4* Marriott Gaslamp Quarter

The Pearl Hotel understands the assignment: take a 1959 Point Loma motel, keep the oyster-shaped pool and mid-century bones, then turn the whole thing into somewhere you actually want to hang around. There are just 23 individually styled rooms, all arranged around that original saltwater pool. Ponyboy handles seasonal food and cocktails, and Wednesday night “Dive In” movies are still projected beside the water – one of those little details that makes the hotel memorable rather than merely photogenic. Point Loma puts you handy for Ocean Beach, the harbour and airport, while Downtown is an easy drive. Hillcrest’s main LGBTQ nightlife is farther inland, so The Pearl is more suited to travellers who want San Diego neighbourhood life and coastal exploring with a night or two in the gay bars. GayMapper tip: Stay in on Wednesday – dinner, cocktails and a movie beside the pool is exactly the sort of evening The Pearl does best.

Palm trees, koi ponds, waterfalls, tropical birds and tiki torches: Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa has absolutely no intention of being subtle. The Polynesian theme may be gloriously old-school, but the setting between Mission Bay and the Pacific is hard to beat. Days can involve paddleboarding, cycling the boardwalk, lounging beside the outdoor pool or disappearing into the beachfront spa, whose hot tub looks directly over the bay. Oceana Coastal Kitchen keeps dinner waterside, while many rooms and suites add balconies looking towards Mission Bay, the ocean or tropical gardens. Pacific Beach gives you plenty of bars and restaurants nearby, although San Diego’s main LGBTQ nightlife in Hillcrest is a separate evening out. GayMapper tip: This is one to book when you actually want to use the resort – otherwise you’re wasting a perfectly good excuse to spend a day doing very little beside Mission Bay.

La Jolla makes a convincing argument for spending at least part of a San Diego trip away from Downtown altogether. The Empress Hotel sits right in the village, with restaurants, galleries, coastal walks and La Jolla Cove all within an easy stroll. Rooms have recently been refreshed, with fridges, coffee facilities and larger suites available when you want more space. A daily hot breakfast is included in the destination fee, along with afternoon refreshments and fitness-centre access, while the hotel’s Beach Concierge can sort you out with chairs and umbrellas for the coast. Manhattan of La Jolla downstairs covers Italian dinners when you don’t feel like going far. San Diego’s gay nightlife in Hillcrest is across town, so this is very much the beach-and-La-Jolla choice. GayMapper tip: Come here for mornings by the water and seals at the Cove – save Hillcrest for one planned night out rather than trying to commute back and forth.

Some hotels have history; Hotel del Coronado practically has its own mythology. The red-roofed Victorian landmark has been welcoming guests since 1888, hosted generations of celebrities and famously appeared in Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe. After a six-year, $550-million restoration, The Del is looking particularly smart again. You can stay in the restored Victorian building, more contemporary Cabanas and Views rooms, or splash out on cottages and villas. The huge beachfront resort adds pools, spa treatments, reserved beach seating and enough restaurants and bars to turn several days into a self-contained holiday. Coronado is very much its own destination, so Hillcrest nightlife means crossing back into San Diego proper. That's hardly the point here, though. GayMapper tip: If you’ve always wanted to stay at The Del, book the Victorian – the history is a big part of what you’re paying for.

Baseball fans barely need directions from San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter – Petco Park is right there. Everyone else gets the same advantage in different form: restaurants, Gaslamp nightlife, the convention centre and waterfront are all easily walkable. The real reason to remember this Marriott is 22 floors up. ALTITUDE Sky Lounge looks across Downtown, the bay and directly into Petco Park, making it one of the better hotel rooftops in the city. Downstairs, Soleil@k handles breakfast and Latitude Lounge takes over for cocktails and casual food later on. There’s also no resort fee, which feels increasingly refreshing in California. Hillcrest’s LGBTQ nightlife is a quick drive north rather than part of the immediate neighbourhood. GayMapper tip: Time ALTITUDE for a Padres game or sunset – even non-baseball people may suddenly develop an interest in the view.

Pendry San Diego manages the difficult trick of being a serious luxury hotel while also feeling like somewhere you could actually have fun. Its Gaslamp location helps, but so does having restaurants, bars, a rooftop pool and a beer hall all under one roof. The 317 rooms bring a polished coastal-California look, while Lionfish covers seafood and sushi, Provisional does brunch, Fifth & Rose handles cocktails and Nason’s Beer Hall brings the volume up when required. The Pool House sits beside the rooftop pool for daytime drinks, and Spa Pendry gives you somewhere to undo the consequences of the night before. Hillcrest’s gay bars are a quick rideshare away, while the Gaslamp and Petco Park are outside the door. GayMapper tip: Pendry works particularly well when different people in the group want different things – spa, rooftop, cocktails, beer and proper dinner can all happen without leaving the building.