San Diego Hotel Ideas

[AZMermaid]

We like the Homewood Liberty Station. It’s not super close to anything but is somewhat close to everything, if that makes sense!
Check out Point Loma Seafood! So good!
We have an Airbnb booked for ocean beach over 4th of July. If you want close to the beach, it’s the way to go. It might be too late though. Ours is a beach cottage, sleeps 5. It was less than $250 a night including the fees.

 

[Dust2]

I live in San Diego and I would recommend a hotel near Mission Bay or one of the beaches. Downtown is overpriced, busy, and not near the beach. San Diego Bay downtown is polluted and you cannot go in the water. Mission Bay, however, is swimmable and the sunsets are amazing. After being at the parks you will want a laid back spot, not downtown. I would recommend Paradise Point (it’s transitioning to a Jimmy Buffet hotel soon). Hyatt Mission Beach is also nice, but they sell resort passes to day guests and it’s impossible to find a chair. I also enjoy the Catamaran which is on the bay and only a few blocks from the beach.

 

[Steven G]

I would recommend La Jolla or Pacific Beach (or downtown), over Mission Bay. La Jolla has some of the prettiest beaches.

 

[Deb1993]

We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn San Diego Downtown / Bayfront at 900 Bayfront Court, in 2016 over July 4th. At the time it was brand new - it overlooks the navy ship area. The 4th of July fireworks are a big deal there and we watched them from our 17th floor room - it was really fun.

 

[Gladys Belcher]

We usually take the train and stay at the Best Western Hacienda in Old Town when we travel down coast to visit family. It has a pool, close to restaurants, happy hour drinks and snacks. You can take the Red Trolley Line out to Seaport Village if you want some time near the harbor.

Be alert regarding 'Property Use" and 'Parking" fees. Many room booking sites do NOT include those and it's a rude hit at the end of your stay...

 

[foolish_mortals]

Just a heads up to those hoping to stay on Coronado. The beach is probably going to closed for a good portion of summer.

Paywall Warning: Will Coronado, Imperial Beach shorelines be closed all summer? New testing reveals rampant Tijuana sewage

Note that it’s not that it’s MORE polluted than last year just that the testing has gotten better.

 

[CaliAdventurer]

I dont know that I would spend 5 whole days in SD. If you dont mind a drive, North San Diego County is better IMO. I used to live there half the year and prefer the proximity to Orange County and inland CA. Other than a day at Balboa Park and a day Downtown, SD doesn't have a lot to offer. The Safari Park is in Escondido, Laguna and other beach towns are much cuter and a reasonable drive. Id even suggest Oceanside which is the top of SD county. 1 hour to Disneyland, have true so cal surf beach, affordable and yummy eateries and beachfront hotels for a fraction of the rest of CA.

 

[Celesdragon]

While definitely not a resort and roughly 15 minutes north of Old Town, we stayed at the Marriot Residence Inn in Sorrento Valley earlier this year and we had zero complaints. The hospitality from all of the staff was amazing, the rooms & common areas including the pool were clean and well-kept, it felt safe, and it was far enough away from everything that we never had noise problems. It's not going to be what you are looking for if you are trying to find the equivelant of a Disneyland/Lowes resort and want to spend a day AT the hotel, but it's convenient to La Jolla & Torrey Pines, and a shorter drive to San Diego Safari Park than staying downtown. The hot breakfast was very basic but the hotel rooms have full kitchens & some have fireplaces. Seriously, we have never been in a non-boutique hotel with a fireplace in our own room before. It was actually the best hotel of our trip and we jumped between LA, Disney, and San Diego like you are planning to.

 

[kristenabelle]

I haven't stayed there, but it was on my short list after I cancelled mission bay! I really like the look of the pool area, etc, but for this trip, I don't think we'd use it enough to make that worth it for us. We ended up booking Hard Rock Hotel in the Gaslamp District. My husband really likes that area and what 13 yr old boy won't like feeling like a rockstar?

Just got back from a conference, and stayed at the Marriott Gaslamp Quarter nextdoor to Hard Rock. Great location for dining & getting around - quick ubers to the Zoo, Coronado, and the airport. My hotel overlooked Petco Park, which was pretty awesome. I did a day trip to Hotel Del Coronado and got a spa treatment, which let me enjoy the quieter amenity pool after exploring the beach, shops, etc. Wish I had more time there, honestly!

