Over the Top!
The Dolphin Motel is a great place for the right person. It's economical, clean, directly across from the harbor (we watched the fishing boats come in, which was great fun!), situated near some very nice restaurants you can walk to, and has terrific employees. The owner is on site every day, and over breakfast (served from 6:00 on for early risers) people visit, meet, chat, and share stories. It's not for everyone; the rooms are small, have no phone, and some amenities have to be requested. (Want an iron and ironing board? No problem.) The breakfast is nice and the coffee is good. We met a number of other couples who were very much like us: in our 60's, adventurous and watching our pennies, out to see San Diego from the ground up. We also saw families and groups who had planned agendas. But that's not the best part...
On our third day in San Diego, our rental car was broken into and we lost MANY valuable items, including our cell phone and GPS system. The Dolphin folks were extremely kind, and promptly provided us with a GPS AND a cell phone, which we could use as much as we needed. No charge. It was very helpful to have both, and we used the phone to contact our insurance agent, the police, etc. Dolphin people could not have been kinder. My husband and I would recommend this hotel to anyone who isn't fussy about "fancy" and cares about "kindness."