If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (USD271.97), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
Pendry San Diego is a shining beacon in the city’s historic Gaslamp Quarter, drawing in heart-of-the-action seekers with flickers of genius, such as a Moët & Chandon vending machine; a Cadillac you can drive for free; skateboards and guitars to borrow; macarons at turndown; retro bar games at Nason’s Beer Hall; and extra-special experiences, such as eFoil-riding lessons and hikes with a local photographer. Six dining and drinking hotspots contribute to the craft-beer scene, offer seafood from a top San Diegan chef, mix it up agora-style, and keep the cocktails coming. Plus the rooftop pool lets you scope out the neighborhood and seamless service will leave you with a warm glow.
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Noon; late check-out is subject to availability and pricing may vary. Check-in, 4pm.
Prices
Double rooms from £245.66 ($307), including tax at 12.8 per cent. Please note the hotel charges an additional resort fee of $44.00 per room per night on check-out.
More details
Rates are room-only but include a welcome cocktail, macarons at turndown, Cadillac use (for four hours daily), and Taylor guitar, UppaBaby stroller and Sector 9 skateboard hire.
Also
The hotel has a range of accessible rooms, with wide throughways; grab bars in bathrooms; lowered buttons, hooks and amenities; flashing fire alarms; light-up doorknobs; flashing phones and plug sockets close to the bed. Plus there are elevators to each floor and easily navigable public spaces.
At the hotel
Spa and fitness center, spa boutique, Vittoria Coffee espresso bar, free-to-borrow Taylor guitars and Sector 9 skateboards, concierge, and free WiFi. In rooms: 50-inch TV, sound-system with a Bluetooth speaker, minibar with local snacks, Vittoria coffee and teas, free bottled water, and MiN NYC bath products.
Our favourite rooms
Rooms are outfitted in Southern Californian style, including the hotel’s trademark tartan, wallpapers printed with woodland creatures, an ocean-inspired colour palette and lots of appreciable luxuries: Fili d’Oro linens, 50-inch TVs, chaises-lounges, Vittoria coffee and MiN NYC bath products. Skyline rooms and the suites have covetable broad city views (but baseball fans might want to face the Petco Park sign) and we like the Pool Suite for its direct access to the roof deck and private cabana.
Poolside
Whatever magic it is that makes rooftop city-center pools so enticing – the view? That floating-above-the-rooftops feeling? The envious looks from the residents opposite? – Pendry San Diego has it in spades. Enjoy skyline panoramas as you take a dip (the water's heated year-round, so it's always pleasingly toasty), then head over to the open-air bar and lounge to mingle with the crowd (live DJs play here each Sunday in the spring and summer months) or don’t – and hide yourself away in a private cabana (for an extra charge). There's also an oversized Jacuzzi to slip into after a swim.
Spa
Spa Pendry is located on the third floor, and in line with the brand’s penchant for leaning into its locality, treatments are inspired by San Diegan flora and the ocean. Vibrational or hot-stone massages, scrubs with coffee and citrus, rose body-polishing, and refreshing HydraFacials, or ones that use light therapy and aquatic botanicals, are indulgent as they are, but customisations such as CBD infusions and Molly J gummies, gemstone masks, or even a facial peel make them all the more luxurious. A steam room and Jacuzzi soothe further, and treatments can be taken in-room on request. Active sorts can work out using the Peloton bike, treadmills, cable machines and free weights at the fitness center; it's kitted out with water, granola, towels and headphones. If you forget your swimsuit, or simply want some indulgent lotions and potions – or some CBD oil – to prolong that sense of calm, there's a boutique in the spa too.
Packing tips
San Diego is at once an urban sophisticate and an into-the-wild nature ride, so pack accordingly. Leave some suitcase space for the homewares, ceramics, apothecary items, jewellery and more available to purchase in Provisional's greenhouse-style boutique.
Also
If you’re in need of a glamorous gathering space for a wedding, special birthday or business meeting, Pendry San Diego has a staggering 3,250sq m of event spaces, from grand ballrooms and private dining rooms to intimate board rooms.
Pet‐friendly
The carpet is rolled out for the paw-footed here: dogs can stay in all rooms for $100 a pet, each stay, and there are beds and bowls to borrow. Plush dog toys, homemade dog food from the culinary team, and treats can be bought too. See more pet-friendly hotels in San Diego.
