CREATURE COMFORT GETS FREE REIN AT THESE LODGINGS.

Byline: EVAN HENERSON and ERIC NOLAND Staff Writers

SAN DIEGO -- Two boutique hotels and an upscale bed-and-breakfast inn, all of which opened their doors relatively recently, await San Diego visitors seeking accommodations beyond the homogeneity of the chain hotels.

One is near Balboa Park, another in lower downtown, the third on a bluff overlooking Pacific Beach. And each has carved out a distinct and welcoming personality.

Britt Scripps Inn

It's less than 15 minutes by foot from the front door of this inn to anywhere in San Diego's Balboa Park you might want to visit: Old Globe Theatre, San Diego Zoo, Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Museum of Art.

And if that proximity isn't reason enough to idle away a few nights in the converted Queen Anne building in Banker's Hill, the Britt Scripps staff will supply a few dozen more at no extra charge. Owner Gordon Hattersley III, who bought the house in 2001, spent some $6 million restoring the house and grounds to upscale standards.

The care shows. The inn's nine rooms, all themed, are spectacular -- lush, rich in detail, artfully blending elements and amenities that are both classic and contemporary.

We stayed in the second-floor Renaissance Room, which, people assured us, is ``one of the most romantic rooms in the inn.'' Plum-colored with an array of curtains, tassels and fringe on everything from coverlets to lamps, the room offered a flat-screen TV in an ornate armoire and towel warmers in the bathroom.

The bed was so high off the ground you practically needed a stepladder to reach it. And each night we arrived ``home'' to turned-down sheets with exotic truffles on the pillow.

They know food very well indeed at the Britt Scripps. The homemade breakfasts on a rotating menu brim with fruit, breads and exotic omelettes. The staff wines and -- partially -- dines you again with vino and appetizers in the parlor during the late afternoon.

That gathering is a choice opportunity to mingle with other guests and discuss play-going or Comicon conventioneering, as the case may be.

Otherwise, the temptation never to leave those gorgeous sleeping quarters is awfully strong.

406 Maple St., San Diego. Room rates from $299. www.brittscripps.com; [phone].

Tower 23

Ocean frontage is at such a premium in Southern California that it's often snapped up for private residences. But Tower 23, which opened last year just north of Pacific Beach's Crystal Pier, perches on a bluff that overlooks a broad swath of beach.

The 44-room hotel has multiple personalities -- surfer casual, urban hip, sleekly minimalist -- but somehow pulls off this schizophrenia smoothly. It's all presented in a linear, modernist, three-story box, with such simple design elements as poured concrete, sheets of glass and brushed steel.

Named after the closest lifeguard outpost down on the sand, Tower 23's liberal use of pastel greens and blues evokes the sea. And a stunning light installation, the ``wave wall,'' covers a 75-foot span of its Jordan restaurant, continually progressing through a spectrum of blue, magenta and red.

Pacific Beach's boardwalk passes right in front of the hotel, and the people-watching is unsurpassed at a couple of congregating spots.

A patio runs the length of the restaurant-bar, but even if you sit inside, windows can be opened to the sights and ocean breezes. The second-floor Tower Deck, meanwhile, allows you to peer down on the scene from above. This is the place to take in the sunset or huddle around fire rings in the evening, much like a beach bonfire.

It tells you something about Tower 23's enviable location that it can get away with not having a swimming pool. There is just a little reflecting pool on the Tower Deck.

The liberal use of concrete means there is a lot of radiant sound, but at least the sliders on the guest rooms are of heavy glass, so you can seal out the sounds of revelry if you don't want to stay up to 3 a.m. with the party crowd.

The Turkish Anichini cotton sheets on our platform king bed were of astonishing quality, and there were six feather pillows -- count `em -- piled at the head of the bed. Use of medium-shade wood for the desk and headboard warmed up the minimalist decor.

And the 30-inch, flat-screen, high-definition TV was an indulgent touch.

Soft lighting in the room struck a nice mood, but it was less welcome in the bathroom, where it wasn't particularly conducive to shaving (or, I'm told, putting on makeup).

The bar, which has stools along the window outdoors, is a delightful place to unwind in the afternoon, and Jordan does nice work at all three meals. Splurge on the assortment of artisan cheeses on the appetizer menu ($17); it's superb.

723 Felspar St., Pacific Beach. Room rates from $369 (lower in the winter offseason). www.tower23hotel.com; [phone].

Hotel Solamar

The courtyard pool area, on the roof of the third story, is a natural gathering place at this stylish Kimpton hotel that opened last year near the Gaslamp Quarter. The poolside Jbar is here, along with a number of cleverly designed conversation nooks, a few cabanas for more privacy, and some cheery, gas-log fire pits. Lighting on the hotel tower bathes the scene in ever-changing pastel hues.

The city's skyscrapers glimmer between here and San Diego Bay, and guests can also see a crease of center field at Petco Park, where the major-league Padres play.

The pool has obviously been designated as the social hub of the hotel. And just to leave no doubt of that, music is played at a ripping volume from midafternoon until well into the night. Thus, this is not the best place to catch up on some work or do a little reading on one of the pool loungers.

But for an environment a bit more subdued, simply head to the ``living room'' (boutique hotels don't dare call it the lobby anymore).

The motif is Casablanca, with day-bed sofas, ottomans, dark wood, rattan furniture and candles in glass lanterns set about on end tables -- as well as faux-candle chandeliers overhead. There are dramatic swirls in the carpet, bold stripes and prints in the chairs, and abundant pillows. A wine social is held here late each afternoon.

Los Angeles designer Susan Caruso conceived the interiors at this hotel, and it's evident that she paid a lot of attention to detail in the guest rooms -- while also having a great deal of fun.

On the bed was a throw with giant polka dots, and the color scheme was a daring marriage of dark brown and aqua. In the bathroom were inch-square, misshapen tiles with cracked glaze, lending a lived-in feel (though it was brand-new). The colors mirrored San Diego's nautical heritage: navy, light blue, opaque green.

The closet also held a heavy dose of whimsy: two bathrobes, one in leopard print, the other in zebra. I thought that was a lot of fun until I slipped into the leopard robe en route to the pool for some early-morning lap swimming. People on the elevator inched slightly away.

435 Sixth Ave., San Diego. Room rates from $249; several packages available. www.hotelsolamar.com; [phone].

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) One of the guest rooms at the Britt Scripps Inn is in the Carriage House, shaded by a 141-year-old camphor tree.

(2 -- 3) Above, surfers often join the passing parade in front of the upscale Tower 23. Below, the poolside Jbar at Hotel Solamar is a popular gathering spot at sunset.

Eric Noland/Travel Editor