Help me find the geographical "Bull's-eye" in San Diego area
 

The agenda for an upcoming trip to San Diego is shaping up to include some downtown attractions (Zoo, Gaslight district, etc) for the first part of the trip, and some North-county attractions the other half of my trip (wild animal park near Escondido and Callaway golf). Trying to find a centrally located hotel. We've stayed in Rancho Bernardo in the past, which works okay. Wondering if there is another "central" location similar (but maybe different for a change) to Rancho Bernardo. Hotel preference is "nice" but not lavish. We will be out and about for most of the day, but on the other hand we'd like a little more than "just a bed". Nice location is preferred, and a clean & 'updated' comfortable room for around $175 per night with a Fodorite endorsement would be muchly apreciated. Thanks !!

There is a Doubletree Resort in Poway, just a few miles south of Rancho Bernardo, I'd call it nice but not luxury. We've also used the Hilton Garden Inn at Rancho Bernardo when visiting SD.
Also tried staying in Mission Valley, but find we like being out in the Poway/RB area better. Unless all our time is being spent more in the City Center region, in which case we try to stay near the harbor.

Thanks, boom_boom, for the reply. We've also stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn at Rancho Bernardo - and were seriously considering it again this time - just thought I'd see if there were similar alternatives for a change of pace. Would you say the Doubletree Resort in Poway is [a] comparable to the Hilton Garden Inn at Rancho Bernardo, or [b] a slight cut above, or [c] almost as good but not quite. Interested in your opinion...

And thanks again for the reply !!!

P.S. Hilton Garden Inn R.B. actually used to be a Doubletree (the first time we were there)

The Hilton Garden Inn was built a few years ago and has never been anything else.

Other options in this general area are:

Radisson Suite Hotel on West Bernardo Court

http://www.radisson.com/ranchobernardoca

Courtyard by Marriott on Bernardo Plaza Court (this has had several other names including, I think, Doubletree)

Doubletree Golf Resort on Penasquitos Drive in Rancho Penasquitos (not Poway)

Rancho Bernardo Inn

http://www.ranchobernardoinn.com/

If you stay in this area a couple of good restaurants are"

French Market Grille

ww.frenchmarketgrille.com


Bernard'O

http://www.bernardorestaurant.com/

I think Rancho Bernardo is a bit far for the more centrally located attractions which are closer to DT San Diego: Balboa Park, Gaslamp, Old Town, Mission Bay attractions, etc.

Try the Country Inn and Suites in Mira Mesa. It used to be a Wyndham. There is also a Residence Inn up the road from the Country Inn and Suites.

On I-5, there's the Doubletree in La Jolla. Across from that is the Marriott. Believe there are other hotels in that location too.

These are considered more "business-oriented" than tourist oriented hotels, but lots of tourists stay in these hotels (read the reviews on tripadvisor, etc.) as well.

The La Jolla hotels are about 15-20 minutes to DT, the Mira Mesa ones will take a bit longer, since you have to double back (go north) on 805 to the junction of I-5 before heading DT. (You could also get to DT on 805).

"(You could also get to DT on 805)"

And that's what you'd do from the west end of Mira Mesa Blvd and the travel time would be about 15 minutes.

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Thank you all for the inputs.

The person with Hilton reservations told me about significant construction delays going into town on the 15 lately, and she helped me find an alternate Hilton chain hotel that just recently opened (think: super clean and a firm bed). This will be about equidistant for us from the Zoo (downtown) to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido. We can take I-5 -- and from what I hear the 5 to the 805 to the zoo shouldn't be too bad traffic wise compared to road construction delays on the 15.

Another great thing is this hotel has a coupon in the "Travel Coupon Guide" and we are booked and confirmed at $129 per night instead of $179 for a 2-King suite !!!

Thanks again for all the help folks !!!