Best Western PLUS Island Palms Hotel & Marina

Hotels
Best Western Plus
8.8 (1700 reviews)
2051 Shelter Island Drive , San Diego , us

Children allowed

Facilities

Health or beauty spa nearby
Fitness facilities (surcharge)
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Room service
Family rooms
Express check-in/check-out
Safety deposit box
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Friendly staff
Beautiful views
Cons:
Dirty towels
Overcharging
Small rooms

Categories

Cleanliness
8.55
Some reviews mentioned dirty towels and issues with cleanliness.
Service
9.55
Multiple reviews highlighted friendly and helpful staff.
Location
9.55
Consistently praised location alongside the marina and beautiful views.
Room Quality
8.05
Reports of small rooms and issues with room amenities.
Amenities
8.55
Amenities were noted as good but lacked certain features like coffee makers.
Value for Money
8.05
Concerns about overcharging and unexpected parking fees.
Food and Beverage
9.05
Restaurant received praise for good meal choices.
Overall Experience
9.05
Overall good stay despite some issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-06 09:30

Property Description

Luxurious Waterfront Escape

Private Marina & Spectacular Views
Indulge in the beauty of Shelter Island with our private marina and breathtaking views of San Diego Bay.

Delicious Dining & Relaxing Amenities
Savor fresh seafood and juicy steaks at The Blue Wave Bar & Grill while enjoying outdoor dining with stunning bay views. Unwind in our bay-side pools, fitness center, hot tub, or by the outdoor fireplace after a day of exploration.

Convenient Location & Nearby Attractions
Located just 13 minutes from San Diego International Airport, our hotel is a short drive from the vibrant Gaslamp Quarter and the sandy shores of Ocean Beach.

Book now for an unforgettable waterfront experience at Best Western PLUS Island Palms Hotel & Marina.

Important information:

Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: SAN

Property Policies

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 17 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    You haven't added any cots.
    You haven't added any extra beds.

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

  • Parking

    Private parking is possible on site (reservation is not needed) and costs USD 25 per day.

  • Groups

    When booking more than 9 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

Location

Property Accessibility

Public Area
  • Hill Located: No
  • Ramp: No
  • Entrance Type:
  • Entrance Door Width: 82
  • Entrance Leveled: No
  • Pet Friendly: No
Reception And Restaurant
  • Reception Hearing Accessible: No
  • Reception Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Restaurant Wheelchair Accessible: No
Elevator
  • Elevator Audio Signals: No
  • Elevator Braille Numbers: No
  • Elevator Contrasting Buttons: No
  • Elevator Visual Signs: No
  • Lifts Accessible: No
Show all accessibility features

Guest Reviews

8.8
Based on 1700 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.55
Service: 9.55
Location: 9.55
Room Quality: 8.05
Amenities: 8.55
Value for Money: 8.05
Food and Beverage: 9.05
Overall Experience: 9.05
A
Alma solo_traveller us
9
2026-03-28 via Nuitee
R
Richard family_with_children us
8
Beautiful
Pros:

Loved the rooms & location

Cons:

We had a bad experience at the restaurant

2026-03-28 via Nuitee
M
Matthew family_with_children us
9
2026-03-27 via Nuitee
N
Nicole family_with_children us
5
Pros:

Location was nice. Close to the airport but you dont hear the planes. You can stroll the paths along waterway and marina. Parking was ample.

Cons:

I usually rave about Best Westerns but this place left me wanting. For starters, we reached out in advance to request early check in at 2pm instead of 3. My mother has a heart condition and after hours of traveling, she needed to be able to lay down. We arrived right at 2pm and were told the room hadn't been cleaned yet. We got refreshments in the restaurant and waited in the lobby. By 3pm the room still wasnt ready. This boggled my mind because the whole time we stayed there we would hear housekeeping knocking loudly on doors starting as early as 9am. With checkout at 11am, housekeeping rousing guests at 9am and an early check-in request, I don't see how we couldn't be accommodated.

At 3:30pm we finally got to our room, which was supposed to be water view but was marina side so all we saw were the white boats and people constantly walking past our room.

The room itself was okay. The beds were the best part, very cushy and cozy. They don't give you any water or coffee maker but you can fill your bottle at the main pool or lobby and there is coffee available but only until noon and you are limited to what you can use. And the lobby was a far walk with 2 cups of hot coffee with no heat guards.

The marina pool was closest to the pool so I only used that one. The pool was nice but the cushions on the lounge were all torn.

Food and drink at the restaurant was decent but overpriced. The bartender was very nice.

Parking was an additional $25 a night.

In the end we slept well but were eager to move on to our next destination.

