A $65 million renovation in 2007 turned this venerable Mission Bay hotel into a modern and stunning property with many amenities. Rooms are in several low-level, lanai-style units, though there are marina suites and Tower rooms with spectacular views of the bay. Rooms feature a neutral color scheme and clean-lined furniture, quilt top beds, flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, and refrigerators, and most offer balconies with a view of the garden, bay, ocean, or swimming pool courtyard (pools have 120-foot water slides, plus a smaller slide on the kiddie pool). The new Red Marlin restaurant serves seasonal, seafood-heavy cuisine with 180-degree water views; the eco-friendly spa uses all natural organic products. The hotel offers a casually elegant Sunday champagne brunch. Year-round sportfishing charters, water taxis to SeaWorld, and winter whale-watching expeditions are other features. Pros: Modern decor, eco-spa, water views. Cons: Slightly hard to navigate surrounding roads, thin walls, not centrally located.
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