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San Diego continues on a record-breaking tear as one of the best vacation destinations in America.

Why wouldn’t it be?

Those with the West Coast on the brain resort to ‘America’s Finest City’ for their vacation needs over the controversies of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Boasting gorgeous beach towns from Coronado to Oceanside, San Diego County is teeming with paradisal escapes, but even the city itself can be overlooked in favor of the world-famous San Diego Zoo, a tourist hotspot, Mission Beach, and wild nights out in the Gaslamp District.

Truth is, you don’t have to spend boring nights in tourists’ number one mistake, Hotel Circle, or overpay for beachside stays to have an unforgettable time in SoCal’s shining star.

If there’s one knock on San Diego, it’s the fact this city doesn’t seem to know what a proper island is, often naming scenic peninsulas as ‘islands’, such as aforementioned Coronado, as well as local favorites, Shelter Island and Harbor Island.

The latter is mere steps from under-construction San Diego International Airport and home to a resort-style retreat with more posh amenities than a typical ‘airport hotel’.

Offering unmatched views of San Diego’s vibrant skyline and the calm, gleaming waters of the San Diego Bay, there’s no doubt the newly renovated Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina is the perfect anchor for your next vacation.

Plus, you can watch planes land from your balcony without losing any sleep!

There Couldn’t Be A Better Base To Explore San Diego

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina has 2 towers on their surprisingly expansive grounds. I say this because you could easily swap “hotel” for “resort” in their name, especially with the current $60 food & beverage credit at Rumorosa, their Baja-inspired restaurant.

If you’re an avid San Diego vacationer and haven’t stayed here, you’ve been missing out. Located directly across from San Diego International Airport, these resort-style digs beat out all the hotels in the vicinity, including where my girlfriend works (shh! don’t tell her!).

From the moment you walk in, you’re treated like family. There was even a surprise of sinfully delicious macarons delivered to my spacious suite as a kind welcome gift.

If you’re new to Travel Off Path, you know we’re all about ‘no fluff’. So, when I say this was the most comfortable room I’ve stayed in recent memory, I mean it!

To put that in perspective, I just got back from a 6-country Euro-trip and stayed at multiple 4-star hotels and 5-star resorts.

Here, I was assigned a renovated King Suite on the 10th floor with sweeping skyline views and peripheral glimpses of the calm San Diego Bay – not to mention the surprisingly quiet airport, given the location.

Oh, wait. That was just the living room balcony. The bedroom balcony had even better views of the bay and a soothing, salty breeze as well.

Overlooking the cityscape, you’ll gain an appreciation for your prime location. Whether it’s simply a stopover, a weekend getaway, or a full-fledged vacation, you’re in the right place.

A 5-minute drive puts you in one of my favorite neighborhoods, Little Italy. While it’s certainly not Rome, your tastebuds won’t know that while chowing down at Mona Lisa.

Little Italy is a sub-section of downtown, also home to the always buzzing Gaslamp Quarter with over 200 bars and restaurants.

Equally easy to reach, but in the opposite direction is Point Loma, one of my favorite districts, where you can discover all the delights of Liberty Station, former Naval housing converted into trendy restaurants, breweries, and even a 9-hole golf course fun for the whole fam.

But just outside the Sheraton is Harbor Island (ahem, peninsula), offering quite possibly the best city views of San Diego along with 2 renowned restaurants at each end, Tom Yam’s Lighthouse and Coasterra.

Oh, and last but not least, Balboa Park, home to a plethora of awesome museums, hiking trails, and the ever-so-famous San Diego Zoo, plus the closest beach, Ocean Beach, are both only an 11-minute drive.

A Taste Of Baja & Waterfront Brews

Any time you visit a Mexican restaurant, there are 2 things to test its authenticity. Order Tajin-rimmed Margaritas followed by guac, amirite?

If that’s a no-go, you’re in the wrong place. Thankfully, Sheraton’s Rumorosa passed the test before we ordered entrees, and our experience was leveled up from there.

Next up, we had to put ‘Baja’ to the test, so you know we ordered the Local Baja Ceviche (also on the Happy Hour menu,) and it was just as good as anywhere south of the border – and I visit Tijuana a lot!

We went slightly off-kilter for entrees by ordering Braised Beef Short Rib. It was still cooked to perfection, just not quite exuding ‘Baja’ vibes.

That being said, the best place to kick back and relax was newly opened Brewery X, offering a wide selection of craft beers and a great waterfront patio overlooking the adjacent marina, where you can enjoy nice strolls, book a jet ski, or indulge in ‘Sunset S’mores‘.

