My wife and I(30something and no kids) are thinking about San Diego for a few days around Christmas(22nd to 27th). We want a very nice modern place to stay(ok if it is expensive as long as it is worth it, must have a pool),,, day trip suggestions(trip to Mexico),, we are pretty adventurous, we want great food(trendy to off the beaten path). We want to have fun and relax a bit.

Here are suggestions for two totally different places. One, Rancho Valencia resort (www.ranchovalencia.com) is very private and quiet. The other, the downtown W Hotel,is a trendy downtown hotel.

Considering much of the San Diego area is presently under fire, most literally, you should probably wait awhile to see what areas are still in decent shape before making any decisions. In any event unless it's a heated pool or some sort of very unusual hot weather strikes, it will be way too cold to swim at Christmas.

None of the areas which are generally the most heavily frequented by tourists have been touched by fire. The major tourist attractions are all untouched. The area which will have the biggest change, other than the many families who have lost their homes and perhaps loved ones, will be the mountains. The fire is still ferociously burning in the Cuyamacas. Most of the area between I-8 and Julian has been burned and we are hoping and praying that the old mining town of Julian can be saved, but it seems unlikely. However, these areas are not usually on tourists "must do" lists.

I think you would prefer the downtown / Gaslamp area walking distance to many good restaurants, etc. The Westin is modern, the Westgate is classic. Both are very convenient.

Off the beaten path? Try Quatro Milpas for authentic, lard based mexican food. If you go on Saturday, they have fresh menudo. Do not go at night.

Be aware San Diego hosts the Holiday Bowl around that time so most places will be full and/or charging rack rate.

i would check into the pacific terrace inn or the catamaran. they are both on or near pacific beach which is one of the more livelier places in san diego at christmas. you can bike, blade or try to hook up with a beach volleyball game. however, i would ask how hot their pool is as it could be cool at the coast.
with so few days, i would skip mexico. unless you can get south of tj, it isn't worth it.
day trips outside of town are a little hard to suggest until we see the results of the fire.

Nolists is quite right about the Holiday Bowl. It will be played on Tuesday, December 30. If you like football, this is consistently one of the best Bowl games. Also, on Sunday, December 28, the San Diego Chargers will play the Oakland Raiders at the Q. Whether or not that bears much resemblance to football remains to be seen, but there will be many members of the Raider Nation in town that week before the game, and for that reason you may want to stay somewhere other than the downtown area.

thanks to everyone for the help,,, we have booked the flight,, will be in town, 22 until 28. During that time everyplace charges a premium, we just want a nice place. The hotels we are considering : four seasons aviara, lodge at torrey pines, rancho valencia,,, any thoughts,, the W sounds like a good choice as well..

Have you considered Loews Coronado Bay Resort? We stayed there a couple of years ago and really loved it. It is about a ten minute drive from downtown Coronado, but if you have a car, it's no big deal. The resort is lovely. We had a room overlooking the marina. There is a nice pool, nicely landscaped grounds, good restaurants.

Hope this is helpful.

Have fun!

the lodge gets very good reviews. but you will have to drive to get to any restaurants outside of the hotel.