The best luxury hotels in San Diego

This Mediterranean-inspired resort in Carmel Valley has four outdoor pools and an on-site golf course, along with six restaurants including Addison, helmed by chef William Bradley. The Fairmont Spa runs facials, Swedish massage and hydrotherapy, and rooms come with European-style soaking tubs and marble dual sinks.

Good to know: Guests can bring up to two dogs per room for a non-refundable $150 cleaning fee plus tax.

Skip it if you want to stay near the coast; the resort sits inland in Carmel Valley.

Pendry San Diego sits in the Gaslamp Quarter with 317 guest rooms and suites and six restaurants and bars, including Lionfish for modern coastal cuisine. Spa Pendry operates on site, and the guest rating stands at 8.9/10 from 230+ reviews.

Good to know: Dogs are welcome for $100 plus tax per stay, and the hotel sits about 0.5 miles in a straight line from The US Grant.

Skip it if you want golf on site; Fairmont Grand Del Mar has a golf course instead.

The lodge in La Jolla has 170 rooms with granite and marble bathrooms and a spa of about 9,500 square feet with 14 treatment rooms. A.R. Valentien serves regional cuisine on site, and the guest rating stands at 9.3/10 from 60+ reviews.

Good to know: One dog up to 50 pounds, or two smaller dogs combined 75 pounds, stays for a $150 cleaning fee, waived for service dogs.

Skip it if a downtown address matters more than La Jolla; Pendry San Diego sits in the Gaslamp Quarter instead.

This historic 11-story hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter has 270 guestrooms, including 47 suites, inside a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Grant Grill serves California cuisine in an Art Deco setting, and the guest rating sits at 8.4/10 from 110+ reviews.

Good to know: The hotel sits about 0.5 miles in a straight line from Pendry San Diego, also in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Skip it if you want a spa with named treatments; this hotel lists a spa but does not name it.

Operating since 1913, this boutique hotel in La Jolla Village has 97 guest rooms and suites, and its on-site restaurant, NINE-TEN, is listed in the MICHELIN Guide. The guest rating is 8.8/10 from 230+ reviews.

Good to know: The hotel sits about 3.6 miles in a straight line from Tower23 Hotel and 4.3 miles from The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

Skip it if you want dogs allowed; this hotel does not list pet-friendly facilities.

This adult-only tower at Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine has 159 VIP suites and a full-service spa named Willows Spa, with a saltwater pool, salt sauna and steam room. The guest rating is 8.9/10 from 270+ reviews.

Good to know: The resort sits well outside the city, about 27.9 miles in a straight line from both Pendry San Diego and The US Grant.

Skip it if a coastal or downtown location matters; this resort sits about 27.9 miles inland in Alpine.

This 130-room resort in Encinitas overlooks the Southern California coastline, with the on-site restaurant, Vaga, looking out over the Pacific Ocean. Spa Alila offers hot stone massage and body treatments on site, near South Ponto Beach.

Good to know: The hotel sits about 11.8 miles in a straight line from Fairmont Grand Del Mar and 16.4 miles from Grande Colonial La Jolla.

Skip it if a downtown location matters; this resort sits in Encinitas, north of the city center.

This 44-room boutique hotel sits directly on the Pacific Beach boardwalk, with its on-site restaurant, JRDN, serving seafood, steak and sushi. The guest rating is 9.3/10 from 180+ reviews, tied for the highest guest rating on this list.

Good to know: The hotel sits about 3.6 miles in a straight line from Grande Colonial La Jolla and 7.4 miles from The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

Skip it if you want a spa or pool on site; only a restaurant and bar are listed here.