San Diego Travel Forum

Hi there, I am looking for a nice hotel in a central location to the airport,marina the zoo etc and of course nice restaurants in late oct (for only 2 nts) for age braket around late 40's...any advise would be greatly appreciated!

There are many excellent hotels that are in your requests in San Diego. My wife and I enjoyed the Kona Kai Resort on Shelter Island, with a view of the Bay, close to the airport and marina and within a short drive to the Zoo. I have a hotel tip for them on my San Diego pages: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/736c8/b8708/3/
The central location to all three areas is inland at Hotel Circle with many hotels to chose from but no ocean. San Diego is filled with not only nice restaurants but some great restaurants. See the VT restaurant tips for San Diego. One of my Italian favorites is in the Gaslamp Quarter, Acqua Al 2 on 5th
Ave. For the Polynesian feel and a great view of Downtown San Diego at night over the bay is Bali Hai on Shelter Island Dr. See my San Diego restaurant tips:http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/736c8/b8708/2/

The Town and Country Hotel and Resort located in Hotel Circle is very nice and close to the trolley. They also have a free shuttle service to and from the airport, Old Town and perhaps other locations.. It is also located close to Sea World and the zoo. http://www.towncountry.com/ Be sure to visit La Jolla (The Cove), just several miles north of San Diego. Enjoy Beautiful San Diego.

Several other excellent restaurants I would suggest are: The Brigantine (2725 Shelter Island Drive), Miguel's Point Loma (2912 Shelter Island Drive), Anthony's (San Diego Bay) and last but by no means least is "My Place", a quaint French restaurant in La Jolla. Oh, and a great restaurant for breakfast as you overlook the Pacific Ocean at the Cove in La Jolla is Brockton Villa (1235 Coast Blvd, La Jolla). Bon Appetit!

check out the Courtyard center city - close to the cool restuarants in the gaslight area - its an older building that been nicely redone - and go see Hotel Del Coranado - beautiful

The Holiday Inn San Diego the Bay is pretty popular and would also fit your requirements. It is located across the street from the Bay. There are three restaurants, it's own Elephant & Castle San Diego Bay and in-hotel deli, Hazelwood's San Diego Bayside Deli for convenient dining. Next door is Ruth's Chris San Diego Bay Steakhouse which opens only for dinner. Across the street, Anthony's Seafood Restaurant, open lunch and dinner with three restaurants ranging in price from budget Fishette to medium priced dining room to higher priced dinner house.

This hotel is just across the street from the Harbor Cruise Tours, the Maritime Museum ships and down a couple of blocks, the USS Midway Museum. A block east of the hotel is the SD Trolley station and several blocks further is the Gaslamp Quarter where you will find almost any type restuarant you might want. You can read about these and more on my San Diego page.

I would say that whether or not you will have access to a car might be a consideration while choosing a place to stay. Though I think the Holiday Inn San Diego on the Bay offers some free/low cost parking, at most of the hotels in the center of downtown, parking can be expensive. The hotels in Hotel Circle, though a bit further out, do offer free parking and a variety of priced hotels to choose from.

If you don't have a car, then try to stay in the Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego. Horton Plaza Shopping Center with its shops & restaurants is within walking distance and also the various clubs & restaurants in the Gaslamp District. Some hotels around that area are W Hotel, Hotel Sofia, Omni Hotel, The Westin Gaslamp Quarter, etc. You'll also be within walking distance of the bus/trolley lines.