Children
Alongside Pendry San Diego’s grown-up glamour is a child-friendly streak. Most rooms sleep three; there are dedicated children’s menus and UppaBaby strollers to borrow (free for guest use).
Best for
Slick service makes it easy for all ages to stay here, but older kids will find more to do in the city.
Recommended rooms
Even the smallest rooms sleep up to three, and most have interconnecting options. To sleep a family of four, book one of the suites.
Activities
Borrow one of the hotel’s skateboards and head out on adventures to Balboa Park and the zoo, Air and Space Museum or Puppet Theater; the aquarium; the interactive New Children’s Museum; or Legoland California. Teens with nerdier leanings – or Marvel and DC fans – will thrill at July’s Comic-Con.
Swimming pool
Supervised kids can use the pool; however, it's best suited to little Smiths in the week, because Friday through Sunday it's more of a party zone.
Meals
Provisional’s more casual fare is child-pleasing, as is the Pool House’s comfort food. And there’s a dedicated room-service menu for little Smiths, with all the classic hits.
Babysitting
Can be arranged on request.
No need to pack
The hotel has UppaBaby strollers to borrow.
Also
Sweetly, when children check-in, they're offered the choice of two plush versions of San Diegan animals: a sea-lion or a rabbit. And, on request, a teepee can be set up in your room.
Sustainability efforts
Pendry San Diego has taken some concrete steps towards sustainability, with a thorough recycling program, local seasonal dining, processing used Filta grease from traps through FILA Environmental, planting greenery that needs minimal watering, and donating unused paint and building materials to Habitat for Humanity.
Position yourself near the games in Nason’s, and find the cosiest sofa in the Oxford Social Club; and on Sundays, the Pool House is the place to perch when it hosts local DJs on Sundays during the summer months.
Dress Code
Keep it casual at the Pool House, Provisional Kitchen and Nason’s; then switch to kicky cocktail dresses and swinging suits at Lionfish, Fifth & Rose, the Oxford Social Club and after dark at Provisional.
Hotel restaurant
You’ll catch some quality ‘zzz’s here, but Pendry San Diego also excels in ‘mmm’s, with no less than three dining spaces. Provisional Kitchen was designed in partnership with the brains behind LA’s Alchemy Works concept store, Raan and Lindsay Parton, as an agora-style space (which feels especially so, thanks to some sturdy grey and white columns and a cavernous ceiling), for a hip brunching hangout that turns into an Italian-inspired dinner spot. Gather friends to tackle the enormous ‘ostrich egg’ ringed by dippy sides, or tuck into cacio e pepe toast, loaded burritos or a chef’s choice brunch tasting menu, washed down with Vittoria coffee from the espresso bar or perhaps bottomless bubbles, ‘yuzuritas’ or a mini Moët from the champagne vending machine. Dinner might be brie and charred-cipollini pizza drizzled with garlic honey; crab ravioli with leek purée; or espresso-rubbed wagyu in a brown-sugar glaze. Chef Jojo Ruiz’s Lionfish proves it tops the aquatic food chain, with oysters, caviar, nigiri flights, special sushi rolls and some real catches: lobster spaghetti with dashi cognac cream; robata-grilled swordfish al pastor; scallops with pork belly and shiitake ‘bacon’. In between swims on the roof, get stuck into Maine lobster rolls, Baja fish tacos, quesadillas and avo toast at the Pool House, while enjoying panoramic views over the Gaslamp Quarter’s famed Fifth Avenue.
