Carmel & San Diego
 

We are completing plans for a Calif. coastal trip in early May and a few details are still up in the air. I need help with: <BR> <BR>1) Where to stay for one night in Carmel...it is our anniversary. We have it narrowed down to the Cypress Inn, the Pine Inn, the Sandpiper, or the Green Lantern....any recommendations are appreciated!!! <BR> <BR>2) Which area to stay in San Diego for three nights at the end of our trip. We want R&R, and hopefully sunshine (if the weather cooperates), but we want to be close to nightlife!! I am torn beween Downtown, Harbor Island, or Coronado?? Which area and/or hotels are best (must have an outdoor pool)??? <BR> <BR>Help!! <BR>Ray <BR>

I live in San Diego and will try to help you out with that part of your trip. First, the weather in early May should be pretty good. It is past the rainy season and prior to the June Gloom period. <BR> <BR>You don't mention prices so I imagine that cost is not a big factor. My first choice would be the Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado. It is pricey but a unique experience. It has an excellent outdoor pool with a great beach. There is an excellent Mexican Restaurant, Miguel's Cocina, right across the street from the Hotel. It has excelent food, ambience, with reasonable prices. There is not a lot of nightlife on Coronado. <BR> <BR>For nightlife then downtown is the place to be. The Gaslamp area in downtown has a wide variety of restaurants and night spots. There are some excellent hotels in the area. My choice would be the Embassy Suites. The Westgate ia also an excellent choice. There are many other good hotels. Not all have pools so make sure of that before booking. Downtown is a great area for walking. You can walk along the waterfront as well as many other attractions. <BR> <BR>Harbor Island is right next to the airport. It is a nice enough area but would be my last choice. <BR> <BR>All three area are pretty nice and quite safe. If you want anymore info, don't hesitate to ask.

Price is not a MAJOR consideration, but we are trying to stay under $200 / night, which is not possible at the Hotel Del. What about the Marriott Coronado? Are also looking into Embassy Suites, although I do not think they have a pool. Any other options? What is wrong w/ Harbor Island? Too noisy? <BR> <BR>

Harbor Island won't be noisy, just a little dull, especially in early May when it will probably be too cold to swim. There will be more to see and do Downtown or in Coronado at that time of year. You might even consider La Jolla -- my favorite part of San Diego.

We stayed for four days at the Loews Coronado Bay hotel. It was very nice, with good restaurants and a nice pool area. The only drawback was the distance from the "downtown" area of Coronado island.

Anyone else??? <BR>

If the Hotel Del Coronado is not in your price range than I would skip Coronado altogether. The "Del" is the major attraction to Coronado. <BR> <BR>La Jolla is definitely an option though I personally prefer downtown San Diego. One word of caution. If you are interested in La Jolla than make sure that the hotel is actually in La Jolla. This may sound somewhat strange so I will try to explain. La Jolla is not a separate city but is in fact an area of San Diego. La Jolla is considered to be between I-5 and the coast and it actually has a sort of downtown. However there is an area that is often referred to as La Jolla to cash in on the name. In reality it is not really La Jolla and is a long way from the beach and other attractions. There are several major hotels in this area such as the Embassy Suites, Marriott, etc. that say they are in La Jolla. Don't believe it. There is nothing wrong with the area but it it really not a place to vacation. It is for the business traveller. You want to get a place close to central La Jolla which will also be close to the beach. There is some night life in La Jolla. <BR> <BR>Try the Westgate in downtown San Diego. It is an upscale property and has a pool though I am not sure if it is outdoor or indoor. The Westgate is pricey but you may get in under your limit. Make sure that you ask about discounts ( i.e. AAA ).