I've never been to San Diego but am going to make a cursory visit to scout out hotels and the area for my 2006 client conference in the fall. I'd appreciate an overview of locations that are "must be's" as well as some ideas on which hotels are good. I like the name brand hotels (Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt, and so on) because of their reputation and organization for conferences. I will have about 80 attendees over four nights and many of them are women.

I'd appreciate any insight, suggestion or information you could provide.

Contact the San Diego CVB about having a Request for Proposal sent to the San Diego hotels. Once you get the proposals you can limit your search to as few or many hotels you want to take the time to look at. I was there in April, '03 to find a site for a ship's reunion last October. I looked at seven hotels and decided on the Holiday Inn Bayside. The sales staff and banquet staff were extremely helpful and courteous. Our group of seventy eight were there three and four nights.

To get away from the standard buffet for our banquet, I opted for the Luau at the poolside and it was great.

Hotel renovations were completed in '03.

Thanks for on the CVB advice. Before I do that though, any suggestions on good hotels for the Gaslamp Dist? I'd like to at least be able to narrow down the choices so I don't get innundated with calls from hotels I can easily rule out.

Chances are that the hotels will not call you. They will send the proposals either to you or the CVB and the CVB will forward them to you. I had them sent directly to me. Since I needed banquet facilities, that limited the replies I got. Some of the first eliminated were those downtown charging $14.00-$18.00 per day parking. The seven that I selected to be looked at were based on room cost, banquet cost, comp rooms and comp banquet and meeting rooms. Once I looked at them, location and the surrounding area were factors to consider. With the HI Bayside, they have a restaurant, happy hour, and other restaurants are in walking distance.

Once you get the proposals, go to their website for additional information.

Both the Marriott and the Manchester Grand Hyatt are excellent for large conferences. Both a stones throw from the convention center, Gaslamp District, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza, Petco Stadium and of course the water.

I stayed at the Hyatt which is next door to the Marroitt. Both visually stunning waterfront hotels.

GoTravel's advice is sound - and is reliably so, to add some credibility.

I have not attended a conference in San Diego, but I agree that the Manchester Grand Hyatt and Marina Marriott are conveniently located to the Gaslamp Quarter (for those evening drinks out) and the convention center (for the business, although I presume in your case the hotels' respective on-site conference facilities should be sufficient.
Both properties are pretty large ones.

A bit smaller, in that area, too, and also usually getting good reviews are the Hilton Gaslamp Quarter (which is basically adjacent to the beginning streets of that strip) and the Omni right by the Petco Stadium.

All of these are also centrally located for excursions to Coronado Island with the acclaimed Hotel Del and the beautifully pristine beach.

You might also take an excursion to La Jolla into account. If you go there check on George's at the Cove right on Prospect St. in the village for a beatutiful dinner. They have three sections on three levels: A downstairs gourmet restaurant, a bar and a rooftop casual restaurant (with also unsdisputable qualtiy food).

Enjoy gorgeous San Diego!
hsv