Dogs and cats weighing up to 75 pounds check in alongside their owners at La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham San Diego Mission Bay, a 3-story, 88-room hotel at 4610 De Soto St., San Diego, 92109. Positioned one mile from Mission Bay Park and a half-mile from the I-5 on-ramp at Clairemont Drive, the U-shaped building earns its following among road-trippers through a combination of free parking, free daily Bright Side Breakfast, and an outdoor pool with jacuzzi — rarely packaged together at this price point in the 92109 ZIP code. Wyndham Rewards members earn points per stay, and both AAA and AARP members qualify for discounted rates that the multilingual, 24-hour front desk staff can confirm at check-in. Guests taking an afternoon on the water can reserve a boat through Freedom Boat Club Mission Bay, located minutes east along the bay, where the club's flexible day-use programs require no trailering or storage on the part of the guest. Connecting rooms are available on request, making the property a workable option for extended families or traveling groups, and each of the 88 rooms is fitted with a mini-refrigerator, microwave, blackout drapes, and a flat-screen HDTV. San Diego International Airport is eight miles south — a 15-minute drive suited to early departures or late arrivals — and the fitness center, guest laundry, and business center round out the onsite infrastructure. Golfers will find the Mission Bay Golf Course and Practice Center, the only night-lit layout in San Diego, a mile and a half west — a distance easily covered with the hotel's available bicycle rentals. Checkout is at 11 a.m. with check-in available from 3 p.m., and a $100 refundable security deposit is collected at arrival by credit card.