swift.
- Dec. 24-25 – Ugly Sweater Skate; those wearing the proper garb will receive a free snack or beverage.
“Downtown Skate” has partnered with Cali Cream, an ice cream and bakery shop, on a menu for guests with an exclusive ice cream flavor only available at the rink. “Skater’s Delight” is a blend of butterscotch and blue vanilla malt ice creams swirled with chocolate-covered Rice Krispy pieces.
A portion of ticket sales also will benefit Heal the Bay, an organization that protects coastal waters, Shaughnessy said.
Rink hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday to Thursday; noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday (as well as Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day), and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
The hotel hopes to have the rink open for future summer seasons, Shaughnessy said.
