SAIL MISSION BAY, SAN DIEGO
by travelgourmet
You have arrived in San Diego for an escape from your daily grind. What better way than to drive over to Mission Bay for a day on the beach and in the water. So much to do in the great outdoors. You can enjoy 27 miles of shoreline at Mission Bay with parks to picnic at with barbeques and fire pits you can use. Many areas to go swimming in calm waters. Try your sea legs by renting a powerboat to have fun wake-boarding, or paddle a kayak around the bay. The way I like to play at Mission Bay is to rent a sailboat. Nothing fancy, just a small sailboat about 16 feet in length, no boating license required, safe, and tons of fun.
If you are staying at one of the resorts on the Bay, most of them have their own sailboat rentals. This makes it very easy and no excuses to not try your hand at sailing or to return to the sea, a seasoned sailor. If you are not staying at a resort on the Bay, then the next best thing is available. SEAFORTH BOAT RENTALS has different sizes of sailboats to rent as well as powerboats and fishing boats. They are located in Mission Bay. Your comfort casual sailing clothes or even a swimsuit is okay. Bring along some tennis shoes for that feel safe skid proof walk. No boating equipment necessary as this is a rental. If you bring your own boat down to San Diego, Mission Bay has four boat ramps for you to use.
Almost Paradise
by TripAdvisor Member kalliekoko
My husband and I took our 2 year old & 4 year old to San Diego for the weekend. We were recommended to stay at the Dana Inn from a neighbor. We booked a room (directly through the hotel) for April 28-May 1, 2004.
We got a great rate of $109 for the first two nights and $139.00 the third night.
First floor room.....walk out the front door and there was an unobstructed view of the marina and walk out the sliding door and we had a small patio w/table & chair and access to the games (ping pong, fooseball) and the gated pool/spa/bar.
The room was smaller then many hotels these days, but VERY clean. Two queen size beds, table and two chairs, a large cabinet w/3 drawers for putting away clothes. A small fridge......clean bathroom. Note that not all the rooms have tubs, most just showers. If you need a tub, request it.
The upstairs rooms did not have private balconies....just the balcony that you enter from.
We requested extra towels/blankets and they were delivered within ten minutes. The manager even called us about 30 minutes into checking in to make sure everything was okay.
No microwave in the room, but the front desk is happy to pop your popcorn, etc. for you. Vending machines for soda and ice machines are very easy to find and there are washer/dryers for those that need to do laundry!
Grounds are very well kept. Everything is lush, green and very tropical.
We did not use the SeaWorld shuttle, but it was available. The fifteen minute walk to Seaworld, basically gets you to the permeter of the park and you still have at least another 15-20 minute walk to get to the front gate. Take the free shuttle or drive your car!
Yes, you can hear the roar of airplanes taking off. The airport is a few miles away but the Dana Inn just happens to sit in the direction of the take off path (as does the Hyatt, across the street). You will get that noise if you were on Mission Bay or Shelter Island......just deal with it.
Did I mention that we felt safe enough at night to close the shutters on the sliding glass door but to actually leave the door open (screen shut) so we had fresh air all night. It was very quiet and we were not disturbed at all.
The price cannot be beat.....waterfront, clean and recently remodeled.
We look forward to going again.
Not a bad thing I can say about it!!!!
by TripAdvisor Member italnbull
I just returned home from a 4 night/5 day stay at the Dana Inn....with my 6 year old and it was fantastic!! First we booked online through San Diego.org website and had a great rate. Flew in went to the information desk they called the Hotel for their shuttle and they were there within 20 min. Ari was the driver and was extremely friendly and helpful with everything. Then when we got there I asked for a Marina View room with a King bed and they upgraded me NO PROBLEM! We caught the shuttle to Sea World and the next day walked to Mission Beach/Belmont Park. I do want to add that they would have taken us anywhere within a close proximity if they aren't busy with no problems! The room was extremely clean, it would have been a bit small with 2 Queens but not too bad. There is an armoir and plenty of drawer space/hangers too. There is a mini fridge...and laundry room on the property too. Room service was great as was the food. Pool was fantastic as was the pool bar..I am not a drinker but found myself sippin on a pina colada. Ande the bartender also extremely friendly and helpful. The entire staff was great. I will stay there again! It was a fantastic experience.
