Happy November loves! How is it already November though!? Seriously, I can’t believe the holiday season is here and Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. So crazy! Anyways, if you follow me on IG then you know I’ve been traveling a little bit this past month, I was in Cabo earlier in the month and then went down to San Diego a couple weeks after. I actually had not been down to San Diego in years (I think like 4-5 to be exact) which is crazy because it’s practically the same distance as LA is, maybe like 10-15 minutes further. I really love it down there but never really get the chance to go! So I was really excited to spend a weekend down there exploring the city a bit. To be honest, I could have used a lot more time there but I will definitely be back very soon!
During my trip to San Diego, I had the pleasure of staying at the beautiful Westgate Hotel. Let me tell you, this hotel is stunning! It totally gave me Paris vibes – I was so excited when I looked up the hotel beforehand because I knew it was going to be a great stay! We arrived at the hotel on a Friday, luckily we came down early enough to beat all the Friday traffic. The hotel is located right in the heart of downtown San Diego, walking distance from the Gaslamp Quarter, which is a huge hot spot for great restaurants, bars, and clubs. It is a must see spot when in San Diego so I was so happy we were super close to it! Upon check in, we were greeted by the friendly staff who helped us check in quickly. Once we checked in we made our way up to our room, which was up on the 14th floor. One thing I immediately thought was so cool was that the hotels key card was an actual key. So unique and it is just a little something that I think makes this hotel even more special!
Another aspect of the hotel that I found really unique was the fact that there are french doors all throughout the floors. Your key opens one of the french doors which leads into a little private hallway with two rooms in it. So you basically have two entries! Pretty cool! Our room was beautiful, and very Parisian like, just like the rest of the hotel. My favorite part had to be the bathroom because it had the biggest vanity and counter space which I really appreciate when traveling. I hate going to hotels and they have no “getting ready” area. I need a nice space to have all my skincare, makeup, and hair products – and a place where I can get ready comfortably. Also I must note, the counter had this gorgeous marble and all this gold hardware, which of course made for the most perfect flatlay photo, as you may have seen on my page. The room also had a little balcony which overlooked the city. I always love having a balcony in my hotel room! Overall, the room was great. Everything was very clean which is the first thing I look for in a hotel room. The size was also perfect for us, as well as the closet space and bathroom, which are two other really important things for me when traveling.
The first night of our trip we spent at a wedding but the rest of the weekend was spent exploring the city! The next day we spent some time in Little Italy and went to this delicious restaurant, Monello. Monello is located in the heart of Little Italy and it was the cutest spot! I don’t even know where to begin with the food because it was all so freakin good. Monello is known for it’s pastas, as well as the very famous cheese wheel which they make some amazing pasta dishes in. I had the chance to try their squid ink pasta in a cheese wheel and it was soooo delish! They also had an appetizer of just straight cheese shavings off the wheel and omg it was so good! We tried quite a few pasta dishes as well as appetizers and wine, and we enjoyed every little bit of it! It was carb overload but so worth it. Also the ambiance was very cool and I loved the vibes! The staff was so friendly and we had a great experience having lunch there.
After our lunch we spent our day exploring Little Italy and walking around the town. The area is super cute, with a ton of shops, restaurants, bars, and even an outdoor market. It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed walking around that afternoon. Later in the day we made our way to Holy Matcha, which is a spot that has been on my go to list for a while now! I just never made it because I am never in SD. After driving a few miles out to the shop, we got there and it was a pretty cute spot! Perfect for photos but the drinks/food was mediocre. It was definitely super overpriced and it wasn’t anything special. But I guess that’s the price you pay for a cute pic haha! So IMO it is an overrated spot and I wouldn’t go back, but it was a cute spot for a photo! Glad I got one at least!
After we were done at Holy Matcha, we made our way back to the Westgate to get ready for our evening. We had drink and dinner plans that night at the Westgate. We got ready and headed down for drinks at Plaza Bar. Plaza Bar is this cute little bar inside the Westgate, which is right next to their restaurant, The Westgate Room. The staff at the Plaza Bar was so attentive and friendly! They had a great selection of drinks and appetizers. We ordered a couple martinis and after a few minutes a live jazz band showed up. I absolutely LOVE a good jazz band! It was the perfect touch to our evening at the Plaza Bar. We really enjoyed our time there and ended up hanging around longer than we should have haha! The bartender was so sweet, he made us special drinks for our second round and they were so pretty and delish! We were enjoying our time so much we ended up ordering our dinner from The Westgate Room, to our table at the bar. It was a great idea because we got to enjoy the delicious food from the Westgate Room, but with the ambiance and vibe of the Plaza Bar. We really enjoyed our evening there!
After spending a few hours there, we wanted to explore Gaslamp a little since it was our last night. We walked through the Gaslamp Quarter and it was so lively and loud at night. SO many people on the streets! It was such a fun vibe. We ended up going to this really cool secret bar that my BF wanted to try, The Noble Experiment. It was a really trendy yet dark vibe, there were skulls everywhere! It was a hidden bar inside of a restaurant and you wouldn’t know it existed unless you did some research online haha. The drinks were so good as well as the ambiance. I recommended making a reservation though because the wait time could get up to 2 hours or so!
The next morning we got up and ordered room service before checking out. I always love a good room service, because theres nothing honestly better than eating good food in the comfort of your room, right?! The breakfast was so yummy; the waffles were so good but my fav was the donuts! Omg they were amazing, especially with the chocolate syrup. A must try!! Also the smoothie was so refreshing, another fav! Our check out process was so quick and smooth. We packed up and a bellmen quickly arrived to help us with our luggage. We made our way down and checked out within a few minutes and we were out!
Our stay at the Westgate was everything I had hoped for! The staff was so friendly and really attentive to our needs. Everything went so smoothly with our stay and not to mention, the place was just stunning. The hotel offers a lot of amenities as well. There is a beautiful banquet for weddings, which is so popular at this hotel because of the stunning ambiance! The Westgate also offers a world class gym and spa, AquaVie, which is a 40,000 square foot wellness center with a luxury spa, gym, rooftop pool and jacuzzi, and even an outdoor running track. On Saturday’s, the hotel also offers yoga and mimosas in the mornings which is something unique and fun to experience! The Westgate is also great for meetings and events. The hotel offers 12 meeting and event spaces which is perfect for everything from workshops to private dinners to media launches to catered private receptions. They can accommodate all your needs in their stunning spaces.
Again, the Westgate is located in the heart of downtown San Diego. It is just steps away from nightlife, fine dining, theme parks, and other outdoor activities. I always find that important whenever booking a hotel in a city because I want to be able to access anything and everything as easily as possible! The Westgate offers just that and I really enjoyed my time there. I can’t wait to go back to San Diego next time, and hopefully I’ll be back at the Westgate very soon!
A special thank you to the staff and team over at the Westgate for hosting me and for such a wonderful stay! As always, thanks for reading and if you have any questions about San Diego or the Westgate, feel free to leave them below! xx, S.
SaveSave
SaveSave