2026-03-26 via Nuitee
A
abram family_with_children us
10
Love this place the location the staff everything about this trip was amazing and will be coming back
Pros:

Everything

Cons:

Nothing everything was soo good

2026-03-26 via Nuitee
E
Edgar couple de
9
Gerne wieder.
Pros:

Lage ist sehr gut und man hat schöne Aussichten.

Cons:

Durch die Nähe zur Mil. Base ist es auch sehr laut.

2026-03-26 via Nuitee
D
Daniel family_with_children us
10
Amazing
Pros:

There was an issue with the room when we arrived after a long flight. But the staff quickly fixed it and more than made up for it. Kudos and thanks to Danny for making everything right. We appreciated it tremendously and had a fabulous stay. Can’t wait to return and will recommend this place to everyone we know! Very family friendly, amazing location, great service, wonderful meals, can’t recommend highly enough.

2026-03-23 via Nuitee
L
Lori couple us
10
2026-03-21 via Nuitee
N
Nicayle family_with_children us
10
Pros:

Love the cleanliness, price and pools

2026-03-21 via Nuitee
N
Natalie couple us
10
2026-03-21 via Nuitee
S
Sarah couple us
5
good location, old and dated hotel.
2026-03-20 via Nuitee
C
Chengfen Chiang family_with_children de
8
2026-03-20 via Nuitee
K
kim solo_traveller us
10
Pros:

Comfortable bed and pillows.
The location was perfect!!

2026-03-20 via Nuitee
J
Jürgen, Dr. couple de
6
Auf keinen Fall nochmal.
Pros:

Der Blick auf das Wasser.

Cons:

Es fing bereits damit an, dass uns ein Zimmer „zugeteilt“ wurde, für das wir keine Reservierung getätigt hatten. Das wäre nicht weiter schlimm gewesen, wenn es unsere berechtigten Erwartungen erfüllt hätte. Das hat es nicht! Das Gefühl, das sich aufdrängt, wenn man das Zimmer (Nr. 102) betritt: So muss sich Harry Potter unter der Treppe gefühlt haben, bevor er nach Hogwarts kam; beengt und dunkel. Nach einer entsprechenden Beschwerde, bekamen wir ein anderes Zimmer, das jdf. nicht mehr dunkel und zur Bay hin ausgerichtet war. Die Ausstattung hat schon deutlich besser Zeiten gesehen und wirkte (das Mobiliar) deutlich abgenutzt. Die Dusche ist nichts für Menschen mit einer Körpergröße von mehr als 170 cm. Jmd. mit mehr als 190 cm Größe kann in der Dusche nicht aufrecht stehen und würde an die Decke stoßen. Zum duschen müsste er sich in die Hocke begeben, um unter den Duschkopf zu kommen; so habe ich das mit meinen 186 cm gemacht. Der Griff an der Duschtür wackelte bedenklich, diesen bald ohne die Tür in der Hand zu halten. Die Toilettenbrille war nicht fixiert, sondern frei verschiebbar.
Am zweiten Tag hatten wir zwei Fahrräder des Hotels ausgeliehen. Dazu soviel: schwer wie ein E-Bike (es waren keine), die Schaltung funktionierte nicht. Gleichmäßiges Fahren war nur im niedrigsten Gang möglich, wodurch man so langsam war, das einen selbst Jogger überholt haben. Etc.

2026-03-19 via Nuitee
A
Albert couple us
10
Excellent stay
Pros:

Excellent

2026-03-19 via Nuitee
W
Williams family_with_children us
9
2026-03-19 via Nuitee
D
DULCE extended_group mx
4
Muy buen hotel pero mal trato del restaurante
Cons:

Estuvimos 6 días en el hotel, desayunamos diario en el restaurante y los últimos dos días hubo un staff diferente que simplemente nos ignoraba, no nos atendían, nos dieron fruta que olía muy mal y cuando les hicimos el comentario, no les importó. Lo reportamos en el front desk y tampoco les importó mucho. El lugar y la vista es excelente, pero nos quedamos con muy mal sabor de boca por ese trato.

2026-03-18 via Nuitee
J
Jan solo_traveller us
7
Expensive due good location but also due California taxes and fees!
Pros:

Pleasant, pretty location. Quiet. Good bar & restaurant. Easy to find, good parking (but need to pay - not advertised as such).

2026-03-18 via Nuitee
M
Marylou family_with_children us
10
2026-03-18 via Nuitee
A
Andy couple gb
7
Pros:

Amazing location

Cons:

Unable to get a hot drink after 12 lunchtime unless you pay for it in the restaurant.
Can’t believe they don’t have tea& coffee available. And nothing in the room either!

2026-03-17 via Nuitee