San Diego Hotels
La Jolla Mom is your guide for the best hotels in San Diego and La Jolla with tips on beach hotels, resorts, and more.
San Diego is as laid back as it is beautiful, but it’s also a sprawling, busy city. There are amazing San Diego hotels to choose from in just about every neighborhood that run the gamut from ultra-luxurious to budget-friendly.
In the posts linked to on this page, I summarize what stands out about the hotels in San Diego, CA — and in some cases, where service or amenities could be improved. My hotel reviews are always honest about things like the ease of check-in, the parking situation, the amenities, service, whether the hotel is dog-friendly, and how the dining measures up.
TIP: Because the city gets gorgeous weather nearly year-round and there’s really no “off” season, occupancy rates in the best hotels in San Diego tend to be high. Things slow down a little bit in September, November, and January, but in general, it makes sense to book rooms in San Diego hotels as early as possible.
If you’re going to ask me what my favorite hotels are, they are here:
- Pendry San Diego (Downtown)
- The Lodge at Torrey Pines (La Jolla)
- Fairmont Grand Del Mar (East Del Mar)
- Rancho Valencia (Rancho Santa Fe)
- Park Hyatt Aviara (Carlsbad)
- Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara (Carlsbad)
- Beach Village at The Del (Coronado)
- Hotel Del Coronado (Coronado – read about the renovation here under terms and conditions)
Access exclusive VIP amenities at these hotels by booking here.
Book with Virtuoso AmenitiesSan Diego Hotels on the Beach
Before selecting a hotel, you’ll need to decide how important beach access is.
San Diego is a big place and only a few of our best hotels are beachfront.
If you’re you’re looking for San Diego hotels on the beach or want to be close enough to spend your vacation swimming and sunning yourself on the sand, it makes sense to narrow down your search to certain neighborhoods. The most popular for beachgoing are La Jolla, Coronado, and Del Mar. Carlsbad also has nice beaches.
Best San Diego Hotels for Families
There are so many fantastic things to do in San Diego with kids, so it’s no surprise that many families choose it as their vacation destination.
We’ve stayed at a lot of hotels in San Diego, CA. even though we live here. The hard part isn’t finding San Diego hotels that welcome kids — it’s figuring out which of the best kid-friendly hotels in San Diego is right for your family.
The best way to narrow down your options is to consider:
- Whether you require a luxury hotel.
- How much you are comfortable spending.
- What kind of beach access you require.
- Whether you need a supervised kids’ club.
- Proximity to the attractions you plan to visit.
- Whether things to do within walking distance is a must.
- Other required amenities (pool, spa, golf).
Narrowing Down Choices for San Diego Hotels Further
Ultimately, it’s either the location or the hotel that drives the decision.
Most of the popular tourist attractions in San Diego are scattered widely around the city, so chances are that you won’t find a hotel that’s close to everything on your itinerary.
That said, between the hop-on/hop-off tour buses, trolleys, the walkable neighborhoods, and the easy-to-navigate roads, you’ll have no trouble at all getting to attractions that are farther away.
Some families must be in Carlsbad because they’re only going to LEGOLAND California or some San Diego visitors only want to spend time in a nice hotel by the beach so they choose Coronado.
Alternatively, if you must stay in a five-star San Diego resort, this narrows the list down to five properties (Rancho Valencia, Beach Village at The Del, Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Park Hyatt Aviara, Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara) so you’ll then pick from this list.
The same goes for visitors who belong to hotel loyalty programs like Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy. They’ll choose member hotels in the location of class they prefer.
