Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel has a great location along the harbor with some view rooms overlooking the water, while featuring the chain brand so popular in San Diego County. How popular is the Best Western chain in the region? There are over 25 BW chain hotels to pick and choose from. Bay and Pool views or standard view rooms where you save money are great options in one of the best locations close to everything…SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Seaport Village, Convention Center and Downtown.

Best Western Yacht Harbor Hotel offers views of the San Diego Harbor from the view rooms. That’s what puts this Best Western on the top of the list. In the great location, you can head down to the ferries to Coronado, boat rides in the bay, and Amtrak train that goes to downtown Los Angeles or the beaches of Orange County at San Clemente. Closer beach options include train stops and Coaster train rides to Oceanside, Carlsbad and Solana Beach. Sportfishing and deep sea fishing are quite good in the region, and the weather most often cooperates, providing sunny, warm days. Close to San Diego Airport, Cabrillo National Monument, and 65 golf courses, how can you find time to do anything but have fun?

Check out more photos, prices and special offers.

US Grant

The stately US Grant hotel in downtown in San Diego, an early 1900′s  brick building on the National Register of Historic Places, was built by Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., son of the 19th president of the United States. Opened in 1910 after delays because of the shortage of lumber as a result of th San Francisco 1909 earthquake, the building opened  with much fanfare. It was a beautiful hotel with marble and rich wood treatments, a 500 seat ballroom, and location across from Horton Plaza. Check out the great photos of the hotel.

Experiencing several massive renovations (one was over $80 million), the US Grant has hosted 14 presidents during its illustrious career as San Diego’s jewel of the downtown. Recent renovations occurred in 2006 and everything shines as a Starwood Hotel. Located in the center of the downtown area,  walking distance from Petco Park, Gaslamp Quarter with its wonderful Croce’s, many great restaurants and bars, and special street events, if you seek historic ambiance, and location, you will love it.

Guests arriving by Amtrak from Union Station can easily make the walk over to the hotel, or catch a cab a few short blocks it that makes more sense.

Grand Del Mar

The Grand Del Mar is one of the most luxurious spa and golf resorts in all of San Diego County. If you’re seeking elegance that reminds many of Del Mar’s esteemed pass aa home to visiting celebrities, then you are certainly on the right track as to the elegant look and feel you will be greeted with on your visit.

Tower 23 Hotel

Are you looking for the top rated business hotels in San Diego? Look here for the viewers’ choice awards for best amenities, quality and service! San Diego is one of the best places to attend conferences, conventions and business meetings, thanks to its quality hotels, many with ocean and bay views. Add to that distinction, the number of rooms available in the heart of the financial district which includes tours, attractions, shopping, dining, and nightlife, and you will feel comfortable in visiting on business and even bringing your family along.

Among the surprises is #7 ranked viewer’s choice, Tower 23 Hotel, on the strand at Pacific Beach. Egyptian cotton sheets and luxury amenities along with beach bars and restaurants show that business travelers can include surfers and beach-lovers selling their products to a multi-billion dollar industry base in the surfing industry!

Top-Rated Hotels

1. Homewood Suites San Diego Airport – Liberty Station
2. Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Airport/Liberty Station
3. Homewood Suites San Diego-Del Mar
4. Omni San Diego Hotel
5. Best Western Lamplighter Inn and Suites
6. The Grand Del Mar
7. Tower23 Hotel

Se San Diego Hotel

Se San Diego Offers 45% OFF!

Se San Diego looks and feels like the finer hotels of the world. When you visit China and stay in a four or five diamond accommodation, you can expect firm, luxury bedding (often with silk sheets and comforters), and city lights views. Se San Diego carries similar color schemes, modern, clean lines, and new glass windows and door treatments that clearly outshine the finer properties in China.

As of this posting, Se is offering a discount for accommodations. While such offers are guaranteed to change, the main thing you should know is that it’s likely you’ll be getting a room on a lower flower rather than the penthouse and higher floor city lights views. But if you are looking for a truly quality room and don’t need to be on top of the world, this is a perfect time to book a room at Se, located at 5th and Broadway at the gateway to Gaslamp Quarter.  You can pay more and get better views, of course.

