San Diego continues on a record-breaking tear as one of the best vacation destinations in America.
Why wouldn’t it be?
Those with the West Coast on the brain resort to ‘America’s Finest City’ for their vacation needs over the controversies of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Boasting gorgeous beach towns from Coronado to Oceanside, San Diego County is teeming with paradisal escapes, but even the city itself can be overlooked in favor of the world-famous San Diego Zoo, a tourist hotspot, Mission Beach, and wild nights out in the Gaslamp District.
Truth is, you don’t have to spend boring nights in tourists’ number one mistake, Hotel Circle, or overpay for beachside stays to have an unforgettable time in SoCal’s shining star.
If there’s one knock on San Diego, it’s the fact this city doesn’t seem to know what a proper island is, often naming scenic peninsulas as ‘islands’, such as aforementioned Coronado, as well as local favorites, Shelter Island and Harbor Island.
The latter is mere steps from under-construction San Diego International Airport and home to a resort-style retreat with more posh amenities than a typical ‘airport hotel’.
Offering unmatched views of San Diego’s vibrant skyline and the calm, gleaming waters of the San Diego Bay, there’s no doubt the newly renovated Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina is the perfect anchor for your next vacation.
Plus, you can watch planes land from your balcony without losing any sleep!
There Couldn’t Be A Better Base To Explore San Diego
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina has 2 towers on their surprisingly expansive grounds. I say this because you could easily swap “hotel” for “resort” in their name, especially with the current $60 food & beverage credit at Rumorosa, their Baja-inspired restaurant.
If you’re an avid San Diego vacationer and haven’t stayed here, you’ve been missing out. Located directly across from San Diego International Airport, these resort-style digs beat out all the hotels in the vicinity, including where my girlfriend works (shh! don’t tell her!).
From the moment you walk in, you’re treated like family. There was even a surprise of sinfully delicious macarons delivered to my spacious suite as a kind welcome gift.
If you’re new to Travel Off Path, you know we’re all about ‘no fluff’. So, when I say this was the most comfortable room I’ve stayed in recent memory, I mean it!
To put that in perspective, I just got back from a 6-country Euro-trip and stayed at multiple 4-star hotels and 5-star resorts.
Here, I was assigned a renovated King Suite on the 10th floor with sweeping skyline views and peripheral glimpses of the calm San Diego Bay – not to mention the surprisingly quiet airport, given the location.
Oh, wait. That was just the living room balcony. The bedroom balcony had even better views of the bay and a soothing, salty breeze as well.
Overlooking the cityscape, you’ll gain an appreciation for your prime location. Whether it’s simply a stopover, a weekend getaway, or a full-fledged vacation, you’re in the right place.
A 5-minute drive puts you in one of my favorite neighborhoods, Little Italy. While it’s certainly not Rome, your tastebuds won’t know that while chowing down at Mona Lisa.
Little Italy is a sub-section of downtown, also home to the always buzzing Gaslamp Quarter with over 200 bars and restaurants.
Equally easy to reach, but in the opposite direction is Point Loma, one of my favorite districts, where you can discover all the delights of Liberty Station, former Naval housing converted into trendy restaurants, breweries, and even a 9-hole golf course fun for the whole fam.
But just outside the Sheraton is Harbor Island (ahem, peninsula), offering quite possibly the best city views of San Diego along with 2 renowned restaurants at each end, Tom Yam’s Lighthouse and Coasterra.
Oh, and last but not least, Balboa Park, home to a plethora of awesome museums, hiking trails, and the ever-so-famous San Diego Zoo, plus the closest beach, Ocean Beach, are both only an 11-minute drive.
A Taste Of Baja & Waterfront Brews
Any time you visit a Mexican restaurant, there are 2 things to test its authenticity. Order Tajin-rimmed Margaritas followed by guac, amirite?
If that’s a no-go, you’re in the wrong place. Thankfully, Sheraton’s Rumorosa passed the test before we ordered entrees, and our experience was leveled up from there.
Next up, we had to put ‘Baja’ to the test, so you know we ordered the Local Baja Ceviche (also on the Happy Hour menu,) and it was just as good as anywhere south of the border – and I visit Tijuana a lot!
We went slightly off-kilter for entrees by ordering Braised Beef Short Rib. It was still cooked to perfection, just not quite exuding ‘Baja’ vibes.
That being said, the best place to kick back and relax was newly opened Brewery X, offering a wide selection of craft beers and a great waterfront patio overlooking the adjacent marina, where you can enjoy nice strolls, book a jet ski, or indulge in ‘Sunset S’mores‘.
Just know the hard seltzers have a high alcohol content and sneak up on you! A couple of Shhh Wheat drafts and Huckleberry seltzers, tasty Dirty Fries were a great way to watch football with our friendly beertender.
If beers were slightly cheaper than the standard $10 pours, as a San Diegan, Brewery X would be my new go-to spot to watch my beloved Dallas Cowboys lose again…and again…and again.
It’s truly a great atmosphere whether you’re a hotel guest or not.
Note: There’s also Sunglow Cabana Bar accompanying the pool, but we were told it was closed during our stay.
Airport Convenience
To be frank, San Diego’s airport is a bit of a fustercluck right now. If you time it right, you won’t be bothered by the constant construction projects, but that’s never a guarantee.
In fact, I wrote an article earlier this year highlighting the ongoing headaches. While it has seemed to improve, the final product isn’t close to the finish line.
The next phase is a partial opening of Terminal 1 in Summer 2025, but the entirety isn’t expected to be complete until an undisclosed 2028 date.
This just adds one more reason (as if you needed one) to stay at Sheraton, where you could literally walk to your flight if you wanted to, but taking their free shuttle from 4:45 AM – 12:00 AM is a wiser decision.
As a local who passes by the airport frequently, I know traffic hasn’t been as bad as it was in early 2024. However, as a precaution, just know when it’s bad it’s realllyyyyy baaadddd.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.