Just know the hard seltzers have a high alcohol content and sneak up on you! A couple of Shhh Wheat drafts and Huckleberry seltzers, tasty Dirty Fries were a great way to watch football with our friendly beertender.

If beers were slightly cheaper than the standard $10 pours, as a San Diegan, Brewery X would be my new go-to spot to watch my beloved Dallas Cowboys lose again…and again…and again.

It’s truly a great atmosphere whether you’re a hotel guest or not.

Note: There’s also Sunglow Cabana Bar accompanying the pool, but we were told it was closed during our stay.

Airport Convenience

To be frank, San Diego’s airport is a bit of a fustercluck right now. If you time it right, you won’t be bothered by the constant construction projects, but that’s never a guarantee.

In fact, I wrote an article earlier this year highlighting the ongoing headaches. While it has seemed to improve, the final product isn’t close to the finish line.

The next phase is a partial opening of Terminal 1 in Summer 2025, but the entirety isn’t expected to be complete until an undisclosed 2028 date.

This just adds one more reason (as if you needed one) to stay at Sheraton, where you could literally walk to your flight if you wanted to, but taking their free shuttle from 4:45 AM – 12:00 AM is a wiser decision.

As a local who passes by the airport frequently, I know traffic hasn’t been as bad as it was in early 2024. However, as a precaution, just know when it’s bad it’s realllyyyyy baaadddd.

_{**Travel Off Path was a guest of Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, who helped with the creation of this itinerary by hosting some of our accommodations and attractions. Our opinions, recommendations, and suggestions remain our own.**}

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 30 countries and written over 400 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.

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Last Updated 2 months ago

San Diego is known for having that quintessential SoCal vibe we’ve all seen in the movies.

While ‘America’s Finest City’ is just that – a fine city – there are ample scenic beach towns dotting the seemingly endless coastline filled with your typical dude-bro surfers and skateboarders.

But don’t fret! You can easily escape the ‘bruh’ this and ‘bruh’ that and hand signals with their pinky and thumb extended.

There are more ways to hang loose than catching waves and grinding handrails.

Most tourists set their sights for San Diego’s prime beachside real estate, but those who do are actually doing themselves a disservice by missing out on a slice of Mediterranean paradise away from the all-but-guaranteed packed beaches. (Although, crowds tend to dwindle down in fall)

Perhaps you’ve heard of Del Mar, a ritzy little beach town roughly 20 minutes from San Diego proper where celeb sightings are common and the average home costs $2.725 million – yes, that’s not a typo.

The average traveler’s beach home dreams may come to a screeching halt here, but splurging on a well-deserved vacation should never be out of the question.

Nestled inland amongst rolling hills and vast canyons lies the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, a lavish 5-star hotel oozing Mediterranean vibes, where adults can blissfully recharge by day, and indulge in Southern California’s only 3-star Michelin restaurant by night.

As a recent guest, I can’t recommend staying here enough. And if you must go to the beach, Del Mar’s pristine beaches are less than 15 minutes away.

No Passport Needed: Let The Mediterranean Come To You

Upon arriving, you’re glued to Fairmont Grand’s pure elegance as if every throw pillow, every cocktail glass, and every glistening chandelier are meticulously placed to exude class and luxury at every turn.

Fairmont Grand describes themselves on their website as a ‘Mediterranean estate’, which is certainly an understatement feeling more reminiscent of San Diego’s version of the Alhambra.

I walked the entire grounds multiple times, and while not classified as a “resort” per se, many aspects feel like one.

Home to multiple pools, a globally renowned golf course, and world-class 5-star spa honored by Forbes, this is the ultimate place to unwind all without even feeling like you’re in San Diego; at least how it’s often portrayed.

I booked a King Room overlooking the adults-only pool (more to come on that!) and was delighted to see how spacious it was. Even 5-star hotels can skimp on breathing room from time to time, but not here!

The bathroom alone felt bigger than my whole apartment and the gold-accented European-style soaking tub was the icing on the cake.

Not to mention, the mattress was truly heavenly, the complimentary coffee better than Starbucks, and the secluded balcony was surprisingly peaceful for a poolside room.

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to the cap the day than enjoying the cool evening breeze on the patio while catching up on reading and writing articles for you on their speedy wifi (you’re welcome!).

A Family-Friendly Hotel With A Private Haven For Adults

Remember in Dumb and Dumber when Lloyd attempted to make the ‘most annoying sound in the world’?

