What will you be doing in San Diego? What are your expectations for a hotel? I can't even begin to figure out where you should stay based on the information you've given.

$200 is very doable in SD for a hotel. Personally - I would economize on the hotel - and spend more on the various places to visit around San Diego.

There are other posts in here on San Diego - but basically - except for visiting Safari Park (used to be called Wild Animal Park - about 35-40 minutes from central San Diego) - if you stay in central SD - or a bit north - you are pretty much within a half an hour of everywhere you want to visit, including Coronado.

Will you have a car? If you choose a downtown hotel you will pay for parking.

What do you plan to visit while you're here?

Hez, has a good question. What type of hotel do you want? Views? Centrally located? (really no such animal in SD because you'll have to commute to most attractions.)
Pool?

"Centrally located" in San Diego includes staying in the Mission Valley/Hotel Circle area, Old Town, Pt. Loma and evewn downtown - all no more than 10 minutes apart.

You can also go 15 minutes up the freeway and find some places in the Sorrento Valley area - that cater more to business travelers during the week and have specials on weekends,or check out the Village of La Jolla - which is very cute - and has some nice places to stay, some a bit pricer than others.

And there are plenty of decent lodging opportunities in SD for under $200. If you want the best view of all - IMO - literally staying over the Ocean - check out the Inn at Sunset Cliffs. A simple motel - but what a setting, and you can BBQ on the back decks - right by the Ocean. http://innatsunsetcliffs.com/

Yes I will have a car.

I've been spoiled by nice hotels sometimes....but would like to budget for $200. So is that a 3 star? Views are nice but I don't think I am ever in the hotel long enough to look out.... Just nice, safe, etc...

Whatever I don't use up for hotel ..(I won't need to have food at hotel) I prefer a nice meal at restaurants, snacks...whatever it may be.... Foodie! Always looking for great eats everywhere I go.

Plans have changed I plan to visit for 4 days now since last night (below is what I've looked into so far):

Sea World (this will take 1/2 a day I presume)
La Jolla (do beach thing perhaps on a morning or afternoon)
Hike at Torrey Pines and or Pacific Rim (Someone told me about this recently, please confirm)

I am welcome to suggestions of what to do in San Diego.

You could priceline if you are comfortable with that and I think get 3.5 - 4 stars - when are you going?

I would stay in downtown/gaslamp area - or La Jolla -
be sure that you are staying IN La Jolla the village - not La Jolla village drive area...

Know that "La Jolla" cove is small small beach area - you can go to La Jolla shores for more of a "beach experience" I grew up going to windansea - down neptune street in La Jolla...

Have a drink or dinner at George's roof top.

For one of the best views in SD and also very find dining (The Cohn Group is super - chef Debroah Scott front and center) - try Island Prime/C Level on Harbor Island - just west/toward the bay - from the airport. http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/menu-restaurants/island-prime/

There are many other places to dine - including of course the great Mexican food we have in San Diego - as well as good Asian, the freshest fish you can find anywhere (try the Fish Market downtown - http://www.thefishmarket.com/locations.aspx?id=6 next to the USS Midway Museum (also worth a visit) - and the Top of the Market is gourmet) - and on and on.

Any particular food type you want?

And while the cove may be small - it's like going to the south of France - IMO. Great for swimming - pretty fair for snorkeling and right by the Village of La Jolla where you can wander around after showering off the salt water.

You would also probably like wandering around Old Town (our favorite Mexican restaurant is Casa Guadalajara) - and walking in the Gaslamp/downtown - the happening scene.

And the Inn at Sunset Cliffs is very simple - but the location/view cannot be beat. You literally look down from the deck at the waves crashing against the rocks below you.

