La Jolla's 360 room/suite Marriott hotel adjoins the main shopping area in town, along La Jolla Village Drive - there are well over 100 shopping, dining and entertainment outlets nearby, in and around University Towne Centre Mall. The closest beaches are 3 miles west. The hotel is a typically large, well managed and luxurious establishment with a wealth of amenities, including a California-style restaurant, a sports bar/grill, the Blue Jewel wine bar and a cafe. Most rooms have a full balcony for great views over the wooded surroundings; all feature HDTVs and the extra-comfortable Marriott bedding. The hotel provides plenty of facilities for leisure (indoor pool, outdoor pool, hot tub, fitness center) and business/events (18 meeting rooms; 16,000 sq ft of space).

The top choice for long stay accommodation in La Jolla is Marriott's Residence Inn at 8901 Gilman Drive, in the hills towards the north side of town, right next to University of California-San Diego. As well as the convenient location, the hotel has good staff, free hot continental breakfast with a wide choice of items, free parking, and spacious suites that contain a full kitchen. The 288 rooms are split into over 30 separate buildings, between which are lawns and trees, plus an outdoor pool & hot tub at one side. On weekday evenings a complimentary manager's reception is staged, while for full dining there are a few restaurants along the next road east (Villa La Jolla Drive).

Towards the south side of downtown La Jolla, the 57 room Holiday Inn Express hotel has a good reputation for comfort, value and cleanliness, and is located in a quiet, residential neighborhood along the main road into town (La Jolla Blvd). Wind and Sea Beach is just 0.2 miles away, the main restaurant/shopping area is about a mile to the north, while San Diego is 13 miles south. Many palm trees line the exterior of the building, and enclose the courtyard garden with outdoor pool/hot tub, all helping to create a peaceful, tropical atmosphere. The hotel serves free continental breakfast and is directly opposite a Mexican restaurant.

Best Western Inn by the Sea is a central La Jolla hotel, not quite on the seafront though only a 0.3 mile walk from it, close enough for many of the rooms to have sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean. Within a mile are many beaches, shops, bars, restaurants and area attractions like La Jolla Caves and the La Jolla Country Club; a little further to the north, Torrey Pines State Reserve offers hiking, unspoilt beaches and great views of the Pacific Coast. The hotel is a 129 room, high rise building with an outdoor pool at one side and a restaurant on the premises (Panini), open for breakfast, lunch & dinner. The rooms all have a private balcony with table & chairs, a coffee maker and ironing facilities; some contain a refrigerator.