San Diego airport hotels for a cruise

San Diego International Airport (SAN) is on North Harbor Drive, the same road as the cruise terminals, and the port puts it less than 10 minutes' drive from them, about 2 miles. So an airport hotel isn't far from the ship either. The eight we checked, on Harbor Island, in Liberty Station and Point Loma, and in Old Town, are 8 to 12 minutes from B Street Pier by car on our measurement, without traffic.

The table lists them nearest to the airport first, with the drive to Terminal 2. The hotels' own airport distances don't always agree, sometimes on the same hotel's pages, so the times are ours. What we say about shuttles and parking comes from each hotel's website as it read on October 28, 2026.

Which airport hotel is closest to the cruise terminal?

The Sheraton San Diego Resort, 1380 Harbor Island Drive. It's 8 minutes from B Street Pier and 6 from Broadway Pier by car, and 4 minutes from the airport.

The Holiday Inn Express in Old Town, the Hilton on Harbor Island, and the TownePlace Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites at Liberty Station are 9 minutes from B Street. The DoubleTree in Point Loma is 11, and the Courtyard and Homewood Suites at Liberty Station are 12.

Do any airport hotels have a shuttle to the cruise port?

Two do, and only with a parking package:

• The Holiday Inn Express San Diego Airport-Old Town includes a free shuttle "to and from the San Diego Airport and cruise terminal" in its Park Stay & Go packages, with 4, 8 or 15 days of parking.
• The DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego Bayside includes a complimentary shuttle to the airport or the cruise terminal in its Park, Stay & Go package, with up to 7 nights of parking. Bartell Hotels, which runs the hotel, sells it.

The park and cruise guide has the terms. From the other six, take a taxi or rideshare to the pier, or ride the hotel's shuttle back to the airport and go on from there. The airport guide covers taxis, rideshares and bus 992.

Do all the airport hotels have a free airport shuttle?

All eight say they do. If you land late, check the hours:

• Sheraton San Diego Resort: 4:45 a.m. to midnight, every 30 to 40 minutes.
• Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor Island: 4:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
• DoubleTree San Diego Bayside: 4:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. Bartell calls the shuttle limited.
• Holiday Inn Express Airport-Old Town: 5 a.m. to midnight.
• Hampton Inn & Suites Airport Liberty Station: 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. The hotel asks you to call.
• Courtyard and TownePlace Suites at Liberty Station: on request.
• Homewood Suites Airport-Liberty Station: no hours given.

Can I leave my car at an airport hotel during the cruise?

At the Holiday Inn Express and the DoubleTree, as part of their packages. The Hilton on Harbor Island and the Homewood Suites at Liberty Station show Hilton's brand-wide Park, Stay & Go, a night with up to 7 nights of parking and a shuttle to select airports, but neither says its shuttle goes to the cruise port. The Sheraton lists long-term parking as an amenity, without a price.

Otherwise you pay by the day: $21 at the Courtyard and the Homewood Suites, $25 at the TownePlace Suites, the Hampton Inn and the Holiday Inn Express, $35 at the Hilton, and $55 at the Sheraton, or $67 for valet. The DoubleTree's rate is $25 on Hilton's site and $21 on Bartell's.

Should I stay at the airport or downtown before a cruise?

The airport makes sense if you're driving in and want one of the two packages with parking and a ride to the ship. Otherwise a downtown hotel puts the ship within walking distance, and the airport is still less than 10 minutes away by car. The Wyndham San Diego Bayside, for one, is a 3-minute walk from B Street Pier. The B Street Pier hotels guide lists the walkable hotels, and hotels near the San Diego cruise port compares all 32.