Local Wally's Guide to San Diego
The original locals guide to San Diego...since 1996
In the Heart of San Diego, Close to the Convention Center, it's Where the Action is!
Giant glass towers overlooking the bay. Stately historic hotels refurbished back to its original glory. Small boutiques. Fancy hotels and rent by the hour. You're in downtown San Diego, close to the Convention Center and the Gaslamp District. Whether you're coming here for business or for Comic-con, whether you're a single in your 20's looking for action or a family guy looking for a baseball game, you'll find hotels to fit exactly what you're looking for in this area.
You'll also find the popular Seaport Village, the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum, the Star of India, the very cool baseball park for the Padres, tons of great restaurants and nightclubs. Balboa Park and the Zoo are a short taxi ride away and the ferry to get to Coronado Island is right down the street. Nice!
SAN DIEGO MARRIOTT HOTEL AND MARINA 
It's a San Diego landmark. With two mirrored glass towers rising 25 stories and housing over 1,300 rooms, the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina is a monster of a hotel. Popular with both business travelers (due to its location next to the San Diego Convention Center) as well as families looking for deluxe accommodations close to the attractions, the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina has earned the reputation as one of our cities finest hotels.
Offering both downtown and bay views, the rooms are what you would expect for an upper class Marriott. While you're not going to mistake the rooms interiors with a Four Seasons, they're above average and well appointed. Rooms in the North Tower are newer and offer balcony views. Down below you'll find resort style pools with waterfalls and the marina. Follow the boardwalk and you'll soon be at Seaport Village, a Disneyland sort place with touristy shops and restaurants. Go the other way and you'll be at the Convention Center. Take a short stroll out the front door and you'll wind up in the Gaslamp District. Is this place convenient or what?
LOCAL WALLY HOT ISLAND FOOD TIP: Roy's Hawaiian Fusion is one of my favorite restaurants and there's one now located at the Marriott. Sit outside for the best experience.
Due to its location next to the Convention Center expect big crowds everywhere if you're visiting during a popular convention week. This place fills up with geek's in Batman and Star Trek suits during Comic-con, as well as geek's with bluetooth headsets and hangovers at other times, so know that the Marriott can get pretty hectic. But opt for a newer room in the North Tower with a bay view, open up that slider and step out on the balcony and man, you'll see for yourself why this place has remained one of the more popular hotels in San Diego for so many years.
PRO'S: What a location, what a view!
CON'S: Not for those who hate crowds, pool can be overrun with rug rats during Summer.
WALLY SAYS: What's not to love about the San Diego Marriott?
DISCOUNT HOTELS / DISCOUNT ATTRACTIONS / LAST MINUTE DEALS
MANCHESTER GRAND HYATT SAN DIEGO
Luxurious, in a Vegas sort of way. From the valets in the front to the tons o' marble giant lobby to the opulent art hanging on the walls, the Manchester Grand Hyatt screams "look at me" like a Hollywood starlet. With 1,625 rooms spread out over two towers, one at 33 floors and the other at 40, it's the tallest hotel on the West Coast. You want a view? You got it, with gorgeous city views on one side and water views on the other. And unlike other giant hotels that cage you in like you're in the orangutan exhibit, you can actually open the windows and let the fresh ocean breeze in. The best view? Go to the very top floor and check out the Top of the Hyatt bar with stunning views that extend all the way to Mexico. You want a sunset spot, this is it.
This gigantic hotel is walking distance to the Convention Center, Seaport Village, Gaslamp District and the Embarcadero. How nice it is to come back to your hotel after a long day of sightseeing and NOT have to jump back in the car to grab a bite to eat. Rooms are very nice, perhaps not as nice as the lobby area, but above average - think 4 star rooms in a 5 star package. A smaller pool is on the 4th floor building that connects the two towers, offering terrific bay views. OK, so you won't find giant waterfalls and tropical landscaping here, but the pool area is still a great spot to chill out on a hot San Diego afternoon.
Of course, a hotel of this size offers all of the typical high end amenities as well as a top notch restaurant, Sally's Seafood on the Water, popular with both tourists and locals.
PRO'S: If your eyes don't pop out of your head when you see the lobby, they will when you see the view from your room!
CON'S: Pool a bit on the small side, rooms are good but not as good as the lobby would lead you to believe.
WALLY SAYS: One of the best hotels in San Diego, a top pick for a room with a view!
HILTON SAN DIEGO GASLAMP QUARTER 
You might think this is an old building refurbished to look new and trendy, but the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter was actually built in 2000. That's good because you get all the coolness of staying in a contemporary urban boutique hotel but with all the amenities and modern touches - like nice bathrooms - that you only get with a new hotel.
