Any ideas for a nice post cruise hotel in San Diego?

[tonykj1]

Hello,

 

My wife and I are sailing on the Oosterdam at the end of January. Does anyone have any ideas for a nice hotel to stay at in San Diego?

 

Also, we would be open to suggestions on what to see in the San Diego area with our extra day. Neither of us has been to San Diego before, so we are very much looking forward to our extra day there after our cruise. We will be renting a car, so we would be able to drive a reasonable distance if something thinks there is something that we should see!

 

Thanks for any advise you might have :)

Tony

[San Diego Cruzer]

Depends on what you mean by "nice" and how much you want to spend. The Holiday Inn hotel is almost directly across from the cruise ship terminal - so very convenient - not a bad hotel - nothing fancy though. You will be able to walk to many places around the harbor area (Midway Museum).

However, I would recommend you think about the Omni Hotel or Hotel Solamar - both in the Gaslamp district - which in the past few years has really been redeveloped and is great - full of wonderful restaurants, shops, bars and clubs. You can take a pedicab around for a tour or try the San Diego Trolley - all our out of town guests love it. It takes you to many of the local attractions on a trolley and you can jump on/off at your own pace. You might also want to consider the Hyatt or the Marriott - both right on the bay in the Embarcadero area - also lots of places to walk.

If you want to try Coronado - try the Hotel Del if price is not a consideration. Wonderful historic hotel - wonderful beach - great area.

Also check out the world famous San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park, Balboa Park (full of Museums), La Jolla and Torrey Pines State Park (if you like to hike).

[dakrewser]

I'll second the vote for the Marriott and Hilton and the Omni as well. Haven't stayed at the Solomar. I'll disagree about the Hoytel Del, though - it's great to look at and visit but I wouldn't stay there again. A really fun stay was the Courthouse Downtown - in a converted bank! It's right on the edge of the Gaslamp - easy to walk about.

 

The Zoo, Balboa Park, the Wild Animal Farm (well out of town, though) LaJolla & the Scripps Institute all deserve a day or so.

[duck tune]

Another really nice hotel to stay at is the Westgate. It is near Horton Plaza and has nice oversized rooms. It is a older hotel with a classic elegance. They have a website that you can check out - do an internet search for the Westgate Hotel in San Diego. DH and I stayed there three nights after our Oosterdam cruise in March and enjoyed it - a great way to go back to the real world. I would recommend the San Diego Zoo, driving to La Jolla, the Wild Animal Park as things to do. You might check the CC WestCoast Departure Board as there have been recent threads related to San Diego posted there. You will love San Diego!

[tonykj1]

Thank you very much for your San Diego suggestions! My wife and I are really looking forward to the extra day after our Oosterdam cruise.

 

Cheers!

Tony

[Spender Nui]

Holiday Inn is directly across the street from the cuise terminal ... and is OK. We usually stay at the Marriot at Seaport Village and like that touristy area.

[sandiego1]

I think any first time visitor should go to the Zoo. If that's your primary interest, then I would recommend you staying at one of the hotels downtown (as others have previously mentioned). It's closest. If you're going to be here for more than 1 day, then you should try to venture out and stay at one of the hotels I list below.

 

If you're looking to stay on a beach, then the Hotel Del Coronado is really the only choice. It's a beautiful old hotel. You can either stay in the "new" towers or the really old wooden structure. The new towers are pretty standard rooms. The old part has unique shaped rooms. Lots of restaurants and shops w/in walking distance.

 

Another option is the Loews in Coronado. They have a shuttle to the beach. No restaurants in walking distance (except those at the hotel).

 

From either hotel, you can either drive across the Coronado bridge or take the ferry to Downtown.

 

L'Auberge in Del Mar is lovely and the neighborhood is a great place to hang out (I live near by). It's a smaller hotel. Lots of shops and restaurants in walking distance. Del Mar has a great beach too (short walk from hotel and many rooms have ocean views).

 

There are a few hotels in La Jolla and UTC area. The Hyatt is decent (not close to the beach) but very centrally located. You can get almost anywhere in 15-20 minutes from the Hyatt. There are several nice restaurants across the parking lot and many w/in a 5 min drive.

 

If you like golf, try Torrey Pines Hilton. It's right on the famous Torrey Pines Golf course and has gorgeous ocean views.

 

The Lodge at Torrey Pines is a breathtaking brand-new hotel built in the Arts & Crafts style. Excellent (and pricey) restaurant. Also near the golf course.

 

Both these are close to Torrey Pines State Park. Several short hikes, none very challenging but you are rewarded w/ awesome views as it's right along the coast. Everytime we have a visitor, we take them there. Some family members insist on going there on every visit!

 

My absolute fav is the Four Seasons Aviara. It's a bit further north in Carlsbad and has distant ocean views. The service is impeccable and the rooms gorgeous. You're very close to Legoland (if you have kids). You can easily drive downtown (about 30 min w/o traffic), to the Zoo, SeaWorld or the Wild Animal Park in Escondido. It's one of the top (if not the top) hotel in San Diego. But I do believe that the Lodge is now giving it a run for it's money.

[cactuslady]

The Zoo, Balboa Park, the Wild Animal Farm (well out of town, though) LaJolla & the Scripps Institute all deserve a day or so.

 

Scripps is an Institution (of oceanography, not the kind with inmates, and not to be confused with the Scripps Clinic). It's part of the University of California, San Diego. It has a wonderful aquarium overlooking the ocean.

 

Last I heard, the San Diego Zoo is still the world's largest and finest, and a top-notch botanical garden also.

 

If you want to stay on San Diego Bay, we like Humphrey's Half Moon Inn on Shelter Island, about a 10 minute drive from the pier or airport. A little quieter, and the views of downtown are spectacular. Drive out to Point Loma from there to see the old lighthouse and look for whales.

 

But there are so many places, and lovely resorts.

[AZjohn]

I just got an e-mail add from the Omni and their rates are on special for $129 a night.

John

[gizmo]

I'll second the vote for the Marriott and Hilton and the Omni as well. Haven't stayed at the Solomar. I'll disagree about the Hoytel Del, though - it's great to look at and visit but I wouldn't stay there again. A really fun stay was the Courthouse Downtown - in a converted bank! It's right on the edge of the Gaslamp - easy to walk about.

 

The Zoo, Balboa Park, the Wild Animal Farm (well out of town, though) LaJolla & the Scripps Institute all deserve a day or so.

 

I stayed at that Courtyard a couple of years ago. The old safe deposit vault was really cool. A hotel employee gave us a tour. :)

[fitters]

I just got an e-mail add from the Omni and their rates are on special for $129 a night.

John

 

AZjohn...I seen this as well on travelzoo. I was able to get Hotel Solamar for $125 a night for our post two night stay. I thought about changing to the Omni, but considered the fact you need to pay up front for the Omni and there are no refunds for cancellations, whereas the Solamar I didn't have to worry about paying now and also they have a good cancellation policy. That was my concern, because you never know if something comes up where you have to cancel for some reason. I've been burned before for this.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have stayed many times both pre and psot cruises at The Embassy Suites. Within walking distance of Seaport Village, The Fish Market (great place to eat), Midway and Horton Plaza. Doubt if you will have enough time to get to the zoo with only 1 day there.

 

It is within a short distance of the pier and the airport.

[herb]

any feedback regarding the Hampton Inn on Pacific Highway? We've booked there.