“With beaches for surfers and families alike, a buzzing restaurant scene, myriad museums and cultural activities, not to mention kid-friendly attractions like its zoo, San Diego is one of the country’s most dynamic vacation destinations.
Whether it’s the first or final stop on a California road trip, the spot for a weekend getaway in the sun, or an extended SoCal sojourn, there are plenty of things to do in San Diego … and plenty of excellent hotels to choose from.
Here are the 21 best hotels in San Diego, ranging from sophisticated city stays to more laid-back beach resorts.
The Westgate Hotel
Downtown, San Diego, California, USA
Don’t let first impressions fool you. Though The Westgate Hotel’s exterior screams drab ’70s, the interior was inspired by Versailles. Indeed, Louis XIV would look quite at home under the enormous Baccarat crystal chandeliers and amid the French and Flemish tapestries adorning the walls, enormous Persian carpets padding the parquet floors and a plethora of European antiques artfully placed here and there.
As you might expect, this hotel attracts a sophisticated, if somewhat older, clientele because of its aesthetic as well as its proximity to Copley Symphony Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art, though it’s also a quick stroll to the Gaslamp Quarter’s bars and clubs.
Like the public spaces, the 222 guest rooms and suites, which start at 400 square feet, are more filigreed French than contemporary chic, though classic wooden beds, traditionally patterned carpeting and bathrooms with marble countertops and glinting brass faucets are sure to please most. Guests can access the AquaVie Fitness + Wellness Club, which has over 200 cardio and weight machines as well as a lap pool. Speaking of pools, the hotel has its own rooftop iteration where guests can enjoy food and beverage service for most of the day.
In an ornate setting with gilded wall sconces and plushly upholstered club chairs, the Plaza Bar serves three meals a day plus the hotel’s ballyhooed afternoon tea while the Westgate Room is meant to feel more like a bistro … if Marie Antoinette patronized bistros, that is. The menu includes staples like Dungeness crabcakes and steak frites.
Rates at The Westgate Hotel start at $159 per night.”
Read the complete list by Eric Rosen from The Points Guy here.