For those who know the SD area and Holiday bowl event, what is the best area to stay? Are there advantages to being in Mission Valley by the stadium, or does it make more sense to stay near the ocean to see sites?
Hotel advice
- Thread starter JoeWildcat
- Start date
It depend on what you want to do beyond the game. We really like the Gaslamp district, and also enjoy enjoy La Jolla.
The Gas Lamp District is great historical place to stay in, and I heard the team is staying at the Marriott Marquis if that helps any.
I’ll leave your more detailed question to the SoCal folks, but I’ve never regretted staying near nor going for a swim in the Pacific Ocean. You can Uber / Lyft / Cab anywhere you want to quickly in SD.
La Jolla is a beautiful little town with scenic coastal views and have nice restaurants. But its a pain in the ass to drive in and out of there. And it aint SD.
Gaslamp. Period.
Gaslamp. Period.
La Jolla has the finest French Bakery in the country. (Missed you at the Purple Party)
I’ve stayed at most 4 star hotels in and around Gaslamp district and they are all serviceble. Not many 5 star options for whatever the reason. Parking is $$$$$ so watch that carefully when you book.
Strong rec to check out Coronado & consider the Hotel Del Coronado -- a gorgeous gem on the ocean. Not a bad uber into SD.
Agree about parking is a rip-off at downtown hotels, the hotels grossly overcharge. You can easily uber from the airport to the hotel, hang around the Gaslamp Quarter and later uber or take the trolley to the game in Mission Valley.
There used to be multiple options in Hotel Circle but as others have noted the Gaslamp District has apparently taken over. With it being New Years Eve a plan B might be worth considering. I am guessing the Coronado is probably already fully booked but if staying past the holiday might be worth adding a night there just for the iconic experience.
Gaslamp is always a fun place to be but the hotels overcharging to park there is something to avoid. Hotel Del and Coronado is always worth a visit even if fans are not staying there. I don’t think Mission Valley is a great choice to stay other than access to the stadium by trolley or uber. La Jolla is a very nice but access in and out of the village is a pain. The village has smaller hotels & b&b’s while there are nice larger hotels around the UCSD campus. For families I suggest the Carlsbad area- lots of hotels and access to Legoland and the zoo’s Safari Park. If you are staying downtown a trip to the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park is a must. Balboa Park is north of downtown and south of Mission Valley where the stadium is located. If you’ve not been to Balboa Park and the zoo before it is something you should do on a visit here, along with maybe a trip over to Coronado. There are ferries you can take from downtown to go across the bay to Coronado and you can rent bikes at the ferry landing to bike around the island. Point Loma and the Cabrillo Monument are also easy to get to from downtown. Cabrillo Monument has some of the best views of downtown San Diego and of Coronado Island and is also a good spot to view cruise ships and other vessels coming and going from San Diego Bay. Is also a cool place to see planes from the Navy taking off from North Island. Just a great vantage point for visitors.
Those are great suggestions. I was in San Diego the day after Thanksgiving and there were motorized stand-up scooters everywhere that could be rented at one location and dropped off elsewhere. They were most popular along the promenade that extends between Belmont Park and Pacific Beach. By the way Belmont Park right on the Pacific Ocean with its iconic wooden roller coaster and arcade atmosphere is a great place to spend part of a day.
A restaurant just north of downtown in Little Italy area (just up the hill from Lindberg Field Airport) that we discovered was Kettner Exchange where they gave us a private room that overlooked the ocean. Their Braised Short Rib and Thai Roasted Pork Shoulder "Large Plates" entrees were a big hit. We are not wine or beer drinkers but apparently many go there for their outstanding selection of both. I am sure WestCoastWildcat could offer additional suggestions for places to dine in Little Italy and elsewhere. I know there is a place there known for its lobster rolls (Ironside Fish and Lobster on India Street?) but the wait to get in was too long for us. I intend to go back there to try one of those rolls if I make it to the Bowl game.
With regard to hotels I did locate this one via the Alaska Airlines website (Sofia Hotel) within walking distance of the above recommended Gas Lamp area. It is older "with character" but gets high reviews for having been updated and for being reasonably priced. It does share the parking issues alluded to by WestCoastWildcat with valet parking at $38 a night. Currently the holiday period daily hotel rates appear to be in the $160 range. Here is one review:
10.0Exceptional"Top notch stay in downtown SD"
Amazing hotel with fabulous service and comfort. The Sofia Hotel is only a 10 min walk to gas lamp or to the Little Italy distinct or to the waterfront. The rooms are spectacular with comfortable beds, spacious living quarters and a cozy feel. I would definitely come back and stay at the Sofia in the future.
A restaurant just north of downtown in Little Italy area (just up the hill from Lindberg Field Airport) that we discovered was Kettner Exchange where they gave us a private room that overlooked the ocean. Their Braised Short Rib and Thai Roasted Pork Shoulder "Large Plates" entrees were a big hit. We are not wine or beer drinkers but apparently many go there for their outstanding selection of both. I am sure WestCoastWildcat could offer additional suggestions for places to dine in Little Italy and elsewhere. I know there is a place there known for its lobster rolls (Ironside Fish and Lobster on India Street?) but the wait to get in was too long for us. I intend to go back there to try one of those rolls if I make it to the Bowl game.
With regard to hotels I did locate this one via the Alaska Airlines website (Sofia Hotel) within walking distance of the above recommended Gas Lamp area. It is older "with character" but gets high reviews for having been updated and for being reasonably priced. It does share the parking issues alluded to by WestCoastWildcat with valet parking at $38 a night. Currently the holiday period daily hotel rates appear to be in the $160 range. Here is one review:
10.0Exceptional"Top notch stay in downtown SD"
Amazing hotel with fabulous service and comfort. The Sofia Hotel is only a 10 min walk to gas lamp or to the Little Italy distinct or to the waterfront. The rooms are spectacular with comfortable beds, spacious living quarters and a cozy feel. I would definitely come back and stay at the Sofia in the future.
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