One of a kind, the diamond of San Diego! The famous Crystal Pier Hotel is a unique "Sleep Over the Ocean" Hotel! This hotel is very popular, a lovely place that is well designed (renovated cabins and front building); a defining statement to the areas historicity while providing maximum enjoyment for visitors and guests that visit from all over the world... many returning year after year.
The gorgeous pier is open daily to the public although it has a gate and somewhat looks private (small gate to right is for public visiting until sunset every day). Crystal Pier is a great spot for fishing (has it's own bait and tackle shop, for relaxing over the ocean, people watching, for photography or just taking in the great views of Pacific Beach (PB is one of Southern California's destination cities)
Lots of things to do and other places that you will love nearby:
Garnet Ave... Going east from the pier, Garnet Ave is the most popular street in PB. Lot's of shopping, bars, restaurants, coffee shops and much more..
Boardwalk... North and south of the pier is a great boardwalk that goes for miles. Popular for huge crowds (especially during the summer). To the north the boardwalk goes for a little over 1 mile on the clifftop overlooking the sands and the Pacific Ocean. There is a nice park (Palisade's) 10 blocks north of pier. This is a small park but great views; a great spot to take your lunch and sit about 50 to 70 feet above the beaches. To the south the boardwalk is about 2 miles going through Mission Bay and the famous MB Amusement Park. The jetty and the MB Channel are at the end of the boardwalk (also a nice park with free parking, picnic tables, green grass, plenty of gorgeous sand, and additionally volleyball and basketball courts). A great beautiful miles long boardwalk (Mission Bay Boardwalk) is 3 blocks to the east accessible a few blocks south of Pacific Beach Drive. The Bay offers parks, recreation areas, miles of fun and adventure for exploring.
Special Note: I lived on Crystal Pier for a few years; I also owned The Sea Treasury on Crystal Pier (a Shell and Gift Shop) for almost 20 years; my mother Virginia loved to work at this shop as manager during her 70's up to 89 years of age; she was very popular with many visitors, some who raved about her. She had her own fan club. She lived...
Read moreI wish we had kept better track, but we think we have stayed at Crystal Pier at least 15 times in the past 20+ years. It’s our Happy Place. We have stayed as few as 2 nights, and as many as 5... 5 is still not enough :). Booking is hard & once you get your spot, keep it! ||CP is perfect for us because staying ON the pier, over the ocean, is what matters to us. The further out on the pier the better. The pier rocks a little with the tide. You can hear the waves crashing all night. The little cottages are super sweet & have all the basics. If you are on a budget, you can easily cook all of your meals. They are clean. Staff is nice & professional; they respect our privacy, which we like. ||Pacific Beach, PB, is a party beach & has a young crowd. While that is not us, lol, we don’t mind too much. When you are on the pier, you are in your own world. They have good restaurants, grocery stores & shops. You can walk to everything. It’s fun to watch the surfers and swimmers from your private patio. The pier is open to the public during the day, but closed at night. It feels secure. ||Re: the homeless population in the boardwalk: one thing we noticed this trip is several of these folks weren’t just asking for food or money, they were harassing people... getting in their space & saying inappropriate things. We are happy to share a little cash and food, but I hope the city of PB can do something to keep them from intimidating people. ||All-in-all, we love CP and will be back. Favorite places: City Tacos, Baja Beach Cafe, Filippi’s Pizza, Kono’s, Crystal Pier Bait & Tackle Shop...
Read moreI did not stay at the hotel; I noticed it while bicycling in this area of the beach and decided to stop. It appeared to be interesting place to stay.
On a pier overlooking the ocean, this gated quaint hotel has a definite beach vibe. It has New England-inspired cottages, and convenient to Belmont Park (2 miles) and SeaWorld San Diego (4 miles).
The suites and cottages sit directly on the pier; they include separate living rooms and private patios/decks, most units have kitchenettes. There were a number of cottages with barbeque pits and sports equipment outside.
Limited free parking is available.This historic hotel is located near a busy area of beach comprising of restaurants, shops, grocery stores and other beach rentals and hotels.
The lobby of the hotel has been closed however, there is an open door with business card and branded masks or sale. I did notice clerk sitting at front desk.
Due to he historic element, I would consider staying at this hotel in future as it is centrally located with excellent...
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