Where to stay in San Diego

TSI’s top hotel zone for visiting Petco Park: Gaslamp District

Distance to Petco Park: within 15 minutes walking
What’s there: Petco Park, bars, restaurants, Balboa Theater

The easy, no-brainer call for visiting Petco Park is to stay in the Gaslamp District, the 15-ish square block area around the ballpark. It is the easiest area to stay for ballpark visitors, with a ton of restaurants and bars all around the neighborhood.  

All in all, you really can’t go wrong with any of the hotels near the park, but they all often come with a fairly heavy price tag. Most have outdoor pools, but only one hotel in the Gaslamp District has a free breakfast, and that’s the Residence Inn (but if you’re asking us, we’d rather waive off a generic hotel breakfast in favor of an early taco lunch in the Gaslamp District).

Honestly, if baseball is the main purpose of your visit, and you can find a hotel in the Gaslamp District that fits your budget, you don’t need to read any further. Just book it and move on.

Pros

• Near the ballpark for maximum convenience
• Plenty of dining options
• Tons of nightlife after the game

Cons

• Hotels are pricey during homestands
• Must deal with a large number of homeless in the neighborhood
• Big crowds and lots of noise
• Very expensive parking
• Not on the beach

Embarcadero / Marina

Distance to Petco Park: 15-25 minute walk, 15-20 mins by trolley (including walking time)
What’s here: Seaport Village, Rady Shell, Sea of India ship, and other harbor attractions

A number of hotels and resorts dot this area right on the harbor. It also is near Seaport Village – a seaside dining and shopping area  – as well as the Rady Shell concert venue, which hosts the San Diego Symphony as well as other big-name musicians (2025’s calendar includes James Taylor, Earth Wind & Fire, Alison Krauss, Maren Morris, the Beach Boys, and others).

If you’re not going to stay in the Gaslamp, this is the easy second choice. And if you want a water view, or to be a little further from the stadium and the noise/chaos, it’s the first choice.

Pros

• Close to the stadium and downtown
• Lots of restaurants and things to do, as you’re basically downtown

Cons

• Hotels can be pricey

Little Italy

Distance to Petco Park: 35-45 minute walk, 20-25 mins by trolley, 10-15 mins by car
What’s here: Good Italian food and nightlife options

Just northwest of the ballpark/Gaslamp District is this quaint neighborhood that provides a number of dining/drinking options in a downtown-adjacent location. In case you didn’t decipher from the name, you’ll find a plethora of quality Italian dining options – but that isn’t the extent of it, as you can find just about any type of food here. 

Pros

• A bit more upscale and off the beaten path than Gaslamp, but still close enough to the ballpark that it’s not a pain to get there
• Great dining scene (even if you don’t like Italian)
• Trolley stop that will take you right to the ballpark

Cons

• Prices will often be higher here for both hotels and rental houses
• A tad too far of a walk to the ballpark from most locations

Coronado

Distance to Petco Park: 20-minute drive, 15-minute ferry (plus 10-minute walk to the ballpark), 45-50 minutes by bus
What’s here: Beautiful beaches, great biking trails, and golf

You know the photos and videos you see of that cool bridge leading out of San Diego? Yeah, that’s going to Coronado. It’s an upscale island with golf courses, bike paths, and nice restaurants. It’s not the most convenient spot for getting to/from Petco, but if your priority is a beach vacation and beautiful surroundings, then it’s a good choice. Having said that, getting to the ballpark isn’t as tough as you might assume.

The Bus: there’s an event-day bus that runs between Coronado and the ballpark. Click here for more details. The bus is clean, efficient, and literally stops right outside of the ballpark gates. Plus, it’s just $2.50 each way for adults, and kids 12 and under ride for free. It takes a bit of time (30-60 minutes, depending on where you’re starting from), so it’s not the quickest option, but it’s an option.

