Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Even though it has some of the more beautiful beaches in the world, and even given the world-famous San Diego Zoo, San Diego is often overlooked somewhat in favor of other Californian cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco.
While that might seem a little disappointing initially, this fact makes for a sneaky advantage in many ways. The city is wonderful, and the smaller numbers of tourists and people from out of town doing business means that those who visit San Diego will be in for a much more relaxing, less stressful stay.
The best thing is that no matter how much of an out-of-place visitor you might feel or how out of your element you might be, there will always be a place that you can find to feel at home and enjoy yourself regardless. San Diego is just like that.
Like many of the other super-popular cities that we’ve done gay hotel recommendation lists on in the past, San Diego is a widely varied and colorful city, especially in its most famous ‘gay neighborhood’, Hillcrest.
Not only is the city’s annual pride parade held there, but the neighborhood is also famous for its wide range of queer establishments and events all year round. Many of the neighborhood’s occupants are queer, and there are enough bars, shops, and restaurants to fill an entire holiday with if you want to. And as you would expect, many of the gay hotels in San Diego are near here.
But, of course, despite how wonderful the life out on the town can be, and even though San Diego is perhaps a little less wild in general than many other cities, we all need a place to come back to at night, where we can rest and recover from whatever we were up to during the day. Even the best things and activities aren’t as fun when you’re tired and unrested!
One of the first things you’re going to want to think about when considering coming to San Diego is where you’re going to stay, and that’s what this list exists to help with. Booking gay hotels in San Diego isn’t always easy, but it is most important.
Now, so that there isn’t any confusion about what we mean by ‘gay hotels’, time for the usual disclaimer; in most cases, there aren’t going to be hotels out there marketed directly towards gay people or queer people in general.
We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the gay hotels in San Diego on this list follow the same logic. Most of them have been listed as accommodating, friendly, and unjudgmental to, for, and by queer people in general, as well as being highly rated in general.
So, with that cleared up and with your beach supplies up to standard and all packed away to go, it’s time to take a fantastic queer trip to America’s Finest City for some time in the sun and amongst the fun.
In this article we will cover...
The Sofia Hotel
Let’s get started with our first San Diegan gay hotel! Proudly bearing four stars and sky-high review ratings, The Sofia Hotel is an excellent middle-budget start to this list and delivers upon more than comfortability and convenience.
The Sofia Hotel is remarkably cheap, considering its wide range of services and the incredible attention to detail that the rooms possess. This is especially true given that the hotel is a paltry distance from the sea, which means it is the perfect gateway for experiencing good air and some port city culture.
This establishment is an end-all for those looking to work on their health a little or a lot. There’s an inbuilt spa center, a well-equipped and regularly cleaned gym, and a yoga studio for those interested in practicing it.
Regarding food, the Sofia Hotel has its restaurant and a stylish, cozy bar, which means that you don’t have to go far to put up your feet and relax with some food or a drink if you’re not feeling like going out.
We’ve heard a lot about how the hotel is outfitted, but how does it rank when it comes to service and acceptance for queer travelers?
Well – The Sofia Hotel is one of the highest-rated hotels in the entire city of San Diego when it comes to service and how the hotel staff conducts themselves – which includes cleaning, reception, issue resolution, and inter-customer disputes – and possesses an amazing track record when one asks other queer travelers who have decided to stay there.
There doesn’t seem to be a single area where the Sofia Hotel lets guests down; therefore, it is a very easy recommendation.
Bahia Resort Hotel
Now this hotel is something special. Set out on a waterfront property that caps off the very best of San Diego’s main peninsula into the North Pacific Ocean – Mission Beach – the Bahia Resort Hotel is a world away from the tight streets and Downtown bustle of the city, and instead, tightly embraces the beaches, walking trails, and outdoor lifestyle opportunities that surround it to a tee.
Suppose you’re a traveler more interested in places where you can relax and find yourself in peace rather than exploring and immersing yourself in the hustle and bustle of a city. In that case, you will find the Bahia Resort Hotel the perfect place for you. As its name implies, this establishment is more a Resort than a hotel in any true capacity, and it feels like one too.
One can easily relax and spend wholesome time alone or with someone special in the Bahia Resort, and you need not worry about particulars and what-next is.
