Local Wally's Guide to San Diego
The original locals guide to San Diego...since 1996
Is this Hawaii or San Diego? It's a tropical paradise in Mission Bay and Pacific Beach!
Mission Bay, the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, is best known as the home of SeaWorld. But it's also San Diego's water playground, the place to rent a jet ski or sailboat, go windsurfing or water ski, or just float on a raft and take a swim with the kids.
It's 4,235 acres of San Diego fun with plenty of non-water activities such as riding a bike, laying in the sun, having a barbeque or enjoying a toasty beach bonfire at night.
It's also home to many of San Diego's top vacation resorts. If you want a Hawaii-like vacation with palm trees swaying in the gentle tropical breezes, sandy beaches with just a hint of wave to them, icy cold drinks served up with tiny umbrellas, then Mission Bay is where your next vacation should be.
Pacific Beach borders Mission Bay and has a San Diego "beach dude" sort of vibe. It's filled with local shops and restaurants and has a lively young nightlife scene for the under 30 crowd (well, 40 is the new 30 but you get the idea). It also features a number of beach hotels - from top notch boutiques right on the beach to 2 star beach motels where it's OK to toss your sandy boogie board right on the carpet. Beach vacation here we come!
HILTON SAN DIEGO RESORT AND SPA 
A recent $65 million dollar refurbishing has made this iconic resort even better. The Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa is their flagship hotel here with three pools (one of them is the biggest pool in San Diego), watersides, fire pits on some patios, and even a water taxi that will take you to a private entrance to SeaWorld.
Water sports lovers will love the Hilton's private marina where you can rent hobie cats, wave runners, sailboats, wind surfboards, water-ski boats, and scuba diving rentals, along with bikes and rollerblades. There's a private beach on the bay, an arts and crafts center for the kids, if you can't have fun here there's something wrong with you!
Rooms are either in the 8 story tower or the deluxe bungalows located next to the water. Every room has either a patio or a balcony and features Hilton's Serenity bed - a super comfy pillow top mattress, down duvet and hypoallergenic down/feather pillows. Furnishings are smart and contemporary and TV's are flat. Stressed out Moms will love the supervised kids programs (just set it and forget it!) - let someone else entertain the kids for a while while you have a mai tai. Come on, you're on vacation too! Beautiful grounds, waterfalls in the lagoon, kid friendly bay beach, it's hard not to have the vacation of your dreams here.
PRO'S: Families will love all of the activities, location close to all attractions
CON'S: You'd better like kids if you stay here during Summer
WALLY SAYS: My top family pick resort
It's like a secret hideaway, a tropical paradise away from the crowds, a resort that looks like its been transplanted from Maui. There's not a high rise in sight as each room is part of a single story bungalow giving it a Hawaii village sort of feel. There are 5 pools, including the big one with a sandy "beach" for the kids, an 18 hole putting course, bicycle rentals and even "dive in" movies at the pool at night! Get a room facing the bay and you'll wake up thinking that you landed in Hawaii.
Two popular restaurants right on the site, the casual Barefoot Bar and the upscale Baleen, both located right on the water. Families looking for a safe beach experience will love being on the bay (no giant waves to swallow your kid, no hungry sharks looking for a snack) and romantics will love the beautiful Hawaii setting away from the crowds. Be selective when checking in as some rooms have fantastic views and settings, others less so. But no matter what room you get, there is no way you are not going to love the lush grounds and laid back San Diego setting.
PRO'S: Not Hawaii but an incredible simulation! Great landscaping and a Fantasy Island feel.
CON'S: Some of the bungalows look like barracks so be picky when you check in.
WALLY SAYS: This hotel really lives up to its paradise name! Love it, love it.
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San Diego has two distinct water experiences. The bay is calm and peaceful, perfect for kids and easy sail boating. The beach is energetic and lively, the place to boogie board or body surf. Most water resorts are one or the other, but The Catamaran offers both - the bay on one side, the beach across the street. For those of you looking for a resort that appeals to both sides of your brain, the Catamaran is it.
From a decor perspective, it's sort of poor man's Polynesia, an old school Hawaiian feel. There's a waterfall in the lobby, koi fish swimming in the ponds, chirping parrots and tiki torches at night, even a free luau show. The grounds are lush and tropical and the large expanse of sandy beach on the bay is the perfect place to kick back and forget all of your woes. Get a room in the tower building facing the ocean and you'll not only have a stunning ocean view but a free fireworks show from SeaWorld every night. Guest also get a free ride on the Bahia Belle, a goofy "tourists only" paddlewheel sort of boat that circles the bay - locals would rather run naked down Broadway than be seen on the Belle, but it's actually not a bad way to spend an evening if you're here on vacation. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.