Hotel bar
Thirsty? Well, you’ve come to the right place *slaps the counter like a friendly local barkeep*. There are several watering holes at Pendry San Diego, each with its own distinct feel and sense of fun. Fifth & Rose is the classic cocktail spot, given some high drama with its black marble and stone flooring, and industrial steel-girding; but it has a softer side, with candles and its namesake flower on each of the tables. The signature drink is a zinger with tequila, passionfruit, grapefruit and sparkling wine, but we also like the playful Little Leaguer with peanut-butter-washed bourbon and strawberry, garnished with Cracker Jacks. Nason’s Beer Hall serves craft suds (there are 20 local brews on tap to show you the broad spectrum of San Diego’s famous beer scene) in a relaxed space that pays homage to Nason & Co Farmer’s Market (which occupied this space in the early 1900s). Raise a Japanese lager, California kolsch, or a local Ballast Point grapefruit IPA as you watch sports on the TVs hung throughout the space, play retro bar games, or snack on tater tots and burgers, churros and cookies; Taco Tuesdays are observed here, too. Oxford Social Club (open 10.30pm to 2am, from Thursday to Saturday) is Pendry San Diego’s sultry nightlife spot two floors underground (so no unwanted noise), where chandeliers sparkle under fluoro lights and there are eye-catching art installations, a host of DJs and expertly curated music, plenty of intimate corners to get cosy in, and bottle service; it's a hot ticket, usually $35 to get in, but guests enter for free. And, if you’re heading out into the city, kick off your night at Provisional Kitchen’s cocktail hour (Wednesday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm).
Last orders
Provisional’s brunch runs from 7am–2pm; dinner, 5pm–9pm (10pm Friday/Saturday). Lionfish’s hours vary by day, opening at 4pm or 5pm and closing from 9pm to 11pm; for the Pool House, it’s 11am–6pm. The latest bar closing time is 1am (Friday/Saturday).
Room service
From 6am–11am, tuck into a signature egg sandwich, or breakfast pizza, perhaps; from 11am–11pm, get into bed with saucy steaks, doorstop sandwiches and sweet things; and from 11pm–6am there are midnight snack-y things and more filling fare.
The Pendry San Diego is sandwiched between lively Fifth and Sixth Avenues in the Gaslamp Quarter close to Petco Park, the Convention Center and marina.
Planes
San Diego Airport is very close, just a 10-minute drive away. The hotel can help with transfers and can arrange a limousine for $232 one-way.
Trains
Amtrak trains stop at Santa Fe Depot station, a 10-minute drive away. To get around the city easily you can hop on the Metropolitan Transit System, locally known as ‘the Trolley’ – the closest stop is Park & Market.
Automobiles
Unlike LA, San Diego’s neighbor to the north, San Diego is a walkable city, especially the Gaslamp Quarter and surrounding areas. Although a car might come in handy for the city’s further reaches, such as La Jolla or Sunset Cliffs. There’s parking at the hotel for $60 a night and eight electric-car-charging stations.
Worth getting out of bed for
Staying in a city as glittering (and surprisingly walkable) as San Diego – in its nightlife-packed Gaslamp District, no less – and not leaving your hotel seems sacrilegious; however, the Pendry is a one-stop entertainment juggernaut, with a rooftop pool, spa and fitness center, boutique and enough bars and restaurants to keep each night fresh. There’s even Taylor acoustic guitars to borrow to practise in your room, and add-on yoga sessions with yogi Jano Galindo (in partnership with local experience-tailors Adventure IO) on the roof deck (although you’ll need to briefly stop at Fashion Valley mall for the included private Lululemon fitting). Having said that, the Pendry encourages you to leave too: they have Sector 9 skateboards to borrow, free Cadillac use for guests for up to four hours (more for a charge), and yet more experiences with Adventure IO, who curate unique, locally inspired day trips and activities. Say, learning to ride an eFoil (a surfboard with an electric propeller) with master Chuck Glynn in Mission Bay (San Diego Bay for experts) or heading out on a 1.5- to six-mile hike with photographer Dominique Labrecque in tow to document it (all for extra charges, arranged via the concierge). After all, there’s spectacularly scenic ground to cover: La Jolla Cove’s cliff-sheltered sands (popular for snorkelling and scuba-diving), the craggy majesty and fantastical rock formations of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park (popular for cliff-diving), and the vast wild expanse of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Or, take a load off and lift off at Torrey Pines Gilderport, a private airport used for hangliding. If ‘gentle stroll’ is more your speed, take time to wander the Gaslamp Quarter, which has more than 100 historic buildings, an artisan market at the weekend, vintage vaudeville showcase the Balboa Theater and grand old Spreckels Theater, and the vast Balboa Park, home to the San Diego Zoo and the Air and Space Museum. Baseball fans will love having Petco Park stadium just a few blocks away (even in view of some rooms); and history buffs should take a trip back to the 19th century at Old Town San Diego Historic Park, tour the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier, and board the mighty vessels of the Maritime Museum. Charming nearby neighborhoods to explore include Little Italy, Seaport Village and Coronado Island. And for large-scale events – including July’s legendary Comic-Con – the San Diego Convention Center is a short walk away.
