anneofingleside

Where is a good place to stay in San Diego for Sea World, San Diego Zoo, Wildlife Park and Legoland? Mouseplanet.com recommends the hotels in the Hotel Circle area because they are close to everything and there are a lot of restaurants there. We are considering the Courtyard by Marriott and the Fairfield Inn there (because we have Marriott Rewards). Has anyone stayed there?

Quinty

I've stayed in the hotel circle several times (30+) as my husband's office is down there and he goes every couple of weeks.
I have never stayed in a Marriott there however. It is a good "car" location - you will need to drive everywhere but most things are quite convenient, from shopping and dining, to the beach and other sites.
Just make sure to ask for a room away from the highway, as the ones facing it can be a little noisy.

Andrew

What is important to you in a hotel room? Hotel Circle is convenient to the freeway (straddled around I-8 closer to I-5 interchange) and not too far a drive from anything touristy. And there are chain restaurants, movie theaters, and a big shopping mall near by. And it is safe. But it's very dull. You must have a car to go anywhere.

If you are going to San Diego just to "see the sites" and don't care much about the area in which you will stay, Hotel Circle will be fine. In some cities I like a hotel that is in a more interesting area, maybe within walking distance of stuff. You can't walk to anything from Hotel Circle.

Andrew

wendyj

hotel circle is not a fun place to stay if you are a tourist. There is nothing beautiful to look at (and san diego has so many beautiful things to look at), and it's about 7-10 miles from the ocean.

Also, the attractions you have listed are geographically quite far from one another. For example, Sea World and the Zoo are not far from each other, but Legoland is a good 35-40 minute drive from Hotel Circle, and the Wild Animal Park is even farther.

If you give us a bit more about what you're looking for, I'm sure everyone can come up with plenty of options for you. Personally, I would be very disappointed in Hotel Circle. It's congested, surrounded by malls, and not representative of the best of San Diego. That said, you can't get any closer to the freeway (good thing, too, because you'll want to leave Hotel Circle first thing in the morning).

If you have Marriott Awards, look into the Marriott Marina downtown. Also consider staying in Pacific Beach or Mission Beach - the Catamaran, Princess Resort. Better yet, find a little condo on the beach to rent and enjoy San Diego's beautiful beaches and amazing weather. Live like a local and hit the Farmer's Market in Pacific Beach on Saturday. Take in a beer and watch as the whole world stops for the ceremony of the sun dropping into the sea. there's a vibe in san diego that you really can't get by staying in hotel circle.

J_Correa

I agree with theothers that there isn't really anything to recommend hotel circle other than quick access to the freeways. I would stay downtown near the water or in the Mission Neac/Mission Bay area depending on what you are looking for.

kevmo

It sounds like you have kids and won't be enjoying peaceful beers at quaint beachside bars. There's a courtyard in Old Town that would be pretty convenient to everything and not in the rush of hotel circle.

anneofingleside

Thanks for all your suggestions. Yes, this is a vacation for the kids so we are doing the theme park thing. We're looking for a hotel that's conveniently located and clean and comfortable for a family. It would be nice to stay by the beach, but I don't know if it is easy to get to the attractions from there.

(This one's for the kids because later in the summer, my husband and I will treat ourselves to a wine country B&B trip.)

anneofingleside

Okay, so which Marriott hotel do you recommend is close to the attractions, but not in congested Hotel Circle? Or are the only conveniently located Marriotts in Hotel Circle?

Someone mentioned beachside, Old Town and downtown hotels. Having never been to San Diego, I have no idea how easy it is to get to the theme parks from those areas, and if so, if there are any Marriotts there.

lenleigh

anneofingleside (boy that's a mouthful)

We stayed at the Marriot in the Gaslamp District, located next to the Convention Center. Personally I loved it mostly because of the attractions near it and the location. You can walk along the Seaport village shops, restaurants and it has lots of things for kids to do. You literally walk out behind the hotel and have a great view of the Bay, Coronado bridge and you just walk as far as you want to go. It is also located kind of in the middle of Sea World, the Zoo, Coronado and the access to the highway is very easy to get to. We met a friend staying in Hotel Circle and I was very happy with our choice, Hotel Circle is just ugly from what I saw. I have pictures from my trip from last August at the link below. I am planning on going back again in Aug/Sept and am thinking of the same location. It may be expensive though since it is next to the convention center and they were quite busy when we were there.

http://community.webshots.com/user/lenleigh

anneofingleside

Nice pictures, lenleigh. Thanks for the tip. I will check out the Gaslamp district Marriott. So you say it's near the attractions and has easy access to the freeway. Sounds good. I didn't know how bad Hotel Circle was until I got all these comments here.

J_Correa

We just got back from San Diego a couple weeks ago and we found everything really easy to get to from downown. The freeway is right there, the airport is practically downtown, Balboa park is just across the freeway from downtown, and Mission Bay where Seaworld is isn't very far away. I think the wildlife park and legoland are father, but they will be a drive no mater where you stay.

lenleigh

I would say it took us 5-10 minutes to get to the hotel from the airport but can't recall ever seeing a plane near the hotel (I would think the flight path is much closer to Hotel Circle).

I think it took us about 15 mintues to get to Sea World and about 10 minutes to get to the Zoo. Any of the hotels that are near Seaport Village are in a great location. Hotel Circle, from what I saw, is a bunch of hotels on both sides of the highway with no to little views. Have fun!

anneofingleside

15 minutes to Seaworld and 10 minutes to the zoo! Wow, you can't beat that. Thanks a lot, lenleigh. Will definitely look into it.

Barbara

Thousands of tourists stay in Hotel Circle every year and enjoy their stays. It is very central, but it doesn't take long to get to Sea World or the Zoo from almost anywhere in San Diego. Remember that Legoland and the Wild Animal Park ar not in the city of San Diego, so wherever you stay they will be a longer drive. The flight path for the airport is nowhere near Hotel Circle. If you stay in Hotel circle, where hotels tend to be more reasonably priced and so more attractive to a lot of families, you will need a car. But, to get to Legoland and the Wild Animal Park you will need a car anyway.