Escaping To San Diego Bay? Experience This Waterfront Resort In The Heart Of San Diego Harbor

SAN DIEGO, CA — After a long school year of early mornings, homework battles and busy after-school schedules, this Patch editor and mother of three energetic boys was looking forward to a much-needed break in routine and fun-filled summer.

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina generously invited us to kick off our summer early and stay for two nights at the recently renovated waterfront resort overlooking the beautiful San Diego Bay. The spectacular location is the first thing that stood out to us upon arrival.

Located in the heart of the San Diego harbor, Sheraton San Diego Resort is all about location, location, location. The picturesque resort is situated on a stunning sweep of San Diego waterfront.

While the resort is an ideal spot for staycationers like our family of five, it's also a perfect place for out-of-towners.

Locals and travelers alike can experience San Diego with a central location in the heart of the harbor. Sheraton San Diego Resort is just minutes from San Diego International Airport with a free airport shuttle service. The resort is also near San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter neighborhood, Petco Park and San Diego Zoo.

Sheraton San Diego Resort's accommodations and amenities include 1,064 rooms split between the Bay Tower and Marina Tower, as well as 46 boat slips in the harbor marina, three sparkling pools, five diverse dining destinations, and 130,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space.

We stayed on the 12th floor of the Marina Tower and were immediately greeted with breathtaking marina views after getting out of the elevator. Our youngest staycationers, ages 8, 6 and 2, were mesmerized by all the boats docked in the harbor.

The views got even better from our hotel room.

The highlight of the room was the private balcony overlooking the beautiful marina, but the view was beautiful inside, too.

The iconic hotel opened in 1972, but looks completely refreshed after a multi-million dollar transformation of the Marina Tower, which began in 2023 and was completed in the fall of 2024.

The new design highlights a modern coastal vibe and provides the perfect setting to relax and recharge. The extensive transformation, which merged modern design with classic elegance, offers an inspiring space where resort guests can meet, work and relax in style.

The renovation encompasses 717 guest rooms and suites in the Marina Tower, which shines with coastal hues and modern amenities. Rooms feature classic Sheraton amenities like the Sheraton Sleep Experience platform bed and LED lighting throughout the space, alongside new tools for productivity such as layered lighting and height-adjustable working tables.

The refurbished rooms, inspired by the natural colors of the marina and coast, blend understated nautical elements with intricate textures and local artwork, embodying the harbor and essence of the property.

Although we stayed in the Marina Tower, the resort's Bay Tower also offers rooms that boast private balconies with seating and feature picture-perfect views of the bay or marina.

Our room included two comfortable Queen-sized beds, a table and chairs, a shower-tub combo, flat-screen TV, a mini fridge, coffee and tea maker, and balcony with seating.

After checking into our hotel room and exploring the space, we went back down to the lobby to explore the resort and find a place to eat dinner.

Sheraton San Diego Resort offers five dining concepts, including Rumorosa, the resort's signature Cali-Baja restaurant.

Seasonal poolside dining can be enjoyed at Sunglow Cabana Bar, which offers frozen drinks for all ages, SoCal-inspired shareables, and a family-friendly cabana bar experience. Resort guests and locals alike can also visit Brewery X, a brew pub serving local craft brews, chef-driven bar bites, and laidback vibes.

Strada Italian Market offers Italian bites, gelato, specialty coffees, cold brew on tap, pastries, and grab-and-go options.

The Bay Tower has a bar and lounge that feature familiar favorites alongside harbor views.

Of course, resort guests can also use mobile dining for room service.

Mexican food is this Patch editor's favorite, so we opted for Rumorosa, a vibrant space with another great view. The live music added to the overall atmosphere of the restaurant.

The restaurant features authentic Cali-Baja dishes, from fresh, local seafood to street tacos served on heirloom corn tortillas. The menu also offers curated Mexican wines and collections of agave spirits.

We decided on the warm tortilla chips with queso and Mexican street corn for appetizers. We also tried the spiced tortilla soup and Cali chicken and hominy pozole. Tortilla soup is one of my favorites and it did not disappoint!

The family-friendly restaurant offered a variety of options for our kids. They ordered a cheeseburger, chicken fingers and fries, and pasta with salad. We all enjoyed our food and the kids were happy, which made this mom even more happy.

After dinner, we continued to explore the resort, which offers a variety of amenities, including a fitness center, swimming pools, bike rentals, sports courts, running and walking routes, watersport rentals, and a gift shop.

My kids had their sights set on one thing and one thing only: the pool. And the pool was amazing.

Sheraton San Diego Resort actually has three newly renovated resort pools. There's a pool at the Bay Tower, a pool at the Marina Tower, and an adult-only pool, also at the Marina Tower.

We spent most of our first evening at the incredibly inviting and spacious main pool deck and swimming pool at the Marina Tower.

Friday night was Dive-In Movie Night, which was a fun surprise for my kids. They got to splash into cinema and watch the Pixar film, "Elemental," from the pool.

At the end of the night, we warmed up with a soak in the spa. We saw families roasting s'mores at the cozy fire pits and planned to do the same the next night.

Sheraton San Diego Resort offers a variety of daily activities such as nightly kids s'mores roast, happy hour at Rumorosa Bar, yoga and self-guided stand-up paddleboard tours.

Resort experiences include fitness classes, live music at Rumorosa, lawn games, sound baths, stand-up paddleboard yoga, and trivia at Brewery X. Guests can also reserve cabanas, day beds and studios to enjoy a private meal, relax or work.

After a refreshing night's rest, we planned to spend the whole day at the equally refreshing pool.

The day started off with family time in the pool. My husband also let me slip away for some much-needed me time at the adult-only pool.

Our poolside bliss was cut short due to some unseasonably and un-San Diego-like weather. The threat of lightning didn't ruin our fun, however. We ate lunch inside and enjoyed the newly reimagined public spaces. We later strolled the waterfront promenade and grabbed dinner before returning to our room.

Our wonderful stay ended with room service breakfast the following morning. I personally recommend the yummy breakfast burrito with braised short rib.

Whether you're staycationing in San Diego or visiting America's Finest City on a summer trip, Sheraton San Diego Resort has everything you need for an unforgettable vacation getaway. There is no shortage of fun, adventure and relaxation for the entire family at this stunning resort.

We thoroughly enjoyed our staycation and plan to return in the future for more bay and poolside fun. My kids want to roast s'mores and I definitely have to check out Rumorosa for brunch.

When you go, tell them Patch sent you.

Sheraton San Diego Resort is located at 1380 Harbor Island Drive.