We stayed at the Best Western Island Palms prior to a cruise. The hotel is older, but well maintained, it is quite well located for local restaurants and also day trips. The landscaping is well done and the Food and Beverage are very good. The pool is interesting because of its shape and hot tub is not too hot. The staff are very nice and we will stay there again when in San Diego.

We had a great time at this hotel. The rooms were very comfotable, they had a good restaurant, and we enjoyed breakfast each morning (which was included in the price) overlooking the marina and the pool. We would recommend this hotel to anyone staying in the San Diego area. We would have no hesitation in returning there if we were in that neck of the woods again.

there were also other good restaurants within walking distance, and plenty of free parking.

We stayed in the Casa Marina building on the 2nd floor for three nights with a fantastic view of the marina, just wonderful, it has a Hawaiian feel. Pros: The room was fresh and well furnished, comfy bed and pillows, good coffee machine. Housekeeping was meticulous, reception staff were friendly and helpful, lovely breakfast with charming staff at the restaurant, good fitness centre, perfect location to go for a run in the morning. Good parking.

Cons: We ended up buying earplugs because of an invasive hum all night, we did not need to use our airconditioner, the fridge had some noise, but this noise sounded like a compressor. The TV reverted to closed captioning at each start up, we had maintenance up to sort it out but it continued! It took several steps to get to get to regular TV stations, scrolling through pay movie channels etc. Bathroom seemed to lack any ventilation. Having said all of this it is a great place to stay, the pros outweigh the cons :-)

I booked this car/hotel package on Hotwire, so I can't really comment on the hotel's rates, but overall, since it was during the off-season, prices seemed much more reasonable. Upon arrival, I found out that we had been assigned to a ground floor unit a few steps away from the main lobby. I'm pretty bad with spatial intelligence, so it took the front desk receptionist several attempts to explain the hotel's layout to me. Apparently, all the rooms were in adjacent 2-story structures to the check-in area, separate "condo-like" units that are completely self-contained (i.e., there is no common hallway). I found it interesting that the units had a small, gated patio in front (see photos). Although I didn't use it myself, my neighbors spent a good deal of time outside smoking and discussing their exploits.

The interior of the room itself was as expected--bed, TV, and bathroom. There was no tub (if that's what you are looking for), but the overall floor plan was sufficient for two people (maybe three). An air conditioning unit was available, but I opted to turn on the ceiling fan instead to circulate the air. There was also an in-room safe you could store stuff in by entering your own 4-digit code. I felt that the room was clean and comfortable. A microwave and mini-fridge were also available.

The only issue I had was with the noise that would occasionally seep in from next door. I don't know if this was because my neighbors were unusually rowdy, their sleeping patterns diverged significantly from mine, or if the walls were flimsy, but late in the evening, and even up to 3 in the morning or thereabouts, I would hear banging sounds and laughter from time to time. When they were sitting outside in their patio area, I could hear chunks of the conversation, so perhaps they were practicing oration. Whatever the case, this was only a minor irritant. Passing traffic is barely audible, but you may hear the sounds of passersby on the way back to their rooms.

The hotel itself is located on a strip of land (can't tell if it is a natural or man-made peninsula) that is accessible via the main stretch of road called Shelter Island Drive. As a result, the location is somewhat out of the way if you are looking to be in the city proper itself, but I actually enjoyed having free parking (abundant) and relative peacefulness after a full day's worth of activities. That being said, you will NOT be stranded in the middle of nowhere--everything is a reasonable drive away. Directly in front of the unit is a stretch of park where I encountered many joggers and other vacationers. You can also see the airport from that vantage point (approx. 10 min. drive). Behind the unit is a marina. There are a LOT of boats moored here (see photo).

I think I've covered pretty much everything. Bottom line: if you don't mind straying a little from the city, what you have here is a nice place to recoup from your adventures and plot your next course of action. Of course, this all assumes you will be renting a car because taking a taxi from here would get ridiculously expensive really quickly. Hope this helps with your decision. Happy trails!