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Ninth, and the nicest room in the top ten. The InterContinental is AAA Four Diamond and a 10-minute walk from the cruise terminal by IHG's count.
The pool is on the roof, and Vistal does dinner with the bay below.
It scores nothing for parking or breakfast. Self-parking is $57 a day, and a daily amenities fee with a $23 food credit is added.
Book it for the splurge night, and walk to the ship.
Book it if
- A special night before the cruise
- Flyers who want to walk to the ship
- Dog owners
Look elsewhere if
- You need to leave the car.
- You want breakfast included.
Your night before, from here
From check-in to the gangway, using only what InterContinental publishes.
400 rooms over 19 floors, a fourth-floor rooftop pool open 8 AM to 8 PM, and Vistal on the third floor for coastal food and cocktails. Garibaldi does wood-fired Mediterranean seafood Thursday to Sunday, and Layover is an open-air rooftop bar.
0.4 miles, a 10-minute walk, per IHG. "No local area shuttle."
Paid: Vistal serves breakfast 7 to 11 AM. It's free in the Club InterContinental lounge.
IHG lists "Cruise Terminal-0.4 miles away", and its local guide says the terminal is "just 10 minutes' walk". It's on Bayfront Court, off Harbor Drive. Your cruise line’s documents name your terminal and check-in window.
Self-parking is $57 a day and valet $69, in and out. IHG says nothing about leaving the car while you cruise.
Night-Before Score: 51 of 100
Scored only from what the hotel publishes. Here’s how the Night-Before Score works.
Getting here, and on to the ship
Pick where you’re coming from. Solid lines are rides the hotel publishes; a question mark is a leg you’ll arrange yourself.
IHG lists no airport shuttle, from SAN or from Tijuana. It puts San Diego International about 2.7 miles away.
0.4 miles, a 10-minute walk, per IHG. "No local area shuttle."
IHG lists "Cruise Terminal-0.4 miles away", and its local guide says the terminal is "just 10 minutes' walk". It's on Bayfront Court, off Harbor Drive.
From SAN without a hotel shuttle
Taxis run on MTS's maximum meter: $3.80, then $4.10 a mile, plus a $3.56 airport surcharge. Rideshare picks up at the Terminal 1 crosswalk and in the second lane of the Terminal 2 Transportation Plaza. The 992 bus runs to Santa Fe Depot, two blocks from the terminals, every 15 minutes.
Self-parking is $57 a day and valet $69, in and out. IHG says nothing about leaving the car while you cruise.
Parking for your stay: $57 a day; valet $69, in and out.
0.4 miles, a 10-minute walk, per IHG. "No local area shuttle."
IHG lists "Cruise Terminal-0.4 miles away", and its local guide says the terminal is "just 10 minutes' walk". It's on Bayfront Court, off Harbor Drive.
Landing on sail morning instead? Some cruise lines and shuttle companies run straight to the terminals; see the airport page and the landing check.
Which terminal
B Street PierRoyal Caribbean, Holland America and Norwegian name the B Street Pier, and Disney gives the same address, 1140 North Harbor Drive. The port’s second terminal, the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, is at 1000 North Harbor Drive; your cruise documents name yours.
Source: portofsandiego.orgDistance
0.4 milesIHG lists "Cruise Terminal-0.4 miles away", and its local guide says the terminal is "just 10 minutes' walk". It's on Bayfront Court, off Harbor Drive.
Source: ihg.comShuttle departures
No shuttleYou leave when you’re ready: it’s a walk or a five-minute cab. Your cruise documents give your terminal check-in window.
Source: ihg.comParking while you sail
Cruise parking
Cruise parking unconfirmedSelf-parking is $57 a day and valet $69, in and out. IHG says nothing about leaving the car while you cruise.
Source: ihg.comThe port-listed lots
From $24.95 a dayThe port has no long-term parking at the terminals, and passengers can’t park on the pier. It lists nearby operators instead. San Diego’s Park, Shuttle & Fly, 2.8 miles away on Pacific Highway, charges $24.95 a day with a free shuttle to the terminals around the clock; its coupon isn’t valid for cruisers. Aladdin, 1.4 miles away on Kettner Boulevard, runs a free cruise shuttle too.
Source: sdparkshuttlefly.comThe evening and the morning
The evening
Pool · Food or bar on site400 rooms over 19 floors, a fourth-floor rooftop pool open 8 AM to 8 PM, and Vistal on the third floor for coastal food and cocktails. Garibaldi does wood-fired Mediterranean seafood Thursday to Sunday, and Layover is an open-air rooftop bar.
Breakfast
Not freePaid: Vistal serves breakfast 7 to 11 AM. It's free in the Club InterContinental lounge.
