The USD Vista reviews the Rooftop Cinema Club

Watch a movie under the stars in Downtown San Diego 

Anna Valaik / Arts and Culture Editor / The USD Vista

As drive-in movies and boujee, full-dinner service theaters start gaining greater popularity around the U.S., it seems like the perfect time to try out one of San Diego’s best-kept secrets: the Rooftop Cinema Club downtown. This experience of watching a movie is unlike any other, considering a turn of the head puts the Coronado Bridge or Petco Park into view. 

While “Pulp Fiction” or “Black Panther” reverberates through the big screen, patrons can lean back in comfy lounge chairs, munch on buttery popcorn, and zone out as the stars begin to illuminate the night sky. However, this begs the question: is it worth it? Is it worth facing a possible fear of heights or worrying that the wind may topple the popcorn and the $5 that goes down the drain to venture to the Rooftop Cinema Club? Time to find out.

Where: Rooftop Cinema Club Embarcadero on the 4th floor terrace at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego.

What movie: “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”

First of all, the location of the Rooftop Cinema Club is quite unbeatable. Nestled on the 4th floor of the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel, this spot caters to anyone not looking for  your typical movie experience: crowded in a room with uncomfortable leather chairs and stale popcorn. Not only are you watching a film literally under the stars, you are also looking out at an insane view of downtown San Diego, which you don’t come by often. Thankfully, though, the screen is big enough that I was never really distracted during the movie. 

The Cinema Club offers multiple different seating options, as well. The basic lounge seat comes with an adjustable deckchair, which is surprisingly comfortable and large; this ticket goes for $17.50, with the ability to add on popcorn for an additional $3. Better yet, they also have student discounts, bringing down the price to $18.45 versus $20.50. My group and I bought the student lounge seat and popcorn option, and were extremely satisfied with our choice. We didn’t feel like we were missing out on the “love seat” or bean bag chairs because we had a great view of the movie and got to sit all together. In comparison, the “love seat” chairs are double-width deckchairs, which are meant to be shared by two people. For students, these would be $21.60 with popcorn. Similarly, bean bags chairs provide a larger, more comfortable seating option, and these go for $19.80 with popcorn. The “love seat” and bean bag chairs are only different from the basic lounge seat in that they are larger options and placed closer to the movie screen. If you are concerned with being comfortable or not being able to see the movie, maybe consider these two options.

Considering we bought the tickets that come with popcorn, we were incredibly excited to try it out and see how it compares to the classic, buttery movie theater popcorn. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. It was super easy to navigate their concessions and receive our popcorn. The employee informed us that they use vegan butter, which is great for those with allergies and dietary restrictions. The portion size was perfect to munch on throughout the movie. They also sell candy and have a full bar to indulge in for those 21+. 

The Cinema Club also provides you with headphones, and that is how you listen to the movie. We loved this because we weren’t distracted by outside noise. It literally felt like you were fully immersed in the movie. In terms of COVID-19 protocols, they sanitize the headphones for the customer’s safety. Also, they recommend patrons bring blankets and sweatshirts as the rooftop can get cold, and they can no longer provide blankets due to COVID-19 protocols. I would highly recommend listening to their suggestions so you do not get cold and uncomfortable during the movie experience. 

All in all, my group and I agreed we would all go back to the Rooftop Cinema Club, and maybe next time during Halloween when they are showing iconic Halloween-themed movies. Their October movie calendar was just released, so act quick if you want to watch “Hocus Pocus” under the stars during the holiday season. We truly felt we got our money’s worth, and more. Now we can say we watched an iconic Will Ferrell movie while looking out on all of beautiful downtown San Diego. What’s better than that?