This 12 story, 252 room hotel looks like a throwback in an area surrounded by the giant Marriott and gigantic Hyatt, and that's part of the charm. Walk across the street and you're at the Convention Center, walk the other way about 3 steps and you're entering the Gaslamp District. Inside the rooms are 42" flatscreen TV's (yes!) and the entire hotel is done up fresh and stylish. They even found a way to get a pool on the rooftop for those sunny San Diego days and a day spa for the wife if you find yourself stuck in a tradeshow or business meeting (bummer).
All in all a top pick for Gaslamp crawlers and Convention dwellers looking for a smaller hotel with a more personal touch.
PRO'S: Feels like a charming European hotel, easy in and out. Going to Comic-con? This is right across the street!
CON'S: Trolley runs right next to the hotel so be picky about the room location when you check in.
WALLY SAYS: No DUI this vacation! Walk to the Gaslamp bars, take a pedicab home!
DISCOUNT HOTELS / DISCOUNT ATTRACTIONS / LAST MINUTE DEALS
Sometimes you just want a nice, predictable place to stay. You don't want a nightclub in your hotel, you don't want fancy valets in front parking your rental (damn, not a PT Cruiser!), you don't care about impressive art in the lobby or five star restaurants. Come on, you got kids now so you want free breakfast, free cocktails in the afternoon to take the edge off of having kids, and a little space so you can get away from the kids when you get back to the room. That's when you pick the Embassy Suites San Diego, located across the street from the bay and right on the edge of the Gaslamp District. Walk to Seaport Village, get some fish and chips at Anthony's Fish Grotto (delicious), hop on the ferry to Coronado, it's all right out your front door.
Inside the hotel it's much as you would expect. You've been to one Embassy Suites, you've been to them all. It's a big hotel with 12 stories and 337 rooms with open hallways that face the atrium area. Rooms are just like you would expect, nice and clean and as cookie cutter perfect as an Oreo. There's plenty of kids screaming so you'll feel right at home, and plenty of stressed out business people with laptops all wishing they could ditch the sales meeting and go sightseeing instead. Inside the rooms you'll find a microwave, coffeepot, a sofa, pretty standard fare. But wait - open the curtains and there's a glorious view of the San Diego Bay on one side, the city on the other. Pretty sweet Embassy Suite!
So while the Embassy Suites isn't where I'd go on a honeymoon (and you'd better not go there either unless you want to spend the night on the sofa!), it is a perfect place for someone who just wants a good hotel in a great location. Wake up to the smell of bacon and coffee (mmmmm), get an early start on your daily adventure, come back for a free cocktail (mmmmm), then toss the kids on the sofa with the remote while you sneak into the bedroom and lock the door! This is going to be a pretty good vacation!
PRO'S: Super good location, walk to restaurants and attractions, great views!
CON'S: Can be a bit far to walk to the Convention Center if you are in heels or out of shape or both!
WALLY SAYS: Go ahead and get both bacon and sausage with that double stuffed cheese omlette, you're on vacation!
I'm not easily impressed but my mouth fell open the second I walked into this lobby. I mean, wow, this is some place with the crazy mesh lighting, the contemporary modern setting, it's like something out of a futuristic movie. Located on the "far" end of the Convention Center (the Marriott and Seaport Village on the other end), this is a great spot for both conventioneers and visitors.
Located right on the bay, the rooms offer stunning water views. The rooms themselves are crisp and modern with elegant furnishings and contemporary colors. The bathrooms are standard Hilton; they're good but you won't mistake them for a spa. The rooftop pool, however, is stunning and offers great views and when you want to go explore, the Gaslamp District and Petco Park are right outside the door.
If you like a modern and vibrant setting in a terrific Gaslamp location, you'll love the Hilton Bayside.
PRO'S: San Diego's newest big hotel on the waterfront, hip and modern, great location.
CON'S: A bit of a hike to get to prime time Gaslamp, so bring your tennis shoes. Parking expensive.
WALLY SAYS: Sorry if I drooled in the lobby - don't slip!
(DOWNTOWN) Even the most hardened cynics will glow with enthusiasm the second they walk into the opulent lobby of this recently refurbished 1910 landmark hotel, a place Conde Nast listed as the Top Hot Hotel of the World in 2007. It's classic luxury and style with a contemporary twist. This isn't some poser Vegas-like hotel trying to look fancy, this is the real deal, from the marble lined lobby to the original art in every room to the elegant and delicious Grant Grill.
Some old hotels just look old and tired, but it's amazing what $52 million dollars can do to a makeover. The hotel manages to retain its high class, New York sort of ambiance while being luxuriously current. Rooms feature original art - no cookie cutter Marriott here - as well as the types of comfort creatures you would expect in a top notch hotel. Classic European touches mix with new commissioned art pieces by current artists, elegant baths and 300 count Italian linens, the US Grant is fancy without being stuffy, elegant without being snobby. Overstuffed pillows, down comforters and pillowtop mattresses will lull you to sleep in 5 star style.
