Can anyone give me any information about the Clarion Bay View hotel,we do not have a car so would like to know if it will be suitable for us.

Suitable for what?

San Diego without a car would not be suitable for me.

Is this hotel within walking distance of an Old Town Trolley Stop? The Old Town Trolley will take you to many (but not all) of the major tourist spots in San Diego.

you are probably not too far from the downtown trolley. there is also a bus that goes around town stopping at most major attractions...you can jump on & off wherever you want. one of it's stops is at horton plaza which is probably the closest to your hotel. you should call them, explain you don't want to rent a car and ask them about access to public transport. there is also a ferry from downtown to coronado island so you could get over there. getting to la jolla from there would be a long trip.
driving in san diego is pretty easy & would be beneficial but i've had company that has survived just fine on public transport - it's just slow. if you are healthy, renting a bike from downtown is another great way to get around.

Topping for Dot.

It's about 10-12 blocks from the trolley and is right next to the massive stadium construction site. It's on the edge of the gas lamp district but easily walkable. I'd get a car.

By the way people out there who is this guy that always writes topper or topping and what's that all about?

"Toppers": people do that to get their thread back to the top of the thread list so more people see it. Threads get buried quickly on the Fodors forums...

San Diego hotel: the Clarion Bay View seems to be about $100+/night on their web site (original poster didn't say when he was staying). As always I recommend Priceline if you don't need a specific hotel - you can probably get a nice hotel for almost half that price and use the money leftover for renting a car or taking a taxi (hotel might even have a shuttle if you are lucky).

Andrew