Pendry San Diego

The pool

• Rooftop pool
• Gaslamp + downtown skyline
• Cabanas
• Non-guest cabanas Mon–Thu only

Why it's on the list

The Pool House rooftop perches above 5th Avenue with a sun-drenched deck, cabanas along it, and sweeping Gaslamp and downtown views — the Gaslamp's most polished rooftop swim, and its strongest luxury reputation. If you aren't staying, the cabanas are yours Monday through Thursday only.

The stay

The Pendry is the Gaslamp's luxury flagship — the first hotel of Montage International's contemporary Pendry brand, opened in 2017 with enough in-house bars and restaurants that the evening can start and end without leaving the building. You're on J Street in the thick of the district, a few blocks from Petco Park and the convention center, with the nightlife beginning at the front door. At $$$$ it's the most expensive way to stay downtown — worth it if you want real luxury with the scene built in, less so if you'd rather sleep somewhere the street goes quiet.