 

[Candycane83]

Just a heads up to those hoping to stay on Coronado. The beach is probably going to closed for a good portion of summer.

Paywall Warning: Will Coronado, Imperial Beach shorelines be closed all summer? New testing reveals rampant Tijuana sewage

Note that it’s not that it’s MORE polluted than last year just that the testing has gotten better.

Would you know where to check if the beach is open or closed?

 

[foolish_mortals]

Would you know where to check if the beach is open or closed?

Right now it is currently closed and you can use this site to check:
SD County Beach Status

It updates as needed, sometimes daily.

 

[Candycane83]

Right now it is currently closed and you can use this site to check:
SD County Beach Status

It updates as needed, sometimes daily.

Thanks a lot!

 

[Chereya]

Any thoughts on La Pensione boutique hotel? I'm looking for a place to stay the night before my upcoming Disney Cruise out of San Diego port. The price is right at just under $150

 

[suziemosq]

Not a fan of Misson Bay. First of all, it's not the ocean. It's a bay. It's like a lake, and its not very clean. Second, it's quite isolated and not very close to most San Diego attractions except Sea World.

I prefer the Gaslamp Quarter area, or one of the hotels near the USS Midway Museum/Seaport Village.

Can you recommend any hotels in those areas you prefer? We are planning a Disney/San Diego trip in 2023 and am kinda lost in San Diego planning.

 

[DLgal]

Can you recommend any hotels in those areas you prefer? We are planning a Disney/San Diego trip in 2023 and am kinda lost in San Diego planning.

Look at the hotels within walking distance of the USS Midway.

Pretty much pick your favorite hotel chain from this area. They are all good.

We like the Residence Inn when we need a suite and free breakfast. The Marriot Marquis is a nice full service hotel. But you can't really go wrong with any major chain hotels in this general area.

 

[yeheyprincex2]

Can you recommend any hotels in those areas you prefer? We are planning a Disney/San Diego trip in 2023 and am kinda lost in San Diego planning.

A place we think is a great location and have stayed a number of times is Shelter Island. We have stayed twice at the Bay Club Marina, an Old building but renovated over the years.

 

[cmph]

Can you recommend any hotels in those areas you prefer? We are planning a Disney/San Diego trip in 2023 and am kinda lost in San Diego planning.

I'm not sure why it doesn't get more mentions, but we enjoyed our stay at the Loew's in Coronado this summer. It has more resort types of things to do than a downtown chain will, if that matters to you. You can rent boats, kayaks, and surrey bikes on-site, and it has a nice pool area plus tennis, ping pong, etc. There are little themed gardens as you walk around the property, a spa, and plenty of food options with indoor and outdoor seating (a regular full-service restaurant, coffee/snacks/gelato shop, full room service, bar with food menu). If you are going to spend all your time in San Diego tourist attractions, none of that is essential, of course; my crew likes to 'underplan' some days and and enjoy resort amenities, and it wasn't our first time visiting San Diego. We took the Coronado ferry over to the USS Midway/Seaport Village area, which was a pleasant ride. Otherwise, the stuff we did in San Diego was all a pretty easy drive away.

 

[DLgal]

I'm not sure why it doesn't get more mentions, but we enjoyed our stay at the Loew's in Coronado this summer. It has more resort types of things to do than a downtown chain will, if that matters to you. You can rent boats, kayaks, and surrey bikes on-site, and it has a nice pool area plus tennis, ping pong, etc. There are little themed gardens as you walk around the property, a spa, and plenty of food options with indoor and outdoor seating (a regular full-service restaurant, coffee/snacks/gelato shop, full room service, bar with food menu). If you are going to spend all your time in San Diego tourist attractions, none of that is essential, of course; my crew likes to 'underplan' some days and and enjoy resort amenities, and it wasn't our first time visiting San Diego. We took the Coronado ferry over to the USS Midway/Seaport Village area, which was a pleasant ride. Otherwise, the stuff we did in San Diego was all a pretty easy drive away.

It's a beautiful hotel, but it's not walkable to anything, so to me, it's not really the best option for proximity to lots of things to do. I prefer a hotel near the Gaslamp or Little Italy area.