San Diego Marriot Hotel and Marina - The Center of the Action

The San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina is located in the center of the action in downtown San Diego, California. It is located right on the bay, connected to the convention center, and in the heart of the famous Gaslamp Quarter. The location could not be more perfect.

The San Diego Marriott is massive. If you do not like large hotels with lots to offer, don't stay here. It has 1362 rooms on it's 25 floors, in two towers. Each room is decorated in a California nautical theme and has comfortable comforters on the beds. The bathrooms are especially spacious. The rooms include ironing boards, irons, alarm clocks, televisions, high speed internet access, and pay per view movies. Many have excellent views of the city or the harbor. Our room, for example, had an amazing view of the harbor and the bridge to Coronado. With 54 meeting rooms total, it has 110,000 square feet available for meetings. The hotel is very modern and professional. The San Diego Marriott features three restaurants and a Starbucks coffee shop. LC's is the California breakfast buffet. We ate here and were not disappointed. The food is plentiful and fresh. The prices are slightly higher than normal, at about $10-15 a plate for breakfast. The restaurant has windows overlooking the pool area. Molly's Restaurant is a california cuisine restaurant that is open for dinner. It has contemporary dining with entrees such as seafood and steak. They have a full wine list. The third restaurant is DW's Irish pub. More casual in nature, it's a great place for a pint of ale, scotch, or some traditional pub food. Starbuck's is located in the lobby area and is a full service Starbucks coffee shop without seating. It's a very busy place in the mornings, so prepare to wait in line! The outdoor swimming pool is my favorite part of this hotel. It is huge! There is also a small hot tub and tiki bar located in the pool area. Drinks are pretty expensive, but you do get your money's worth. The outdoor pool area has a beautiful waterfall surrounding the pool. Located through and behind the waterfall are bathrooms. The pool area has several lounge chairs available. There are also a few tables/chairs near the bar. The pool area has a check in desk area where you can get check out towels.

The San Diego Marriott has a marina located directly behind it. It has 446 slips. At the Marina, you can take the ferry to Coronado Island and have access to many water sports. There is a lovely trail from the marina all the way to Seaport Village and beyond, all along the water. Seaport Village is very close to the Marriott and it has many shops and restaurants. It's a great place to pick up a souvenir or two from San Diego. This trail will take you all the way to the cruise ships and other boat tours, such as whale watching or harbor dinner cruises. On the other side of the hotel, you are just steps away from the Gaslamp quarter. The Gaslamp quarter has numerous bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. You can also take a trolley to many other San Diego attractions, including Old Town, which is a section of town famous for it's variety of old time shops such as blacksmith shops, candle shops, and mexican restaurants.

I would highly recommend staying at the San Diego Marriott and Marina if you get the chance. It's amenities and location make it a first class hotel and one of the best in town.