Barbie2

My husband and I are booked to stay at the Dana Inn and Marina in December. I have seen a few websites reviewing this facility very poorly. I guess they are undergoing renovations? If you have been there recently could you please advise on what I can expect. This hotel has been rated anywhere from 0-3 stars on various reviews. Thanks!

walkabout

I live in San Diego, so I haven't had a need to stay there. However, have you checked tripadvisor.com? They have 11 reviews of this hotel, all within the last few months. A couple are as recent as September, and some of the guests wrote extensively of their experiences.

Of the 11 reviews, 9 rated the hotel a 4 out of 5, one a 5 out of 5, and one a 3 out of 5.

Barbie2

Thanks for the post. After seeing quite a few positive reviews-I had recently seen a few that were very negative. I like consistency. Its just making me a little nervous. We don't have the luxury of traveling more than once a year.Hate to waste it on a dump. Thanks again for your help. Hey...what about the SeaWorld weekend breakfast or dinner with Shamu? Is this worthwhile?

Jocelyn_P

I have some friends who did the Dine with Shamu with their three kids. Basically they got to eat a hot dog while sitting next to the Shamu pool. The kids liked it because Shamu splashed them (and their hot dogs), but the adults were underwhelmed. Don't know anyone who's done the breakfast thing. Whatever you do though, don't miss out on Sea World! Beware of the birds though--they'll steal the food right off your plate--it's happened to me and I've seen many a crying kid who lost their lunch to a brave seagull! Also be sure to eat at South Beach Bar and Grill in Ocean Beach, at the end of Newport Ave, across from the pier. You'll be the only tourists there. It has a lot of "character" (it's a beach bum hangout). Get a mahi fish taco--the best in town (fish tacos are a San Diego specialty. I know it sounds gross, but try one!). Have a great time and let me know if you need any more info---I've lived here for 10 years.

Barbie2

Jocelyn P. Thanks for the post. I am one of those horrific overplanners. I don't want to miss a thing. I love the planning of a vacation almost as much as going. I have 6 days in San Diego. What would you see? We love art museums, funky urban shops, zoos- hence the trip to SeaWorld and the SD zoo. We
have a whale watching trip reserved with
Hornblower. We will be there the week of Christmas. I have posted about Christmas dinner. Most too pricey though. Thanks for any help.

Jocelyn_P

I would love to help you plan--I'm an obsessive overplanner as well! Where are you traveling from? I'll have to get back to you on Monday though, after the computer hog in the family (dear husband) is back at work. Later!

Heavens

Let me see if I can help you with San Diego. We go there often.

You might check Thee Bungalow or the Third Corner (must like fish for this one) for Christmas. Also George's at the Cove in La Jolla is good. So many places in SD really. Depends on what part of town and what kind of food.

Must see the zoo. Also Sea world. Also just drive around on Pacific Coast Highway and see the sites. Del Mar is a nice area. Jakes by the sea in Del Mar is a great place.

Can you tell I like fish? My absolute favorite place to eat now is the Fishery. Excellent food and prices, and great variety. It is between Pacific Beach and La Jolla on Turquoise, I think.

Old Town, kind of an old Mexican town kind of place with shops and restaurants is a fun day. And just walking on the beach is great. Mission Beach is fun, with Belmont Park and lots of surf shops and hot dog huts. The boardwalk is a great place to people watch.

I am not sure about the Dana Inn. I have never stayed there. Seems like that time of year you could do better. I would keep checking it out.

Go to this website if you can. It has tons of info. I refer to it all of the time. Have a great trip. SD is the best city there is. IMHO.

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/
Heavens

Barbie2

We are traveling from Portland, OR. We adore seafood too. Love fish tacos by the way. We booked the hotel already. Did a package with Alaska Air. Got a great rate. San Diego seems to have so much to offer. I really want to take advantage of as much as possible.
From my posts here on Fodors I can already tell that San Diego folks (San Diegoans?) are fabulous people. You're so helpful and enthusiastic about SD. Makes me even more anxious to get there!! Thanks ever so much.

mclaurie

Barbie I was in SD for the first time 3 wks ago & LOVED it! I had posted for some other folks about Thanksgiving dinners. One place I suggested is Brockton Villa in La Jolla. This is a fun, funky place across from the beach. I think it would be reasonably priced. I went there for breakfast (great french toast) but they serve lunch & dinner too.

Balboa Park where the zoo is also has about 7 museums and a botanic garden. I spent the entire day there at the museums & never got to the zoo!

