San Diego Trip Planning Guide

[Young Pooh]

Thanks Aims, I appreciate your help.

The saving of £500 on the flights is for 3 of us, but even so, a good saving. I think the ease of doing a package swings it as well. To get anything close to that price, we would need to drop down to hand luggage only (fine on the way out but no room for shopping!) and potentially have to get a non-refundable rate for the hotel.

Looks like we're going to San Diego! Get ready for the questions over the next few months 🤣

[Aims]

Sounds like you’ve got a deal too good to pass up then. I’m happy you’ve chosen San Diego 😊❤️ Bring on those questions when you’ve got ‘em! 😄

[Endeavour]

All we've got left to book for our Cali trip in August is the San Diego hotel. We were drawn to the Springhill Suite but prices are a little higher than we'd hoped, so currently have a shortlist of two other hotels - the US Grant and the Westin Gaslamp Quarter. Any steer as to which one is better or any words of caution?

[Aims]

Originally Posted by Endeavour

All we've got left to book for our Cali trip in August is the San Diego hotel. We were drawn to the Springhill Suite but prices are a little higher than we'd hoped, so currently have a shortlist of two other hotels - the US Grant and the Westin Gaslamp Quarter. Any steer as to which one is better or any words of caution?

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I haven’t stayed at the Westin, but I have stayed at the Grant. It’s a beautiful, historical landmark hotel on the luxury end of the scale, but I personally can’t recommend it. I literally had the worst sleep there I’ve ever had at any hotel. There is basically no sound proofing and my room faced over a street. Downtown is always busy day and night and I could hear everything outside…people talking, drunks yelling (lots of bars and nightclubs in the area that close late), car noise, lots of police and ambulance sirens. I am also not crazy about the area where the Grant is located, which is more in the center of downtown. I won’t lie, there are a lot of homeless people downtown. Some areas have a higher concentration of homeless than others, and the street the Grant is on has always had a large amount. The Westin is only two blocks away, so I consider it to be in the same area.

I prefer to stay around the outskirts of downtown and the Gaslamp Quarter, either around the ballpark or by Seaport Village. I can recommend looking at the Marriott Gaslamp Hotel, the Omni, the Hilton Gaslamp Hotel or the Hilton Bayfront which is across the road from the ballpark, just to the outside of the downtown/Gaslamp area. Also just outside the Gaslamp and bordering on Seaport Village are two very nice hotels I really like: the Marriott Marquis and the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel. These have beautiful bay views and are next to the convention center. They are an easy walk into the Gaslamp Quarter too.

If you are locked into choosing either the Westin or Grant though, I’d suggest the Westin just based on my experience at the Grant.

[Endeavour]

Many thanks for the detailed response, Aims. I took a look at all those you suggested and opted for the Omni as I was able to get the best price on it.

[Aims]

Originally Posted by Endeavour

Many thanks for the detailed response, Aims. I took a look at all those you suggested and opted for the Omni as I was able to get the best price on it.

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Wonderful! 😊👍 The Omni is right next to the baseball stadium, in fact it has it’s own entrance bridge into the park. If the Padres are playing any home games when you’re in town, I highly recommend going to a game. The atmosphere is great and family-friendly (unless they are playing the LA Dodgers, their biggest rival lol). There are lots of restaurants within walking distance of the Omni, there is also a Ghirardelli ice cream and chocolate shop on Fifth Ave (roughly 10-15 min walk from the Omni), and you can easily walk over to Seaport Village too. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need any other recommendations or advice. 😊

[Endeavour]

Originally Posted by Aims

Wonderful! 😊👍 The Omni is right next to the baseball stadium, in fact it has it’s own entrance bridge into the park. If the Padres are playing any home games when you’re in town, I highly recommend going to a game. The atmosphere is great and family-friendly (unless they are playing the LA Dodgers, their biggest rival lol). There are lots of restaurants within walking distance of the Omni, there is also a Ghirardelli ice cream and chocolate shop on Fifth Ave (roughly 10-15 min walk from the Omni), and you can easily walk over to Seaport Village too. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need any other recommendations or advice. 😊

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Magic! I didn’t realise San Diego had a Ghirardelli…we’ll be spending the previous week in San Francisco so may now aim to do the whole sundae menu across the fortnight

[Aims]

Originally Posted by Endeavour

we’ll be spending the previous week in San Francisco so may now aim to do the whole sundae menu across the fortnight

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I like the way you think! 😄 I would do the same thing.

[Young Pooh]

We will be in San Diego over Halloween and wondered what we can expect.

I know Seaworld have the Halloween events but are there any other activities we should look out for either on the 31st (DH's birthday &#129315 or the 1st?

[Aims]

Originally Posted by Young Pooh

We will be in San Diego over Halloween and wondered what we can expect.

I know Seaworld have the Halloween events but are there any other activities we should look out for either on the 31st (DH's birthday &#129315 or the 1st?

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Halloween time is very popular and just about everywhere will have some form of celebration. Aside from Sea World, other places like the San Diego Zoo will have something going (geared more for families), and there are more adult level scary experiences like the Haunted Trail in Balboa Park and the Haunted Hotel in Mission Valley: hauntedhotel/. There is also the Scream Zone at the Del Mar Fairgrounds thescreamzone/ Del Mar is about 20-30 minutes north of downtown San Diego. If you want some history education with the spookiness, there is a Haunted San Diego tour company that shows you some areas of San Diego that have a dark past. You can do a tour downtown or in Old Town San Diego. hauntedsandiegotours/


Because of San Diego's large Mexican population, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in a few places around town. That holiday is traditionally celebrated from Nov 1-2nd. Old Town San Diego park always does a Dia de los Muertos event and it does draw a lot of people. They held it on dates before and after Halloween last year, but you should check Old Town's Day of the Dead website for this year's date if you are interested in checking that out. dayofthedeadsd/ Right now they are still showing info for last year.

Most of the Halloween events in town get very busy and October is kids go free month in San Diego at all the major tourist attractions, so expect a lot of families with kids at places like Sea World and the Zoo.