Open January 2008, the newest hotel in La Mesa, CA, 10 miles east of San Diego, is the Holiday Inn at 8000 Parkway Dr (formerly a Comfort Inn), part of a corridor of shops and businesses on the north side of interstate 8 that includes the Grossmont Center Mall. The 3 floor hotel occupies a tree-lined site on the edge of a residential area, with a small outdoor pool at the rear, and an on-site bar/restaurant, the La Mesa Cafe, serving breakfast & dinner. It also has a health/fitness center, guest laundry, business center, free 5 mile local area shuttle, and new decor & furnishings in all the 141 rooms & suites.

Half way between the centers of La Mesa and El Cajon, the Spanish/adobe-style Holiday Inn Express San Diego-La Mesa contains 78 clean, extra large rooms, each equipped with microwave & refrigerator, plus all the standard amenities. The inn faces the north side of interstate 8, reached from exit 14C (Severin/Fuerte Dr) - a short distance east of the Grossmont Shopping Center, and close to plenty of restaurants. Guests can take advantage of free continental breakfast, an outdoor pool & hot tub, a laundry facility and a business center.

The 61 room Best Western Lamplighter Inn is a northeast San Diego hotel, on the west side of La Mesa and also close to the districts of Lemon Grove, Grantville & San Carlos - one of several lodging places along busy El Cajon Blvd. There are many shops & restaurants a short walk away, and San Diego State University is a mile to the north. The inn has a motel design, with its 61 rooms in 2 blocks either side of the parking area, and a large tree-lined outdoor pool at one side. The staff are especially helpful, the rooms and grounds very well kept, and the hotel is a good, economical choice for accommodation around La Mesa.

On Spring Street, by the junction of the 94 and 125 freeways, Rodeway Inn La Mesa is a low price motel that still offers the basic facilities of guest laundry, free continental breakfast, free internet access, and a microwave/refrigerator in each of the 44 interior corridor rooms. The center of La Mesa is a mile to the north, with downtown San Diego 10 miles west.