Best Hotels in
San Diego

The most famous resort in California — a National Historic Landmark Victorian wooden structure opened in 1888, painted brilliant white against the Pacific. The original Victorian building's turrets and gingerbread woodwork are extraordinary, and the beachfront setting is unmatched. The 2021 renovation added new villa buildings while preserving every inch of the original magic.

• Coronado
• Historic
• Beach

A Craftsman-style masterpiece perched at the edge of the Torrey Pines Golf Course with views across La Jolla Shores to the Pacific. The A.R. Valentien restaurant, named for the Arts & Crafts artist who decorated the building, serves exceptional California seasonal cuisine, and the spa is among the best in Southern California.

• La Jolla
• Golf
• Spa

La Jolla's oldest hotel (1913), a colonial-revival building on Prospect Street with an elegant old-money atmosphere that the newer glass towers cannot replicate. Nine-Ten restaurant, under chef Jason Knibb, is consistently ranked among San Diego's best, and the village location puts excellent galleries, boutiques, and the Children's Pool seal colony within walking distance.

• La Jolla
• Historic
• Food

The Michael Sheetz-designed anchor of the Gaslamp Quarter revival, with a resort-worthy pool deck that feels incongruous in an urban setting, Oxford Social Club and Lionfish restaurants that are genuine destination dining, and rooms that blend West Coast lightness with downtown sophistication. The best new hotel San Diego has built in years.

• Gaslamp Quarter
• Design
• Nightlife

A National Historic Landmark opened in 1910 by Ulysses S. Grant Jr. and recently restored to its Edwardian splendour, with a lobby that still hosts the most gracious afternoon tea in San Diego. The location adjacent to Horton Plaza and the Convention Center makes it the best-situated hotel in downtown for both leisure and business.

• Gaslamp Quarter
• Historic
• Business

A genuinely unusual property on Mission Bay, with tiki-style architecture, tropical bird population, boat rentals right from the dock, and a private bayside beach that's calmer and more family-appropriate than the ocean beaches nearby. The nightly fire-dancing show and sunset cruises are Pacific Beach classics.

• Pacific Beach
• Families
• Waterfront

A boutique within the Kimpton family that brings a playful California-meets-design aesthetic to the heart of the Gaslamp, with an excellent rooftop pool and bar (Jsix) and rooms that are genuinely stylish at prices significantly below the luxury tier. The complimentary evening wine hour is a nice Kimpton touch.

• Gaslamp Quarter
• Boutique
• Value

A crisp, white modernist cube directly on the Pacific Beach boardwalk, with JRDN restaurant elevated above the sand serving the best brunch in this neighbourhood, and rooms with private balconies facing the ocean. The direct boardwalk access and surf-friendly vibe make it the best hotel in Pacific Beach.

• Pacific Beach
• Beach
• Views

A 1926 Beaux-Arts building converted into an independent boutique hotel with a rooftop terrace, thoughtfully designed rooms, and rates that are reliably among the best value for a well-located downtown San Diego stay. The ground-floor Currant American Brasserie is a reliable breakfast and dinner option.

• Downtown
• Historic
• Value

The only full-service beachfront hotel directly on Pacific Beach's main stretch — 73 rooms, all with ocean views from furnished balconies or terraces, a swimming pool steps from the sand, and a breakfast spread that guests consistently rate as one of the best value-added amenities in San Diego.

• Pacific Beach
• Beach
• Views