Find Cheap Hotels in San Diego

Book Good Budget Rooms and Accommodation in America's Finest City

Aug 1, 2008

It's been called America's finest city and is one of the best Southern California vacation destinations. Book ahead if you want to find cheap hotels in San Diego.

There's plenty to see and do in San Diego in Southern California, including visiting the fabulous San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, as well as the many fine museums in Balboa Park. There are great beaches close to the city, and other major attractions like SeaWorld. Little surprise, then, that San Diego is giving nearby Los Angeles a run for its money in attracting visitors looking for a great city break vacation.

San Diego has a really good restaurant scene, and there's no shortage of accommodation. If you're looking for a good cheap hotel there are plenty of those, but you should plan ahead and book ahead if you want to get the best deals, especially at prime vacation times.

Here are some recommendations for cheap hotels in San Diego, where you should be able to find a room for under $100 a night without sacrificing comfort:

Balboa Park Inn

Five of the rooms are just under $100 a night in this characterful Spanish Colonial place that's a short stroll from Balboa Park, the Zoo and all the park's museums and other attractions. All the rooms and the more expensive suites have a different theme: why not try Suite Escape, with its canopied queen-sized bed?

Beach Haven Inn

Out by Pacific Beach, this is a clean and simple motel-style inn, where rooms out of season are as little as $79 a night but much more expensive in summer. Amenities include a year-round heated pool, hot tub, internet access in the lobby, and outdoor gas BBQs for the use of guests.

Hotel Occidental

A block from Balboa Park, there are 54 rooms and suites here, with rooms coming in at $99 a night. It's a new hotel and very comfortable, and the price includes breakfast, free wi-fi, and free bicycle rental. The Occidental is an excellent cheap San Diego hotel option.

La Pensione Hotel

They describe themselves as a mom-and-pop hotel in the heart of Little Italy and a short walk from the Convention Center and the Gaslamp District. There are 75 rooms around a courtyard, and they all have TVs, fridges, phones with data ports, hair dryers and private bathrooms, but they do lack air conditioning. For the budget price, though, it's hard to beat.

500 West Hotel

Right in downtown, San Diego's historic 1924 YMCA Building has been transformed and turned into a chic but cheap boutique-style hotel. Rooms are small and have shared bathrooms, but there's free wireless internet, lounges, a restaurant, guest kitchen and laundry facilities. Guests can also use the on-site YMCA Fitness Center downstairs. In season you'll pay more, but out of season there are some terrific sub-$100 bargains to be had.

These five choices show that you can get cheap San Diego hotel rooms, and all in good sightseeing locations.

For more information about America's finest city, check out these other San Diego travel stories on Suite101:

The copyright of the article Find Cheap Hotels in San Diego in California Travel is owned by Donna Dailey. Permission to republish Find Cheap Hotels in San Diego in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.