Oops - almost forgot. Drive over the Coronado Bridge to the cute little town of Coronado and check out the fabled Hotel Del Coronado. http://www.hoteldel.com/

And by Little Italy - close to downtown - which has great Italian food - there are some very good gelato places - and the expensive - but incredible - Extraordinary Desserts. http://www.extraordinarydesserts.com/

Also -drive out to Cabrillo Point overlooking Pt. Loma, downtown, Coronado and the Ocean - where they also have a cute little museum - honoring the Portguese discoverer of San Diego/California (he was sailing for Spain) - Juan Cabrillo. http://www.nps.gov/cabr/index.htm

And above Old Town - is the first of the 21 Missions established in California - by father Junipero Serra. http://www.missiontrailtoday.com/code/mission01.htm

I will be there mid August.

So, I've booked at the DoubleTree by Hilton on 1515 Hotel Circle South, can't rmmbr what area that is now. It's cancelled. So, I can still look around.

I'm just looking for good food period. Not anything in particular. Thx. Tomsd I've checked the places you suggested. They look good and I've put that in my itinerary.

I still haven't had much time to check out how I will plan my days. So, have to work on my plan.

Any more suggestions out there? Thanks in advance.

Check a map - but fyi - the Hotel Circle South area is right along Interstate 8 - a couple miles east of Interstate 5, a mile or so west of 163 - the two main north/south freeways in central SD - and it's close to the Zoo/Balboa Park - and about 3? miles from SeaWorld and about 5 minutes from downtown.

The Double Tree is fine as a hotel/place to stay, and how much time does one really spend in their hotel when they visit a sunny place like San Diego?

As for other suggetions - well, what do you like to do?

If you like night life - get downtown to the Gaslamp area.

What else?

I do not think this has been mentioned yet, Shelter Island (quite near Point Loma), Three hotels Bay Club, Kona Kai and where I like to stay, the Best Western Island Palms. It is a nice location with views of the marina and a lovely walking path along the marina. My reason for liking this is that although just minutes away, I feel distanced from the business of city, very relaxing for me. Food recommendation: Point Loma Seafoods, a casual on the Marina experience

hpeab: Good call - and I always forget about those. They are very well located and nice properties. Can even go to Jazz at night at Humphrey's by the Bay. http://www.humphreysconcerts.com/

Who/how many are you. To me Hotel Circle is dreary, a bunch of budget places mixed with fast food and unpleasant chain restaurants. Doable with a car - but essentially strip malls and highways.

I would stay right on the water for the views and better proximity to dining. The Sea World there is (or was when I went) very tired and not worth the time. I would do the zoo, Balboa park, and then some of the coast.

I agree nytraveler. I would prefer to stay at a cheaper place in La Jolla, downtown, Point Loma, or Coronado.
To me Hotel Circle is just as you've described it. Shudder!

I would never ever ever ever stay in Hotel Circle. I lived in San Diego for over 20 years... please don't stay there. Too many other great places to stay for within your budget!

If you are going to stay in Mission Valley, choose a different Hotel. The Marriott, in between the down at the East end of Mission Valley and the Stadium is a much better hotel and location than the Doubletree. From the Doubletree it is complicated to get back onto 8, and the hotel rooms are pretty dreary. I stayed there about 8 months ago, after spending several days at the Marriott.

Golly - you ladies make it sound so difficult. Hey - some travelers - like moi - other than pehaps having a great view - consider a motel just a place to sleep and shower - but I guess some like room service, lovely ambiance, whatever. And I have stayed at some of the most upscle places there are - but would rather economize on the lodging and splurge on the meals.

No question - there are more interesting places to stay than Hotel Circle - but Hotel Circle is very convenient to about everything in SD, and the DoubleTree has good, clean rooms - and seriously - where do you find something of that quality that is really cheaper? It also has a good pool and decent food. http://www.doubletreehotelcircle.com/

Personally - I would stay where I recommended - at the Inn at Sunset Cliffs - http://innatsunsetcliffs.com/ a 2 star type - but literally right over where the waves crash against the rocks - and where you can see the surfers, smell the ocean, walk along the cliffs, on and on. And there are some good places to dine in nearby Ocean Beach.