Downtown location across from the eclectic Horton Plaza shopping mall, you're right in the middle of the action. Energetic travelers can walk to Gaslamp, though the Convention Center is a best with a taxi. Broadway is busy and vibrant. If you're looking for a unique place to stay, if you can appreciate European elegance as well as modern touches, then the US Grant is your type of hotel.
PRO'S: It's like the Fairmont Hotel in SF or The Plaza in NYC, classic elegance and luxury.
CON'S: Busy location right on Broadway, street noise can get loud, "home ownership challenged" people have invaded small Horton Plaza park across the street - bummer, literally.
WALLY SAYS: Fluffy, not stuffy!
MORE DOWNTOWN HOTEL PICKS FROM LOCAL WALLY: Downtown San Diego has a number of other hotels worth checking out. The W Hotel is a high end trendy sort of place - you know, the outdoor bar has sand, the rooms look like an Ikea display. The Sheraton Suites is located in Symphony Towers, which is where the symphony plays (duh!) - super nice hotel, rooms typical Sheraton, above average business class hotel. The Westing Gaslamp Quarter San Diego's name is a little misleading as it's really connected to Horton Plaza Shopping Mall, which is more like downtown than Gaslamp, but close enough for marketing. Remember, you can always find all the hotels by going straight to Local Wally's San Diego Discount Hotels site.
DISCOUNT HOTELS / DISCOUNT ATTRACTIONS / LAST MINUTE DEALS
(GASLAMP) I really like the Omni San Diego but I did find it a bit odd that they named their luxurious 2,200 square foot penthouse suite after... Jimmy Carter? What the hell? That's twice the size of the crappy Habitat Houses he built in my neighborhood! No slumming for Jimmy!
But don't worry if you can't afford to live like an ex-President because there's 511 other rooms that are perfectly suitable for the common tax payer. Done up crisp and contemporary, the Omni decor doesn't disappoint and with floor to ceiling windows the views of the city or bay are impressive indeed. And look, the Omni is not only located right next to Petco Park but there's even a private entrance that links the hotel right to the ballpark! You won't have to rub shoulders with those commoners fighting their way to their seats, and you won't be one of those poor slobs missing the first 3 innings trying to get a parking space. Get one of the rooms facing the ballpark and on game night you'll see fireworks exploding right outside your window! Maybe hanging with Jimmy has some benefits after all.
Walk to the Convention Center, walk to Gaslamp, see a ballgame, this is a great location and a great hotel. Grab some Billy Beer and a bag of peanuts and make yourself at home.
PRO'S: New and modern, great location, Go Padres!
CON'S: Trolley noise impacts lower level rooms, traffic can be a nightmare on game nights.
WALLY SAYS: Where's my Nobel Peace Prize?
(GASLAMP DISTRICT) You don't have to be young and beautiful to love the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego- but it helps. Using the same rock and roll motif you would find at the popular Hard Rock Cafes re-mixed with current hip hop and urban chic, the Hard Rock Hotel caters to the trendy crowd. Handstamps at the bar, techno music blaring at the pool, you have to be the right demographic to get this place. If you get it, the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego is like a weekend in Vegas, from the party atmosphere at the pool to the newest coolest Nobu high end sushi restaurant right on site. It's as much as a destination as a place to sleep.
First impressions matter and the dark lobby greets you like you're entering a nightclub. Music videos, rock and roll memorabilia like Madonna's underwear or John Lennon's doodles, the attendant checks you in with an odd question about your music taste (hint: do not admit you like Barry Manilow ). Enter your room and the music you like is playing on the 42" flatscreen! Whoa, that's pretty cool. The rooms are ultra modern chic with things like halo illuminated beds that create a sense of floating, fully integrated sound system just waiting for your iPod, a martini bar, sensual bathrooms with rain showerheads... this isn't the Holiday Inn! Heck, this doesn't even look like a hotel!
While the hotel decorations nod to rock and roll's royalty, the vibe at night s more Snoop Dog than Elvis. There's two popular nightspots with long lines of 20-somethings eager to get in, the exquisite and expensive Nobu sushi restaurant, a re-do on an old coffee shop done up hip called MaryJane's, and even a high end Pinkberry frozen yogurt place. Look, it's not for everyone but you have to give this place credit for creating a unique hotel experience that hits its demographic smack in the middle of the target. If you're Facebook albums are filled with shots of you partying with skanky girls, if you're one of those skanky girls or just want to be one for the weekend, then come join the party at the Hard Rock Hotel.
PRO'S: Like having a room at a fancy young nightclub!
CON'S: Like having a room at a fancy young nightclub!
WALLY SAYS: I'm too old for this place, but I still like to look around - but perfect for 20 and 30-somethings!
