San Diego Neighborhoods

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Downtown, the Gaslamp & Little Italy

San Diego's downtown is an excellent place for leisure travelers to stay. The nightlife and dining in the Gaslamp Quarter and Horton Plaza shopping are close at hand; Balboa Park, Hillcrest, Old Town, and Coronado are less than 10 minutes away by car; and beaches aren't much farther. It's also the city's public-transportation hub, and thus very convenient for car-free visitors.

Conventions are big business, and the high-rise hotels cater primarily to the meet-and-greet crowd. While they don't offer much personality for leisure travelers, it's not hard to get rooms for 30% to 50% off the rack rates when a convention isn't taking up all the availability. Although their rack rates start in the mid-$300s, chain operations are a good place to test your wheelin'-and-dealin' skills. Start with the city's biggest hotel, the 1,625-room Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, 1 Market Place (tel. 800/233-1234 or 619/232-1234; www.hyatt.com), a two-towered behemoth with a 40th-floor cocktail lounge with fabulous views. Then there's the 223-room Westgate Hotel, 1055 Second Ave. (tel. 800/221-3802 or 619/238-1818; www.westgatehotel.com), where the lobby looks transplanted out of the Palace of Versailles and rooms (remodeled in 2003) are plush, spacious, and bright. A large (306-room) hotel with a boutique feel and a popular rooftop bar, the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter (tel. 619/696-0234; www.sandiegogaslamphotel.com) opened recently. Another newcomer, Hotel Solamar (tel. 877/230-0300, www.hotelsolamar.com), a 235-room, stylishly urban Kimpton Hotels property, draws non-guests to revel in its restaurant and bar.

A more moderate choice, in terms of price, is the colorful, modern Bristol Hotel, 1055 First Ave. (tel. 800/662-4477 or 619/232-6141; www.bristolhotelsandiego.com), adjacent to the Gaslamp Quarter. In the budget category, the 260-room 500 West, 500 W. Broadway (tel. 619/234-5252), offers small but comfortable rooms for $69 to $89 a night in a seven-story building dating to 1924. It offers contemporary style, history, and a good location, but bathrooms are down the hall. Cheaper still are downtown's two hostels, where double rooms are about $55 and dorm rooms are under $25: USA Hostels (tel. 800/438-8622 or 619/232-3100; www.usahostels.com) is in the heart of the Gaslamp, at 726 Fifth Ave; HI Downtown Hostel (tel. 800/909-4776, ext. 43, or 619/525-1531; www.sandiegohostels.org) is nearby, at 521 Market St.

Inexpensive motels line Pacific Highway between the airport and downtown. The Harbor View Days Inn Suites, 1919 Pacific Hwy. at Grape Street (tel. 800/325-2525 or 619/232-1077), is within walking distance of the Embarcadero, the Maritime Museum, and the Harbor Excursion. Rates range from $79 to $89.

Hillcrest & Uptown

Although they're certainly no longer a secret, the gentrified historic neighborhoods north of downtown are still something of a bargain. They're convenient to Balboa Park and offer easy access to the rest of town. Filled with casual and upscale restaurants, eclectic shops, and percolating nightlife, the area is also easy to navigate. All of the following accommodations cater to the mainstream market and attract a gay and lesbian clientele, as well.

A note on driving directions: You can reach all of these accommodations from I-5.

Old Town & Mission Valley

Old Town is a popular area for families because of its proximity to Old Town State Historic Park and other attractions that are within walking distance -- SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo are within a 10-minute drive. Around the corner is Mission Valley, where you'll find the city's largest collection of hotels offering rooms under $100 a night. Mission Valley lacks much homegrown personality -- this is the spot for chain restaurants and shopping malls, not gardens or water views. But it caters to convention groups, families visiting the University of San Diego or San Diego State University, and leisure travelers drawn by the lower prices and competitive facilities. A note on driving directions: All Old Town and Mission Valley hotels are reached from either I-5 or I-8.

Room rates at properties on Hotel Circle are significantly cheaper than those in many other parts of the city. You'll find a cluster of inexpensive chain hotels and motels, including Best Western Seven Seas (tel. 800/421-6662 or 619/291-1300), Mission Valley Travelodge (tel. 800/255-3050 or 619/297-2271), Ramada Plaza (tel. 800/532-4241 or 619/291-6500), and Vagabond Inn-Hotel Circle (tel. 800/522-1555 or 619/297-1691).

Mission Bay & the Beaches

If the beach and aquatic activities are front-and-center in your San Diego agenda, this part of town may be just the ticket. Even though the beach communities are far removed in atmosphere, downtown and Balboa Park are only a 15-minute drive away. Some hotels are right on Mission Bay, San Diego's water playground; they're usually good choices for families. Ocean Beach is more neighborhood-oriented and easygoing, while Mission Beach and Pacific Beach provide a taste of the transient beach-bum lifestyle -- they can be a bit raucous at times, especially in summer, and dining options are focused on chain eateries. If you're looking for a more refined landing, head to La Jolla or Coronado.

Accommodations here tend to book up solid on summer weekends and even some weekdays (rates shown are for summer). But discounts can be had, especially for those who try walk-up bookings on the afternoon of arrival -- admittedly, a risky proposition on a Friday or Saturday in July and August. A note on driving directions: All directions are provided from I-5.

