Family lodgings by the coast

Here are six coastal family lodging possibilities, all with rates that start at less than $150 a night.

— Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times staff writer

The Bay Club Hotel and Marina,2131 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego; (800) 672-0800 or (619) 224-8888. www.bayclubhotel.com. Shelter Island isn't an island at all. It's a man-made finger of land, lined with hotels, restaurants, boat slips and yacht brokers, plopped into San Diego Bay. The Bay Club offers 105 rooms; all have decks or balconies, and most have big marina views. (Ask for a room on the north side, looking toward Point Loma.)

It's close to downtown, the airport and Balboa Park, not too far from Sea World. It has a restaurant and heated pool.

Though its grounds aren't spacious, there's plenty of room to ramble across the street, where there's a little beach with half a dozen fire rings, a long grassy area and a playground. Also, for better or worse, you may find yourself eavesdropping on a concert next door at Humphrey's; the music carries easily across the water. Rates $99 to $229, sometimes lower if things are slow.