Last-minute vacation rental in San Diego for two families
July 18, 2013 10:23 AM Subscribe
We will be in San Diego from Saturday July 20 through Thursday July 25. We booked some accomodation last month, but it seems to have fallen through, and now we need to book a new place at the last minute.
The complication is that "we" consists of two familes, so 4 adults and 2 small children. Previously we were trying to book a rental house, but I figure at this point we are probably looking at something like a weekly apartment rental. Any recommendations on where we should be looking, or any specific hotels/apartments that could work for us? Our budget is $300/night maximum.
The complication is that "we" consists of two familes, so 4 adults and 2 small children. Previously we were trying to book a rental house, but I figure at this point we are probably looking at something like a weekly apartment rental. Any recommendations on where we should be looking, or any specific hotels/apartments that could work for us? Our budget is $300/night maximum.
How close to San Diego do you need to be? It's ComicCon, anything decent will be completely booked or astronomically expensive.
posted by elsietheeel at 10:29 AM on July 18, 2013
posted by elsietheeel at 10:29 AM on July 18, 2013
Best answer: Here is what AirBNB has for 4 people, 2+bedroom, $295/night or less, whole house/apt rentals. Depending on the age/sleeping status of your kids, you might need to look for places that claim to sleep 6, but if you can fit each family in 1 bedroom, you'll probably be fine here. It's a start, anyway.
posted by brainmouse at 10:30 AM on July 18, 2013
posted by brainmouse at 10:30 AM on July 18, 2013
Response by poster: brainmouse: thanks for the link -- I had actually forgotten about airbnb. We are a little nervous about being scammed, but a lot of people seem to use it so it's probably ok?
elsietheeel: closer is better, but at this point I feel like distance from the beaches/city center is going to have to take a backseat to simply finding something that is available and can house two families. Originally we were looking at neighborhoods near Kellogg Park.
posted by Maximian at 10:40 AM on July 18, 2013
elsietheeel: closer is better, but at this point I feel like distance from the beaches/city center is going to have to take a backseat to simply finding something that is available and can house two families. Originally we were looking at neighborhoods near Kellogg Park.
posted by Maximian at 10:40 AM on July 18, 2013
Best answer: AirBNB is perfect for this. If you're nervous about being scammed, pick a place with multiple reviews. My fiance and I use AirBNB all the time, as both hosts and guests. We've always had great experiences.
posted by ewiar at 10:44 AM on July 18, 2013
posted by ewiar at 10:44 AM on July 18, 2013
As in "La Jolla Shores"?
One entire side of the county is coastline, I don't think you'll have to stay far away from the beach unless cost is an issue.
posted by LionIndex at 10:45 AM on July 18, 2013
One entire side of the county is coastline, I don't think you'll have to stay far away from the beach unless cost is an issue.
posted by LionIndex at 10:45 AM on July 18, 2013
Best answer: Seconding AirBnB; I've hosted and stayed through the service, and have had nothing but good experiences.
posted by craven_morhead at 11:11 AM on July 18, 2013
posted by craven_morhead at 11:11 AM on July 18, 2013
Best answer: My AirBnB experience has been mixed. Two out of three times the host cancelled on me, one of them just a couple of days before the trip.
posted by exogenous at 11:14 AM on July 18, 2013
posted by exogenous at 11:14 AM on July 18, 2013
Best answer: Okay, Holiday Inn has a Holiday Inn Express that has two rooms for $157 a piece. Another option is Tijuana, they have a Holiday Inn there for $76 per night. Read the reviews on Trip Advisor, I don't know what ages your children are, or if you're renting a car (they may forbid taking it into Mexico) but it's an option.
If you are driving your own vehicle, call to find out about getting insurance in Mexico. We drove to Mexico a few times and as I recall, it's kind of a Big Fat Hairy Deal. More often we park on the US side and walk across, but that's just for day trips.
It's not an apartment, it's two hotel rooms.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:44 AM on July 18, 2013
If you are driving your own vehicle, call to find out about getting insurance in Mexico. We drove to Mexico a few times and as I recall, it's kind of a Big Fat Hairy Deal. More often we park on the US side and walk across, but that's just for day trips.
It's not an apartment, it's two hotel rooms.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:44 AM on July 18, 2013
Best answer: VRBO is preferable to AirBnB in my experience. Generally not as cheap because these are specifically vacation rentals - though I have seen some perfectly good deals as long as you don't want beachfront - but far more reliable. Because it's SDCC, you probably will have more luck in North County.
Dates look to be a problem, though. But look around and see.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:46 AM on July 18, 2013
Dates look to be a problem, though. But look around and see.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:46 AM on July 18, 2013
Best answer: AirBnB is probably your best bet, but if you get stuck, did you try Bookit? We stayed at the Handlery Hotel a few weeks ago and I noticed they do have rooms in your price range (though they did raise the rates probably for Comic Con.) It's a bit dated but family friendly, nice pool and close to the San Diego Zoo.
posted by biscuits at 5:58 PM on July 18, 2013
posted by biscuits at 5:58 PM on July 18, 2013
Response by poster: In case anyone is interested: we got lucky and found a great pad on AirBnB that had the dates we needed. The place is in Del Mar, and just 50 paces from the beach! Not cheap, but for a last-minute deal, we are completely content. I guess it's far enough from SD proper that Comic-Con being in progress wasn't really a problem.
Thanks to everyone who chimed in with suggestions -- AskMe can be a real life-saver at times like this. And yes, we were prepared to book in Tijuana if that's what it took.
posted by Maximian at 12:05 AM on July 23, 2013
Thanks to everyone who chimed in with suggestions -- AskMe can be a real life-saver at times like this. And yes, we were prepared to book in Tijuana if that's what it took.
posted by Maximian at 12:05 AM on July 23, 2013
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posted by LionIndex at 10:29 AM on July 18, 2013 [1 favorite]