December in San Diego

We are a family of 5 travelling from Australia and stopping in San Diego for 5 days over the Christmas break. I just cannot decide on a hotel to stay in so any help would be really appreciated. I am looking at Gaslamp District (Hilton?) at the moment but am wondering whether this is the right area or is the Hotel Circle a better option. I do like the idea of being near the Bay though and want to be where the atmosphere is good especially as we will be celebrating Christmas here. I had looked at Grand Hyatt Manchester but reviews are really ordinary. Marriott is too expensive. What about the new Westin?

We are planning on doing all the main attractions - Zoo, Sea World,

Wildlife Park and exploring San Diego. We will have a hire car to get around, but I don%26#39;t really want to have to get the car out everytime we need to eat or want to see something

December in San Diego

Hotel circle is a place to stay IF you are interested in budget accommodations in a NON-scenic area.

The gaslamp has manyhotels ad many restaurants. Please be aware that you will pay extra fo rparking. I t appears that the higher end hotels all charge for parking. When you say the the Hyatt Manchester has ';ordinary ';reviews ,it makes me wonder what exactly you are seeking.

The ';new';Westin is an%26#39;ordinary%26#39; 3*** hotel in a lovely highrise bulding in downtown but outside the actual gaslamp. I fyou d lilke a hotel with a more elegant feel try theWestGATE. the historical Horton Grand also has a unique atmosphere.There is also the Omni,which is popular . Many times these hotels will run winter %26#39;specials'; as time gets closer.YOu can alwasy meka a cancelleable reservation with the actualhotel and then if you see a deal change the res. Dowtnown is a goo dplace to be druing Xmas as there is a parade of decorated boats onthe bay and it is just very festive.

You might also consider staying at a beach hotel since winter would be off season for that. I fyou can describe a hotel where you have stayed and been happy then perhaps I can make further suggestions.

December in San Diego

Thanks Riffsmom.

The Hotel Circle is out as we want to be where things are happening.

I guess the more I think about it, it is the area we stay I want to get right.

Are the Gaslamp District and Downtown very far away from each other? Or for that matter where does the Grand Hyatt Manchester fit in to the two areas.

Haven%26#39;t stayed in any hotels in the US yet but in Australia, we are always more than happy with the Hyatt chain. The reviews of the Grand Hyatt Manchester paint the hotel rooms as being not always clean and the service less than satisfactory. But I really like the idea of being near the Bay so that might be the payoff.

The reviews for the Hilton in the Gaslamp District are much better. Do you know much about this hotel?

I will have a look at the hotels you have suggested.

The gaslamp district is part of our downtown. Downtown is quite small and pretty.It overlooks SanDiego Bay in part and is only3miles from the airport so very convenient.. Th eManchesterGrand Hyatt is next to the Marriott%26amp;Marina .They both face the bay.TheEmbassy Suites is across the street and the start of the %26#39;';gaslamp';district starts across HarborDrive from the hotels an dconvention center.. the Omni is nearby as well . Th eMarriottGaslamp is very nice but has no pool which may or may not matter to you. Then there are othehrotels afew blocks away

Here is the gaslamp web site.

http://www.gaslamp.org/home.html

If you look through it you will find a map.The rest of downtown continues around this small area. You rhotel does not have to be inside the gaslamp but can be on the outskirts asw ell like the ones we have mentioned

I actually don tknow anyone who has stayed at the Gaslamp Hilton but it is right near all theother previously mentioned hotels. TheEmbassy Suites is also apart of the Hilton chain.It offers cooked bkfst,and anindoor pool if that is of interest. I think one of the Hyatts towers is newer thanthe other ,perhpas the north onenear the Seaport village shoppingCenter. I also know they have some corner rooms with wraparound glass views that are nice.

Ok thanks for your help. You are obviously an expert on the area and really help with day to day questions people have. I am really looking forward to our time in San Diego as it seems such a pretty place with so much to do.

Will stick with the Downtown/Gaslamp area and see what kind of deals I can get.

we are staying at the Manchester Grand August 1-6, i can let you know what we think when we get back....This will be our 5th Trip to SD, we just love it there.....I also like the Catamaran...location is great.

I would highly recommend staying nearer to downtown over Hotel Circle. If you stay at Hotel Circle you will constantly be getting into the car to go everywhere (which you%26#39;ll still have to do somewhat - SD is pretty spread out.)

You might enjoy staying at either the Westin or the U.S. Grant at Horton Plaza. The U.S. Grant was recently renovated by the Sycuans and it is beautiful. I have stayed at the Westin Horton Plaza many times and it is consistently nice. The location is right at Horton Plaza, which is a big outdoor (not enclosed) shopping mall with movies, restaurants, and big dept stores, and easy walking distance to the Gaslamp, which has tons of restaurants. There is also a huge Ralph%26#39;s grocery store within walking distance (always comes in handy traveling with kids.)

One really fun thing to do since you%26#39;re traveling in December is ice skating at Horton Plaza. It%26#39;s a big fundraiser by the Children%26#39;s Hospital Auxiliary to benefit their programs. This is a giant moveable outdoor ice skating rink (';Rockefeller West';) that is set up at Horton Plaza every winter. It%26#39;s so fun - definitely a ';do not miss.'; There also was outdoor skating (to benefit Make a Wish) at the Hotel del Coronado this year - not sure if they are planning to make it a regular annual event.

Depending on the ages of your kids, they might also enjoy the Reuben Fleet Science Center at Balboa Park. Balboa Park has (in addition to the Zoo) several museums %26amp; theaters. Fleet is one of them. This is a rare kids%26#39; science museum in that it is geared to kids of all ages, but has stuff specifically for very young kids too. Kids who are way too young to appreciate the Museum of Natural History will have a ball at the Fleet.

Also fun with kids is a trip to the Children%26#39;s Pool at La Jolla, which is a protected beach cove where you can watch seals congregate.

Thanks everyone - all of this advice is just great.

KSPNE - would love to hear how you get on. I now have quite a few places to investigate.

The Ice Skating sounds great - the kids will love it. The more I hear about SD, the more time I think we will need there!

How cold can we expect it to be?

The real beauty of San Diego is the variability of the temperature. I don%26#39;t think it will be as cold as Melbourne was today. I didn%26#39;t go outside my hotel and I%26#39;m still freezing.

You could be lucky and be here during an infrequent but not rare Santa Ana and enjoy temps in the 70s or 80s. But this is also our rainy season -- yeah big deal 25cm a year! But if it rains it will be quite chilly as the weather usually comes from the Alaska region. Rain rarely, keeping in mind the flooding in the UK as I type, lasts more than a day at a time. But it is unlikely to be below the mid 50s during the day.

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