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Travel Deals: San Diego on a Budget - Where to Stay
By HSimas(view all posts by HSimas)
at 11:56AM Tuesday January 18, 2011
under
Money Saving Tips
Three or four times a year, my husband and I make the short trip south to go visit our friends at the San Diego Zoo. And by friends, I mean baby gorillas and pandas and such. We've gone so many times during our tenure here in Southern California, we consider ourselves experts on the San Diego weekend getaway.
Planning a trip to San Diego? Please, put our knowledge to good use. Note that while I do not have children myself, I have been informed by one of my nephews that I am "98% kid" (In case you are wondering, I was told the only issues preventing me from being 100% kid are that I have a job and drive a car). So these tips should be useful to both the child-blessed and blissfully childless.
This week I will concentrate on Where to Stay. Hotel Circle
Hotel Circle is a favorite area for families because of its proximity to both the zoo and SeaWorld. It is just what it sounds like: a ton of hotels concentrated in one small area. With so many hotel chains right next to each other, you get the benefit from healthy competition and are pretty much guaranteed a good rate. I did not enjoy my stay at Hotel Circle so much because all the restaurants there sound like an elementary school cafeteria. I also was not a fan of sharing the poolside jacuzzi with a troupe of ten year-olds. But for big families with kids, Hotel Circle is a must.
Gaslamp Quarter
If nightlife is your thing, the Gaslamp Quarter is a no-brainer. Virtually deserted during the day, at night it is teeming with college kids and tourists out for a good time. Staying at a hotel in the Gaslamp definitely has its pros and cons.
Pro: you've got dozens and dozens of bars and restaurants within walking distance.
Con: So does everybody else. And you will hear everybody else, no matter how late you go to bed or how high your floor is. Gaslamp lodging can be very pricey because it is, after all, downtown.
Over and over again, we have found the old St. James Hotel, now a Ramada, to be the best bargain in the Gaslamp by far, with rooms as low as $119 on non-holiday weekends. A big bonus to staying at the St. James is its 24 hour restaurant Brian's on the ground floor. We have whiled away many an hour at a window table at Brian's with a pitcher of beer, watching the bachelor parties, retired couples dressed to the nines and college girls in teetering heels stumble by.
Hillcrest
We've only recently discovered this up-and-coming neighborhood northwest of Balboa Park. Known for its diversity and nightlife, Hillcrest is the funkier, somewhat quieter cousin to the Gaslamp, but it still has a lot going on with tons of shops and restaurants and bars.
Hotels are few in the immediate Hillcrest area, but just a little to the southeast is the Balboa Park Inn. This gem is within walking distance to much of Hillcrest, and as a bonus it is right across the street from the zoo! The Inn features themed rooms that start at just $99, even on holiday weekends. When we are feeling especially budget conscious, we ask for The Aruba, a $99 room with plastic fish hanging from the ceiling and a small jacuzzi tub. But honestly, we usually splurge for The Jungle Nook. It's $169, but the decor, including a light-up waterfall painting, life-size bronze chimpanzee statue and giant elephant head over the bed make it hard to resist. Breakfast is free: you'll get cereal, juice and pastries delivered to your room every morning, or to the spacious courtyard and patio, if you'd prefer to eat there. And all rooms feature a microwave and refrigerator, so you can save even more on food by bringing your own eats for lunch.
Coronado
If you prefer a more small town feel while still being close to all that San Diego has to offer, cross the curvy, two mile long San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge and hang your hat in Coronado for the night. The iconic Hotel Del Coronado is a very popular place to stay. It is beautiful and historic and expensive.
While someday I would love to splurge and spend the night at the Del, I recommend budget-conscious travelers check out the hotel grounds (where much of Some Like It Hot was shot) during the day, then retire to a different hotel at night.
We have stayed at the gorgeous Loews Coronado Bay Resort and spent literally half of what we would have spent at the Del. The one downside is the Loews is not within walking distance to the shops and restaurants on Coronado's Main Street. But the drive is quite short and parking was a breeze, so we considered it well worth the $150 we saved.
Tune in next time for San Diego on a Budget - Things to Do!
Planning a trip to San Diego? Please, put our knowledge to good use. Note that while I do not have children myself, I have been informed by one of my nephews that I am "98% kid" (In case you are wondering, I was told the only issues preventing me from being 100% kid are that I have a job and drive a car). So these tips should be useful to both the child-blessed and blissfully childless.
This week I will concentrate on Where to Stay. Hotel Circle
Hotel Circle is a favorite area for families because of its proximity to both the zoo and SeaWorld. It is just what it sounds like: a ton of hotels concentrated in one small area. With so many hotel chains right next to each other, you get the benefit from healthy competition and are pretty much guaranteed a good rate. I did not enjoy my stay at Hotel Circle so much because all the restaurants there sound like an elementary school cafeteria. I also was not a fan of sharing the poolside jacuzzi with a troupe of ten year-olds. But for big families with kids, Hotel Circle is a must.
If nightlife is your thing, the Gaslamp Quarter is a no-brainer. Virtually deserted during the day, at night it is teeming with college kids and tourists out for a good time. Staying at a hotel in the Gaslamp definitely has its pros and cons.
Pro: you've got dozens and dozens of bars and restaurants within walking distance.
Con: So does everybody else. And you will hear everybody else, no matter how late you go to bed or how high your floor is. Gaslamp lodging can be very pricey because it is, after all, downtown.
Over and over again, we have found the old St. James Hotel, now a Ramada, to be the best bargain in the Gaslamp by far, with rooms as low as $119 on non-holiday weekends. A big bonus to staying at the St. James is its 24 hour restaurant Brian's on the ground floor. We have whiled away many an hour at a window table at Brian's with a pitcher of beer, watching the bachelor parties, retired couples dressed to the nines and college girls in teetering heels stumble by.
We've only recently discovered this up-and-coming neighborhood northwest of Balboa Park. Known for its diversity and nightlife, Hillcrest is the funkier, somewhat quieter cousin to the Gaslamp, but it still has a lot going on with tons of shops and restaurants and bars.
Hotels are few in the immediate Hillcrest area, but just a little to the southeast is the Balboa Park Inn. This gem is within walking distance to much of Hillcrest, and as a bonus it is right across the street from the zoo! The Inn features themed rooms that start at just $99, even on holiday weekends. When we are feeling especially budget conscious, we ask for The Aruba, a $99 room with plastic fish hanging from the ceiling and a small jacuzzi tub. But honestly, we usually splurge for The Jungle Nook. It's $169, but the decor, including a light-up waterfall painting, life-size bronze chimpanzee statue and giant elephant head over the bed make it hard to resist. Breakfast is free: you'll get cereal, juice and pastries delivered to your room every morning, or to the spacious courtyard and patio, if you'd prefer to eat there. And all rooms feature a microwave and refrigerator, so you can save even more on food by bringing your own eats for lunch.
If you prefer a more small town feel while still being close to all that San Diego has to offer, cross the curvy, two mile long San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge and hang your hat in Coronado for the night. The iconic Hotel Del Coronado is a very popular place to stay. It is beautiful and historic and expensive.
While someday I would love to splurge and spend the night at the Del, I recommend budget-conscious travelers check out the hotel grounds (where much of Some Like It Hot was shot) during the day, then retire to a different hotel at night.
We have stayed at the gorgeous Loews Coronado Bay Resort and spent literally half of what we would have spent at the Del. The one downside is the Loews is not within walking distance to the shops and restaurants on Coronado's Main Street. But the drive is quite short and parking was a breeze, so we considered it well worth the $150 we saved.
Tune in next time for San Diego on a Budget - Things to Do!
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