Be sure to enjoy the swimming pool, spa and dining when you make your next visit. Se is a self-contained hotel with alll the creature comforts. It also accepts pets, through there’s a $150 deposit. You got it…Se isn’t a cheap hotel. Se is a luxury hotel and for that, you must pay. But when they take 45

Hilton Hotel San Diego sailboats

Hilton San Diego Resort

Shown in the photo above are sailboats guests can rent. Are you looking for something to do in San Diego? The kid-friendly Mission Bay not only include a resort hotel that’s custom made for kids (Hilton Resort), but daytime activities such as the green park with lots of playground fun for youngsters. Families love to come on weekends and sit on the grassy hills that provide vantage points to watch your kids–and the bay where there’s ample recreation. Most any day you will notice  people exercising along the walk / jog / bike path. There are great restrooms, too. Mission Bay is a manmade oceanfront aquatic park with miles of sandy beaches, bike paths and playgrounds.

Just down the road is SeaWorld, well worth half a day t a full day’s entertainment. Shows, water rides, shopping, dining and simply watching are some of the more popular diversions perfect for all ages. For kid-themed vacations, you definitely won’t want to miss Legoland for the youngsters, or San Dieogo Zoo. Along with the exciting zoo and small train ride that circles on a track outside the park, be sure to check out Wild Animal Park.

• Legoland Tickets (buy one day, get one day free limited offer)

• Sea World Tickets

• San Diego Zoo

• Old Town Trolley

  - I recommend this one. The staff are are always nice.

Outdoor sports include surfing, bicycling if you rent a bike or bring your own and ride along the beach paths at Pacific Beach. Within the city limits is Torrey Pines State Reserve, with high bluffs overlooking the Pacific. The Glider Port is a launch pad based on those bluffs. Beginners can take the training course and get the breeze beneath their wings in a tandem ride provided on your first trip out.

Of course, the numero uno sports activities in San Diego are game watching. There are two ball parks hosting San Diego’s baseball and football teams. You can stay at the Hard Rock Hotel or over at the towering Hilton on the Bay and walk on over to Petco Park.

San Diego is a city on the run. There’s so much to see and do, you really can’t get board. From taking a guided tour cruise on the water, a city cruise on the Old Town Trolley, or exploring on foot, now’s a great time to get your feet wet, both figuratively speaking and in real time.

Hotel Occidental

Hotel Occidental

While some may disagree with my assessment, I like to think of Hotel Occidental and an upscale hostel. Some shared facilities and its simple accommodations are two reasons. I have read many reviews of the hotel and have found that those most satisfied with their visits are younger people seeking a hotel with a location near downtown, Balboa Park and schools.

Adult couples and seniors tend to be a bit disenchanted with what they discover upon arrival. Some have even asked why you would stay there when other nearby options can be had at a similar price. The answer is simple. If you are in town with friends attending a concert, ball game or party, you may seek an affordable, friendly hotel where young people like to stay. Amenities such as a shared kitchen, nice front lawn in a neighborhood setting and bicycle rentals somewhat suggest that you are in the wrong place if you’re looking for valet to take your car and park it underground during your stay.

Bright colored pillow accents and simple decor lend well to this hotel. Prices are often under $100, which isn’t too shabby for the great location.

Old Town San Diego Courtyard

San Diego’s Courtyard Old Town features a freeway close location that many like. When you get 20 opinions about something, one thing is certain. Not all will agree on most anything. That is true of the Courtyard San Diego Old Town. Having stayed there many times, we do like the location. The hotel features Old Town dining and shops just a few minutes walk away. It’s very convenient in that account.  Only a five to ten minute drive from SeaWorld, and very close to Balboa Park and San Diego Zoo, the Courtyard does a fair amount of business and offers nice little perks.

Some of the strong points include an incredibly friendly staff, clean rooms, and location, location. Located right off Interstate 5 Freeway, you have easy freeway access to most every attraction in the city. If you prefer not to drive or want to split up from your family or friends, you can hop aboard the Old Town Trolley, which requires a ticket, and enjoy not only getting a scenic ride around the the hotspots of San Diego, but also getting off at the trolley’s strategic stops where it circles around and picks you up in Old Town, downtown and Balboa Park next to the San Diego Zoo.

Hotel tip: Request rooms away from the freeway. The constant drone of noise on one side of the hotel is counter-productive to sleep, which is why they provide ear plugs next to your bed, presumably.