The rooms are well outfitted with everything you could need for your stay, there is an excellent selection of food to choose from within the grounds of the hotel, and Sea World San Diego is just outside of the doorstep if you are looking for something to do to keep you on your feet for a while.
The Bahia Resort Hotel is a famous queer travel destination and lends itself perfectly to couples looking to share some time in peace and relaxation, whether by the pool, on the beach, or simply enjoying the weather and the beach air while walking around the surrounding neighborhood. One can also try out the in-house gym or have a drink at the bar – everything is available and extremely convenient.
Town and Country San Diego
The Town and Country’s prices are a tiny bit of a step up from the two earlier hotels on this list, but as we always say, when it comes to price and choosing a hotel, one must always watch after one’s priorities when you’re looking for a place to stay and to spend your money instead of just focusing on the figures.
An extra dollar spent on a better hotel can change your entire holiday experience and ensure that you find the place that suits you the best.
When it comes to the Town and Country, you can be sure that no matter what your specific needs are, and no matter what you’re expecting from San Diego as a city as a whole, all is available, and all is within arm’s reach if you are interested in checking it out. But first, the rooms.
Each suite can come with comfortable, relaxing hot tubs, the hotel has a swimming pool, and no matter where you go within its walls, you are sure to feel as though you are in one of the most stylish places on the face of the earth.
The rooms of the Town and Country are quite honestly some of the best out of all the hotels on this list, which isn’t just an advantage when it comes to aesthetics. The entire hotel is immaculately kept, and this attention to detail translates perfectly to the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff with guests.
Although not as near to the beach as the Bahia Resort Hotel, the Town and Country is nevertheless quite nearly upon the sand itself and offers wonderful views of the coast and a direct connection to the nearby San Diego Zoo, which you travelers should not miss out on visiting.
Hilton San Diego Mission Valley
Surrounded by a wonderful river suburb and the glamorous Fashion City mall, as well as the SDCCU Stadium for more sports-inclined visitors, the Hilton Mission Valley is a value-packed destination that brings the Hilton name and quality into an affordable price that puts you right in the center of all the excitement that the city has to offer, especially when it comes to shopping.
If you can spend all day in and out of shops browsing clothes and trinkets, you’d better bring some extra bags because the Hilton San Diego is the perfect spot for you. Or the most dangerous, depending on how you view your shopping habits.
Not only are there great opportunities for you to snap up some quick deals, but the San Diego Downtown area is only a few minutes’ walk away, meaning you can also explore the city’s nightlife without much hassle. Interested in culture and checking out something a little different?
The grounded aircraft carrier USS Midway Museum is just down at the docks, open for public visits and walkarounds. There’s a massive array of restaurants and other food joints available both in the direction of Downtown and in the direct proximity of the Hilton Mission Valley, and that’s not to mention the hotel’s own Latin restaurant, bar, and other relaxation amenities.
The very pinnacle of these options is the outdoor pool, which is well-heated and the perfect spot for guests to unwind when they don’t feel like being out on their feet wandering around the city. Although you might want to, it isn’t advisable to spend every moment of everyday shopping, and your wallet will thank you for a bit of a break, too, if it’s been going on for too long.
Hotel Andaz
Another Hotel, Andaz? It can’t be! We’ve already recommended one of the Andaz hotels for our Los Angeles article, and many of the positive things we said about that hotel are also true for this one in San Diego. Both their management and maintenance strategies are incredibly sound, and service is an absolute pleasure.
The Hotel Andaz San Diego is one of the few establishments of its kind that massively capitalizes on that shiny, sunny beach life that is quite hard to get from a hotel within the city, and this makes it incredibly desirable from the very start before we even start listing the other benefits that it has to offer.
Pets are welcome in the hotel – which is, as we always say, quite rare for hotels of this caliber – and there is valet parking, and the wonderful room service is perfectly accentuated by the availability of a sunlit rooftop terrace, which allows guests to unwind and enjoy the scenery even when they’re not exploring the city on foot.
Suppose you’re hungry or just looking to chill out with good food. In that case, the hotel has a built-in steakhouse that is legendary for producing amazing food, meaning that your exploration of San Diego’s food culture starts before you even walk out the doors when staying with the Hotel Andaz.
As for the food and drink options outside, the neighborhood that the Hotel Andaz San Diego finds itself in is one of the most culturally and sightseeing destination-rich quarters in the entire city, meaning that you will be almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of opportunities and choices that staying here will bring.