Local restaurants
You could spend days, nay, weeks mixing and matching menus at the hotel, but the Gaslamp Quarter has some worthy gastronomic contenders to try. Osteria Panevino is an old-school Italian with redbrick, wine-bottle-decorated walls, and a menu with tried and true classics (osso buco, linguini alla vongole), plus boundary-pushers such as wild-boar and vodka-cream pasta, or zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta, mozzarella and shallots in an apricot glaze. Steak joint the Butcher’s Cut has reassuringly beefy freezers hung with even beefier cuts, and alongside the classic porterhouse serves Australian and Japanese wagyu, IPA-sloshed sirloin, French tomahawks, and surf (lobster tails, jumbo shrimp, scallops) to top your turf. Lively rooftop eatery Rustic Root specialises in New American comfort dining, with the sort of menu that sends you into a fuzzy food coma: mac and cheese, bison and pork meatballs in whiskey sauce, brandy-molasses-glazed pork belly with cheddar grits, filet mignon in blue-cheese butter… Luckily, there’re punchy cocktails and a vivacious ambience too, to stop you from nodding off in your seat.
Local cafés
We’ve got two words for you: boozy ice-cream. Metl Bar adults-up your favorite sweet treat with cocktail flavorings, say watermelon mojito and white-Russian bars, or more unique combinations, such as vanilla vodka and orange liqueur, mezcal and peanut butter, or Japanese whiskey and black sesame. And, the proof is in the pudding, with a range of alcoholic cupcakes too. For snacking and socialising, head to the Liberty Public Market. Held in Liberty Station, most of the many stalls here focus on street food and craft drinks, from jambalaya and ceviche to kebabs, handcrafted sausages and deep-fried Oreos.
Local bars
Don your finest attire for a night at Twenties-themed speakeasy Prohibition Lounge. Housed in a historic building with a dark past, which was previously a morgue and the Museum of Death, it’s now full of life, with upbeat jam sessions and a cool cocktail menu. We like the Balboa with rye, lemon, honey and sarsaparilla bitters; the clarified-milk punch which changes flavour every week; and the Old Fashioneds, which come sloshed with spirits that range from $25 to $600 if you’re feeling flush. Then, from the dark underground to high in the sky, there’s the Nolen, an elegant rooftop with views and barrel-aged cocktails. And for feeling-like-a-kid fun – with booze – hit the Smoking Gun, where a well-kitted-out arcade (open till 2am) lets you play bubble hockey, retro video games, pinball, ping-pong and more while enjoying mai tais and espresso martinis.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this social hub of a hotel amid the bright lights of after-dark hangout the Gaslamp Quarter and unpacked their vintage clothing finds and Comic-Con cosplay, a full account of their hiking and bar-hopping break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Pendry San Diego…
The Pendry hotels – under the aegis of the ultra-luxe Montage brand – celebrate the culture of their surroundings: they’re usually perched in one of the cooler neighborhoods, often housed in a historic building; with dining and drinks that draw in local flavors, trends and chefs; and with experiences unique to the area. As the largest hotel in the group – so far – Pendry San Diego does all this, even going so far as to have a Pacific-ocean-inspired palette in rooms and suites, offer skateboards to borrow for free, and use local flora and marine botanicals in the spa treatments. But, despite its trendy – and nightlife-rich – Gaslamp Quarter setting, you might not feel the urge to leave the hotel. After all, you can admire San Diego’s skyline from the lively rooftop-pool deck, sample local craft beers while playing mini B-ball or watching Petco Park games in Nason’s Beer Hall; tuck in to the finest fresh seafood (from one of the city’s hotly tipped chefs) at Lionfish restaurant; and party till late st Oxford Social Club. We guarantee you’ll run into locals who’ve also fallen for this vibrant hub. When you do cross the threshold and dive into San Diego’s wild experiences both cosmopolitan and wildly coastal, you’ll realise that the Pendry offers just a taste of what the city can offer, but a delicious one nonetheless.
