5* Andaz San Diego

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.

Little Italy is one of those neighbourhoods where your biggest problem is deciding where to eat next, and Porto Vista Hotel puts you right in the middle of it. The waterfront, Saturday market, cafés and restaurants are all easy to reach on foot, with Downtown just beyond. The hotel has embraced its slightly retro motel bones rather than trying to hide them. Rooms open from exterior corridors and feature original artwork, while murals and installations continue around the building. Upstairs, GlassDoor serves Mexican food and cocktails with sweeping harbour and skyline views – definitely the hotel's strongest card. Hillcrest and its gay bars are a short rideshare away, so Porto Vista works better as a food-and-city base than a nightlife-first hotel. GayMapper tip: Head upstairs around sunset – those GlassDoor views make the hotel feel considerably more expensive than the room rate often suggests.

Hotel Indigo San Diego-Gaslamp Quarter has changed quite a bit since the old GayMapper description – and for the better. The East Village location still puts Petco Park practically outside, but the current food and drink setup now includes Table 509 Bar & Kitchen and Borrego, a desert-inspired rooftop bar with skyline views. Rooms keep the colourful boutique feel, and the hotel remains pet-friendly with a fitness centre and plenty of Downtown energy around it. The Gaslamp’s restaurants and bars are easily walkable, as are the convention centre and waterfront. Hillcrest is a quick rideshare north, so this works particularly well when you want San Diego’s Downtown attractions by day but still plan to dip into the LGBTQ nightlife rather than live directly inside it. GayMapper tip: Borrego at sunset followed by Hillcrest later on makes for a very easy two-neighbourhood evening.

Andaz San Diego is at its best upstairs. The rooftop combines a heated pool, cabanas, open-air dining and a properly sociable bar atmosphere, so an innocent afternoon swim can quite easily turn into sunset cocktails without anyone bothering to change floors. The 159-room Downtown hotel has the polished, slightly playful design you’d expect from Andaz, while STK handles the steakhouse side downstairs. The Rooftop by STK serves everything from breakfast to late-night drinks, with live music on Thursdays and plenty of skyline views. The Gaslamp is outside the door, which makes restaurants and conventional nightlife effortless. Hillcrest and the main gay bars are a short rideshare north, so you can enjoy both without compromising on a luxury Downtown base. GayMapper tip: Keep one afternoon unscheduled for the rooftop pool – this is not a hotel where you should only turn up to sleep.

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.

The Sofia Hotel has been part of Downtown San Diego in one form or another since 1926, when it opened as the Pickwick. That history still gives the building more personality than the glass towers around it, although the 211 rooms have been thoroughly modernised. Recent changes have also moved the food offering on: Truva now serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes and cocktails, with Starbucks and Tender Greens providing easier grab-and-go options. There’s a 24-hour fitness centre, dedicated yoga studio and complimentary bikes for exploring the waterfront or Little Italy. You’re just outside the Gaslamp Quarter rather than amid its busiest streets, with the waterfront and Little Italy both close. Hillcrest is an easy rideshare when gay nightlife calls. GayMapper tip: Borrow one of the bikes and head towards the Embarcadero – this is a particularly good Downtown base if you like exploring under your own steam.