Sea World just a shuttle ride over the bridge!
by A TripAdvisor Member
Overall, I would recommend the Dana Inn for several reasons...family-friendly amenities (outside games, nice pool, located in the marina), clean, great location for Sea World, and good food from the on-site restauraunt. However, I would like to point out a few things to help you know more about the hotel prior to booking. We booked a "pool-side" room that would adjoin with our friend's room. What we got was room #402 that had a view of the pool from afar, not like how the website made it sound as if we would open our patio door and walk into the pool area. It was located pretty close to the outside game area (ping pong, fooseball, shuffleboard). Our room did not adjoin with our friends so that was a bummer. I called it to the front desk supervisor's attention with no resolution (even bigger disappointment). The pool was nicely heated, and the hot tub was especially hot, not good for the kiddies, but superb for the adults. Also, the room is located right across from the outside "pool bar" and after a long Saturday of Sea World, the cheering Laker fans made it difficult to get to sleep at 10pm! Not to mention, they put us right next to a room with 4 college boys livin' la vida loca until 3am! If that wasn't enough, Sunday morning we awoke to the upstairs guests tromping back and forth! So, should I mention the soundproofing could use some work and the rooms are a bit small, shower only in the restroom (no tub). In addition, we had requested an early check-in for Friday and was told it wouldn't be a problem. We even called on the way there to make sure our rooms were still on track for 1pm. Needless to say, our rooms were still not ready until 3:45pm (with a 4pm regular check-in time). So much for early check-in! However, they did allow us to utilize the swimming pool while we waited for our rooms (the kids really enjoyed the pool). The poolside towels are the size of hand towels, so bring your own if you can! The free shuttle to Sea World was great. The grounds were well kept, too.
Loved it!
by A TripAdvisor Member
We just returned from a 4 night stay at the Dana Inn. It was excellent. It is perfect for families. We brought our 3 yr and 5 yr old boys. It was close to everything the beach, Sea World, Old Town, etc... The Red Hen restaurant was outstanding we looked forward to our breakfasts there every morning.
We got a great deal through Hotels.com so we didn't request anything special as far as a view but we just loved it. I can't say enough good things. The rooms were very clean albeit small but for the time we spent in the room it was perfect. My husband especially enjoyed the HOT hot tub everynight and my boys couldn't get enough of the pool. We are planning to go back next year!
So glad we picked this place.
by A TripAdvisor Member
We are so glad we picked Dana Inn! There were so many choices to stay in SD and we wanted a clean, modern hotel without paying a bundle. Dana Inn was located on the gorgeous Mission Bay and the rooms were clean, big, and furnished with contemporary style. We booked through hotels and got a rate for a room by the pool (cheapest rate). I heard from previous guests that it would be noisy. My fiance and I didn't mind the noise, usually just kids playing with the games near the pool. They usually stayed there til dusk anyways and we didn't get back to the hotel til then. They didn't have a fitness center and the pool was usually crowded with kids. But theres plenty to do outside the hotel in the SD area, so that didn't matter to us. We definately looked forward to coming back to the hotel room to rest each night. We ate at Red Hen twice for breakfast. Dont let the name fool you, the restaurant is also very clean and contemporary. The breakfast was beautiful, portions large, affordable, tasted great. Last thing- the staff was extremely helpful and friendly, including the shuttle drivers (always willing to give tips and advice on places to go and how to get there), the desk clerks, and the Red Hen staff. I would highly recommend Dana to families and for couples (but shy away from poolside rooms if you want some peace and quiet).
Photos
My son enjoying Mission Bay, San Diego
Forum Posts
What city burb... for X-mas '06
by Katalinajs1
My family of five is planning a trip to San Diego Christmas of 2006. We live in the midwest (Wisconsin) and we literaly do not need to lock our car doors at night. Our front door can be left open . . . So when we trip out to Cali -I really would prefer to stay in a a burb that will make us feel comfortable and safe. I plan on renting a house or condo from www.vbro.com, but I need to figure out what the best location is and it's really hard without talking to someone who lives in the area and can best decribe what would suit our families' needs. We really would prefer to stay on the beach. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you
San Diego County: Cardiff by the Sea, Jamul, Oceanside,
Carlsbad, Julian, Pacific Beach,Coronado, La Jolla, Palomar, Mountain
Del Mar, Lake San Marcos, Rancho Bernardo, Encinitas, Mission Bay, San Diego,
Escondido, Mission Beach, Solana Beach,Imperial Beach, Ocean Beach, and Valley Center
RE: What city burb... for X-mas '06
by bevjerry
If you prefer the beach then you want to stick with the following from your list: Cardiff by the Sea(nice), Oceanside( not a good choice), Carlsbad (nice), Pacific Beach(iffy),Coronado(nice),La Jolla (very nice), Mission Bay (nice & close to the city), Solana Beach(nice), Imperial Beach (?), Mission Beach(?), and Ocean Beach(?).
Oceanside is quite far from San Diego, is the bedroom community for Camp Pendleton and does have some bad elements. If you want to go into San Diego to see the sights you might be happier with Mission Bay or Coronado as they are right in the heart of the city but you're at the beach and you don't feel like you're in the city at all. Don't miss the zoo!
RE: What city burb... for X-mas '06
by BadDrachenfels
Ditto. LaJolla is as far away as you want to be. La Mesa is OK but traffic on 8 is rough.
Mission Bay is great
