San Diego International Airport (SAN): Approximate driving time is 6 minutes and distance is 3 miles.

Driving directions from San Diego International Airport: Leaving the airport, turn left onto Harbor Dr and follow signs for downtown San Diego. Turn left onto W. Broadway and turn left onto 3rd Ave. The hotel driveway is on the right.

Getting there: Guests can use courtesy phones in the baggage claim area to call the hotel and arrange complimentary pick-up (6 AM–10 PM.) The next cheapest way is by MTS bus #992 which leaves from all airport terminals and drops off on Broadway. Fare is less than $5. Otherwise, taxi fare is $5–15; Town Cars are $26–35; rental cars and limousines are more than $36. Fees subject to change without notice. Rental cars are available online.

Getting around: This hotel is in the heart of downtown so many shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, historic sites, and other tourist attractions are within a radius of a few blocks. Guests can also hop on buses traveling Broadway to access the wider transit system or take the trolley from behind the hotel at the Civic Center Station. One-way bus, trolley, and Coaster (commuter rail) fares are less than $5. Coaster and Amtrak trains leave from Santa Fe Depot 3 blocks away. Water taxis travel around San Diego Bay, stopping at various points depending on passenger request; most one-way fares are $5–15; reservations preferred. Ferries cross between Broadway Pier and the Ferry Landing Marketplace on Coronado for less than $5 one-way. Fees subject to change without notice. Driving around the San Diego area involves frequent use of freeways and in the downtown core, one-way streets.

Grant Grill Lounge: Adjacent to the restaurant, this cocktail lounge with pillars and wood paneling features intimate seating, a mirrored bar, a fireplace, and a giant-screen TV.

Bruegger’s Bagels: Bagels, sandwiches, soups, and other light fare are available daily at this independently owned shop that opens into the hotel lobby.

Amenity highlights: High tea is served Thursday–Saturday in the lobby of this painstakingly restored 1910 hotel. The hotel features a locally popular, club-like restaurant with an exhibition kitchen; a wood-paneled cocktail lounge with a giant-screen TV; a fitness center with massage room; and free airport transportation (limited hours). Guests can use the pool, spa, steam room, sauna, and other facilities at the Wyndham San Diego Emerald Plaza, 5 blocks away.

Insider tip: The hotel is a tribute to former president Ulysses S. Grant by his son, Ulysses S. Grant, Jr. When it opened in 1910, this was the place to be seen. It quickly earned a following with other U.S. presidents and foreign dignitaries. Some of the notable guests who have shared these rooms include John F. Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Charles Lindbergh, and Bill Clinton.