We review the best and cheapest hotels near the San Diego Convention Center, California, in case you are visiting for an event or a conference. We have already listed the best hotel club lounges in San Diego and the best San Diego airport lounges in California, separately.
San Diego is a brilliant city for conventions and has a huge Convention Centre. It also has an airport that is both close to downtown and easy to reach. San Diego, CA city, also has plenty of lodging options, including 18 large hotels, making it a good location for larger conferences.
Attractive cities for conventions are those that offer attendees affordable accommodations and, plenty of entertainment, easy transport from the airport so attendees can preserve their budgets and maximize their networking time.
San Diego is also a sunny beach town with a water-centered lifestyle, which makes it ideal for a vacation, too. Visit the historic Gaslamp Quarter for lively dining, shopping, and nightlife, take a leisurely walk to the waterfront Embarcadero. East Village is great for indie shops and cafes. Wherever you go, you’ll be sure to take in stunning, sweeping sea views with the warm sun sparkling among the iridescent blue.
I have compiled a list below containing the best hotels near the San Diego Convention Center in California. I review each of these hotel club lounges in detail so that you know what you’ll get if you book into one of the closest hotels to the San Diego Convention Center.
1. InterContinental San Diego
InterContinental San Diego is located in the center of the downtown business district and along the San Diego waterfront. It offers an urban resort destination that helps to ensure a good night’s sleep after a hectic day at work.
It is beautifully located within walking distance of the Convention Center, under 0.5 miles away, and this hotel specializes in catering to both business and leisure travelers.
400 rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with expansive ocean views and round-the-clock room service. Enjoy the culinary explosion happening on Kettner Street, known as top chef alley, the fitness center, complete with an outdoor yoga deck and a business center, and state-of-the-art technology complete the business-friendly amenities.
Prices here start at around $240 USD per night, which is cheap considering the level of luxury this hotel provides.
2. Andaz San Diego
Andaz San Diego is located downtown in the historic Gaslamp Quarter and is more suitable to the young (or young at heart) and funky travelers than families, as this is a fun, lively hotel. It is close to the Convention Centre at just under 0.5 miles away, so it is walkable if you like a stroll.
Being a stylish Andaz, this is our favorite Convention Centre hotel if you are looking for style. At just over $200 USD per night, this Andaz is also cheap and a great deal for the level of fun you will enjoy here.
Rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access, coffee, and tea, as well as free snacks and beverages in the minibar. Plus, the hotel is pet-friendly, and valet parking is available for $49 USD per night.
Guests enjoy a welcome beverage at check-in, snacks and beverages in the hotel lounge, a 24-hour fitness room, and VIP access to the rooftop pool.
The Andaz rooftop features beautiful views of the city as well as the very popular RoofTop600 restaurant and lounge, which offers breakfast, lunch, a bar, and live DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.
For a relaxing evening experience, head to the Andaz Bar, where craft cocktails and wines from California and around the world are available. The hotel has a lively atmosphere on weekends and may not be the best fit for families with small children.
3. Manchester Grand Hyatt
Manchester Grand Hyatt has a prime waterfront location on San Diego Bay. The hotel offers a resort-like setting with bay-view rooms.
Manchester Grand Hyatt is close to the airport, just five minutes away, and walking distance to the nearby San Diego Convention Center, 0.4 miles away. Seaport Village Headquarters and Gaslamp Quarter are also nearby. San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and Beaches are close by, too.
Rooms here start at around $300 USD per night, which makes it one of the best conference hotels in the area in the Hyatt chain of hotels. You can earn or spend your World of Hyatt points here or at the Andaz.
4. Hilton San Diego Bayfront
Rising 30-stories above the edge of San Diego Bay, the Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel is one of the West Coast’s newest waterfront hotels and is just 0.12 miles from the San Diego Convention Center.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront’s waterfront location, sun and sea-inspired, offers an immersion into the essence of San Diego’s unique coastal culture and lifestyle.
