Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside, an IHG Hotel

Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside, an IHG Hotel Overview

First Impressions

The Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside, an IHG Hotel sits right on Harbor Drive in Point Loma, and honestly, the location is what grabbed me first. You’re basically on the water — I mean, you can see the bay from most parts of the hotel, and there’s something really satisfying about that proximity to San Diego Bay. It’s one of those three-star properties that doesn’t try to be fancy, but it nails the basics in a way that actually matters when you’re traveling.

The Bay Views and Setting

What surprised me was how much the waterfront location elevates the whole experience. You know what’s great? You can walk along the harbor right from the hotel — there’s this nice path that locals use for jogging and cycling. The parking is right on-site, which saves you the headache of hunting for spots in this part of town (trust me, that’s a bigger deal than it sounds). From here, you’re actually really close to the airport, but somehow the plane noise isn’t terrible — maybe it’s the way the building sits, or maybe I just got lucky with my room.

Rooms and Comfort

The rooms are pretty standard Holiday Inn fare, but they’re clean and the beds are comfortable. I appreciated that most rooms have at least partial bay views — it’s not like you’re staring at a brick wall. The bathrooms are updated enough, and the air conditioning works well, which matters more than you’d think in San Diego’s warmer months. Nothing groundbreaking here, but everything functions the way it should.

Food and Activities

The American breakfast is solid — not gourmet, but it gets the job done with the usual suspects like eggs, bacon, and decent coffee. There’s an on-site restaurant that’s honestly pretty forgettable, but you’re in San Diego, so you’ll probably want to explore the food scene anyway. What I did enjoy was the fitness center and the hot tub — after walking around Balboa Park or the Gaslamp Quarter all day, that hot tub hits different. They’ve also got ping-pong tables, which is sort of random but fun if you’re traveling with kids or just want to mess around.

Why Guests Love It

Here’s the thing — couples really seem to dig this place, and I get why. The waterfront setting feels romantic without being over-the-top, and you’re close enough to downtown that you can easily hit up dinner in Little Italy or catch a Padres game. The location score speaks for itself, and honestly, for a mid-range hotel, it punches above its weight just by being where it is. You’re not getting premium amenities, but you are getting that San Diego bay vibe that makes the whole trip feel more special than it would at some generic hotel by the freeway.

To book a hotel in San Diego during whale season, visitors mix harbor cruises with seaside fish taco tastings.

Facilities