Manchaster Grand Hyatt San Diego is a great place to stay on any visit to the city by the bay. And around New Year’s or Valentine’s Day it is a fabulous date for a cocktail on top of the world.  Top of the Hyatt bar which sits 40 stories up in the air reminds me of some far away place like San Francisco. With an address on Market Street, even the name reminds me of the northern city so far away. And, it was selected as the best view lounge in San Diego to catch a sunset. That makes it pretty special in this beach-lover’s book!

Of course you’d expect that your beverage will not be cheap. We’ve all nurtured our overpriced drinks in the Sears Tower cocktail bar at sunset, or other such places that have the best views and drinks that on most days would pay for a full meal. Top of the Hyatt still is worth checking out for a date, romantic escape, or “be kind to myself” event such as a birthday cocktail with the girls.  If the hotel is fully booked, not to worry. Within short range is a beautiful Hilton San Diego Bayfront. My recommendation is to stay elsewhere if you want to save a little money that you can spend on the cocktail, and visit for the sunset views. If you don’t fly into San Diego, this is your best opportunity to see how beautiful the bay and city are.

With an outdoor concert stage right on the property, Humphreys on Shelter Island one of the most amazing hotels in California to see live music. Top acts from Ringo to CSN (Crosby Stills Nash) are featured in a summer season that begins to take shape around March till the fall each year.

They call this San Diego’s own version of a Hawaiian getaway. The Shelter Island resort features themes that you would see on a tropical island, some touches of tiki, lots of water and bay views, and the resort’s very own macaw birds. With suites up to 1,000 square feet providing kitchens, comfy living rooms, and sleeping up to 6 people, this is one amazing vacation experienced the old fashioned way at the beach. People wonder why San Diego is the top beach vacation in San Diego. Plain and simple, it’s the hotels on beach and bays that make this city so great. We’re not talking little rooms, either. The fact that some were built decades ago and remodeled many times over makes for space that is hard to come by today.

Weddings are quite populart at Humphreys Half Moon Suites because of the lovely grounds overlooking the water, and indoor banquet rooms also with bay views. It’s just a great place to get married, go to a wedding, go to a concert, or take a vacation.

How are the rates? Great! Just a day or two before Christmas I found a room for under $90. I instead opted for one over $150 that had a separate living room, balcony patio, full kitchen, and all the goodies to make the family happy. There’s something about San Diego that you can’t put into words, and its an essence that causes people to stay and never leave. Humphreys is part of that experience. As you arrive, you get tropical, with a splash of ocean, and an incredible feeling of comfort that you are now in a place that was meant to be.

San Diego’s Days Hotel in Hotel Circle offers amazingly affordable (cheap) accommodations and a 3 diamond quality with amenities such as nice rooms, swimming pool, and close proximity to Old Town and Mission Bay. With the San Diego Zoo, Old Town, and University of San Diego each less than 2 miles distance, many travelers on a budget stay in Days Inn alone or with families.

VisitSanDiegoHotels features from time to time packages at Days Hotel. Among our favorites is the San Diego Zoo Package which includes tickets to the world famous San Diego Zoo to see the giant pandas from China, flamingos, ride the tour double decker bus,  ride the Aerial Tram, watch the zoo feeders, and shop in the fantastic gift store.

The hotel has offered a Balboa Package where you get a complimentary $20 gift card for the Prado restaurant when you check-in at the Days Hotel. There are package deals and add ons such ash SeaWorld, too.

But really, the truth is that if you check Days Hotel rates, you can sometimes find a room for under $50. When you’re staying in a prime vacation destination and can easily pay $300 to 500 per night, the budget hotels really make San Diego the great place it is. It offers something for every age, and hotels for every price range.

San Diego, Calif.–If pure vacation is your persuasion, San Diego is the spot on the map you definitely want to check out in California. Why? Its southernmost location on the U.S. West Coast makes for the best climate that some say only a minute fraction of the world is privileged to share. Weather is a big deal for travelers, and a good start for picking a destination. Once you visit San Diego as a tourist or on a business trip, you’ll discover that this is the place for pure enjoyment and fun. Get packing. It’s time to go see San Diego.