After all, what good hotel doesn’t serve as a launching platform for a holiday of fun and cultural immersion in the place one visits?
Hillcrest House B&B
A lot of the suggestions on this list and a lot of the other lists here target more high-profile establishments which hit all the goals that travelers tend to have in a professional, impartial manner, but sometimes this approach to searching out accommodation doesn’t do the job.
There is a certain hands-on touch that a smaller hotel can bring to visiting a foreign place that no other kind of accommodation can replicate, and that is exactly the feeling that the Hillcrest House Bed and Breakfast brings.
While the building itself is not fancy, and it is not a skyscraper with massive glass windows, it is nonetheless a charming, well-maintained, and modern place that gives advantage after advantage to visitors, as well as a wonderful experience all around.
To start with, the Hillcrest House is cheap. Very cheap, but not to the degree that affordability comes at the cost of comfortability and of feeling like you are being treated to something special when you return to your room.
The Hillcrest House’s suites are surprisingly comprehensive, well-maintained, and roomy for such a small and humble establishment, and that’s just the start of the positive impressions that the Hillcrest House will leave on new visitors.
Reviews are sky-high, and even several publications have taken note of the Hillcrest House’s charm and success with customers in recent years.
Unsurprisingly, so many visitors fall in love with the Hillcrest House, and one only needs to arrive there and interact with the friendly staff and experience the lovely atmosphere to understand why this is the case. Queer travelers are welcomed with open arms, and the House has been well-reviewed by gay holidaymakers for a long time.
Tower23
Swooping back up in both profile, height, and price from the Hillcrest House before it, Tower23 puts the lux in luxury, and not just in how its rooms are laid out and when it comes to its services.
Overall, staying at Tower 23 is a worries care and no-fuss experience that makes even the most momentous undertakings and journeys wonderfully simple thanks to its convenient location and connections to public transport.
But what about the location? After all, when one browses beachside properties, this is often the first thing we think about. The Tower23 is on the coast just like the Bahia Resort Hotel, but it is located a little bit more to the north than most of the other hotels on this list, and therefore it grants access to a whole new world of exotic restaurants, bars, clubs, and much, much more.
Nearly all establishments near Tower 23 Hotel are set directly upon the wonderful waterfront, meaning they can capitalize upon the beautiful view to a tee. You won’t be able to walk more than a few feet without a new business catching your eye and inviting you in, and that’s the most beautiful part about the Pacific Beach neighborhood.
The energy along the beach and the waterfront as a whole is open and welcoming and makes for a perfect space to walk through and relax in whether you’re looking to take advantage of Tower23’s many terraces and outdoor seating areas or if you’re trying out one of the nearby food spots.
Downtown San Diego is well in reach, as is La Jolla, and between the two, one finds a wonderful limbo in peace that any other suburb of the city can not truly match.
Porto Vista Hotel
The bayside area is famous for its myriad of trendy restaurants and exciting nightlife destinations, so you certainly won’t be at a loss for what to do when you venture out during the day. The Porto Vista Hotel’s location puts you in the perfect spot for exploring the city both by day and by night in a safe, convenient way, and you can be sure that no matter where you look, there is a good time to be had.
The Porto Vista is a foodie and club-hopper’s dream, but even if neither of those niches is your particular thing, there’s sure to be more than enough to fill your days with.
A perfect middle ground to end off the list with, the Porto Vista hotel has the perfect balance between style, comprehensive service, and affordability, sacrificing none of the smoothness that the other hotels on this list offer for its impressive rates. After all, who doesn’t like getting great value without having to dig to the bottom of their wallet?
While it remains true that using location is one of the most important factors, one must also look out for themselves and make sure that their experience will be pleasant in other ways. It doesn’t just look and convenience that matters, after all, and there is a lot more that can go wrong outside of having to drive an extra few miles or walk another block or two.
Thus, it’s important to weigh up your hotel performance socially. The Porta Vista advertises itself as a place where all cares melt away and where guests can be themselves and explore a new place, and thus it comes as no surprise that the hotel is well renowned by queer travelers as incredibly accommodating and accepting.
Gay Hotel Map Of San Diego
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to San Diego? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in San Diego! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in San Diego.
