You can experience exceptional accommodations and service at a price that won’t break your budget at one of the San Diego Marriott hotels. Whether you’re interested in sightseeing and sun worshiping or staying for business, you’re sure to find the Marriott San Diego hotel that’s right for you and right where you want to be.
If you’re on vacation, you’ll appreciate Marriott’s unique combination of comfort, luxury, and affordability. If you are traveling on business, Marriott hotels in San Diego have the latest technology for work and the best in spa services for pleasure.
Now, it has been said that the best things in life are free. And if you’re staying at one of the 26 Marriott San Diego hotels, you’re in luck! We want our guests to fully enjoy this captivating city, regardless of their budget size. That’s why we’ve put together this list of San Diego’s “best kept secrets” that are totally free:
Timken Museum of Art: Over 600 years of art history are found within the modern architecture of the Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park. Enjoy the masterpieces of Rembrandt and Rubens, as well as the works of American painters such as Eastman Johnson and John Singleton Copley. Always free, call Timken today for visiting hours and special collections (tel. 619 / 239-5548).
All the museums in Balboa Park: This may be the best-kept local secret! All museums in Balboa Park are open to the public, free of charge, one Tuesday a month. This is the largest urban cultural park in the United States, with more than 25 museums and attractions. But how do you know which museums are free on Tuesdays? We have put together a list of days off for you:
The first Tuesday of each month: Natural History Museum (tel. 619 / 232-3821), Reuben H. Fleet Science Center (tel. 916 / 238-1233), Model Railroad Museum (tel. 916 / 696-0199)
2nd Tuesday: Museum of Photographic Arts (tel. 619 / 238-7559), Museum of the Historical Society (tel. 619 / 232-6203)
3rd Tuesday: Museum of Art (tel. 619 / 232-7931), Museum of Man (tel. 619 / 239-2001), Mingei International Museum (tel. 619 / 239-0003), Japanese Friendship Garden (tel. 619 / 232-2721), Museum of the Living Artist (tel. 619 / 236-0011)
4th Tuesday: Aerospace Museum (tel. 619 / 234-8291), Automobile Museum (tel. 619 / 231-2886), Hall of Champions Sports Museum (tel. 619 / 234-2544)
Organ Pavilion Concerts: The 4,518 pipes of the world’s largest open-air organ have been in almost continuous use since 1915. Enjoy free concerts, year-round, every Sunday at 2:00 pm in the Organ Pavilion Spreckels in Balboa Park (tel. -8138).
Chicano Park Murals: Considered the largest and most important collection of outdoor murals in the country, Chicano Park Murals celebrate and honor Latino heroes and culture. More than 70 works of art adorn the supporting towers of the Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan’s Chicano Park, National Avenue at Crosby Street (tel. 619 / 563-4661).
Gone Fishing: You don’t need a fishing license to fish at any San Diego municipal pier. Just bring your own bar and some suntan lotion.
Self-Realization Fellowship Temple – Built by a yogi in 1937, this Encinitas retreat, 215 W. K St., offers incredible views. It’s an architectural marvel, with its lotus-shaped towers, and it also features cliffside meditation gardens overlooking the Pacific. Visitors are welcome free of charge (tel. 760 / 753-2888).
Tijuana: There are many reasons why Tijuana is the most popular border city in the country. If you have never been, this is a must see. If you have been there, it is a wish to see again! It’s a short drive or tram ride, and enjoying the views is free.
US Olympic Training Center: See for yourself where Olympians train, and if you’re lucky, take a look at some of the upcoming gold medal winners. Free tours are offered year-round at the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. It is the nation’s first warm-weather multisport Olympic training complex (one of four in the United States). A 6-minute film on the Olympic movement is followed by a narrated tour (a 1 1/2 mile walk) through the impressive 150-acre campus. One-hour tours are offered every hour sharp, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. M. At 3 p. M., Saturdays from 9 a. M. At 4 p. M. And on Sundays from 11 a. M. At 3 p. M. (Tel. 619 / 656-1500).
Old Town: OK, they’ll charge you to eat at the area’s largest collection of authentic Mexican restaurants, but historic tours in the city’s oldest neighborhood are free. A visit to Old Town San Diego State Historical Park is like stepping back in time to experience the history of San Diego’s early days. Even today, life moves more slowly in Old Town. The Historic Plaza continues to be a gathering place for community events and historical activity. Old Town, the birthplace of California, is just steps from the San Diego Trolley Transit Center and a short drive from most San Diego destinations. Visit their website at www.oldtownsandiego.org/.
Walkabout International – Put on your walking shoes and experience San Diego up close. It’s fun, free, and for all ages. Walkabout International is a non-profit educational group promoting neighborhood walking in urban, suburban and rural settings around the world. Guided walks vary in pace and duration, and many end with an invitation to socialize over coffee, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Visit their website for their hiking and destination calendar at www.walkabout-int.org
San Diego is an ideal vacation destination, with so much to do, much free, and the weather to enjoy year-round. For more fun and affordable ways to enjoy San Diego, visit the Concierge at one of the Marriott hotels in San Diego where you stay.
So book your San Diego Marriott vacation today! With so many San Diego hotels to choose from, you’re sure to find one right where you want to be. Some of the Marriott hotels in San Diego include:
Courtyard San Diego Downtown
San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina
San Diego Marriott Gaslamp neighborhood
Residence Inn San Diego Downtown
Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa
… And many more! Reserve today!