Oct 3rd & 4th 2008 San Diego, CA
Sleep
The following is a list of lodgings followed by brief commentaries. We tried to choose all reasonably priced places that are fairly comfortable. Since we want this be an enjoyable visit you should consider the beaches or downtown since they offer much nicer views, restaurants and maybe surfing!
Close to SDSU
This area is not very interesting. If you plan to get a car we recommend trying a place near the beach or downtown. These two Inns however have clean rooms, clean pools and a few restaurants near them. Would not recommend any of the other hotels or motels this close to the school.
Best Western Lamplighter Inn & Suites (this is the best)
6474 El Cajon Boulevard
(College Area)
Toll free (800) 545-0778
(619) 582-3088
http://www.lamplighter-inn.com/lamplighter.htm
Prices range $71.87 . $76.37 per night which includes breakfast (pastry, bagels, hard boiled eggs, coffee). This is the only hotel walking distance to SDSU (about 3/4 mile). Other motels this close to the school cannot be recommended. Has pool and nice rooms, seems well run. Tends to fill up fast as parents have no other decent options this close to school. Can walk to conference or take cab for about $5.00, not the best bus connection. When making reservation say it is a festival/conference at San Diego State (should be lower prices that way).
San Diego Days Inn
La Mesa Suites/SDSU
7475 El Cajon Boulevard
La Mesa, CA
Toll free (800) 932-9005
(619) 697-9005
http://www.the.daysinn.com/lamesa02051
Prices around $60/night. Rooms have kitchen. There is pool and jaccuzi (closes at 10PM). This place is not as nice as the Best Western and is not really walking distance. About 1-2 miles from SDSU. Not really on bus route (would have to make a transfer), cab ride would be about $5.00. Good Japanese restaurant, however, across the street.
Downtown
Gas Lamp District – Youth Hostels
Hostel International.San Diego Downtown
521 Market Street
Downtown
619-525-1531
toll free 800-909-4776
http://sandiegohostels.org/downtown.htm
Dorm $18 – $25/night
Private $44 . 55.50/night (some have bathrooms)
This hostel is located in the middle of the tourist/restaurant area downtown. Looks like a nice place. Parking is a bit of a problem but they tell us there is an affordable parking lot (which is not part of the hostel . .Central.) 2 blocks away – $4.00 for 10 hours (but not including in and out priviledges). This location is very busy at night . loaded with restaurants and party-goers. About a 20 min drive from SDSU (longer during rush hour).
USA Hostels
726 Fifth Avenue
Downtown (same general location as Hosteling International . San Diego Downtown)
619-232-3100
toll free 800-438-8622
This hostel prefers backpackers/travelers. If you call and tell them you are here for a .conference. (as opposed to traveling through town) you will have lower priority for reserving a room.
Little Italy
La Pensione Hotel
700 India Street
San Diego, CA 92101
toll free 800-232-4683
http://www.lapensionehotel.com
This area is not as busy as the Gas Lamp District but still in the downtown area. The neighborhood has plenty of good restaurants (attached to hotel), coffee shops and views of the bay. This is a very nice, well maintained hotel at a surprisingly low price $55 – $75/night. There is also free parking under the structure . which is newly renovated. Easy access to the highway and also trolley to check out other parts of San Diego. About 20 minutes from SDSU. Highly recommended for price and nice location.
North Park and Balboa Park
Balboa Park Inn
3402 Park Boulevard
(Balboa Park)
San Diego, CA 92103
619-298-0823
toll free 800-938-8181
fax (619) 294-8070
Located just above lovely Balboa Park and just below Hillcrest (the vibrant gay community in San Diego). Great restaurants and street shopping are close by. Can walk to the park which includes the zoo, museums, and an amazing cactus garden (among other gardens) in this large park. About 15-20 mins from SDSU. Rooms start around $100/night.
Bed & Breakfast in Victorian style house
Banker’s Hill (just west of Balboa Park — also not far from Hillcrest)
Keating House
2331 2nd Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 239-8585
Toll free (800) 995-8644
Fax (619) 239-5774
email inn@keatinghouse.com
$95-155/night including full breakfast
Banker’s Hill is a nice neighborhood close to downtown, Hillcrest and Balboa Park.
Beaches
Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach International Backpackers Hostel
4961 Newport Avenue
(Ocean Beach)
San Diego, CA 92107
619-223-7873
toll free 800-339-7263
http://members.aol.com/OBIhostel/hostel/
This little beach town has less of a tourist, frenetic pace compared to Pacific Beach. This youth hostel may require a foreign passport (proof of international travel) so ask before you book a room. Dorm rooms ($16-20/night). Probably not too hard to find parking a few blocks away. 20-25 mins from SDSU by car.
Pacific Beach
Youth Hostel
Banana Bungalow San Diego
707 Reed Avenue
(Pacific Beach)
San Diego, CA 92109
858-273-3060
800-546-7835
This is located right on the beach (next to Beach Cottages). It is cheap and friendly but accommodations are very funky . not all that clean or recently painted. Partying on their porch nightly, seems like a lot of drinking.
Beach Cottages
4255 Ocean Boulevard
(Pacific Beach)
San Diego, CA
(858) 483-7440
Rooms with full ocean view . one queen bed start at $85/night. This modest hotel has very clean and well maintained rooms in a youthful, fun location. No pool but hotel is basically on the beach (on sidewalk).. When you call specify that you want a view of the ocean (or else will be stuck looking at an alley for same price). Best views are from the 2nd and 3rd floors (don.t get a room w/o some kind of ocean view). This hotel is on a walkway that sits on the beach. It is a very busy beach full of bathing suited, rollerblading, surfing youth and partying (good for viewing the work of local plastic surgeons). There is a decent restaurant attached to this hotel (The Green Flash.). 20-25 mins from SDSU by car.
Surfer Motor Lodge
711 Pacific Beach Drive
Pacific Beach
858-483-7070
800-787-3373
$85 for room with ocean view and a pool. Modest hotel on the beach sidwwalk (can be noisey).
La Jolla
La Jolla Beach Travelodge Motel (in La Jolla)
6750 La Jolla Blvd
La Jolla, CA 92037
800-454-4361
http://www.lajollatravelodge.com
This very nice small hotel with pool located just a few blocks from a beautiful beach. This is not a busy, rollerblading beach but one with beautiful views and serious surfers. It is only about a mile from the very upscale La Jolla beach town and much more expensive hotels. The beaches here are generally a bit more serene than Pacific Beach with far more beautiful views. Nearby is a beach protected for seals and if you go further north to La Jolla Shores there is the wildlife preserve just below Scripps Aquarium which is full of tide pools. Lots of great restaurants about a mile north of the hotel, pretty nice neighborhood surrounds hotel . getting fancier as you head north on the beach. We recommend calling them to negotiate a rate. Sometimes they go down to $60/night at low season. Lately quoting rates around $70/night for October.
These more expensive hotels are for folks who want to make this trip a true beach resort type experience. The La Jolla Shores Beach is next to Scripps aquarium and the tidepool area. You can rent canoes and check out the sea caves nearby. These two hotel complexes below were chosen because they are actually on the beach. (There are lots of great hotels in downtown La Jolla that are expensive and not on the beach. There are also a lot of rather crummy hotels that are depressing on noisey and mostly ugly La Jolla Boulevard.)
La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club
2000 Spindrift Drive
Sealodge On La Jolla Shores
8110 Camino Del Oro
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 454-7126
FAX (858) 456-3805
Room rates vary from $169 . 199/night
Beach front from $269/night
La Jolla in general is 20-30 mins from SDSU on freeway