And as for what to do - I guess NY Traveler has not ridden on the new roller coaster/Manta at Sea World? http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sandiego/ or maybe she didn't get to my favorite place - Safari Park - formerly called the Wild Animal Park. http://www.sdzsafaripark.org/

Get out to the Cheetah run and see those incredible felines get up to speed in a hurry. Just amazing.

but I guess some like room service, lovely ambiance, whatever>

Not at all - I generally stay on points at marriott courtyards- I would priceline a room in the gaslamp before staying in hotel circle.
I lived there most of my life, and traveled back often when we lived in Orange County - and I have stayed at the very doubletree that lcuy is referencing and it was pretty dreary to say the least - and complicated. I just do not care for that area in a great city with many many options - to me it is like someone saying "I am going to stay in Kearny Mesa".

I just wanted some central place, not too much headach of parking and driving too and from sites.

How far is it if you stay at La Jolla the village, what area is that exactly.

So, SeaWorld is tired out and not worth an afternoon?

Chocaholic..here is some help for you since I live in the area.

Shelter Island, a penninsula in the San Diego Bay feels tropical, 5 minutes from airport without airport noise, 10 minutes to downtown Gaslamp, San Diego Zoo, Seaworld and La Jolla. Ideal location for day trips. You can street park car without fee or in the hotels. Very safe area too as is patrolled by both SD Harbor Police & SD City Police. Here is a link to Shelter Is Hotels.
http://www.shelterislandvillage.com/

Seaworld is very lively with new exhibits; Turtle Reef, Pets Rule, Sea lion show are all great for a day: am sure much different than when NYTraveler was here last.
http://seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sandiego/

A quick look at Hotwire shows a 4.5* hotel in the Gaslamp/Horton Plaza for $168. Harbor /Downtown 3.5* at 108

Id gamble on one of those instead of staying in Hotel Circle. My guess for the 4.5 star is the Palomar...nice place

If you really wanted a lower price, you can Priceline those categories and get a little more off, but its more difficult to guess because Hotwire gives you clues whereas Priceline is blind
----------------------------

Things to do
I love Sea World, I can easily spend a full day there, consider the Zoo, Wild Animal Park, the USS Midway, Ocean Beach or just bumming around La Jolla

btw: I just used some random August dates for those Hotwire prices

What FrankS. said.

ok i'm gonna do some research for another hotel as u guys suggested. surfing away.... surf surf surf...

Ok. I've booked now with Best Western Island Palms Hotel & Marina.

Best Western Island Palms Hotel & Marina<<

Just looked at it on Tripadvisor, looks good. Time to book restaurants, consider Croces- its a must every time we visit

Good choice. You might also visit Pt. Loma Seafoods - at the sport fishing docks - a few blocks away - http://pointlomaseafoods.com/ for the freshest seafood you can find, albeit in a fairly simple setting - and you might also try the Fish Market - which I previously mentioned - http://www.thefishmarket.com/locations.aspx?id=6 located downtown/along the Embarcadero - next to the great/"living" museum - the USS Midway.

And FYI - the term La Jolla covers a larger area than it once did - and the original/"village" area (20 minutes or so from downtown) is a very cute/smaller area - close to the Ocean - and I had an office in the Village for years. Loved it.

I also think "The Cove" http://www.lajollabythesea.com/la-jolla-cove is one of the cutest/nicest places to swim (even snorkel) you can find - and there are some hip lifeguards you can chat with to find out more about the beach/area there.

BTW - since your moniker is "chocaholic" - don't forget ExtraOrdinary Desserts - http://www.extraordinarydesserts.com/ close to Little Italy - by downtown.

There are also some other boutique/chocolate shops around the greater SD area. http://blog.discoversd.com/san-diego-restaurant-blog/sweet-treats-top-five-chocolate-shops-in-san-diego.html

And most visitors to San Diego want to have Mexican food at least once while here. One of our favorites in Old Town is the Old Town Mexican Cafe (where you can watch through the front window as the ladies make tortillas) - but we now prefer Casa Guadalajara - a couple blocks away from the main Old Town area. http://casaguadalajara.com/

Another fun place is Margaritas http://www.menuism.com/restaurants/margaritas-family-restaurant-san-diego-400519 in "funky/fun" Ocean Beach - on the main drag - Newport - fairly close to Shelter Island - just over the hill. Love their Huevos Rancheros for brunch.

