Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [248]
US Grant Hotel (Map; 619-232-3121, 800-237-5029; www.starwood.com; 326 Broadway; r $329-529; wi-fi) Given a facelift in 2006, this 1910 hotel was built as the fancy city counterpart to the Hotel del Coronado and hosted everyone from Albert Einstein to Harry Truman. Today’s quietly flashy lobby combines chocolate-brown and ocean-blue accents, and rooms boast original paintings on the headboards. Parking costs $28. See also Click here.
Old Town
You almost don’t need a car if you stay in Old Town. Most lodgings offer free airport shuttles, and there are convenient transit links.
Holiday Inn Express (Map; 619-299-7400; www.hiexpress.com/ex-oldtown; 3900 Old Town Ave; r $140-160; wi-fi) Hacienda-style building at the edge of Old Town. Rooms are clean, spacious and up-to-date with hardwood mission-style furniture and extras such as microwaves and refrigerators. Good value. Parking is $12.
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MISSION VALLEY
Downtown rates got you down? Beach booked? The couple of dozen mostly chain hotels and motels along Hotel Circle Dr in Mission Valley offer in quantity and price what their neighborhood lacks in charm – they’re popular for business gatherings, family vacations and shopping excursions. Particularly outside of summer peak, you can occasionally find weekday rates as low as $80. Here are some choices:
Handlery Hotel (Map; 619-298-0511, 800-843-4343; www.handlery.com; 950 Hotel Circle N; r $120-160; wi-fi) The Handlery has attractive furnishings (wooden armoires and writing desks) and a complimentary shuttle to area attractions. Parking costs $12.
Crowne Plaza San Diego (Map; 619-297-1101; www.cp-sandiego.com; 2270 Hotel Circle N; r $129-229; wi-fi) Convention-class hotel with a Polynesian theme (koi ponds and waterfall) and rooms with super-comfy mattresses. Parking costs $10.
Town & Country Hotel (Map; 619-291-7131, 800-772-8527; www.towncountry.com; 500 Hotel Circle N; r from $195; wi-fi) Four swimming pools, tropical landscaping and a 10-story tower make the Town & Country feel like Honolulu off the I-8. There’s a trolley stop and bridge to Fashion Valley shopping center. Parking costs $14.
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Best Western Hacienda Hotel (Map; 619-298-4707, 800-888-1991; www.haciendahotel-oldtown.com; 4041 Harney St; r $159-229; wi-fi) On four well-landscaped acres on the hillside above Old Town’s restaurant row, the Hacienda has 199 rooms over eight buildings, neatly and conservatively decorated and some with pull-out sofas. Add in a workout room, Jacuzzi and nightly happy hour. Parking costs $12.
Hillcrest
Hillcrest Inn (Map; 619-293-7078, 800-258-2280; www.hillcrestinn.com; 3754 5th Ave; r from $89; wi-fi) Once a staple of the Hillcrest gay community, this courtyard-style inn now hosts a mixed clientele drawn by cheap rates, a Jacuzzi and the convenient location. Rooms are nothing special, with aging furniture and no air-con. Parking costs $12.
Sommerset Suites Hotel (Map; 619-296-2101, 800-962-9665; www.sommersetsuites.com; 606 Washington St; r incl breakfast from $109; ) Originally built as condominiums in the 1980s, all rooms have full kitchens, many units are two-room suites, and there’s a guest laundry. Clientele is split between visitors to Hillcrest’s nightlife and the nearby hospital. It’s on a busy street, so bring ear plugs if you’re sensitive to noise.
Park Manor Suites (Map; 619-291-0999, 800-874-2649; www.parkmanorsuites.com; 525 Spruce St; r incl breakfast $129-229; wi-fi) This gay-friendly place, facing Balboa Park and a reasonable walk to central Hillcrest, used to be an apartment building, meaning mostly large rooms with kitchens and vast closets. Staff call the room decor ‘old world,’ though we’d say ‘old’ – take your pick. Breakfast is served on the top floor, with sweeping Downtown-to-ocean views. The roof becomes a gay party