LOCAL WALLY HIP HOTEL TIP: San Diego's hip hotel scene is growing. If you can't get into the Hard Rock, try The Andaz or The Sofia. There's also the W Hotel and Hotel Solamar. All four are great choices for those looking for something different from a standard Marriott or a kid-filled resort.
DISCOUNT HOTELS / DISCOUNT ATTRACTIONS / LAST MINUTE DEALS
SAN DIEGO MARRIOTT GASLAMP QUARTER 
GASLAMP DISTRICT) Marriott shakes it up with its hotel smack in the middle of the Gaslamp District. Gone is the boring carpet, the generic decor. In it's place is a chic and trendy hotel that looks like it could be an offshoot of the Hard Rock Hotel, Gaslamp's bad boy. In fact, the only thing that tips you off that this is a Marriott is the portrait of the founders that hangs in the lobby. Who knew these guys could par-tay with the best of them?
The Marriott's Altitude Bar on its rooftop has been a local San Diego hotspot, attracting the beautiful young crowd to its lively scene and glorious views. Very cool place to chill after a long day of conventions or sightseeing. And when it's time to crash, the rooms are updated and contemporary, sleek and modern. That's a big plus because many hotels do the refurb in the lobby but leave the rooms outdated. In this case, the draperies definitely match the carpet, if you know what I mean. The only thing that reminds you that this is still a Marriott are the old school TV's, though reportedly to be replaced with more modern LCD's in the near future. Location right next to Petco Park is a lot of fun, especially if they are shooting off fireworks after the game. Great for families as well as younger folks, perfect location for conventioneers, you're going to love this place.
Who would have thought that Marriott could be so hip?
PRO'S: Killer location, a contemporary and modern Marriott, hip club on rooftop.
CON'S: Club is very popular with outsiders on weekends so get ready for a crowd scene, TV's could use an update.
WALLY SAYS: You don't have to be young and hip to love this place. A very nice Marriott.
BEST OF 2009 AWARD, BEST BUDGET HOTEL
(LITTLE ITALY) It's like taking a vacation within a vacation! La Pensione Hotel is a boutique hotel located in the heart of San Diego's Little Italy. Now before you start thinking that Little Italy is some sort of manufactured theme setting like Seaport Village,
know that Little Italy is an authentic and historical Italian neighborhood that still thrives today. You'll find some of our best Italian restaurants right outside your door, a Farmers Market on the weekend, maybe even a stickball game going on in the street. Little Italy has evolved into a great tourist destination without selling its soul.
Best yet, La Pensione offers attractive rates for budget travelers. Those looking for giant waterfalls and palm trees should go elsewhere, but if you just want a clean hotel in an interesting setting for a good price, this is it. There's coin laundry, underground parking, and even a hotel dog to greet you. It's a nice cozy place that's close enough to the key attractions yet a world away from the conventions and hoards of tourists. You'll need to take a taxi to get to the Convention Center or Gaslamp, but dinner will be right down the street. Local Wally votes this one of San Diego's BEST CHEAP HOTELS so if you're looking for a decent place in a cool neighborhood for a great price, do not overlook La Pensione Hotel.
PRO'S: I really like Little Italy - I come down there all the time and the hotel is super nice for the price.
CON'S: No air conditioning, not good if you catch San Diego on a hot week (but normally not a problem).
WALLY SAYS: Don't stay in busy Mission Valley or Hotel Circle! Stay somewhere with personality.
LOCAL WALLY FARMERS MARKET TIP: Little Italy has a nice Farmers Market every Saturday from 9 to 1:30. Make sure you take some time to walk around and check out the produce and have a few free samples.
LET'S CHECK OUT THE HOTELS ON THE "ISLANDS"!
DISCOUNT HOTELS / DISCOUNT ATTRACTIONS / LAST MINUTE DEALS
Check Hotel Rates
- Conv Ctr Hilton $155
- Top Mission Bay $150
- Right on beach <$200
- Hawaii-like resort $125
- Shelter Island $99
- La Jolla $150
- See All Deals
Vacation Rentals
Featured Hotels
Wally News
SPRING 2012: San Diego is gearing up for a great Summer and Local Wally will help you plan your best vacation - ever!
As a long time local guy, I can help you pick the right hotel and put together an action packed agenda. I'll even give you FREE personal advice if you email me.
Book your hotel and tickets through me to keep me in business and you'll get unlimited good vacation karma! Real advice from a real local, that's Local Wally!
Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and read my blog!
Discounted Tickets
- San Diego Zoo
- Wild Animal Park
- SeaWorld
- Balboa Park
- LegoLand
- Hornblower Bay Cruise
- Go San Diego Card
- Disneyland
- Knott's Berry Farm
- Universal Studios
- All Attractions
Cell Phone Pics
Latest Tweets
Sponsored Ads
