Best Western PLUS Island Palms Hotel & Marina

Hotels
•
Best Western Plus
8.8 (1800 reviews)
2051 Shelter Island Drive , San Diego , us

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Children allowed

Facilities

Health or beauty spa nearby
Fitness facilities (surcharge)
Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Swimming pool
Restaurant
Room service
Family rooms
Express check-in/check-out
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 1800 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
K
Karen • couple • us
9
Over all, very satisfied with our stay and would stay here again.
Pros:

Staff upgraded our room due to ours not being ready at 4:00 when we tried to check in. Also, staff did not charge us for our parking pass. We appreciated both very much. Also loved the location of the upgraded room.

Cons:

Both bathroom sinks did not drain without removing the drain plug so the water could go down

2026-05-21 • via Nuitee
A
Alison • couple • us
8
2026-05-20 • via Nuitee
C
Christinetravels • family_with_children • us
8
Pros:

Water front is great

Cons:

Need a complimentary breakfast

2026-05-20 • via Nuitee
R
ROBERT • solo_traveller • us
9
2026-05-20 • via Nuitee
B
Betty • couple • us
6
I wouldn’t stay again… quite depressing atmosphere.
Pros:

View

Cons:

No coffee maker in Room.
Very dated.
Of the three front desk people I dealt with only one was a nice person.

2026-05-20 • via Nuitee
G
GERALD • couple • us
9
Pros:

This was our second time staying in the one bedroom and we were not disappointed. It was a birthday celebration with dinner in the restaurant which was very good. I would highly recommend this hotel which is wonderfully located and responsive to guests.

2026-05-18 • via Nuitee
I
Ioana • couple • us
10
2026-05-17 • via Nuitee
F
FrauZitrone • solo_traveller • de
10
Pros:

Super Lage und unser Zimmer hatte einen ganz tollen Ausblick auf die Marina. Es war groß und komfortabel.

2026-05-16 • via Nuitee
J
Joachim • extended_group • de
8
Hat uns gefallen; der Kaffee vom Automat an der Rezeption war überraschend gut und stark
Pros:

Herrliche Lage auf der Halbinsel

Cons:

Das Zimmer war für 3 Personen zu klein

2026-05-13 • via Nuitee
J
Jim • couple • us
9
2026-05-13 • via Nuitee
A
Annie • solo_traveller • gb
10
Great hotel with beautiful vuews
Pros:

Everything! We had a marina view room with a huge super king size bed. We got vouchers given to us for 15% off in the restaurant, which had beautiful views and the food was exceptional as was the service, nothing was too much trouble.

Cons:

Nothing at all we didn't like.

2026-05-13 • via Nuitee
S
Stacy • family_with_children • us
8
2026-05-12 • via Nuitee
D
Daniel • solo_traveller • us
8
Very good!
Pros:

Sat and enjoyed the Harbor view

Cons:

NA

2026-05-11 • via Nuitee
A
ana carolina • family_with_children • br
8
2026-05-09 • via Nuitee
S
Selina • couple • ch
9
2026-05-09 • via Nuitee
A
Avery • family_with_children • us
9
2026-05-09 • via Nuitee
P
Paul C. • family_with_children • us
6
Disappointing stay – not the nostalgia trip we hoped for
Pros:

The hotel is in an excellent location with easy access to the marina and local sights (by car). The staff was friendly and accommodating, doing their best to resolve our room issues by moving us the next day. Being able to walk to nearby dining and the waterfront was a definite plus.

Cons:

We chose this hotel specifically to recreate a California road trip from 16 years ago, but unfortunately, it seems the property hasn’t been renovated since then. Our first night was spent in a ground-floor street-side room that smelled so strongly of mold we had to sleep with the terrace door open just to breathe, leaving the room quite chilly. To their credit, the staff moved us the next day to our preferred room overlooking the marina. While this was an improvement, the overall condition was still disappointing and fell far short of our previous experience. At $400 per night, it felt significantly overpriced for the quality provided. We won't be returning unless the property undergoes a full renovation.

2026-05-08 • via Nuitee
J
Jessica • solo_traveller • us
10
2026-05-08 • via Nuitee
R
Renee • couple • us
10
Nice rooms, good restaurant and pool.
Pros:

Great property on the marina. Great area to walk around.

2026-05-07 • via Nuitee
M
Megan • solo_traveller • us
9
Always a great stay
Pros:

I love this hotel so much. It’s my go-to place when I have to stay downtown.
The rooms are fantastic in most of the buildings, nice renovated bathrooms, comfortable beds, streaming services tvs, and the staff is always amazing.
The restaurant onsite is fantastic, a little pricey but totally worth it no matter what you get.

Cons:

If you get a room right next to the pool, ask to see if they can switch you. Those rooms I think run right next to whatever system is used to regulate the pool water so you’ll either have burning hot water or freezing cold water, you won’t get both.
Also always check the shower soap/shampoo/conditioner dispensers. Sometimes they are all empty.

2026-05-05 • via Nuitee