There's a trolley you can take ($24 though) that goes all around SD including Coronado, La Jolla, the gaslight district, old town, seaport village etc. It's a nice way to get the lay of the land without worrying about directions & parking. Definitely go to Coronado Island (connected to downtown by a big bridge. There are also ferries & water taxis). It's a beautiful beachy island.

You'll love the trip.

mcgeezer

The Dana Inn is centrally located so you should be okay. I'm a native San Diegan, so I've never had occasion to stay at a hotel here. Since you mentioned you were interested in art I wanted you to know the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park is having an interesting exhibit on Vatican Art. You may want to check it out on the internet before you come down so you can get tickets. Directly across for the SDMA is the Mingei and is often worthwhile. Balboa Park is wonderful and there is a lot for you and the kids there. If you fall in love with the giant statue in front of the Mingei, by the artist Niki Saint de Phalle, there is a wonderful installation in Escondio (Kit Carson Park) of her work entitled, Queen Califa's Magical (or is it Mystical?) Garden. We thought it was well worth the drive but I don't know how much you love art. If you do decide to go to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido then Kit Carson Park is simply a turn off the road from there. Many people love the Wild Animal Park and in December they light it up for the holidays and stay open after dark. Also, there are two modern art museums in town that are worthwhile, one in La Jolla (popular spot) and one downtown.
Hope you are planning to rent a car. It seems impossible to navigate San Diego without one. Enjoy your stay.

Heavens

Yes, I have not been to Brockton Villa but have heard that it is very good.

Also in La Jolla is Harry's Coffee Shop (an institution and some of the BEST food ever, great for breakfast and lunch) and the Cottage, also good for breakfast and lunch. On Sunday mornings they have a very nice Farmers Market in La Jolla. Lots of fruits, vegies, flowers, foods and people bring their dogs.

How could I forget, Balboa Park. You can spend all day just walking the park and looking at the archetecture. The Botanical House (down the avenue of museums) is one of my favorite places of all time. The Prado Restaurant there is supposed to be pretty good there too. The Imax at the Ruben H. Fleet Museum is fun also. Great place to take pictures, at the park.

Coronado is awesome place to just drive around and see the homes and neighborhood. Beautiful place.

SD is just the best place to visit. Have a great time.

Jocelyn_P

Hi! You've gotten lots of good advice already. I'll give you a list of our favorites (of course everyone's list of favorites is going to be different, but I hope this helps you to plan):

Restaurants:
Eva's (the best Mexican food in town, at the east end of Mission Valley)

Ciao Bella, for authentic Italian, out east in La Mesa. Again, very non-touristy.

Il Fornaio, Italian, on Coronado (I think there's on in Del Mar, too)

Fish Market, downtown (great splurge dinner. We'e tried most of the good seafood places and this is by far the best)

South Beach Bar and Grill (already mentioned in another post)

Point Loma Seafood, good for a quick bite, on Harbor Drive

Filipi's for pizza, several locations

Rubio's, all over town

Any local taco shop

For restaurants in Old Town we like Casa de Bandini. Very festive and I think it has good food; kinda hard to tell because I always get a margarita first and they're HUGE. They could feed me dog poop and I would probably love it.

For restaurants along the La Jolla Cove, we like Trattoria Acqua. A little less pricey than some of the others and perhaps the best atmosphere and view.

Apparently there are good sushi bars in town. It's not our thing so I can't recommend one, but ask around if you want to try one out.

Anthony's fish grotto is pretty popular; I really don't like it, except for their fish-and-chips style food.

Activities:
Old Town Trolley Tours--someone else talked about that. It's a great way to see highlights of the city; block out a whole day. Check out their website at oldtowntrolley.com for discounts. You may even want to block out some more time another day to go back and revisit some places (like Balboa Park--what a treat that place is!)

If you like zoos, you'd love the Wild Animal Park. I think you can get discounts if you go to both (Animal Park and Zoo). Check the zoo's website.

My personal favorite: taking a ferry from downtown to Coronado for dinner (Il Fornaio or Peohe's, but not Bay Beach Cafe). On the way back you see the city all lit up--it's so gorgeous, especially at Christmas time!!!

La Jolla for shopping and a walk along the coastline.

If you like funky urban shops, you'll love where you're staying. Lots of cool shops from Mission Beach up through Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach. Just stroll up the boardwalk.

To feel like a million bucks by only spending $10, go to the Top of the Hyatt downtown for a drink and a panoramic view of the city in a nice lounge. Great activity for after dinner at Fish Market, about 3 blocks away.