Got kids and wish you could dump them off on someone else during the day? Yes you can! The Catamaran has kids programs to keep them occupied and out of trouble while you sneak back to the bar or back to the room for a bit of fun yourself. Who's looking out for you? Local Wally is!
The Catamaran often gets criticized for not having the coolest rooms, and in all honesty the rooms are a bit bland and average. But some rooms have kitchenettes ,which is nice for a beach vacation, and TV's have been upgraded to flat screen. The location is the star of the show here and if you want the best of both worlds, bay and beach, there's no better pick than The Cat.
LOCAL WALLY HOT TIP: If the Catamaran is booked, The Bahia is a sister resort nearby and nearly as good.
PRO'S: Right on the bay, beach across the street, killer location!
CON'S: Rooms are good, not great, but who cares with a location like this?
WALLY SAYS: I love tormenting the parrots and teaching them to say bad words!
Let me start by saying that at first I didn't "get" The Dana. I mean, the pics on the internet make this place look more like a public library than a fun resort. There's no beach access, no paddleboat ride, no water slides and no Kamp Kids programs. But if you think this place is going to be a drag, as much fun as a 5:00 conference call on Friday, you're wrong. The Dana offers an alternative to the family fun center approach to Mission Bay hotels and for my money hits the bulls eye smack in the center for great location, great service, and great value in a bayside resort.
There's two main sections to The Dana, the regular (older) Marina view rooms and the new Deluxe Water's Edge bay view rooms. If you pick a Hawaiian styled Marina room you won't be disappointed - unless you catch a glimpse of the Water's Edge rooms. The new rooms are absolutely stunning with their contemporary furnishings and gorgeous views. Add to that a couple of pools (one with in-pool movies at night) and a pretty good restaurant (The Firefly) and you have a winning combination. Rent sailboats, jet skis or kayaks at the adjoining marina, or bikes so you can see Mission Bay along the miles of bike paths.
If you're looking for fire dancers at night and non-stop Jimmy Buffet music playing at the pool, this isn't it. But if you want a relaxing hotel with sparkling bay views, a place to hang by the pool without a bunch of screaming kids fighting over who punched who, then The Dana should be your pick. Free airport and cruise ship shuttle, too.
PRO'S: Smaller hotel in a killer location, right on the bay and a mile to the beach!
CON'S: Scary businesslike exterior might make you think you're here to make a presentation - have a drink and relax!
WALLY SAYS: Pick the older rooms or the newer ones, it doesn't matter. I love this place!
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After a $65 million dollar refurbishing completed at the end of 2007, the previous Hyatt Islandia resurfaces as the luxurious Hyatt Regency Mission Bay. The changes are readily apparent the moment you see the pools - three new pools with multiple watersides set amongst the tropical landscaping. Inside the rooms have an upgraded feel with their crisp linens and contemporary colors. And the views! The towers afford outstanding ocean and bay views - open up that slider and step outside on the balcony, man this is some great hotel!
It's location right next to the marina means you won't have to go far to rent jet skis or sailboats, and deep sea fishing or whale watching adventures start there as well. SeaWorld is a short walk and all the main San Diego attractions are just minutes away. It may not have all of the resort amenities of the Hilton Mission Bay and the grounds may not be as lush as Paradise Point, but it's still makes the list as one of the better hotels in the area. Choose this hotel if you're looking for a family friendly resort with terrific pools and ocean views.
PRO'S: Stunning ocean views from the tower buildings
CON'S: Sometimes overrun with unhappy people in business casual attire attending conventions. Don't tease them!
WALLY SAYS: A solid pick if you're looking for an upgraded hotel without all the fuss.
With so much ocean you'd think that first class hotels right on the beach would be a dime a dozen, but truth is the choices for true beach hotels are limited, and even more so if you're looking for an upscale hotel. The Pacific Terrace Hotel, located on a bluff right on the oceans edge, is one of the very few top notch hotels that offers easy beach access and spectacular ocean views.
Now the term "ocean view" often gets abused by marketing folks describing their hotels. Some claim views even though their hotels are miles away from the sea, and with some ocean views you see more rooftop than water. But the Pacific Terrace Hotel offers full "nothing in front of you" ocean views from most of their rooms, and even their partial ocean views are better than most other hotels. Fall asleep to the gentle sound of crashing waves. Start your day with a walk on the deserted beach. Any closer to the beach and you'll have waves crashing on your bed.
