I drove by these hotels to day and they looked very nice and one block from beach. Surf and Sand and Pacific Shores, both on Mission Blvd and small enough that you might get good rates.

Since you mentioned Sommerset Suites, I must tell you about my experience there last year. I had stayed there twelve years before and enjoyed it; however, this time there was a problem. Every time one of us walked across the floor, the people below would phone the front desk to complain about the noise. Either they had exceptional hearing or (more likely) the soundproofing is terrible. We had to endure this problem for several days, since the management was not willing to move us.

I found good rates at this website www.sandiegogetaway.com Maybe the Comfort Suites would suit your needs. Have fun!

Better take jackets for mornings and nights afternoons aren't bad but cold at night. We are from kansas and go twice a year and made the mistake of not taking jackets and froze. We like to use alamo for rentals and if you belong to sams club you can get a very good discount.

The weather can be in the 60's for highs, but sometimes warmer. A light jacket will get you through. For restaurants, I'd recommend The Old Spaghetti Factory on 5th in downtown San Diego. They make fresh-baked loaves of bread that are hot out of the oven. Just down the street on Harbor Drive, or close-by, is a barbecue place, although I forget the name. It's where they filmed the "Great Balls of Fire" scene in the movie Top Gun. The last two times I ate there, we got the sampler platter, which was HUGE, and the food was outstanding. If you like Mexican food, El Torito's is excellent, but I like to go to this one place called Roberto's and get some rolled tacos with guacamole, cheese and Roberto's hot sauce, and a carne asada burrito. Of course, it's too much to eat, but it's good. Some people don't like Roberto's, but I've always loved it. The one I frequented on 28th Street has closed, but there's another one not too far away. It looks like a fast-food place, but really the food is very good. For places to see, I liked to go to Ocean Beach. There's a nice little town there with lots of good coffee shops and tea shops, and "you name it it's there" shops. Continue through the town and you'll reach Sunset Cliffs Blvd, which has about 6 different little areas where you can park and walk down to the water and watch the waves come in. It's especially enjoyable when it's a bit windy because the waves get a bit taller and make some impressive sights when they crash into the shore. Of course, going there at sunset is a good refresher for the soul.

I should add that nights sometimes got down into the 40's during winter months, and was especially cold near the water. When you get away from the ocean, it warms up dramatically. But I remember standing pier watches more than once and being very cold. So if you're near the ocean at night, a light jacket might not be enough. Also, there's a mall in downtown SD called Horton Plaza. They have a parking garage. I used to like going there and browsing the shops, and I would sometimes pick up a hot cinnamon bun and sit outside under the gas patio heaters. Very enjoyable!