Glorious weather makes for a beautiful day. But there’s also a host of fantastic San Diego attractions that compel tourists to return.  beautiful bay with aquatic activities galore, nature-oriented theme parks that include one of the finest zoos and wild animal parks  in the world, SeaWorld, Legoland, and Balboa Park, along with miles of beaches.

The strand that connects Mission Beach and Pacific Beach is one of several popular San Diego beach hang-outs, and its 3 mile paved path makes for some great roller blading, bicycling and strolls. Just over the Coronado Bay Bridge, accessible by car, bus or ferry boat, San Diego’s Coronado Island offers more beaches with paved paths, luxury hotels on the beach such as the Hotel del Coronado, and Loews Coronado Bay Resort, and easy access to Tijuana, Mexico for shopping, dining, and more enjoyment.

Beaches within the city of San Diego include:

• Coronado
• La Jolla beaches
• Mission Beach
• Mission Bay
• Ocean Beach
• Pacific Beach
• Silver Strand State Beach

Theme parks in San Diego County include:

• Balboa Park (12 museums)
• Legoland
• Sea Life Aquarium
• San Diego Zoo
• San Diego Wild Animal Park
• SeaWorld San Diego

Places to stay in San Diego:

• Balboa Park
• Beaches
• Clairmont
• Convention Center
• Coronado
• Gaslamp Quarter
• Hotel Circle
• La Jolla
• Downtown
• Old Town Historic District
• Point Loma

Our favorite way to introduce our family & friends to San Diego’s unique and exciting attractions is through the GO San Diego Card. The all access attraction pass offers one, two, three, five, or seven day cards at a low, pre-paid price. Use the card to gain access to any and all of the 50 included attractions, saving up to 55% compared to full retail admissions.

See more information about the GO San Diego Card:

Major Parks
LEGOLAND California(once per the life of the card), San Diego Zoo Best Value Ticket, San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal, Belmont Park Unlimited Ride Wristband, Knott’s Berry Farm (once per the life of the card), Knott’s Soak City Water Park**, Wild Rivers Water Park (Irvine, California)**, and Boomers San Diego.

Tours & Excursions
San Diego Harbor Excursions (Your choice of one harbor tour per day: Full Bay Tour, North Bay Tour, and South Bay Tour), Whale Watching Excursions*, Tour to Tijuana, Mexico with Gray Line San Diego*, Coronado “Promenade through the Past” Walking Tour, Coronado Ferry, Petco Park Guided Tour, Gaslamp Quarter Walking Tour, Brewery Tour at Rock Bottom Brewery, Go Car Navigational Tour, Little Italy Walking Tour, The New Children’s Museum, Ice Town La Jolla, Hotel Del Coronado Walking Tour and Old Town Trolley.

Excellent Attractions
Miramar Speed Circuit, San Diego Wine and Culinary Center Wine Tasting, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, Birch Aquarium at Scripps, La Jolla Bike and Kayak, Japanese Friendship Garden, Chula Vista Nature Center, Discovery Science Center, Wave House FlowRider and Sea Life Park @ Legoland

Museums
USS Midway Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego Air and Space Museum, San Diego Museum of History, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Man, the Museum of Making Music, San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Automotive Museum, Serra Museum, Coronado Museum of History and Art, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego – La Jolla, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego – Downtown, Firehouse Museum, Museum of the Living Artist, Mingei International Museum, San Diego Chinese Historical Museum, Hall of Champions Sports Museum, and the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.

Historic Sites
William Heath Davis House and the Whaley House Museum.

Day Trips to Los Angeles
Kodak Theatre: Guided Theatre Tours, Hollywood Museum, and Red Line Tours (Your choice of one Red Line Tour per day: Hollywood Behind the Scenes Tour, Inside Historic Downtown Los Angeles Tour, and Inside Contemporary Los Angeles Tour).