• Check out wildlife species at the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park.giraffe san diego image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
  
  San Diego is in southern California, and it draws tourists year-round for its moderate temperatures and surfing opportunities in the Pacific Ocean. Although many of the hotels in San Diego are expensive, this city also provides hotels with reasonable room rates in the downtown district and near the ocean. Some inexpensive attractions for budget-conscious travelers include hiking in Mission Trails Regional Park and checking out wildlife exhibits at the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park.
  
  

500 West Hotel

• The 500 West Hotel is in San Diego's downtown district, and it provides room rates as low as $45 per night, as of 2010. This hostel-style hotel offers simplistic guest rooms with shared bathrooms, and many of the guest rooms offer views of the San Diego Bay. Other hotel features include the adjacent YMCA fitness center and an on-site restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  
  The hotel is within walking distance of the museums on the shores of San Diego Bay, including the Maritime Museum of San Diego and U.S.S. Midway Museum. Other downtown attractions near the hotel include the Balboa Theater, which hosts live theatrical performances throughout the year, and the Gaslamp Quarter district. This area of downtown San Diego is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and offers shops and dining opportunities at landmark restaurants, including Croce's Restaurant and Jazz Bar. This restaurant was named after pop singer, Jim Croce, and provides live jazz music throughout the week.
  
  500 West Hotel
  
  500 W. Broadway
  
  San Diego, CA 92101
  
  619-234-5252
  
  500westhotelsd.com
  
  

California Suites Hotel

• The California Suites Hotel, located in northern San Diego, has room rates starting at $65 per night, as of fall 2010. The guest suites have kitchen areas, and a continental breakfast is included in the room rate. The hotel also provides an outdoor swimming pool and discounts of up to 20 percent for guests staying for at least four nights.
  
  The hotel is only a five-minute drive from Miramar Air Force Base, which is convenient for families and friends of people stationed at the base. Pacific Coast beaches and surfing opportunities at La Jolla and San Diego's Hermosa area are only 15 minutes away from the hotel, since it is right of the Jacob Dekerna Freeway. The hotel is within walking distance of nearby restaurants on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, which includes ethnic dining at the Mediterranean-style Aladdin Cafe and Indian cuisine at Bismillah Restaurant.
  
  California Suites Hotel
  
  5415 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
  
  San Diego, CA 92117
  
  800-562-2217
  
  californiasuiteshotel.com
  
  

Good Nite Inn

• Situated in central San Diego, the Good Nite Inn is only a 10-minute walk from tourist shops and Spanish-themed restaurants at Old Town San Diego. This historic district also features trolley rides within the district and the Whaley House Museum, a mid-19th-century home that is open for the public to tour. The hotel is also a 10-minute drive from the wildlife exhibits, close encounters with dolphins and live entertainment shows at SeaWorld. This amusement park is on the shores of Mission Bay, which provides a scenic background for some of the park's shows.
  
  The hotel's guest rooms have refrigerators, and some of them offer king-size beds. Other hotel services include a guest laundromat and free coffee in the lobby area. As of fall 2010, room rates start at $41 per night.
  
  Good Nite Inn
  
  3880 Greenwood St.
  
  San Diego, CA 92110
  
  619-543-9944
  
  goodnite.com