Humphreys Half Moon Inn
2303 Shelter Island Dr
San Diego, CA
A tiki-era island resort on San Diego Bay where a concert legend might be playing while you float in the pool.
About Humphreys Half Moon Inn
Humphreys Half Moon Inn sits on Shelter Island, a curl of made land reaching into San Diego Bay, where a bayfront resort wraps its rooms around koi ponds, waterfalls, and dense tropical gardens that regulars only ever compare to Hawaii. Family-owned by San Diego's Bartell Hotels, it leans fully into a tiki-era island-resort idea rather than a generic bay hotel. Since 1982 the grounds have doubled as Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, a 1,400-seat open-air venue that has hosted Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, and Ray Charles under the stars, so a guest can hear a legend play from a lounge chair at the pool bar. Paired with the on-water Humphreys Restaurant and a working marina, it is part island retreat, part iconic concert address, all bayfront.
What Humphreys Half Moon Inn Is Known For
Humphreys does one thing no other San Diego hotel can claim: its own front lawn is a legendary concert venue. For more than forty years Concerts by the Bay has put touring acts on a stage a few steps from the guest rooms, and the tropical grounds that host it, the koi ponds and waterfalls and gardens, are tended well enough that guests reach for Hawaii to describe them. Family ownership and a bayfront island setting make it a specific place rather than an interchangeable one.
Amenities
- WiFi
- Koi ponds and tropical lagoon gardens with waterfalls
- Heated bayfront pool with poolside bar and jacuzzi
- Humphreys Concerts by the Bay on-site
- On-water Humphreys Restaurant and Backstage Live music club
- Private marina and bay views
- Private patios and balconies
- Bike rentals and the Shoreline Park bay path
What Guests Love
- The tropical grounds, koi ponds, waterfalls, and gardens are the thing guests mention most, with more than one saying it feels like Hawaii rather than a city bay.
- On concert nights you can hear a touring act play the on-site Humphreys stage from a lounge chair at the pool bar, an atmosphere guests call unlike any other hotel.
- Ground-floor rooms open to private patios and upper rooms to balconies, most facing the marina, the bay, or the gardens.
- The heated bayfront pool has its own bar, a jacuzzi, and fire-pit seating at the heart of the resort.
- The Shelter Island setting puts Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument, and the three-mile bay path right at the doorstep.
Worth Knowing
- Concerts by the Bay runs on-site through the warmer months. Check the schedule when booking, since a show can be either the highlight of your stay or a livelier evening soundtrack than you expected.
- Self-parking and a daily resort-style pass carry fees, so factor those in when comparing the nightly rate.
- Rooms facing the gardens and pool trade a bay view for a quieter, greener outlook: ask for the exposure you prefer when booking.
- The inn does not permit pets, though service animals are welcome.
- Shelter Island and Point Loma are calm and residential, so plan on the car for the short hops to Ocean Beach, Liberty Station, and downtown.
The Room
Rooms open outward to the resort rather than inward to a corridor: ground-floor rooms step onto private patios and upper rooms onto private balconies, most looking over the marina, the bay, or the gardens and koi ponds at the center of the property. Interiors run to a relaxed coastal-island style, some with views across the water to the downtown skyline and Point Loma. Suites add more room to spread out for a longer stay. The appeal is less the room itself than what waits just outside its door: water on one side, gardens and pool on the other.
The Grounds
The grounds are the reason to book. A heated pool sits at the center with a poolside bar, a jacuzzi, and fire-pit seating, framed by waterfalls, koi ponds, and plantings kept lush enough that guests swear they have left California. Resident ducks and parrots wander the paths. The property fronts its own marina and the Shelter Island shoreline, with the three-mile Shoreline Park bay path and bike rentals at the doorstep. On concert nights the Humphreys Concerts by the Bay stage lights up on-site, and the music carries out to the pool.
The Experience
Staying here has a rhythm regulars return for. You spend the day by the pool or out on the bay path, watch the boats work in and out of the marina, and on the right night settle in near the pool bar while a concert drifts over from the Humphreys stage, something guests describe as unlike any other hotel. The restaurant sits right on the water, and Point Loma, Cabrillo, and the ferries to downtown are minutes away. It is a resort that feels like a tropical island parked inside a working San Diego marina.
Details
San Diego, CA 92106
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Humphreys Half Moon Inn have EV charging?
No, Humphreys Half Moon Inn does not have EV charging.
Does Humphreys Half Moon Inn serve breakfast?
No, Humphreys Half Moon Inn does not serve breakfast.
Does Humphreys Half Moon Inn have WiFi?
Yes, Humphreys Half Moon Inn has WiFi.
What is there to do near Humphreys Half Moon Inn?
Shelter Island Shoreline Park: 0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Cabrillo National Monument: 4 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there. Downtown San Diego and the Embarcadero: 6 miles, about a 10 minute drive.
How far is Humphreys Half Moon Inn from Shelter Island Shoreline Park?
0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Humphreys Half Moon Inn from Cabrillo National Monument?
4 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
How far is Humphreys Half Moon Inn from Downtown San Diego and the Embarcadero?
6 miles, about a 10 minute drive.
Does Humphreys Half Moon Inn have concerts on-site?
Yes. Humphreys Concerts by the Bay is a 1,400-seat open-air venue on the property that has hosted major touring acts since 1982. It runs seasonally, mainly in the warmer months, and guests can often hear shows from around the pool.
Is Humphreys Half Moon Inn pet friendly?
No. The inn does not permit pets, though ADA service animals are welcome.
Does Humphreys Half Moon Inn have a pool?
Yes. There is a heated bayfront pool with a poolside bar, a jacuzzi, and fire-pit seating, set among the koi ponds and tropical gardens at the center of the resort.
Does Humphreys Half Moon Inn have a restaurant?
Yes. Humphreys Restaurant sits on the water on-site, and Humphreys Backstage Live is an adjacent music club.
How far is Humphreys Half Moon Inn from the San Diego airport?
San Diego International Airport is about 4 miles from Shelter Island, roughly a 10-minute drive.
How far is Humphreys Half Moon Inn from Cabrillo National Monument?
Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma is about 4 miles away, roughly a 12-minute drive.
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Things to Do Near Shelter Island, San Diego
Shelter Island Shoreline Park
0.3 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
0.3 miles, a short walk. Shelter Island's Shoreline Park runs a landscaped bay path for about three miles, with picnic lawns, the Yokohama Friendship Bell, and skyline views across the water, right outside the resort.
Cabrillo National Monument
4 miles, about a 10 minute drive, or you can bike there.
4 miles, about a 12-minute drive. Cabrillo National Monument caps the tip of Point Loma with the 1855 Old Point Loma Lighthouse, sweeping views of bay and ocean, and tide pools below, marking where a European expedition first landed on this coast in 1542.
Downtown San Diego and the Embarcadero
6 miles, about a 10 minute drive.
6 miles, about a 15-minute drive. The waterfront Embarcadero, the Gaslamp Quarter, and the ferry to Coronado anchor a day in the city, an easy hop from Shelter Island.