You'll love the whale-watching tour; it's a great time of year to go.

As you said, most San Diegans are friendly and happy to be here, so if you get lost or need advice once you're here, just ask any local!

Let me know if you want more specifics!

Jocelyn

Heavens

Agree on the Hyatt, but not a fan of the Fish Market. Great view by the water, though. Have had too many very mediochre meals there. The Fishery is so much better and cheaper. Just my opinion.

Havent tried the Hyatt for a drink. Will have to try. I have also heard that the roof bar on top of the W in the downtown area is quite the place to go. Fun and trendy, if you can get in.

Have fun.

Jocelyn_P

Wow, that's the first time I've heard someone disappointed by the Fish Market. How was it mediocre? The food is very simply prepared, which to some people can be interpreted as mediocre. I like it because it's so fresh and not hidden under a heavy sauce. Like I said, everyone has their favorites. I haven't been to the Fishery--is it fairly new? Our nightlife has dwindled significantly since the kids came along! The Top of the Hyatt is not so much trendy as it is "swanky." Depends on what you're in the mood for. Barbie2--as far as Christmas dinner goes, are you stuck on the traditional American dinner, or have you thought about a Mexican version? Might be kinda fun, and perhaps less expensive.

elizabeth_reed

Forgive me, Barbie, because it's been a while. In 1996 we spent almost a week at the Dana Inn, and really liked it. Yes, I know it's probably completely different now.

What I liked was the location and the quietness -- with so many buildings, there weren't many under the same roof and you could always park near your room. Around the north was a walkway along the water, which gave some wide open space. I also liked the nearby sailboats and resident cat at the office building. At that time they had a free shuttle to Sea World, which we rode, but then just walked back for exercise/convenience.

In San Diego there is so much to do that you may not be spending much time in the room!

Barbie2

I hadn't considered a Mexican Christmas. That sounds kind of neat. I bet my hubby will want to go more traditional though.
I have printed all your wonderful advise for my travel portfolio....Any of you carry a 3 inch thick binder with all your travel stuff. (For one week of travel in the US mind you) I told you I am an obsessive overplanner.
My next query is on the Wild Animal Park. Love it or leave it?
You guys ROCK! Thanks so much. Barbie

Jocelyn_P

Here's a vote for the Wild Animal Park; I like it better than the zoo, in fact. The animals are kept in a more natural environment--you feel like you're going on a safari, not that I've ever been on one. You see all sorts of interesting things--I've seen a baby, I forget what kind of animal, stranded on an island in a pond that had to be rescued, animals challenging each other (they keep different species in the same areas), and of course lots of mating. I'd go to the Zoo first though because after the Wild Animal Park the Zoo feels very artificial. And if you do go, step into the lorakeet exhibit (I know that's not spelled right; they're colorful birds). You get to feed them from a cup and if you get them when they're hungry you'll be covered in birds! Great pic opportunity. By the way, all my stuff wouldn't fit in a binder; I carry a separate tote bag with all my maps, guide books, compasses, etc.

Heavens

The Fishery is on Kass and Turquoise, just a little north of where you are staying. It has been there quite a few years, but is recently getting a lot of raves. New chef maybe? You can get anything from fish and chips to lobster Thermadore. Most dishes have some interesting preparation.

I know that a lot of people like the Fish Market. The last few times we went there we were very dissappointed. The fish all tastes the same. Nothing special. Good sour dough bread, though. And a great view. Wonderful place to go for glass of wine, chowder, and enjoy the view. But if you really want fish, for a much better price and preparation, I would go to either Point Loma Seafoods (awesome place) or the Fishery. Also, other favorite place is Third Corner, across from Thee Bungalow. Great, but, as you can see, we love our fish.

If you like sushi, a lot of that in SD also. Some of the best ever. Boy, hope you like to eat.

Heavens

melissapost

We go to San Diego every few months for the weekend. Have stayed at many places. We're going this next weekend and got a rate of $84.50 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt using my Entertainment membership. Go to Hyatt.com, they have some really good rates right now. The Old Town Trolley is lots of fun as was mentioned. In Little Italy, Filippis is really good italian food. Be sure and walk around the Del Coronado. You'll have a great time!

Marie

Just a quick note on "Dining with Shamu". I'm not sure what Jocelyn was talking about. I did this in San Diego 2 years ago, and it definitely wasn't just hot dogs. It was a rather large buffet. I thought the food was pretty good. You sit at tables that are next to the edge of Shamu's pool. Personally, I was close enough to touch Shamu (if the trainer would have let me - which he didn't.)