La Jolla

The name "La Jolla" is often translated from Spanish as "the jewel," a fitting comparison for this section of the city with a beautiful coastline, as well as a compact downtown village that makes for delightful strolling. You'll have a hard time finding bargain accommodations in this upscale, conservative community. But remember, most hotels -- even those in the "Very Expensive" category -- have occupancy-driven rates (you can score surprising discounts during the off season).

If a modern business hotel is more your style, chain hotels farther afield include the Hyatt Regency, 3777 La Jolla Village Dr. (tel. 800/233-1234 or 858/552-1234). It's a glam, business-oriented place with several good restaurants next door. The Marriott Residence Inn, 8901 Gilman Dr. (tel. 800/331-3131 or 858/587-1770), is a good choice for those who want a fully equipped kitchen and more space. Both are near the University of California, San Diego. The luxury Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa, 9700 N. Torrey Pines Rd. (tel. 877/437-8262; estancialajolla.com), which opened in 2004, is a California rancho-style retreat, built on the remains of a 19th century horse farm, on 9.5 acres near Blacks Beach.

A note on driving directions: From I-5 north use the La Jolla Parkway exit or from I-5 south take the La Jolla Village Drive west exit, both of which merge with Torrey Pines Road.

Wealthy, image-conscious La Jolla is really not the best place for deep bargains, but if you're determined to stay here as cheaply as possible, you won't do better than the La Jolla Village Lodge, 1141 Silverado St., at Herschel Avenue (tel. 858/551-2001; www.lajollavillagelodge.com). This 30-room motel is standard Americana, arranged around a small parking lot with cinder-block construction and small, basic rooms. Rates reach $120 in July and August, including breakfast, but are under $100 the rest of the year.

Coronado

The "island" (really a peninsula) of Coronado is a great escape. It offers quiet, architecturally rich streets, a small-town, navy-oriented atmosphere, and laid-back vacationing on one of the state's most beautiful and welcoming beaches. Coronado's resorts are especially popular with Southern California and Arizona families for weekend escapes. Although downtown San Diego is just a 10-minute drive or 20-minute ferry ride away, you may feel pleasantly isolated in Coronado, so it isn't your best choice if you're planning to spend lots of time in more central parts of the city. The 438-room Loews Coronado Bay Resort, 4000 Coronado Bay Rd. (tel. 800/23-LOEWS or 619/424-4000; www.loewshotels.com), is San Diego's most removed hotel, 6 miles down the Silver Strand. It works for those who want to get away from it all in a self-contained resort; it's good for convention groups as well.

A note on driving directions: To reach the places listed here, take I-5 to the Coronado Bridge, then follow individual directions.

A Century of Intrigue: Scenes from the Hotel del Coronado--San Diego's romantic Hotel del Coronado is an unmistakable landmark, filled with enchanting and colorful memories.

Several familiar names helped shape the hotel. When it opened in 1888, it was among the first buildings with Thomas Edison's new invention, electric light; the Hotel Del had its own electrical power plant, which supplied the entire city of Coronado until 1922. Author L. Frank Baum, a frequent guest, designed the Crown Room's frumpy crown-shaped chandeliers. Baum wrote several of the books in his beloved Wizard of Oz series in Coronado, and some believe he modeled the Emerald City's geometric spires after the Del's conical turrets.

The hotel has played host to royalty and celebrities as well. The first visiting monarch was Kalakaua, Hawaii's last king, who spent Christmas here in 1890. But the best-known royal guest was Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII, then duke of Windsor). He came to the hotel in April 1920, the first British royal to visit California. Of the many lavish social affairs held during his stay, at least two were attended by Wallis Simpson (then navy wife Wallis Warfield), 15 years before her official introduction to the prince in London. Speculation continues about whether their love affair, which culminated in his abdication of the throne, might have begun right here.

America's own "royalty" often visited the Hotel Del. In 1927, San Diego's beloved son Charles Lindbergh was honored here following his historic 33 1/2-hour solo flight across the Atlantic. Hollywood stars including Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin, and Esther Williams have flocked to the Del. Henry James wrote in 1905 of "the charming sweetness and comfort of this spot," and the "languid lisp of the Pacific, which my windows overhang." The hotel has also hosted 10 U.S. presidents. Perhaps most famously, director Billy Wilder filmed Some Like It Hot at the hotel; longtime staffers remember stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon romping on the beach. The Stuntman, starring Peter O'Toole, was also filmed here, in 1980. And some guests have never left: The ghost of Kate Morgan, whose body was found in 1892 where the tennis courts are today, supposedly still roams the halls -- room 3327 has a reputation for being haunted.

Visitors and guests intrigued by the Hotel Del's past can stroll through the lower-level History Gallery, a minimuseum of hotel memorabilia.

Near the Airport

San Diego's airport has the unusual distinction of being virtually in downtown. While immediate neighbors grouse about the noise and decreased property values, it's good news for travelers: The accommodations reviewed in the downtown, Hillcrest, and Old Town/Mission Valley sections are only 5 to 10 minutes from the airport.

For those who wish to stay even closer, there are two good airport hotels -- these bayside properties won't remind you of the dives found near most airports. The 1,045-room Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, 1380 Harbor Island Dr. (tel. 800/325-3535 or 619/291-2900), offers rooms from $369. At the 208-room Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor Island, 1960 Harbor Island Dr. (tel. 800/774-1500 or 619/291-6700), rooms start at $249. Both hotels offer a marina view, a pool, and a 10-min. drive to downtown San Diego -- as always, hefty discounts are usually available.