The Ferry: you can also take the ferry across the bay. It’s $9 per person each way, and kids under 4 are free. It runs every 30 minutes, it’s just 15-minutes across the bay, and the last ferry back from downtown leaves at 9:55pm Sunday-Thursday, and 10:55pm on Friday-Saturday. There’s only one game on the entire Padres 2025 calendar that starts after 6:40, so these times should work just fine. Just be careful about extra innings games during the week – you could be cutting it close (but there’s always the bus or rideshare as a backup plan).

Pros

• Some of the nicer hotels around, including the famed Hotel Del Coronado
• It’s on a frickin’ island! 
• Nice beaches. 
• Express bus service to the ballpark, or you can take the ferry

Cons

• It’s further away, so it’s inherently less convenient 
• More time in transit
• Hotels can be very expensive

Mission Bay

Distance to Petco Park: 20-25 minute drive
What’s here: Lots of beachfront resorts and pools

A number of the city’s most popular beachfront resorts are on this strip of land smack dab in the middle of all the beach communities. The area is big on tourists and includes the ultra-family-friendly Belmont Park area, which offers an arcade, miniature golf, and a roller coaster.

Pros

• Close to the water
• Belmont Park is a kids’ day all on its own
• The pool scene in most Mission Bay hotels/resorts is on point!

Cons

• It’s a bit of a haul to the stadium
• Public transit options include having to transfer from bus to trolley, which takes too long and is too inconvenient
• Have to factor rideshare costs into your budget

Mission Valley

Distance to Petco Park: 20-minute drive
What’s here: Modestly priced hotels, a mall, proximity to the highway

The area’s central location and close proximity to the 5 highway make it a popular spot for work conferences. There’s also a pretty sweet mall. But really, Mission Valley is the budget option if your primary goal is to save money. We’d rather stay closer to the ballpark, but if this is what works for you/your budget, it’s fine. But factor in the cost of getting to/from the ballpark, as well as to other points of interest that you’d like to visit while you’re here. If you’re going to do a lot of roaming around, you might just want to opt for the closer hotel, even if it’s more expensive. 

Pros

• Lots of budget hotels

Cons

• It’s a central location, but not close to anything
• No easy transportation, other than driving

La Jolla

Distance to Petco Park: 30-minute drive
What’s here: Upscale dining and shopping, beaches for swimming and watching marine life

Located in an enclave on the north side of the city, La Jolla is one of the most upscale communities in San Diego, where you’ll find hoity-toity boutiques interspersed with upscale dining. You can also make your way down to the beach, which is known for having seals come to hang out on the shore.

If you want a higher-end vacation experience and your focus is on the beach, this is a great place. Just be prepared for the inconvenience of getting to the ballpark. 

Pros

• Great places to shop and eat
• Easy to rent kayaks, surf boards, and other water accessories
• La Jolla Shores is perhaps the most laid-back beach option for both kids and adults

Cons

• You’re gonna pay for it, as La Jolla is considered one of the wealthiest areas in San Diego
• Hard to get to the park, so plan on a rideshare or you’ll need to rent a car

North County (Solana Beach/Encinitas/Del Mar)

Distance to Petco Park: 45-50 minute drive
What’s here: Some fun beach communities interspersed with suburban strip malls

The beach towns of Encinitas and Del Mar have plenty of cool spots to eat and drink, along with pristine beaches for maximum surfing/frollicking. Solana Beach offers excellent shopping on Cedros Avenue, as well as the Belly Up Tavern, a great spot to see live music. You can catch the Surfliner train at the Solana Beach stop to get you directly to downtown San Diego.

The Beaches

As you can imagine, San Diego is full of beaches. But each beach community has a different vibe. Ocean Beach (OB, if you know) is super hippy and kinda drugged out, but mostly safe. Pacific Beach (PB) is more college kids and party houses, and far from just about any public transportation. Mission Beach (not called MB, for some reason) is kinda in the middle, with mostly rental houses, but is also home to Belmont Park, which is great for the kids.

Pros

• I mean, the beach in San Diego. Do we need to say more?

Cons

• You’re a good ways away from downtown