Well, for some of us, it’s whatever Jim Carrey’s dissonant vocal cords blurted out, and for others, like me, it’s the sound of screaming children…or my ex’s weird TikToks, but that’s a different story…

Kids can be a lot of fun and deserve a vacation like anyone else, but adults-only pools are a whole other level of peace, amirite?

Fairmont Grand Del Mar boasts 4 heated pools, but the 1 adults-only pool is free of kids running rampant and miserable parents realizing they need another vacation while on vacation.

Plus, the service was top notch from setting up my cushy lounge chair, offering complimentary sunscreen, to serving an ice cold Mexican cerveza poolside.

Accompanied by an equally blissful secluded hot tub, the adults-only pool lived up to the name. I’ve been to other hotels where staff turn a blind eye to obviously obnoxious teenagers invading my quiet zone, but this was truly an adults-only haven.

Although, most impressive was how spotlessly clean the entire hotel was – a rarity for a kid-friendly and pet-friendly stay.

If the grown-ups need a safe space for the kiddos, check out the Explorer’s Club.

Whether You Rest Your Head Here Or Not, You Must Eat Here!

San Diego is one of the best foodie destinations in America, but dining at Fairmount Grand levels up your tastebuds.

Home to Addison, Southern California’s only 3-star Michelin restaurant, along with Amaya, a fabulous restaurant where Paris meets SoCal, you can’t go wrong.

Although, Addison’s twilight views are arguably as grand as their menus. Diner be warned, though, Addison is so sought-after you will need book a reservation well in advance, which can be done here on OpenTable.

The nearest open availability I could find is over a month away for a late 9pm dinner, for example.

Amaya, however, is not at all a bad alternative, where I had an incredible dinner to remember from savory appetizers like the Burgandy Escargot Vol Au Vent to locally sourced wine for dessert – yeah, you read that right.

The star of the show was the ‘Chef’s Special’, not even listed on the already impressive menu. So impressive in fact, the waiter had to make 4 trips before we decided what we wanted to order.

The imported Dover Sole was divine and cooked to perfection, so special thanks to our friendly, knowledgeable server, Ignacio, for the recommendation!

My girlfriend and I couldn’t stop raving about how amazing our meal was as we strolled through the beautiful grounds with a post-meal glass of wine in hand.

Their wine selection was extensive and so well incorporated with their impeccable cuisine that we opted for another round over dessert since Amaya allows guests to take wine to-go.

See? ‘Adulting’ really is another level here!

Tip: if ordering the Steak Tartare, ask for the ‘parmesan espuma’ on the side for the perfect bite paired with quite possibly the best bread I’ve ever had!

Horsing Around: Fairmont‘s Fun Activities

Fairmont Grand is a popular golf getaway, but there’s far more to do than hit the links. However, if you’re not avid golfer and would like to learn, clinics are offered for only $50 on Friday and Saturday.

After pigging out at Amaya, a Monday morning yoga sesh was out of the question for me, so I opted for a pool day.

On Tuesday, though, I made a visit the hotel’s very own Equestrian Center, which if you know anything about Del Mar, should be no surprise.

Del Mar is the ‘Kentucky Derby’ of San Diego, home to the very popular Del Mar Racetrack.

Fairmont Grand offers Equestrian Trail Rides, Pony Rides, along with the chance to ‘Feed the Horses‘ on Tuesdays; some of which are retired racehorses. Needless to say, they’re absolutely gorgeous animals!

Behind the Equestrian Center is a trailhead of hiking trails along the golf course, winding through open canyons for some terrific views of the surrounding scenery – the perfect way to start your day with a complimentary cup of coffee from your room, and best of all, hiking is free!

For a full calendar of events, check out Fairmont Grand’s Event Calendar.

_{**Travel Off Path was a guest of Fairmont Grand Del Mar, who helped with the creation of this itinerary by hosting some of our accommodations and attractions. Our opinions, recommendations, and suggestions remain our own.**}

Sam Sears

Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 30 countries and written over 400 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.

↓ Elevate Your Travel↓

Sign Up Now For Travel Off Path Premium! No ads, VIP Content, Personal Travel Concierge, Huge Savings, Daily Deals, Members Forum & More!

✈️Join Our Travel Off Path Community Forum: Where travelers unite, ask questions, share experiences and even find like-minded travel buddies!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LATEST POSTS

Enter your email address to subscribe to Travel Off Path’s latest breaking travel news, straight to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.