Your San Diego nights come in three separate stretches, so "where to stay" is really "what shape." Here's each option laid out night by night, so you can see exactly what you'd be booking.
Why your stay is in three pieces
Jul 15-17
San Diego · just you two (gentle, jet-lag)
Jul 18-20
Los Angeles (Hollywood)
Jul 21-22
San Diego · Haseeb joins the 22nd
Jul 23-25
Comic-Con · Carte Hotel (booked)
Jul 26-27
San Diego · all three
The LA trip and the already-booked Comic-Con hotel sit in the middle of your stay, so your San Diego base is naturally three short bookings (3 nights, then 2, then 2), not one continuous one, whichever option you pick. That's also why Comic-Con week matters: it sells out the walkable-downtown hotels for the Jul 21-22 window, so a downtown hotel can't cover the whole stay on its own.
Your three options
1. The hybrid
A charming Airbnb for the early days + a walkable downtown suite-hotel after
Best value + best location
Jul 15-17
Balboa Airbnb
Jul 18-20
(in LA)
Jul 21-22
TownePlace Dtwn
Jul 23-25
Carte (con)
Jul 26-27
TownePlace Dtwn
All-in
~$1,900
Bookings
2 places
Breakfast
Free (later half)
Walkable
Yes, when it counts
Move?
No extra (LA splits it)
Charm for the gentle couple's days, practicality when Haseeb's here. The early stretch is a real, verified Airbnb (Charming House by Balboa Park: 4.88 stars, 283 reviews, instant-book, no cleaning fee). The group + post-Con nights are a downtown suite-hotel (TownePlace Suites) that's walkable to dinner and the waterfront, sleeps three, and includes free breakfast. Cheapest version (~$1,727) swaps the Airbnb for a plain Mission Valley room if charm isn't a priority. View the Balboa Airbnb →
2. Kings Inn, one base
Same hotel for all your SD nights (Mission Valley)
Simplest
Jul 15-17
Kings Inn
Jul 18-20
(in LA)
Jul 21-22
Kings Inn
Jul 23-25
Carte (con)
Jul 26-27
Kings Inn
All-in
~$1,855
+ breakfast
~$250 if you eat in
Bookings
1 hotel
Walkable
No (Uber)
Reviews
3,858 (deepest)
One hotel, one routine, the most-proven place in the whole search. A retro pool-motel in Mission Valley with by far the deepest review base. Trade-offs: you Uber everywhere in SD (already in the price), and breakfast is paid.
3. Hampton, one base
Same hotel for all SD nights (Mission Valley)
Free breakfast
Jul 15-17
Hampton
Jul 18-20
(in LA)
Jul 21-22
Hampton
Jul 23-25
Carte (con)
Jul 26-27
Hampton
All-in
~$1,902
Breakfast
Free (hot buffet)
Bookings
1 hotel
Walkable
No (Uber)
Reviews
1,639
The dependable single-base. One Hilton, free hot breakfast every morning, suite-ish space for three. Trade-offs: fewer reviews and less character than Kings Inn, and Mission Valley means Ubering around.
Where these actually sit
Downtown: walk to dining, waterfront, Little ItalyBalboa: near the Zoo, short ride to downtownMission Valley: cheaper, but Uber to everything