CITY GUIDE · SAN DIEGO
Where to stay in San Diego: downtown and Gaslamp hotels, a bayfront high-rise, a Coronado beach enclave and a resort north of the city.
Most of the hotels here sit in downtown San Diego. The Gaslamp Quarter, around 5th Avenue, puts you among restaurants and bars, which suits first-timers and anyone who wants to walk to dinner. The Embarcadero and the bayfront, where the InterContinental and the Manchester Grand Hyatt stand, are better for harbor views, the Convention Center and Seaport Village. The B Street and Broadway end of downtown, where Hotel Republic and The Guild Hotel are located, is a short walk from the rail and trolley hub. Across the bay, Beach Village at The Del is a quiet cottage-and-villa enclave on Coronado Beach, while Fairmont Grand Del Mar is a golf and spa resort in the hills near Del Mar and Torrey Pines, so a car is useful there.
Reference rates: nightly, 2 adults in one room, before tax, across four dates a year; from about US$179 a night. Compare all San Diego hotels with perks in one table: San Diego reference rates.
Downtown · near Gaslamp Quarter · opened 1910
The US Grant opened on October 15, 1910, and was named for President Ulysses S. Grant, with his son Ulysses S. Grant Jr. overseeing construction. The 11-story building is on the National Register of Historic Places and reopened in 2006 after a renovation. Its Grant Grill dates to 1952, and the hotel has three presidential suites. A good fit for history lovers who want a classic downtown hotel.
Reference rate: US$179–662 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Virtuoso, Marriott STARS
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · near Gaslamp Quarter
Alma is at 1047 5th Avenue, in the heart of downtown and the Gaslamp District, where low-rise Victorian-era buildings hold plenty of dining, drinking and shopping. The hotel has a rooftop pool, a gym and a bar, and its Skyline rooms are known for private balconies or floor-to-ceiling windows. It is pet friendly and fully non-smoking. A good fit for travelers who want a pool deck and a walkable base for evenings out.
Reference rate: US$221–502 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Marriott Select Partner Hotels
Downtown · near Santa Fe Depot
Hotel Republic is a 19-story boutique hotel at 421 West B Street in downtown San Diego. It has Topside, a third-floor open-air terrace with a fire pit, and Trade, a lobby restaurant and cocktail bar focused on local farms and seafood. Guests can borrow complimentary beach cruiser bikes for harbor and city trails, and every room has a yoga mat. Worth a look if you want a social, design-minded hotel close to the harbor and the downtown rail hub.
Reference rate: US$255–634 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Marriott Select Partner Hotels
Downtown · near Santa Fe Depot · 162 rooms
The Guild is at 500 W. Broadway in downtown San Diego, in a building that was formerly an Armed Services YMCA. It has 162 guest rooms and suites, a Lobby Bar known for prohibition-era cocktails and local beers, and a European-inspired Garden Terrace. A fitness center, a barbershop and a boutique are also on site. Worth a look if you prefer a character building and a calmer downtown address.
Reference rate: US$306–1,225 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Marriott Select Partner Hotels
Gaslamp Quarter / Downtown · near Gaslamp Quarter
Andaz is at 600 F Street in the Gaslamp Quarter, in a building that was formerly the Ivy Hotel. STK Steakhouse is on the ground floor, and the rooftop has a poolside bar with an STK menu. Rooms are modern in style, with bold colors, contemporary artwork in many suites and see-through showers. A good fit for couples and friends who want a design-led hotel with a rooftop scene.
Reference rate: US$335–495 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Hyatt Privé
Del Mar / Carmel Valley · near Torrey Pines and Del Mar beaches
This resort is at 5300 Grand Del Mar Court, on the bluffs just east of Torrey Pines and the Del Mar beaches, near the entrance to Rancho Santa Fe. Its restaurant Addison by William Bradley serves a 10-course tasting menu, and there is a spa, a pool with private cabanas, horse stables and trails. The Tom Fazio-designed Grand Golf Club is in Los Penasquitos Canyon. Worth a look if you want a resort stay with golf and a spa and are happy to rent a car.
Reference rate: US$593–660 / night (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Virtuoso, Accor Preferred (HERA)
Coronado · near Hotel del Coronado
Beach Village is a private enclave of cottages and villas on Coronado Beach, at 1277 R.H. Dana Place, a short distance from the main Hotel del Coronado at 1500 Orange Avenue. Accommodations range from junior cottages to three-bedroom beachfront cottages, and some have fire pits, fireplaces and full kitchens. There are secluded pools and Jacuzzis, a personal concierge for each stay, and sand chairs and umbrellas on Del Beach. A good fit for families and groups who want space and a self-contained beach base.
Reference rate: Rate on request (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Virtuoso, Hilton for Luxury
Embarcadero / Bayfront · near Embarcadero · opened 2018 · 400 rooms
This bayfront high-rise opened in September 2018 on the historic grounds of Lane Field, steps from the Embarcadero, the USS Midway and the Maritime Museum of San Diego. It has 400 guestrooms including 24 panoramic suites, a fourth-floor rooftop pool with a pool bar, bay-view terraces and a 3,300-square-foot wellness center. Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter, Seaport Village and the Convention Center are all close by. A good fit for harbor-view seekers and anyone attending an event at the Convention Center.
Reference rate: Rate on request (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: IHG Destined
Marina / Waterfront · near Seaport Village
This large waterfront hotel is at One Market Place on San Diego Bay and is made up of two towers, the Harbor Tower from 1992 and the Seaport Tower added in 2003. A four-story building linking them holds the main pool and sun decks, with a spa and salon on the third floor. Top of the Hyatt, a bar on the 40th floor, looks over the city and bay. A good fit for conference travelers and families who want a full-service hotel on the water.
Reference rate: Rate on request (2 adults, before tax) · Perk program: Hyatt Privé
Most first-time visitors do well in downtown San Diego. The Gaslamp Quarter is a dense district of Victorian-era buildings with plenty of restaurants and bars, and Andaz San Diego and Alma San Diego Downtown are both located there.
InterContinental San Diego sits on the bayfront on the historic grounds of Lane Field, steps from the Embarcadero, the USS Midway and the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
Beach Village at The Del is an enclave of cottages and villas on Coronado Beach, at 1277 R.H. Dana Place. Guests get sand chairs and umbrellas on Del Beach, and some cottages have fire pits and full kitchens.
Fairmont Grand Del Mar has the Tom Fazio-designed Grand Golf Club, set in Los Penasquitos Canyon with a waterfall on the 18th hole. The resort sits just east of Torrey Pines and the Del Mar beaches.
Each rate is the nightly pre-tax price for 2 adults in one room on 2-night stays, checked on four dates across the year (February, May, August and November). We drop the most expensive date and show the lowest to the second-highest, in US dollars. Peak dates can cost more; we re-check live rates for your dates before booking.
Typically daily breakfast for two, a hotel credit (often US$100), and a room upgrade and early check-in / late check-out when available, at rates in line with booking direct. Perks vary slightly by hotel and we confirm them before you book.
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