Come here for the trendy decor and neon drinks, not the service. The W chain's urban finesse adapts to San Diego with nautical blue-and-white rooms with beach-ball pillows and goose-down comforters atop the beds. The Beach bar has a heated sand floor and fire pit, but the pool is tiny by San Diego standards. The lobby doubles as the futuristic Living Room lounge, a local hipster nightspot where nonhotel guests have to wait behind a velvet rope. Be sure to get a room on an upper floor -- the leather- and black-clad crowd parties into the night. The hotel restaurant, Rice, serves stylish Asian and Latin cuisine, and the Away Spa caters to both body and spirit.
Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip >>