San Diego : In and Around Town

Feb 14, 2006 3:24 PM

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO

The city’s vibrant urban culture is best experienced amid the historic buildings, hotels, restaurants, shops, and clubs of San Diego’s downtown neighborhoods, including the Gaslamp Quarter, Marina District, Little Italy, and East Village. Meeting planners and attendees will appreciate the convenience of the area’s proximity to the airport as well as 11,300 hotel rooms, convention center, and major attractions, including Seaport Village, the Maritime Museum of San Diego, PETCO Park, USS Midway/San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum, and the outdoor Horton Plaza shopping and entertainment complex.

CONVENTION CENTER

Recognized as one of the world’s best, the San Diego Convention Center offers space, service, and the 90,000- square-foot Sails Pavilion overlooking San Diego Bay. The 1.7 million-squarefoot center has 615,701 square feet of exhibit space; 204,114 square feet of meeting space; and 284,494 square feet of pre-function, lobby, and registration areas. Just 10 minutes from the airport, the center is also within walking distance of downtown shops, restaurants, and attractions.

MISSION BAY AND MISSION BEACH

When visitors think of San Diego, they often envision Mission Bay, the largest aquatic park in North America. An ideal choice for attendees with families who wish to extend their stay, the area is a 4,600-acre paradise of hotels, beaches, water sports, and SeaWorld of San Diego. Nearby, Mission Beach offers a famous boardwalk dotted with popular restaurants and shops.

MISSION VALLEY

Just minutes from downtown and the airport, Mission Valley has its own convention center and a location convenient to several thousand hotel rooms, shops, golf, and the heart of San Diego via the city trolley system.

CORONADO / HARBOR ISLAND / SHELTER ISLAND

Coronado’s luxurious waterfront hotels and broad white sand beaches complement a small-town atmosphere with getaway appeal. Linked to bustling San Diego via a 2.1-mile bridge and frequent ferry service, the peninsula also offers parks, shops, and restaurants. Hotels on Harbor and Shelter islands offer meeting facilities, attractive room rates, and easy access to downtown and the airport.

LA JOLLA AND TORREY PINES

“The Jewel” of San Diego, La Jolla merits its outstanding reputation by offering breathtaking ocean-view scenery accented by sophisticated accommodations, dining, and shopping. Minutes north of the village of La Jolla lies Torrey Pines, home to one of the nation’s finest golf courses.

SAN DIEGO’S EAST COUNTY

Planners should not overlook the inland towns of Temecula, Fallbrook, Escondido, and Rancho Bernardo, where attendees enjoy hotels set among rolling hills and a range of activities that includes golf, hot air ballooning, and excursions to wineries, the Julian, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, and San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park.

DEL MAR AND RANCHO SANTA FE

Chic and charismatic Del Mar boasts a casual yet upscale ambience ideal for meetings, incentives, and day trips to the village’s beaches, oceanfront park, boutiques, and restaurants. To the east, luxurious golf resorts and boutique hotels well-suited to small conferences and corporate retreats can be found in the exclusive residential enclave of Rancho Santa Fe.

CARLSBAD

Well-known for its beaches, fragrant flower fields, quality hotels, and now LEGOLAND, the quaint town of Carlsbad is a popular destination at the north end of the San Diego area, 40 minutes from the airport.

SOUTH BAY/CHULA VISTA

On the U.S.-Mexico border, San Diego’s South Bay is the gateway to Baja California and home to several classic Southern California beaches. In August, Imperial Beach is the site of one of the nation’s largest sand castle competitions. Attractions in the area include the 20,000-seat Coors Amphitheater music venue and a year-round U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.