San Diego Hotels

"When I look at San Diego, it feels like Miami did years ago, with the vitality and anticipation to take off," said Rande Gerber, famous bar and lounge designer responsible for both bars at the new Hard Rock San Diego. And he's right. This ain't just your family-friendly San Diego any more. Seen for years as the home of SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo, the city's new class of boutique hotels is gaining attention from the hip jet-set crowd. Features like see-through showers at the Ivy, Sunday afternoon rehab pool parties at the Hard Rock Hotel, and the edgy Italian chic Pininfarina design at the Keating now mingling with kiddie pools and ho-hum chains. Facing this sexy hotel boom, classic hotels are upping the ante by adding sleek modern decor and such amenities as spas, flat-screen TVs, and wireless Internet service.

San Diego is divided into many different enclaves, so to avoid sitting in traffic, figure out first what you want to see and do. If you want to luxuriate by the water, choose a hotel in La Jolla, Coronado, Mission Beach, or Pacific Beach. La Jolla, home to historic landmark hotels such as the Grande Colonial and La Valencia, offers many romantic and upscale ocean-view hotels and some of the area's best restaurants and specialty shopping. But it's easy to find a water view in any price range: surfers make themselves at home at Tower 23 and Diamond Head Inn in Pacific Beach. If you're arriving by boat or plan to do some sportfishing, check out the hotels located near marinas in Shelter Island, Point Loma, or Coronado.

Mission Valley and downtown are ideal for business travelers; there are plenty of well-known chain hotels with conference space, modern business centers, and executive floors. When the work is done, join the trendsetters flocking to downtown's Gaslamp Quarter for the mix of expense account-worthy restaurants and boutique-style hotels. Here, your hotel is as much a place to rest your head as it isn't; settle in at the stylish Ivy Hotel or the pool-topped Hotel Solamar if you want to be in the middle of the action.

And of course, San Diego is still as much a playground for families as for hipsters; choose a hotel in Mission Beach, historic Old Town, or Mission Valley, areas that offer good-value accommodations with extras like sleeper sofas, and are close to the Zoo and SeaWorld.

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