Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel may very well be the reigning queen of San Diego bayfront hotels. National Geographic Traveler seems to agree, awarding the hotel “Best of the World” status. With an enviable location, its own waterfront park, San Diego’s only heated saltwater pool, an on-site Starbucks an on-site UPS Store, and a list of amenities that is both long and lavish, you’ll wonder why you haven’t already made your reservation. This is the consummate business hotel – but not. It’s next door to the San Diego Convention Center and has every business amenity you desire, but the resort-style hotel is also across Harbor Drive from the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park in trendy East Village and the historic Gaslamp Quarter. In the opposite direction, it’s across San Diego Bay from Coronado Island, and at 30 stories, it offers epic views of all of this and more.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront Rooms and Suites
There are 1,190 guest accommodations at Hilton Bayfront Hotel, including 30 suites. All rooms and suites have Hilton signature Serenity beds dressed in luxurious white bedding with bright blue accents. Modern accommodations have an otherwise neutral color palette with striped carpets in shades of brown, soft-beige walls, and chocolate or taupe window coverings. Dark-wood furniture includes a generous work desk and ergonomic chair. Plush armchairs, chaise lounges, and sofas are sand-colored.
Bathrooms have large vanities with lighted mirrors, signature Peter Roth spa products, and plush white towels. Guestrooms with two queen beds have shower and tub combinations. King guestrooms have walk-in showers with glass doors and no tubs.
Accommodations are divided by view. Port and Coronado View rooms with either one king or two queen beds have beautiful views of Coronado Bridge that some consider marred by the next door shipping yards. These are the hotel’s standard rooms. The other three room styles – Bay and City View, Corner Port and Coronado View, and Corner Bay and City View all provide a feast for the eyes. These are considered the hotel’s premium rooms. Bay and City View rooms have either a king or two queen beds; all corner rooms are king accommodations only.
King Bed Studio Suites are nearly 800 square feet of luxury with amazing views, and include a Murphy bed, dining table, built-in bar, mini-fridge, and tub/shower combination. Smaller one-bedroom junior suites have king bedrooms, and separate living rooms with a full-sized sofa bed, dining table for four, tub/shower combination, and no mini-fridge. The Premium Executive Suite has one king bedroom with the option of a connecting two queen bedroom. It includes a living room, dining table for eight, wet bar, entertainment armoire, and two TVs. The Presidential Suite has one king bedroom with a separate shower and bathtub in the large bathroom, a connecting two queen bedroom, a separate living room and parlor, sofa bed, two TVs, wet bar, refrigerator, microwave, and nightly turndown service.
All rooms and suites also include alarm clock radios with MP3 players, 72” HDTVs with premium channels, Wi-Fi, coffeemakers, in-room safes, irons and boards, and hair dryers.
Note: Wi-Fi is not included in the room rates unless you are a Hilton Honors member.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel Amenities
First and foremost, Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel is a business-friendly hotel; in fact, it was ranked 6th among Top U.S. Meeting Hotels by CVent, and was an M&C Gold Key Award recipient. The hotel has two giant ballrooms and a 4-acre outdoor venue to host epic business or social events, and 35 breakout rooms for meetings. Their on-site UPS Store doubles a business center where guests can work and have everything they need at their fingertips.
The hotel has six restaurants and eateries on the property. Vela Restaurant is on the main floor serving coastal cuisine in an upscale dining room with outstanding views of the bay. They are open for breakfast – where they have a daily breakfast buffet along with menu options until late morning, and open again for dinner in the evening. Odysea Lounge serves a fresh-bites menu at communal tables, hand-crafted cocktails including their signature Moscow Mules, and local craft beer. The Pool Club is a seasonal party lounge serving coastal cuisine all day till late night in a glam bayside indoor/outdoor space. FOX Sports Grill is open late morning to late night serving casual American fare with hand-crafted cocktails, local beers, and California wines – oh, and lots of TVs! Hilton Bayfront also has Sweet Things Frozen Yogurt and a Starbucks.
Spa Aquazul is Hilton Bayfront Hotel’s full-service on-site spa. It’s open daily from early morning until after the dinner hour. There is a full menu of professional spa services for women and men including massages, body treatments, skin care, beauty treatments, and nail treatments. The spa has serene treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art Precor fitness club, locker rooms, steam rooms, and separate men’s and women’s relaxation areas.
Guests can relax along the stunning bayside saltwater pool on a chaise lounge under the shade of a white umbrella or a palm tree. The resort-style pool also has room for laps, and an adjacent spa tub is steps away. The kids-only Splash Zone has a twisting water slide with its own plunge pool, and an adjacent shallow splash pool with fountains and water toys.
All this luxury is provided to guests in a responsible manner. Hilton Bayfront is the #1 Hilton Hotel in the United States for sustainability efforts. They take action to preserve adjacent eel grass, implement food composting, and make similar efforts in water efficiency, waste management, sustainable purchasing, and recycling. They’ve been recognized by Cal Recycle, California Green Lodging Association, and the City of San Diego for their efforts, and they are a member of the Port of San Diego Green Business Network.
Note: Fees apply to both valet and self-parking.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront Neighborhood
Business travelers and conventioneers will appreciate Hilton Bayfront’s location next door to the San Diego Convention Center. Early risers, or those needing a post-meeting release at the end of the day will love the walking/jogging path that curls around the bayfront to Embarcadero Marina Park. Down the waterfront a bit farther is Seaport Village, a 14-acre village with 54 one-of-a-kind shops, 13 eateries, and four waterfront restaurants sprinkled among lush landscaping that includes waterfalls and ponds. The ferry or a water taxi can bring guests to Coronado Island across the bay. On the opposite side of the hotel, the nautically-themed Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge connects the hotel to Petco Park, East Village, and the Gaslamp Quarter. These neighborhoods have excellent dining choices like upscale Currant, serving classic French Cuisine with American Soul, casual Werewolf American Pub cooking up American and SoCal dishes where it’s all about burgers and sandwiches, or fun and festive Blind Burro creating Baja-style Mexican dishes in a hip ambiance.
Hilton San Diego Bayfront Promotions
Hilton Bayfront is part of the Hilton Honors Points program where guests accumulate points for every stay and use their points toward future stays and other perks. The hotel offers a few other promotional packages like the Hilton Bed & Breakfast package available on weekends, the Breakfast & Wi-Fi package, or Double Points Package where guests accumulate double Honors Points on their stay. Check the website for these and other special promotions prior to making your reservation.