The Best Luxury Hotels to Book in San Diego, California

The timeline of this five-star hotel in San Diego stretches back to 1910; the guestbook features names including Charles Lindbergh and JFK. It’s easy to see why VIPs choose this hotel. Inside, it’s all high ceilings, chandeliers, dark wood and marble, and it’s home to an art deco restaurant, plush spa and speakeasy-style bar with a seasonal cocktail menu. The location is spot on, too – right in the middle of the buzzing Gaslamp Quarter.

The Fairmont Grand Del Mar is a 20-minute drive north from San Diego, but it more than rewards guests for making the short journey out of the city. Set in a sea of golfing greens and gardens, the hotel features a luxury spa, four heated swimming pools and three hiking trails. The highlight, however, has to be the two-Michelin-star restaurant Addison, with its nine-course Californian tasting menu and 12,000-bottle wine room.

The decor of this San Diego five-star hotel was inspired by the French palace of Versailles. Step into the lobby and you’ll see chandeliers, gilded mirrors, oil paintings, a grand piano and clusters of velvet-clad French furniture. Walk the corridors and you’ll find cabinets full of antiques, and plinths topped with ornamental vases. The food has a French theme, too. Afternoon tea is served with petits fours and pyramids of pastel-colored macarons.

The best rooms at this San Diego luxury hotel are in the Skyline Collection. They come with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Downtown area of the city or the harbor, and some also have balconies and oversized spa baths. Whichever room you choose, you’ll be able to enjoy the rooftop pool, its waterside cocktail bar and the Mexican restaurant, which serves dishes such as tacos and drinks such as Mexican Coke – that’s Coke made with cane sugar.

Set on the narrow slither of land that is Shelter Island, Kona Kai is backed by San Diego Bay and fronted by a marina filled with more than 500 superyachts. You can take in views of the extravagant boats from some of the rooms, the hotel’s private sandy beach and the outdoor pool with luxury sunbathing cabanas and a tiki bar. The cocktail menu there features inventive options such as spicy melon margarita made with tequila, lemon and jalapeños.

Of all the luxury hotels in San Diego, this is the one to choose if you plan to watch the Padres play at Petco Park – it’s right next door to the stadium and connected by a convenient skybridge. Your pre- and post-game downtime, meanwhile, can be spent relaxing by the outdoor pool, getting a personalized massage in the spa, or refueling at West Coast Social, where the menu features treats including truffle cheeseburgers and nachos.

This San Diego luxury hotel is set in the vibrant Gaslamp Quarter of the city. While it’s surrounded by sights, bars and restaurants, the hotel also has plenty of facilities that’ll make you want to stay on-site. Highlights include the gridiron-sized rooftop pool area with fire pits, craft cocktail bar and waterside cabanas, and the Jsix restaurant, where the menu changes regularly to showcase locally sourced, seasonal produce.