San Diego Hotel Guide

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Where would you prefer to sleep? Over the water or right next to the sand? In Victorian surroundings or in hip, modern digs adjacent to downtown nightlife? Facing the bay or ocean or overlooking carefully landscaped gardens? San Diego offers a variety of places to stay that range from pricey high-rise hostelries to spa- and golf-blessed resorts, from inexpensive cookie-cutter motels to out-of-the-ordinary B&Bs.

In this section, I'll take you through all the options within the city proper. High season is vaguely defined as the summer period between Memorial Day and Labor Day -- some hotels inch rates higher still in July and August. However, as San Diego has grown into a convention destination, you'll find that rates for the larger downtown hotels and a few of the Mission Valley hotels are largely determined by the ebb and flow of conventions in town -- weekend and holiday rates can be good bargains. On the other hand, leisure-oriented hotels along the coast and in Mission Valley are generally busier on weekends, especially in summer, so midweek deals are easier to snag. Here's an idea to maximize your discounts: Spend the weekend at a downtown high-rise and duck into a beach bungalow on Monday.

Bed & Breakfasts

Travelers who seek bed-and-breakfast accommodations will be pleasantly surprised by the variety and affordability of San Diego B&Bs (especially compared to the rest of California). Many B&Bs are traditional, strongly reflecting the personality of an on-site innkeeper, and offering as few as two guest rooms; others accommodate more guests in a slickly professional way. Ten B&Bs are part of the close-knit San Diego Bed & Breakfast Guild (tel. 619/523-1300; www.bandbguildsandiego.org), whose members work actively at keeping prices reasonable; many good B&Bs average $100 to $125 a night.

Hostels

Those in search of less expensive accommodations should check in to San Diego's collection of hostels. You should have your own sack sheet or sleeping bag (or plan to rent one), and be prepared for shared dorm-style rooms, although private rooms are also found at most. Communal kitchens are also available at most hostels. Reservations are a good idea any time of year, and overbooking is not uncommon.

USAHostels (tel. 800/438-8622 or 619/232-3100; www.usahostels.com) is in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter at 726 Fifth Avenue, in a historic building; double rooms cost $54 and dorm rooms run $21 per person. Also in the Gaslamp is HI Downtown Hostel (tel. 800/909-4776, ext. 156, or 619/525-1531; www.sandiegohostels.com), 521 Market St. This facility has 120 beds, including 24 private rooms; no alcohol is allowed on the premises. Doubles cost $56 and dorm rooms run $23. Hostelling International (formerly American Youth Hostels) also has a 53-bed location in Point Loma (tel. 800/909-4776, ext. 157, or 619/223-4778), 3790 Udall St., which is about 2 miles inland from Ocean Beach; rates run $19 per person, and private rooms that sleep two are $38. The Ocean Beach International Hostel, 4961 Newport Ave. (tel. 800/339-7263 or 619/223-7873; www.californiahostel.com), has more than 60 beds and is located just 2 blocks from the beach; bunk rates are $20 per person, and they offer free pickup from the airport, train, or bus station. There's an extensive collection of DVDs for guests, and free barbecues are held Tuesday and Thursday.