Best place to stay in San Diego?

[Cool Breeze Cruiser]

My husband & I are going on the Carnival Spirit & are flying into San Diego 2 days early on October 16, 2009. Where would be the best place for us to stay? Also are there any must see places in San Diego? We will probably go to Sea World. Thanks, Juli

[LuAnn]

Please don't miss the SD Zoo. It is considered the top zoo in the world. Old Town is fun..with many shops and Mexican restaurants...our favorite is La Pinata on Juan Street. There is also the Midway..the old aircraft carrier which is right down by the cruise terminal which is now a museum.

 

As far as a place to stay is concerned there is a unique Craftsman home which has been turned into a very small boutique hotel. It is downtown SD right by the baseball field, Petco Park. It is called Mudville Flats and you can find information on them at at their website, www.mudvilleflats.com. Many people here on CC stay at the Holiday Inn right across from the pier from the cruise ship terminal, located on Harbor Drive. Personally I like to stay in small boutique hotels..but everyone is different....at least these are 2 places to research. There are also a number of hotels down in the Mission Valley area..which I believe are fairly inexpensive and I believe some do offer shuttles to the port...also there are some hotels in the Gaslamp Area and also along SD Bay (Hyatt & Marriott) if you are into those type of hotels. Let me know if you need any further help...I would suggest you check out Trip Advisor as a great resource for hotel ratings and information. LuAnn

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

There is a very nice Hilton not far from the San Diego Airport.

[kath00]

I too was going to suggest the Hilton in Mission Bay. Gorgeous property that is very close to Sea World yet only a hop from the freeway so you can drive down to the zoo or just take a lovely walk along the 5+ mile Mission Bay park.

 

Katherine

[Splinter]

The Hilton on Mission Bay is a nice hotel, but unless all you are going to do is go to SeaWorld, it is pretty isolated, and you would need a rental car to see anything else (no SD Trolley service, nothing you can walk to easily for restaurants, etc.). If that is not an issue, then also look at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay (formerly the Islandia).

 

I would also recommend looking at La Pensione in Little Italy. You can use the SD Trolley (light rail) to get to the Gaslamp or Old Town, it is not far from there via cab to the Zoo or Balboa Park, and it is a short ride via cab to either the pier or airport. It is not a luxury hotel, but reasonable rates in a fun neighborhood.

 

I too would vote for the Zoo over SeaWorld as far as a "must see" in San Diego. You can also consider taking the Old Town Trolley Tours, which takes you to most of the sights in San Diego (it is a jitney essentially) and you can get on/off as you desire for a single or 2 day ticket price. The Old Town transit center is an easy place to catch this, or right by the cruise ship pier.

 

For those mainly going to the Zoo and Balboa Park, I also like the Balboa Park Inn.

[Desert Cruizers]

Our Cruise this past Oct, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Bayside which is near the Airport, at 4875 N Harbor. ( corner of N Harbor and Nimitz). The Zoo is only 6 miles away. Shuttle service is provided by the Hotel to the Cruise Terminal and it was a lovely hotel overlooking the Marina. The distance to the terminal is about and 8 to 10 min drive. Sometimes people will confuse the Holiday inn Bayside ( near Airport) with the Holiday Inn on the Bay ( close to Terminal).

[leoandhugh]

You did not indicate whether or not you plan to rent a car while in San Diego. That makes considerable difference in where you might want to stay - if not, you should consider something downtown or in the Gaslight district which would put you close to the SanDiego trolley (light rail) and give you some flexibility. SeaWorld is one place the trolley does not serve:)

[Bruin Steve]

Okay, I can't help myself...

 

Here's the "best" hotel I've ever stayed at in the San Diego area:

 

http://www.ranchovalencia.com/

 

Of course, our bill for the weekend was over $2,400!

Yes, I AM serious...

 

Okay, seriously now...

San Diego has LOTS of places to stay...

In all price ranges, in all sorts of locations...

 

For a two night stay, I would seriously consider staying in the Gaslamp district...

Lots of nightlife, restaurants, shopping...and fairly convenient to the port...

 

We've stayed here before...very nice:

http://www.usgrant.net/

 

The Gaslamp also has a Marriott and a Westin...all the way down to a Comfort Inn at fairly reasonable rates...There is a major shopping mall called the Horton Plaza and lots of very cool places to eat...

 

But, I guess we need to have some idea as to your budget...

[Cool Breeze Cruiser]

We do not plan to rent a car & $2400 is prob a little pricy for us. We want something nice but moderate. We are celebrating our 25th anniversary & we chose the Spirit because San Diego is on my husband's top 10 places to go. I can't wait to see if it is as beautiful as we have heard.

I love dolphins so SeaWorld is prob a must although we just went to SeaWorld in Orlando. Does anyone know how similiar they are?

We like to do just about anything so we are pretty open on that. I train horses so we like to take horse & buggy tours sometimes when we travel. Is there anything like that? Any favorite restaurants? I don't like seafood but my husband does.

Thanks so much for all the great info. Juli

[LuAnn]

Right by the cruise ship terminal is a restaurant called Anthony's which is locally owned and been in buiness a number of years..If you stay at the Holiday Inn right by the cruise ships it is right across the street. There is also an Oceanaire restaurant in the Gas Lamp Quarter which is very good but a little pricey (both of these should have web sites) Also down by the bay and cruise ships is The Fish Market...they have 2 restaurants, one up stairs (which is more expensive and up-scale) and one down stairs...both the Fish Market and Anthony's are right on the bay with great views.

 

I'm sure some of the other San Diego residents will have other suggestions as well.

 

There used to be a horse and buggy company called Cinderella downtown but I believe they are no longer operating. There are a number of "pedi-cabs" in that area but certainly not the same experience! Can't think of any other area that might have what you are looking for...LuAnn

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

There are two Hiltons in San Diego. One is the Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa, which is a resort property off of I -5. This is a very nice place but on the expensive side.

 

The other Hilton is called the Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor Island, and this is the property I mentioned earlier. There is a shuttle from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the cruise terminal. The hotel is within walking distance of restaurants and great view of San Diego Bay.

 

If you have a car rental there are many nice places to stay in the San Diego area, especially Del Mar and La Jolla. And in the inexpensive or reasonably so category, there is Hotel Circle where there are some nice places.

 

And for those of you who would like something that is both special and different, there is the Barona Hotel and Casino. There is an excellent golf course at Barona as well as restaurants, gaming, and entertainment. This is a dsetination all its own, and a car would be helpful.