Hotel Palomar in San Diego: Staying in Luxury in the Gaslamp District

Disclosure: This hotel night was provided free of charge; all opinions are my own.

One of the things I love most about traveling is finding a way to connect adventure with travel in a unique and fun way. So when Kimpton told me about their kayaking the sea caves of La Jolla Package with Everyday California, I was excited to give it a go. This is especially remarkable when it is the end of the summer season, as that is when hundreds of leopard sharks come to give birth in La Jolla, making it an excellent way to connect with these animals in the water. Here is all the information on the hotel and the package so you can do it yourself.

Details

• Book Here
• Leopard sharks are generally there during September
• This information was from my visit in 2016

Getting There

The hotel is located right in the heart of the Gaslamp District on 5th Ave in San Diego. You can park in the structure across the street or pay for valet with the hotel.

The Hotel

Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego is one of the most well known boutique hotels in San Diego. I can easily say that my wife and I fell in love with it when we were there as well. Everything from the location in Gaslamp to the beautiful rooms made it feel like an excellent jumping off point for exploring the city.

We headed down there on a Sunday night, left our car with the valet, and got checked into the hotel. Upon arriving, you will see just how impressive the location is. You are within walking distance from hundreds of restaurants, bars, and attractions. The House of Blues is even right next door.

The check in process was smooth, and we were on our way up to our room on the 17th floor in no time. We did stop by the rooftop pool on the 4th floor before heading up though.

The Sky View King Room

The room had a large king size bed and two walls of windows that looked down on the city. I was immediately impressed with the style and layout of the room.

The bathroom was also lavish with a large soaking tub and walk in shower.

The best part of the room though was the patio that overlooked the city. With views this good, it was hard to want to leave.

As you can see, it is pretty hard to beat, especially at night time.

We had a large lunch, so we grabbed room service chips and salsa/guacamole to enjoy on the patio before heading down to try some of the food at Saltbox (connected to the hotel).

Saltbox

At Saltbox, we just stuck with the appetizers, but the maple bacon popcorn was pretty fantastic. It had a sweet, smokey flavor with delicious caramel popcorn and small pieces of bacon.

My wife got the brussels sprouts and proceeded to clean the plate as well.

If you are staying in the hotel, then consider getting reservations at Nobel Experiment (speakeasy), which is a half mile walk for fun after-dinner drink.

Also, plan to visit Donut Bar, one of the most popular donut places in Southern California, for breakfast (.2 mile walk).

Everyday California Kayaking

After donuts, we headed out to La Jolla to meet up with Everyday California for the kayaking part of our package. After the 20 minute drive, we were at Everyday California, checking out their clothing line and getting ready to kayak.

We did the hour and a half kayaking trip, but I also grabbed snorkel gear so that I could see if I could find some of the leopard sharks that were out in the water. You can read about the kayaking trip here and snorkeling with the leopard sharks here.

As you can see, this is an excellent way to spend 24 hours in San Diego. Be sure to check out this package if you are looking for a fun adventure and let me know what you think in the comments.