Address
Bayfront Court, on the Embarcadero901 Bayfront Court, San Diego, CA 92101
Hotel website
The fine print, in one place
Times, fees, rooms and the small stuff, as InterContinental publishes it. Where it says “not stated”, the hotel doesn’t say, and a quick call will settle it.
Check-in and check-out
Minimum age
To check in, per the hotel.
Resort fee
A Daily Guest Amenities Fee (amount not shown): a $23 daily food and beverage credit, premium Wi-Fi, waters, coffee and tea, pool and gym
Wi-Fi
Free; premium in the amenities fee
Parking for your stay
$57 a day; valet $69, in and out
Cruise parking is in the parking section above.
Breakfast
Paid; Vistal, 7–11 AM; free in the Club InterContinental lounge
Pool
Rooftop pool on the fourth floor, 8 AM–8 PM
Pets
Dogs only: $150 a stay plus a $250 refundable deposit. IHG's page says both no weight limit and 40 lb.
Food and drink on site
- Vistal Bar + RestaurantCoastal food and cocktails, third floor
- GaribaldiWood-fired Mediterranean seafood, Thursday–Sunday 4–9 PM
- LayoverRooftop bar, 11 AM–6 PM
- Seneca TrattoriaRooftop restaurant
Rooms
400 rooms over 19 floors, with a Club InterContinental level; water views.
Accessibility
21 accessible rooms; an ADA pool.
On site
- EV chargingYes
- Guest laundryNot stated
- Fitness centerYes
- Pets allowedYes
Nearby, by the hotel’s count
- Cruise terminal0.4 mi, a 10-minute walk
- Seaport Village0.5 mi
- Gaslamp Quarter1 mi
Distances as the hotel or its brand lists them. Bars use a square-root scale so short walks stay visible.
Also worth knowing
- AAA Four Diamond since 2019
Before you book
Worth knowing
- A Daily Guest Amenities Fee (amount not shown) includes a $23 daily food and beverage credit, premium Wi-Fi and pool and gym access.
- Self-parking $57 a day, valet $69. EV charging $2.25 an hour.
- Check-in 4 PM, check-out 11 AM. Minimum age 18.
- No shuttle to SAN or to Tijuana's airport.
- Ace Parking, one of the operators the port lists, sells cruise parking in this building's garage (The BRIC South) at $25 a day, 7-foot height limit; that's Ace's offer on its booking site, not the hotel's, so it isn't scored.
What we couldn’t confirm
- The amenities fee amount
- Whether you can park while you cruise
Rates and policies are as the hotel published them on September 26, 2026. Confirm anything you’re counting on when you book.
Worth a look alongside it
Wake up on the Embarcadero or in Little Italy, a short walk or cab from the ship.
Tell us your sail date and we’ll check InterContinental for the night before. No payment on the form.
InterContinental FAQ
Does InterContinental have a cruise shuttle?
No, and you may not need one. 0.4 miles, a 10-minute walk, per IHG. "No local area shuttle."
Does InterContinental have an airport shuttle?
Not that it publishes. IHG lists no airport shuttle, from SAN or from Tijuana. It puts San Diego International about 2.7 miles away.
Can I park at InterContinental while I cruise?
The hotel doesn't say. Self-parking is $57 a day and valet $69, in and out. IHG says nothing about leaving the car while you cruise.
How far is InterContinental from the cruise terminal?
IHG lists "Cruise Terminal-0.4 miles away", and its local guide says the terminal is "just 10 minutes' walk". It's on Bayfront Court, off Harbor Drive. It sits in our by the terminal band. Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Norwegian name the B Street Pier, and Disney gives the same address, 1140 North Harbor Drive. The port's second terminal, the Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, is at 1000 North Harbor Drive; your cruise documents name yours.
Can I check in early or check out late on cruise days?
Check-in is 4:00 PM and check-out 11:00 AM. The hotel doesn't publish early or late terms, so ask when you book, not on the day.
Will the hotel hold my bags?
The hotel doesn't say. Most hotels will hold bags between check-out and a late shuttle, but that's a call to make, not an assumption.
Does the port shuttle come back for me after the cruise?
You can walk to the terminals from here, and there's no hotel shuttle back. From the pier it's a taxi, a rideshare from Harbor Drive outside the terminal gate, or the 992 bus from Santa Fe Depot. No line publishes a San Diego transfer price.
What's the breakfast timing on sail morning?
Paid; Vistal, 7–11 AM; free in the Club InterContinental lounge. Plan coffee on the way if you're leaving early.
Can I park an oversized vehicle or charge an EV?
EV charging: on site, per the hotel. Clearance and oversized parking aren't published. Park, Shuttle & Fly takes no RVs or oversized vehicles, and the BRIC garages Ace sells on the Embarcadero have a 7-foot limit. The port says ABM's Harbor Island lot, 2.5 miles out, takes oversized vehicles.
Booking the cruise too?
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