Britt Scripps Inn

Britt Scripps (Victorian) Inn

By far the most elegant and romantic hotel in the Balboa Park / Hillcrest district of San Diego, the artfully restored 1887 inn with its Queen Anne turret and tricolor facade was built by attorney Eugene Britt. Refurbished in the past few years from an office building back into accommodations, the nine-room boutique hotel requires guests be 21 or older to stay there.  A mere block west of Balboa Park in Bankers Hill neighborhood filled with elegant homes that date back 100 years, Britt Scripps Inn has developed a reputation as a romantic place for couples seeking a getaway.

The prices have suprisingly gone down because of the economy and the huge inventory of hotel rooms opened in San Diego recently. The good news is that if you shop weekdays, you may find a room for a price lower than when the hotel first opened several years ago.

Ideal for a weekend trip or weekday visit and walking tours, you can wander over to Balboa Park approx. one block away and spend the entire day visiting museums with the the Passport to Balboa.

Each room is different but never bland. People are always amazed at the vivid original color palettes of Victorian homes, according to Gordon Hattersley III, who restored the property to its original flavor. Like a detective, he contracted a historical consultant and investigated old layers of paint, determining that the Victorians indulged in brilliant, rich color palettes. From his 2001 purchase of the property and 24 months of restoration, Hattersley added modern conveniences such as private bathrooms and insulation, injecting several million dollars in the renovation.

1000 count sheets and linens, high-speed, wireless Internet access, flat-screen televisions and multiline telephones don’t destroy the ambiance one bit, however. All have been added in a manner to blend tastefully with with the stand-out decor. Richard Gatling of Gatling Design in Solana Beach was contracted for the fine details that include modern touches in rooms named Renaissance, Governor and Gothic.  Furnishings are authentic to the period but are functional for guests to relax and enjoy.

A hand-carved white oak staircase that curves around an 1887 two-story stained-glass window is interior centerpiece that sets the stage for the rare 85-key Steinway Art Case piano dating to approx. 1883.

The house was officially designated Historic Site 52 by the city of San Diego in 1971 and though much of its original woodwork is gone, the giant camphor tree that shades the carriage house hotel room is believed to be one of the oldest in North America.

Complimentary breakfast in the morning and artisan cheese plates and wine at night are but two of the amenities that make this the right place to visit and optimum time stay at Britt Scripps Inn.

Sea Life Aquarium  in Carlsbad, California’s Legoland opened in August 2008 adjacent to LEGOLAND California. Exquisite deep-sea wonders include display tanks filled with more than 5,000 creatures ranging from shoreline marine life such as starfish and crabs to larger species such as sharks and rays. The Sea Life network is a renowned supporter of marine conservation, having campaigned successfully to improve protection for species ranging from endangered sea turtles to sharks.

Look at all the Legoland Admission Options!

Sharks Revealed – an interactive exhibit designed to introduce children to these mysterious and misunderstood creatures of the deep was introduced in 2009.  Examining the life cycle and evolution of sharks, guests discover how sharks eat, breathe and sleep.

Replacing the Kelp Forest exhibit which was on display at SEA LIFE since its opening in August of 2008, Sharks Revealed includes a graphic timeline showing the evolution of sharks from 350 million years ago to today; a live display of sharks showing their development from eggs to adults; local shark species found off the coast of Carlsbad; an interactive “shark lab” where guests can get a hands-on experience using microscopes; a large-scale model of a “mermaid’s purse” for a fun photo opportunity; plus crafts and artifacts.

The SEA LIFE Aquarium in Carlsbad already has more sharks than any of the other 29 SEA LIFE Centers world-wide including black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, zebra sharks, leopard sharks, epaulettes, Port Jackson sharks and the rare grey reef sharks. Several new species will be part of the “Sharks Revealed” exhibit including the brown banded bamboo shark, the white spotted bamboo shark and the coral catshark.

The company behind iconic brands such as LEGOLAND family theme parks, Madame Tussauds and The London Eye, UK-based Merlin is the world’s biggest aquarium operator and already has 31 other Sea Life attractions in Europe. Last year, Merlin also acquired the Underwater Adventures Aquarium in the Mall of America in Minneapolis.

The second biggest visitor attraction operator in the world and the fastest growing company in the sector, Merlin Entertainments is swiftly making a name for itself in the U.S.  In addition to the two aquariums, Merlin currently has seven other attractions in the U.S. with three more scheduled to open in 2010, including a Phoenix Sea Life Aquarium.

LEGOLAND California has been voted the Best Children’s Park for the last five years by Amusement Today; and Merlin is also the company behind Madame Tussauds attractions in New York, Washington D.C., Las Vegas and Hollywood; and a LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Chicago.