San Diego Hotels & Tourism

A SoCal beach scene with a brain in its head.

Glitzy LA may capture all the attention, but if you want to wet your feet and soak up the SoCal beach scene in serious style, catch a wave to affluent, conservative, golf-coursed, blessed-by-nature, merging-with-Mexico San Diego.

Its superb coastline, near-perfect climate and Mediterranean facade make it the quintessential Southern California beach city, but there's no chance to develop ennui. The smorgasbord of museums, zoos, animal parks and beaches will have you wondering which way to run next.

San Diego is a coastal city in the southwestern corner of California, right on the Mexican border. Downtown is a compact grid east of San Diego Bay; the main drag is Broadway, which runs east from the waterfront. South of Broadway is the historic Gaslamp Quarter, the heart of downtown, which teems with restaurants, bars and night clubs. It is anchored by Horton Plaza, a sprawling mall that kickstarted San Diego's downtown renaissance.

The waterfront attractions along the Embarcadero are about a mile west of here. From here you can see ritzy Coronado across San Diego Bay, accessible by a long, curved bridge or by ferry. North of downtown is the vast expanse of Balboa Park, gay-flavoured Hillcrest, historic Old Town and a string of beach towns culminating in upmarket La Jolla.

San Diego's airport is 5km (3mi) northwest of downtown. The main train station, the Santa Fe depot, is on the western edge of downtown near the Embarcadero. The Greyhound terminal is smack in the middle of downtown. California's main north-south freeway, I-5, runs parallel to the coast and passes within a few blocks of the city centre. The I-8 freeway is the main east-west route.

Welcome to San Diego, California! Enjoy the vibrant street life, and then retreat to the peace and quiet of your San Diego hotel, motel, B&B, San Diego resort or even budget hostel. There are great San Diego accommodation options for couples, singles, families and even those visiting for business. Whether you’re visiting San Diego as part of a longer holiday in the USA, as part of a trip around California, or as a single-destination holiday, you’ll find some of the USA's best sights, experiences and hotels. Enjoy the amazing Balboa Park and the famous Sea World, go shopping Horton Plaza, and sample the famous craft brews for a unique San Diego experience. Wherever you’re staying, hotels.com.au offers a huge range of San Diego hotels and San Diego accommodation options.