Or for a great fish taco - and other choices, try the authentic/little El Zarape - at the "other" end of Park Ave - from the Zoo. http://elzarape.biz/

But there are so many places in San Diego where you find great Mexican food.

Best Western Island Palms Hotel & Marina<<

Congrats on making your booking.
You should enjoy it there. Did you book marina view? you probably should for the best experience.

Speaking of fish tacos, my all time ever favorite are at Point Loma Seafoods, particularly the shrimp tacos, YUMMMMMMM!

If you want "good" Mexican food, like what people eat in Mexico City, not at the US border, try El Agave, just south of the main part of Old Town. It is upstairs, over a liquor store, but don't let that dissuade you.

In Little Italy (just west of downtown) try Indigo Grill for inventive asian-latin fusion cuisine. It is one of the Cohn Group--Deborah Scott restaurants someone else mentioned.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/indigo-grill-san-diego

For a wonderful view of the Big Bay (harbor) and DT SD, try Island Prime or the fancier C Level, on Harbor Island--also a Cohn-Scott location.

Thank you everyone for you suggestions. I am updating my itinerary.

Amen d_claude - and we went to C-Level (at Island Prime - by the airport/Harbor Island) - last week with some friends who used to live here - but now live in Salt Lake/Park City.

If you go during the week - M-F - they have a great cocktail hour from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM - with $5 drink specials (love the Desi Arnez - a mango infused Mojito) and the same price for a glass of decent/house white or red wine or private brand/brew pub beer (that was only $4) - and also a delicious selection of $5 H' or D'oeuvres.

The selections, all with very good dipping sauces, and a decent serving of greens - include Baked/encursted Brie, Deep fried Calamari, Prawns wrapped in Parchment Paper, a Caesar Salad, chicken? pot stickers, etc. You can make an early meal of this - or move up to some of their wonderful main entries.

It's the best view and bang for the buck in San Diego IMO.

Here again is their webpage, but unfortunately - they don't have their cocktail menu up on this page: http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/menu-restaurants/island-prime/

Correcting a previous comment: Island Prime is the more exoensive venue; C Level is the more casual part.

I am going to be in LA the evening and one day in LA before heading to San Diego.

What to do in the evening in LA? The next day I will go visit the Getty Centre.

There area many many options for an evening in LA. Concert/play/night clubs, whatever floats your boat, and if you are staying by the Getty - walking around the UCLA/Westwood area is a "trip", and safe.

And speaking of boat - see this Trip Report - which might offer you some ideas for your upcoming SD trip.

http://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/dont-just-go-whale-watching-in-san-diego.cfm

Just out your hotel and a few minutes walk on Shelter Island is the Bali Hai. They have a new chef & menu and I keep hearing very good things about it these days. They are also on the water and have a great view. Good HH.
http://www.balihairestaurant.com/

Just a couple of blocks off Shelter Island on the corner of Rosecrans and Talbot is Gabardine. I haven't eaten there yet but they are always busy at Happy Hour.
http://www.gabardineeats.com/

Pomodoro's has good Italian but no view.
http://pomodorosd.com/

There is a little chocolate shop (they make their own and some cakes, etc.) just at the entrance to Shelter Island practically. Elegant Truffle.
http://www.trufflemaker.com/


The Red Sails Inn is a 'local' hangout and good breakfast
http://www.theredsails.com/breakfast.html

Another restaurant with a view further away (towards the airport from SI )is Jimmy's Famous
http://www.j-fat.com/#

Enjoy you stay!

thanks tomsd and elizzie4000 will look those up and check those restaurants out!

Unless its a Monday (closed), go up to Griffith Observatory in the evening. Several nice restaurants in the Los Feliz neighborhood below the Observatory.