The rooms are done up in an upscale and tasteful Tommy Bahama motif and service at this boutique is first rate. While there's no restaurant on premise the hotel has partnered with many of the places up and down the street so you can still say "charge it to my room" at selected restaurants. The hotel itself sits off the busy main drag and parking is at the resorts underground lot so there's no fighting for a space on a busy Summer day. Spa services, a cool pool overlooking the ocean, the Pacific Terrace is a luxury boutique with a true oceanfront location that's sure to please everyone from families to romantics.
PRO'S: Right on the bluffs overlooking the ocean - it's spectacular!
CON'S: Pacific Beach sometimes attracts oddballs with full body tattoo's and face piercing's, but they don't bite.
WALLY SAYS: Honeymoons to anniversaries to luxury vacations, Pacific Terrace Hotel is one of the best choices.
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You're entering into dangerous territory when you book a hotel "right on the Boardwalk" in Pacific Beach. Many of these beachfront hotels look darn attractive on the net but that's because the photographer wasn't around when the beer keg went flying out the window. Luckily there are a few moderate hotels that still offer that beachfront location with a bit of Mom and Dad sensibilities, and the Best Western Blue Sea Lodge is one of them.
With 128 rooms, the Best Western Blue Sea Lodge is a full featured hotel with ocean views, nice pool, a fridge and microwave in each room, and even bike rentals - perfect for cruising' up and down the boardwalk like a local. Rooms are clean and large and are decorated in a sort of nice generic hotel motif - which is to say that this is not a crummy motel but perhaps the caliber of an average Marriott. While not a luxurious honeymoon sort of spot, it would be perfect for an weekend getaway or special occasion and families will love that the beach is right there - step right off the property and over the boardwalk and you're in San Diego sand and ocean. Here on business? You'll love the location.
So you won't confuse the Best Western Blue Sea Lodge with the Four Seasons, but the location on the sand makes it one of the more attractive properties, made all the more so for its typically moderate rates.
PRO'S: Good clean hotel right on the beach - not a rat trap!
CON'S: PB can get a bit wild at night, definitely youth friendly part of town.
WALLY SAYS: If the rate is right you won't find a better value for a beachfront hotel
So by now you must be figuring out that Pacific Beach, or P.B. as the locals call it, caters to a younger, perhaps less conservative crowd. Beer bars are the norm around here and many of the motels look a bit like a party at my old fraternity. But every now and then something really strange sneaks into P.B. and Tower 23, a sophisticated "urban meets contemporary" hotel is the latest entry.
A boutique hotel that would not be out of place in Los Angeles, Tower 23 (named after the lifeguard tower nearby) caters so the hip and trendy, the types that know how to tell the real thing from the posers. Clean and minimalist, Tower 23 makes a fashion statement that's a sharp contrast to the flip flop P.B. crowd. Rooms offer all the amenities you'd expect, from flat screen TV's to Bose sound systems, and the Tower bar is a great place for sipping a grey goose while watching the beautiful people. There's even a top rated high end ocean view restaurant, JRDN, right on the premises so you won't have to dine on burgers and chicken wings like most people staying in P.B do. Lunch on lobster BLTs ($14) or a grilled flat iron steak with fries ($18). Dinner gets significantly more expensive with steaks in the $40 range, but they include two sides and an ocean view (and no driving or DUI) so it's not as extravagant as you might first think.
Lack of a pool might turn off families, but the ocean is steps away. This is really only an issue in the cooler months when the Pacific gets penguin cold. Bottom line - if you're one of the beautiful people who enjoy the hip scenes typically found in Miami or LA, if you love the Gaslamp groove but want a beach vacation, then Tower 23 should be your destination.
PRO'S: Possibly the hippest hotel in San Diego - hipper than the W! Almost too hip for Wally!
CON'S: While the scene is lively, you're on a trendy island as most of PB is pretty downhome.
WALLY SAYS: Beautiful people, a lively young bar scene, it's sophisticated and fun!
WANT TO STAY ALONG THE COAST?
HOTELS IN SAN DIEGO'S NORTH COUNTY!
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- Conv Ctr Hilton $155
- Top Mission Bay $150
- Right on beach <$200
- Hawaii-like resort $125
- Shelter Island $99
- La Jolla $150
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