It has unparalleled views and direct access to San Diego Bay and is adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center, so it couldn’t be closer. Plus is across the street from PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and is minutes from the San Diego International Airport /SAN/.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront is also a short walk from downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter and its many entertainment and recreational amenities, as well as world-class shopping and dining.
The waterfront literally laps at the hotel’s steps, from a dramatic Bayfront entryway to stunning views from the lobby and the guest rooms. The main entrance to the hotel is elevated to take advantage of the property’s unique orientation along the water.
Prices here start at around $200 USD per night, which is cheap considering the incredible location and facilities.
5. Marriott Gaslamp Quarter
Marriott Gaslamp Quarter is located in the heart of downtown San Diego. It is an elegant and upscale hotel with boutique-style service and premier dining and nightlife.
At 0.24 miles from the Convention Centre and priced from around $270 USD per night, this is not one of your cheapest hotel options near the Convention Centre but is certainly one of your best.
This San Diego Gaslamp hotel sits in the heart of the city’s most energetic and inspiring district and is adjacent to Petco Park. Stellar shopping and dining can be found on the doorstep.
306 rooms and suites feature a collection of unique amenities, including in-room smart desks, Wi-Fi access, and more than 8,000 square feet of av-equipped function space to cater for everything from small meetings to corporate conferences. Dining options at Marriott Gaslamp Quarter are unparalleled among San Diego hotels. Soleil K serves fresh, innovative cuisine, Latitude Lounge serves as a friendly local hangout, and altitude sky lounge offers custom cocktails and a panoramic 22nd-story view of the city skyline.
6. Marriott Marquis Marina
Marriott Marquis Marina was built in 1984, so it is not as new as the Hilton San Diego Bayfront and the Intercontinental Hotel San Diego featured above, but its advantages are a resort feel on the marina with a brilliant freeform tropical pool. This feature makes it a great hotel for a weekend break or to extend your conference stay.
This waterfront hotel overlooks its own private marina and is near numerous attractions, including Seaport Village San Diego Convention Center, which is just 0.2 miles away, just a short walk. It is also near the Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park, and Balboa Park.
Every hotel room and suite has impressive views of the city, San Diego Bay, or the Pacific Ocean. Recharge on indulgent bedding and take advantage of the relaxed reading chairs, flat-screen TVs, desks, and Wi-Fi; many rooms have private balconies. It is worth requesting one of these.
Concierge level rooms grant access to Lounge perks, including free breakfasts, while suites offer generous living areas.
Pamper yourself at the day spa, work out in the gym, or take a dip in the lovely outdoor pools. Indulge with creative American, Mexican, and Asian-fusion fare at the restaurants. Event planners love the recently redesigned indoor and picture-perfect outdoor venues, combining to more than 276,000 square feet of hotel function space.
Prices here start at around $400 USD per night, which is cheap considering the incredible location and facilities.
7. Hard Rock Hotel San Diego
If you are feeling rock and roll, try Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, which offers the ultimate rock star experience in San Diego. Luxurious style and substance with a unique rock vibe. It features 420 rooms and suites, a stunning lobby lounge, and a rooftop pool bar Nobu restaurant rooftop urban garden.
Prices here start at around $340 USD per night, and it is just 0.1 miles from the Convention Centre, so it makes one of the best and most stylish convention hotel choices.
8. Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Qtr
Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Qtr is located at the gateway to the historic Gaslamp Quarter close to the Convention Centre. If you are in town for a conference at the San Diego Convention Center, it is located just across the street on Harbor Dr. You are so very close at just 0.1 miles away from the Convention Centre.
San Diego Gaslamp Qtr has 16 blocks of dining, shopping, art galleries, theater, and nighttime entertainment. Catch a ball game at Petco Park, home to the San Diego Padres. Even the San Diego International airport is a short three miles away.
