San Diego Hotels
Where to Stay in San Diego: Hotel Guide & Reviews
No one knows more about San Diego hotels than I do.
If you’re looking for hotel advice, you’re in the best place possible. There isn’t anyone who keeps tabs on San Diego hotels as well as I do. And, I lived in a luxury hotel so know what a good stay should be like. I can also offer awesome value-added benefits at some of the hotels and resorts across the county (and the world) at no extra cost to you.
How to Choose the Right San Diego Hotels
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.
Because of its size, where to stay in San Diego can be tricky and there are usually some trade-offs involved. These are the questions to ask yourself in order to narrow down the choices.
You will have to find a balance as there is no one-size-fits-all San Diego hotel. Through the content I have written on this site, you should be able to find a hotel after you really think about what your needs are. If you’re a list person, I have almost 30 for you to read.
The Best Time to Book San Diego Hotels
We are lucky to have gorgeous weather year-round. There’s really no off-season so occupancy rates in the best hotels in San Diego tend to be high.
My advice generally is this. Book your hotel as soon as you know your dates. When you do this, make sure the rate is a cancelable rate. If rates drop, you can have the rate adjusted by the hotel (I do this for my clients all the time) or cancel and rebook.
The reason is that San Diego hotel rates usually rise closer to the date, especially during peak season. Things slow down a little bit in September after Labor Day, early November before Thanksgiving, early December before winter break, and January after winter break through the week before President’s Day weekend.
San Diego Hotels on the Beach
Before selecting a hotel, you’ll need to decide how important beach access is. It may surprise you to know that despite our 70 miles of coastline, we actually don’t have that many truly beachfront hotels.
Even a budget hotel on the beach or near the beach may price much higher than a like hotel in other parts of the country, especially during peak season. One of the things that drives San Diego hotel prices is the proximity to the beach so keep that in mind when you’re looking at rates.
If you must be on the beach, our best full-service resort is Hotel del Coronado (even with its ongoing renovation) and its luxury enclave Beach Village at The Del. In fact, the latter is the most luxurious beach vacation possible in San Diego County.
If you prefer La Jolla or would like a more relaxed beachfront hotel experience, sister properties La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club (LJBTC) and La Jolla Shores Hotel are located on my favorite beach. LJBTC has a private beach area with food and beverage service and rooms that are as close as you can get to the beach in San Diego. Both are three-star properties but we love staying in them for the experience, which you’ll understand by reading my article on activities possible at La Jolla Shores Beach.
There are waveless bay beaches in Mission Bay, a water sports haven, that are not to be confused with our Pacific Ocean beaches. Mission Bay hotels are popular because they price reasonably (relatively-speaking) and provide people access to water. However, some are not short walks (or walkable at all) to the ocean beach. Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina and Catamaran Resort Hotel are two exceptions that give guests easy access to both beach types.
Mentioned San Diego hotels include:
Hotel del Coronado
Our best full service beachfront resort.
La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club
Really casual private club accommodations.
Hyatt Regency Mission Bay
The most waterslides (three).
La Jolla Shores Hotel
Family-owned, casual, beachfront, no-frills hotel.
Beach Village at The Del
Designer beachfront cottages and villas — as luxurious as it gets in San Diego.
Catamaran Resort Hotel
A family resort on Mission Bay in eclectic PB.
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. I’ve carved out a niche for helping visitors plan San Diego family vacations because I have a lot of opinions about kid-friendly amenities. I’m a big believer in win-win.
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. You can read more about the decision tree that I walk people through in my San Diego family vacation guide.
You’ll find a lot of hotels in the area cater to little ones with kid-friendly amenities such as pool areas, kids programs, water slides, and babysitting services. Some even have game rooms and equipment rentals for activities like biking and surfing. Many of the on-site restaurants also offer kids menus, so you don’t have to worry if you have picky eaters on your hands.
All of the hotels in San Diego mentioned in the beachfront section are family-friendly. I might add these as well for families to consider:
Omni La Costa
Many families choose it for the splash pad and family pool.
Loews Coronado Bay Resort
Understand its somewhat remote location, but know it’s walking distance to a great beach.
Bahia Resort Hotel
A good wallet-friendly option on Mission Bay, within walking distance to Mission Beach.
If you don’t mind injecting a little chaos into your family vacation, the LEGOLAND Hotel and LEGOLAND Castle Hotel will blow a child’s mind. They fun but not relaxing for parents, however.
My Favorite San Diego Hotels
If you’re going to ask me what my favorite San Diego hotels are, they are here:
I believe that hotels can make or break a vacation. These are chosen not only because I can offer value-added perks, but also because I have people behind-the-scenes who take care of guests who book in through me. I trust the service and have had my own positive stays. Just because a hotel isn’t mentioned here doesn’t mean it’s not great—I tried to keep this list short.
Take a look at my San Diego hotel reviews and lists. If you decide to choose a hotel in my portfolio — these are clearly marked — you’ll have access to extra benefits at no extra cost to you that I can share as an Independent Affiliate of Cadence® Travel.
Many of them are listed on my San Diego Virtuoso hotel page if you want to shop now. You can send me your dates for Four Seasons and Beach Village as they can not be booked directly online with benefits.
San Diego Vacation Packages: Hotels + Theme Park Tickets
I can also offer you the opportunity to bundle attractions tickets with your hotel in a vacation package. This will save you money on the San Diego hotels where I don’t have Virtuoso and other VIP benefits.