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Seaside · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels in the old town, Seaside

Talia Ben-Ari

Talia Ben-Ari Turkey, the Gulf and Egypt

Updated 1 September 2026 · 26 Seaside hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Seaside, out of the 26 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.2.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $70.

California Dreams Hostel - Ocean Beach

Highest rated of the five

California Dreams Hostel - Ocean Beach

★★★★★4.7 from 488 reviews

California Dreams Hostel - Ocean Beach comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 488 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 found under old town and around $70 a night on the dates we checked.

26 hotels in Seaside qualified for this list and five made it. Kings Inn San Diego is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. California Dreams Hostel - Ocean Beach1

    California Dreams Hostel - Ocean Beach

    ★★★★★4.7 from 488 reviews

    • Pool
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  2. Kings Inn San Diego2

    Kings Inn San Diego

    ★★★★★4.3 from 3,569 reviews

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

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  3. Hotel Zindel3

    Hotel Zindel

    ★★★★★4.3 from 337 reviews

    • Bar
    • Kitchen
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning

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  4. Uptown Inn by Vantaggio4

    Uptown Inn by Vantaggio

    ★★★★★4.2 from 125 reviews

    • Gym
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

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  5. The Alcala Hotel Mission Valley5

    The Alcala Hotel Mission Valley

    ★★★★★4.3 from 44 reviews

      Check rates Read more

    How this list was put together

    26 Seaside hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and 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.

    Talia Ben-Ari

    Talia Ben-Ari Turkey, the Gulf and Egypt

    Editing runs in intense blocks with real gaps between, and she fills the gaps by going somewhere with no plan. No itinerary, no bookings past the first night.

    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.