Business & Tech

D'ames Day Spa Added to Pier South Hotel Sign

City staff reversed course on a recommendation to remove D'ames Day Spa from the Pier South Hotel sign.

Originally published 9:04 p.m. Aug. 8.

After much delay, Pier South Hotel plans to open Nov. 1, and after some debate the Imperial Beach City Council approved signs for the new four-story, 78-room hotel Wednesday.

The eight-foot-tall aluminum and glass signs will be framed in stainless steel and placed in elevated planters at the northeast and southeast corners of the property.

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Anti-graffiti and vandalism materials may be used to keep the sign from being permanently damaged. 

At first the city's Community Development Department recommended that D'ames Day Spa, one of two ground-floor businesses at the hotel, be excluded from the sign, but staff reversed their decision at a meeting Wednesday and resolutions that originally called for the change were amended.

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An initial staff report recommended city council vote in favor of a sign that excluded D'ames Day Spa because city staff believed D'ames red and yellow logo was "crowded"  and "did not blend well" with silver and blue tones of the Sea 180 Coastal Taven and Pier South Hotel logos. 

A sign design that included D'ames Day Spa was received from Pacifica Companies "as we were typing up the staff report for city council," said Tyler Foltz with the Community Development Department.

City staff and Pacifica Companies eventually came to agreement on a logo that included D'ames Day Spa in shades of green. 

"Even with the change of the color it looks less crowded than it did, than the bolder colors that were initially shown," Foltz said about the sign city council approved with an unanimous vote. 

Christine LaPausky is the owner of D'ames Day Spa. She said she was also happy to see city staff and Pacifica got on the same page. 

"I really appreciate the city working together with Pacifica on adding D'ames Day Spa to the sign as fast as they did to bring it to council by last night," LaPausky said Thursday.

Along with the logo, the spa has already started to change robes and other merchandise to match the new color, LaPausky said.

The new hotel and restaurant bring "a new era" to Imperial Beach, she said.

"I am very honored to have been offered this opportunity to be part of this wonderful hotel. I look forward to serving all of our new visitors coming to Imperial Beach and to continue serving all of our existing Imperial Beach customers that has support D'ames Day Spa over the last five years," LaPausky said. 

Councilman Bobby Patton said he was happy city staff and Pacifica Companies were able to come to an agreement.

"I was looking at D'ames, it's a local business, it stuck around IB through thick and thin, through good times and bad, and I think it's made it big time by getting into that hotel and being on that signage and I think we owe them as much as… just for sticking with us," Patton said. 

The hotel is lucky to have D'ames and D'ames is lucky to be a tenant at the new hotel, he said, since both establishments will attract customers to each other.

"All around it's a win-win-win," he said.


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