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Imperial · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels near Palace

Peter Halvorsen

Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

Updated 1 September 2026 · 11 Imperial hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Imperial, out of the 11 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.1 down to 3.8.

All five are within 3.0 km of Palace.

Holiday Inn Express San Diego South-National City by IHG

Highest rated of the five

Holiday Inn Express San Diego South-National City by IHG

★★★★★4.1 from 763 reviews

Holiday Inn Express San Diego South-National City by IHG comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.1 from 763 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 2 star property, found under poi and around $219 a night on the dates we checked.

11 hotels in Imperial qualified for this list and five made it. Best Western Plus Marina Gateway Hotel is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Gymopen to guests, not a partner pass down the road
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Holiday Inn Express San Diego South-National City by IHG1

    Holiday Inn Express San Diego South-National City by IHG

    ★★★★★4.1 from 763 reviews

    400 m from Palace, about a 5 minute walk

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  2. Best Western Plus Marina Gateway Hotel2

    Best Western Plus Marina Gateway Hotel

    ★★★★★4.3 from 2,142 reviews

    3.0 km from Palace

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  3. Motel 6 National City, CA3

    Motel 6 National City, CA

    ★★★★★3.9 from 537 reviews

    600 m from Palace, about a 8 minute walk

    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  4. Paradise Motel4

    Paradise Motel

    ★★★★★4.1 from 89 reviews

    1.8 km from Palace, about a 22 minute walk

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    • Studio 6 National City, CA - Naval Base San Diego5

      Studio 6 National City, CA - Naval Base San Diego

      ★★★★★3.8 from 484 reviews

      1.8 km from Palace, about a 22 minute walk

      • Parking
      • Pet friendly
      • Air conditioning

      Check rates Read more

    How this list was put together

    11 Imperial hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating first and on how close they are to Palace second, then took the top five.

    Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

    The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

    What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

    Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

    Peter Halvorsen

    Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

    Twenty-six years of teaching means 26 long summers. Trains and driving through most of Europe, now further afield, usually alone with a tent. Keeps every train ticket since 1994.

    Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.