Celebrities and leisure travelers choose this 40-acre tennis resort for its high-quality service and secluded surroundings. Guests enter a lobby with fresh flowers, rattan chairs, newspapers from across the country, and an adjacent fountain courtyard. The Mediterranean decor is marked by hand-painted tiles and lush landscaping.

Aficionados of California Craftsman architecture appreciate this meticulously designed resort, which features original Gustav Stickley furniture, Judson Studio leaded glass, pottery, paintings, and other period finery within the cherry-paneled lobby and public areas. Professional golfers, scientists, and families with children all fit in easily.

Four Seasons Resort Aviara is a 200-acre resort located in north San Diego. The resort opened in August 1997, but has already earned high rankings in critics' and readers' polls, including top southern California resort in Conde Nast Traveler's "1999 Gold List" and the coveted AAA Five Diamond award.Perched high atop a bluff, this luxury property overlooks the Pacific Ocean and Batiquitos Lagoon. The Resort, built in the Spanish colonial architectural design and decorated in muted, natural shades with hand-painted trompe l'oeil ceilings and walls, has 331 spacious guest rooms each with a private balcony or landscaped terrace.The full-service resort features The Spa, which offersmore than 20 massages, facials and body wraps and scrubs; state-of-the-art fitness center an award-winning Arnold Palmer designed golf course; tennis center, with clay- and hard-courts lighted for night play; five restaurants; complimentary kids program; Four Seasons Resort Club Aviara, a luxury Vacation Ownership club; and an expansive and elegant 29,000-square-foot conference center.

This pink stucco property offers a convenient yet peaceful retreat for vacationers and business guests. Although adjacent to the Hazard Center retail complex (with direct access via the 2nd floor), the property seems far removed from commercialism with its large off-street entry, curved portico, and parking valets. Guests enter the lobby through sliding glass doors where reception awaits with freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies.

A mixture of vacationers and business guests can be seen meandering on the hotel’s lushly landscaped property, which includes waterfalls and tropical plants.

• Petco Park is adjacent to this 22-story Gaslamp Quarter hotel, and the San Diego Convention Center is two blocks away.
• Guestrooms with views provide flat-screen televisions, CD players, and high-speed Internet access.
• Soleil @k, the hotel's dining hotspot, showcases innovative California cuisine and features sidewalk patio tables.

The large, open lobby of this 15-story hotel has a raised seating area with chairs, tables, and comfortable couches. Located 1.5 miles from the University of California, San Diego, in the Golden Triangle business and technology corridor, the hotel is popular with families and business travelers.

Business and leisure travelers frequent this resort as much for its style and cuisine as its golf, tennis, and spa facilities. The Mediterranean-style main building has a red-tiled roof and a lobby with a wood-beamed ceiling, tile floor, and international antiques, including Oriental rugs, formal European portraits, sculptures, and Asian wall hangings.

This sprawling, luxurious, 44-acre Garden of Eden-like tropical island oasis sits on an island within Mission Bay Aquatic Park, San Diego’s premiere water-sport playground. Public areas are chic and atmospheric—a successful marriage of South Seas paradise and California cool that beckons groups and vacationers. There’s a lot of walking involved, but the scenery is magnificent.

• Relax on the beach overlooking the sparkling Pacific.
• The La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club combines the grace and charm of old Mexico with the comforts of a modern resort.
• Private and uncrowded, the club offers relaxation in an exclusive atmosphere, with tennis, golf, world-class dining, and one of California's few private beaches.