How about things to do? Zoo i know. Maybe catch a ball game.
Spent a week there last November in connection with the Midway game. Don't know how old your kids are, but here are some suggestions.
The zoo is great. Do a private "behind the scenes" tour. Well worth the bucks because you get a private guide and get real close to some of the animals. Take the gondola ride while there.
Safari Park is separate from the zoo. Further out of town, but apparently well worth the drive. (We did not do it because we ran out of days).
The ballpark looked great from outside, but never got to a game (it was November). People who have been there raved about it.
Do a harbor cruise/tour. Very scenic and very informative. We saw a bunch of Navy Seals in training (their training base is right on the harbor).
Tour the Midway. Tours are conducted by Navy vets who actually served on it. We spent a lot of time on it (not just for the game).
Take a "trolley" tour of the city. Do it your first day there. It is very good for local orientation.
Don't know age of your kids, but we enjoyed visiting the famous Del Coronado hotel for drinks and/or lunch on the patio. Great views and ambience. Hotel is like a Victorian Museum. Some famous movies were shot there .
http://www.hoteldel.com/
Take a drive to La Jolla. Easy drive. Watched the sunset from the terrace of a great little bar on a cliff overlooking a cove that was full of playful seals. Also walked around the cove and were continuously amused by the seals.
Can't help much with accommodation recommendations. We stayed at the downtown team hotel (either a Hyatt or a Sheraton or a Marriott; I forget which because it changed at the last minute after the game was postponed). It was right on the water and we had great views of the Harbor and could walk to the Midway, the trolley tour, good restaurants, etc. It probably had a pool, but I never use them so I don't remember. Aside from the trip to La Jolla we never used the car. Cabs worked fine for the Zoo and Del Coronado, and we walked to everything else.
PS.. the airport is right into the middle of the city. It took a while to get used to the low-flying planes, but you don't need a car to get to the downtown hotels. It's a very short cab ride.
