Charting on Cvent’s list of Top 50 Destinations in the US in 2013 and 2014, San Diego is a top contender when planning where to host your next event. Not only is the city one of the most technologically advanced, it’s packed with endless shops, restaurants, cafes, and meeting venues. With 70 miles of beaches, 92 golf courses, and over 120 available hotels, having fun while on a corporate retreat in San Diego is never a problem.
This waterfront city with a warm climate and perfect California weather makes it a great place to experience the outdoors. Getting away from the skyscrapers isn’t hard, and with the countryside and mountains nearby, a group hike or fishing trip is a great option. But you don’t have to go far to find excitement in the city. Made up of 18 distinct neighborhoods, each one with it’s own unique identity, the city of San Diego has plenty to offer. Downtown, you can find the famous Horton Plaza, full of trendy stores, restaurants, and views of the bay nearby. The historic Old Town takes you back in time where you can visit a blacksmith shop, stables, and even the oldest schoolhouse in San Diego. The Gaslamp Quarter, another historic area and one of the most famous in the city, holds beautiful turn-of-the-century Victorian architecture, boutiques, and cafes, and is perfect for getting lost in. For those wanting to reconnect with their childhoods, the San Diego Zoo, one of the most famous in the country, is a must see, as is the exciting Legoland California.
The San Diego Convention Center, the biggest in North America, with 2.6 million square feet of space, is perfect for any type of convention. Many top conventions are held there annually, including the San Diego Comic Con, one of the most well known. Its Sails Pavilion boasts 90,000 square feet of trade show floor, but also holds over 200,000 square feet of meeting space and over 600,000 square feet of convention space.
Within walking distance of the Convention Center, also downtown, are a handful of hotels that also double as meeting and event venues. One of the biggest, the 4 Diamond Award Winning Hard Rock Hotel San Diego has 22 meeting venues, plenty of meeting space, a large ballroom, and Float, one of the biggest rooftop bars in the city and voted the best rooftop bar in San Diego. The San Diego Marriott Marquis and Marina overlooks the bay and is close to the convention center and the Gaslamp Quarter. The newly-renovated Hilton La Jolle Torrey Pines is another great option. It looks over the Torrey Pines Golf Course and the Pacific Ocean, making it a perfect place to take in the views. Topping the list is the Grand Del mar San Diego, the winner of the TripAdvisor Traveler’sChoice #1 hotel in the United States. This Mediterranean-style hotel will have you wishing you didn’t have to leave.