Centrally located hotels

I wonder if the local expert could help. We will be staying for 4-5 nights in San Diego in September. I%26#39;m looking for a hotel which is near shops and restaurants so that in the evening we can walk when we go out to dinner, but is reasonably central to other tourist attractions.

Ideally I don%26#39;t want to pay more than $200 per night, but I%26#39;m from the UK so not sure what this kind of money will buy. Don%26#39;t want luxury, but it must be clean, comfortable and well equipped so would pay more if I have to.

Any suggestions ?

Thanks

Centrally located hotels

Can I assue from your post that you willl NOT have a rental car?

There are several areas of town that have easy access to restaurants shops etc. Our downtown bayfront and gaslamp areas have many hotels in different price ranges and are accessible to some public transportation. There is also a very good hop on hop off tour. Will you have a rental car? See www.thebigbay.com and www.gaslamp.org for ideas.

I f you WILL have a rental car then I would make some other suggestions as well.

I am not sure about exact prices at that time since it is after our busiest season but not exactly yet in the off season.Perhaps if you give me your dates I can help you look at hotels.Oh, also is it just adults or are there kiddies involved in the trip?

Centrally located hotels

Hi riffsman - thanks for the info.

We will have a hire car, and will be using it for daytime trips, but we prefer not to drive if possible when we go out to dinner in the evening.

There%26#39;s just 2 adults - we will not have children with us.

We are planning on being there from 7 - 11 September.

Any other info you can supply will be very welcome.

There are several areas you can stay in that meet you r needs.

The downtown gaslamp area has the Gaslamp Plaza suites and on the bayfront is the SanDiego HOliday Inn on the bay and th eBest Western Bayside. I believe they all charge for parking.

A little north of downtown is our Oldtown Park area where you will find the Best Western Hacienda Suites and Courtyard by Marriott. There are restaurants here as well an dyou can also access our lightrail trolley(electric train) to go one stop south to little Ittaly with more restuarants and even a pub and /or continue on it to go downtown.

Then there is our Pacific Beach area where the Ocean Park Inn is right at the beach with free parking and also nearby restaurants/bars.

September is the nicest month here to be at the beach.

There is also another beach area called Ocean Beach which has only one hotel the Ocean Beach Hotel. It has a kind of surfy /hippy feel to it but also has restaurants and bars.

Near our Balboa Park is the Balboa Park Inn and on the other side o f the same park is the Park Manor Suites. There are lots of restaurants nearby.

These are not fancy hotels. They would probably all be 3*** from the auto club.

sorry to hijack your thread .... we are in much the same position for requirements as you, but our group will be 4 adults and 3 children (11, 8 and 5) - we will also have a car.

Riffsmom, would these same recommendations suit us as well? We will be in SD 30 Sep - 6 October

Many thanks

I would not recommend ALL the same places with you rgroup of kiddies. You may need suites and some of the neighborhoods are more adult.

Why dont%26#39; you start your own thread so others can see it as well.

kiwi -Sorry if I sounded rude. YOu are also coming alittle after season so there may be other possiblities in the price range. It is just easier to handle everybody%26#39;s individual needs if theya re on a different thread.

thanks Riffsmom, I didn%26#39;t take your reply as rude .. good idea, will start another thread soon - thanks!

UKTravel-Junkie, I suggest you definitely stay in either the Gaslamp Quarter or Little Italy, both are in the heart of downtown San Diego, include TONS of dining and nightlife options, and are centrally located to most of San Diego%26#39;s tourist attractions.

You%26#39;ll find the lowest prices at La Pensione (http://www.lapensionehotel.com/) in Little Italy. It%26#39;s probably more like hotels in the UK than the US, and rooms can generally be found for less than $100.

If you%26#39;re willing to use Priceline (which I%26#39;m a big fan and advocate of) you can easily get a 4* hotel in the Gaslamp for less than $200/night. Almost anywhere you stay you will have to pay extra for parking.

On my first trip to San Diego, I stayed at the Omni in the Gaslamp (new hotel connected to Petco Park, San Diego%26#39;s baseball park) for $99/night. That%26#39;s about half of the normal price. Hotel parking was in the $20 range, but we were able to park at a nearby garage for about $8/day.

If you%26#39;re interested in trying Priceline, let me know and I%26#39;ll be happy to help you. Also checking biddingfortravel.com for advice. Just be aware that you take a chance with PL and you won%26#39;t know where you%26#39;re staying until you%26#39;ve already paid -- and it%26#39;s non-refundable.

You can book the Horton Grand Hotel in the Gaslamp for ~$150/night. I%26#39;ve never stayed there, but it appears to be a very charming, Victorian-style, historic building and it%26#39;s in a great location. (http://www.hortongrand.com/)

Thanks to riffsmom and graciecc for all the suggestions - it is very much appreciated and I%26#39;m sure I will now be able to find something for our stay.