If you’re looking for a family-friendly home base in San Diego where you kids can spot planes, helicopters, and boats, look no further than the Sheraton San Diego Resort! 

I wound up at this hotel for a July stay because my husband/Player 2 scored a ticket to Comic-Con! And even though we were visiting during what was probably one of the hotel’s busier times, the service and overall experience were still excellent. The resort just finished a huge renovation earlier this year, so if you haven’t considered it before, it may be worth another look.

In this post, I’ll discuss how I booked it, what I thought, and how you can book it. 

 

How I Booked It

I did not have any Marriott Bonvoy points at the time we needed to book this stay, so we paid cash for a four-night stay in late July for about $375 per night. (I thought this was a great cash price considering the high-demand for rooms because of Comic-Con.) 

By the time we arrived, I had opened a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, so I was able to rack up some extra points and work toward the minimum spend with our various room charges. While I prefer to book hotels with points whenever possible, I love when a cash stay can help me earn a welcome offer of points I can use on a future trip.  

 

Airport Shuttle and Check-In 

Right outside San Diego International Airport, we followed the signs to the courtesy shuttles and waited only a few minutes for the Sheraton bus, which got us to the hotel very quickly. 

Thanks to the time difference coming from the Eastern time zone, we arrived at the hotel around 1 p.m., too early to check-in. So, we had a delicious lunch at one of the hotel restaurants, Rumorosa, and our room was ready shortly after. 

 

Location 

The Sheraton is a bayfront hotel in the Harbor Island area of San Diego. It’s less than two miles from the airport, which is convenient for travelers and a dream for aviation geeks! I loved watching the planes take off, both from the pool deck and while we were kayaking in the bay right outside the hotel. 

While the property is not in downtown San Diego, the city’s attractions are very accessible. We never had any trouble getting Lyft rides. (I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit for a discount.) There’s also public transit nearby. 

If you’re driving, the hotel charges $55 per night for self-parking and $67 per night for valet parking. 

The hotel offers a free shuttle to and from the airport every 30 to 40 minutes. And if you’re visiting during Comic-Con, there’s a robust shuttle system of comfortable charter buses that can take you between the convention center and various hotels. 

 

Room 

Our 12th floor room was excellent—spacious, modern, and very clean. There was plenty of storage both in the closet/dresser area and in the bathroom. 

The balcony was the highlight of the room. Our room looked out onto the bay, where we could watch boats, kayakers, helicopters, planes, and some wildlife. We spent lots of time out here with our books just relaxing and enjoying the sights!

I loved that the room had a couch with a small table and a desk with seating options where we could both get some work done as needed. I kept myself on my Eastern time zone sleep schedule while there, so I read and worked during those early morning hours. 

 

 

 

 

Amenities

Your family won’t be bored at this hotel. The resort has three pools. We spent a lot of time at the adults-only Lanai Pool, which was never crowded and also had a hot tub. The family-friendly Marina Pool nearby was a bit busier but never seemed crowded. There’s also a fitness center, walking/running paths, lawn games, and exercise classes. If you’re ready to relax after a long day of activities, your family can also make s’mores at the marina’s firepits. 

The hotel charges a $44 resort fee (plus tax), though in our case it was included in the room rate. The fee includes the following for two people: 

• Yoga classes
• 1-hour stand-up paddleboard rental 
• 1 hour bike/e-bike rentals
• 1 hour of tennis, basketball, and pickleball court access 
• 30 minutes of sauna use 
• Enhanced Wi-Fi 

The most underrated amenity at this property though is self-service laundry! Hotel laundry service is notoriously expensive, but being able to do a little of your own laundry can be so useful for those of us who like to pack light. This is especially convenient if you’re traveling with the family. The laundry machines even took credit cards, and you could buy detergent in the lobby store. I didn’t stay long enough to take advantage of this, but I definitely would on a longer stay! 

 

 

 

 

Dining 

We did most of our on-property dining at Rumorosa. The food and service were always excellent. The weekday breakfast buffet was a bit small, so we preferred ordering à la carte for breakfast. 

We also frequented Strada Italian Market for early morning coffee and various grab-and-go items, like salads and sandwiches. My favorite was the amazing gelato, which we enjoyed nightly. My least favorite was their pizza; I’d skip that and venture to San Diego’s Little Italy for pizza instead. 

Additionally, there’s a brewery in Marina Tower and a pool bar. The Bay Tower has its own restaurant and poolside bar. So there are lots of dining options for the whole family.  

 

How To Book It 

You can book this property with your Marriott Bonvoy points or free-night certificates. The property is like a few different hotels in one: the Bay View Tower, the Marina Tower, and the Lanai Tower. We stayed in the Marina Tower, and I think it’s well worth the cost to stay there, in the nicer, more recently renovated side of the property. 

Rooms in the Bay View Tower typically run about 35,000 points to 60,000 points per night. So you could top off a free-night certificate if you booked on this side. 

 

The newer-feeling Marina Tower costs more points—around 80,000 or more per night—and I generally found less availability. 

You could also book the Marina Tower via Chase Travel℠ and use your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card hotel credit. 

 

 

If you hold a Bilt Palladium Card, the hotel is bookable through Bilt Travel. Booking one of the nicer, renovated rooms here would be a great way to use your $200 hotel credit, though you need to book a two-night stay to receive that credit. You can also book a hotel with Bilt points, though it’s not the best cent-per-point value for Bilt points. (As we always say, you do you.) 

 

Bottom Line

San Diego has a ton of appeal for families, with the beach, the famous zoo, and fabulous weather year-round. And the Sheraton San Diego can be an excellent option for your next stay there.

 

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