Guest rooms at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter hotel include pillow-top mattresses with down comforters and dual-line telephones with voicemail and data ports.
For guests seeking the utmost in privacy, the Lofts on 5th Avenue a ‘hotel within a hotel’, provides the luxury of residential loft living with 14-foot ceilings, in-room safes, cordless phones, CD players, a secure private entrance, and eight 5th Avenue lofts with whirlpool tubs.
The lobby offers a comfortable living space with cocktail service and glowing fireplaces. New Leaf Restaurant serves an innovative, fresh California menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with patio dining overlooking Martin Luther King Park featuring a dog park where locals congregate with their four-legged friends and socialize.
The outdoor Fire Pit is an ideal spot for a pre-or post-Gaslamp outing with cocktails, appetizers, and desserts served al fresco.
Recreational amenities include a complimentary fitness center that provides cardio and free weights, an outdoor heated pool, a whirlpool, and a sundeck. Adjacent walking and running trails that border San Diego’s bay offer the opportunity to enjoy the city’s near-perfect climate.
Local attractions are easily accessible by the iconic red trolley, which stops less than 100 feet from the hotel. Pedicabs, horse-drawn carriages, and electric scooters are also available just out the hotel’s front doors, allowing you to explore all downtown and the Gaslamp Quarter has to offer.
Rooms here start at around $200 USD per night, which makes it one of the cheapest, decent conference hotels in the area.
9. Marriott Vacation Club Pulse
Marriott Vacation Club Pulse is one of the cheapest convention hotels in San Diego and offers a compelling blend of historic ambiance and downtown flair. The price starts at just $158 USD per night for premium suite accommodations and superb amenities. This is really cheap for a hotel that is just 0.83 miles from the Convention Centre.
The hotel is located in downtown San Diego, so you can explore the bustling Gaslamp Quarter, the scenic Balboa Park, and more.
Families tend to love this Vacation Ownership resort because it is close to kid-friendly destinations like SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo; reserve a two-bedroom suite for plenty of room for everyone.
These rental accommodations are immaculately appointed, encompassing separate living areas, fully equipped kitchenettes, complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi, and flat-screen LCD televisions.
Fuel your San Diego getaway at SHAKE, the American restaurant and bar, or reinvigorate at our modern fitness center.
10. Kimpton Solamar Hotel
Kimpton Solamar Hotel is named with a poetic combination of sol and mar, the Spanish words for sun and sea. The name captures the allure of its San Diego setting, an area rich with the sun and proximity to the ocean.
Kimpton Solamar Hotel is the epitome of urban coastal chic. The decor radiating light and warmth is only eclipsed by the sunny personalities of the staff with their bright smiles and welcoming spirit.
From sunrise to sunset, the goal of the day is fun and ease in a setting of style and comfort, even for business travelers.
As the sun sets, the daylight may fade, but the heat continues well into the evening with a lively and sophisticated scene at Upper East Bar on Kimpton Solamar Hotels Terrace or coastal California dining at Jsix.
From check-in to check-out, Kimpton Solamar Hotel is the equivalent of calm waters and sunny skies.
The 235 guestrooms and suites provide the perfect space to relax and create with overstuffed chairs, 55 inch LCD flat-screen TVs, opening windows, and a fully stocked gourmet honor bar.
Each room offers welcome amenities such as Atelier Bloem bath amenities, plush robes, laptop-friendly safes, multi-outlet charging stations, and spacious work areas with ergonomic chairs. Adjacent to the hotel, guests will be enticed by Jsix Restaurant, featuring local and sustainable cuisine subtly influenced by Chef Anthony Sinsay’s Filipino roots.
Rooms here start at around $250 USD per night, which makes it one of the best conference hotels in the area in the ihg InterContinental chain of hotels. You can earn or spend your ihg points here or at the InterContinental.
At 0.27 miles from the Convention Centre, it is also really close if you want to walk to your conference or trade show every day.
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