Coming to Solana Beach, Del Mar or Encinitas? A hotel, an Airbnb, a Vrbo or a home from a local rental company can each be the right call, and each town's rules change the answer. Here is the honest comparison, from the cities' and the platforms' own pages, and the hotels on the map.
The quick answer
| Your trip | Usually the fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A night or two | A hotel | Solana Beach permits home rentals of 7 to 30 days with one booking a week, and Encinitas keeps a minimum stay too. |
| A week or more, a family, a kitchen | A whole-home rental | The stays these towns' rental permits are built for. |
| Someone local to call if something breaks | A local rental company or a hotel | A front desk, or a manager in town; platforms route you through their apps (reaching Airbnb or Vrbo). |
| The clearest total price | Compare the checkout screens | Airbnb adds a guest service fee and every option adds the local occupancy tax. |
Each town's rules for home rentals
| Town | What the City says |
|---|---|
| Solana Beach | Rentals of more than seven and up to 30 consecutive days, one booking in any seven-day period, a City permit, and a 13% occupancy tax. The full rules. |
| Encinitas | Every short-term rental owner needs a permit and collects a 10% occupancy tax. The City is defending its existing three-night minimum stay in a new application to the Coastal Commission, which has pushed for two nights, so check the listing's minimum. A problem with a rental nearby? The City's 24/7 hotline: (760) 249-7767. |
| Del Mar | A citywide cap of 129 short-term rentals; new owners can't get a permit and go on a waitlist, and the City publishes a registry of the existing ones. |
City of Solana Beach STVR rules and 2026 application · City of Encinitas short-term rental permits and policy pages · City of Del Mar short-term rentals page. Read October 13, 2026.
The fees
- Airbnb: guests pay a service fee of 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal (the nightly price plus the host's fees); most hosts pay 3% (Airbnb service fees).
- Vrbo: refunds follow one of seven cancellation policies, from Day-before to No refund; the table is on our Airbnb and Vrbo help page.
- Occupancy tax applies to hotel rooms and short-term rentals alike: 13% in Solana Beach and 10% in Encinitas, per each City.
Hotels, inns and motels on the map
| Town | Name | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Encinitas | Alila Marea | 2100 N Coast Highway 101 |
| Encinitas | Days Inn by Wyndham Encinitas Moonlight Beach | 133 Encinitas Boulevard |
| Encinitas | Econo Lodge Encinitas Moonlight Beach | 410 North Coast Highway 101 |
| Encinitas | Quality Inn Encinitas Near Legoland | 607 Leucadia Boulevard |
| Encinitas | The Encinitan Hotel & Suites | 85 Encinitas Boulevard |
| Cardiff | Hampton | 1661 Villa Cardiff Drive |
| Solana Beach | Courtyard San Diego Solana Beach/Del Mar | 717 Highway 101 |
| Solana Beach | Holiday Inn Express & Suites Solana Beach-del Mar | - |
| Solana Beach | The Sand Pebbles | - |
| Solana Beach | Winner Circle Resort | 550 Via de la Valle |
| Del Mar | Best Western Premier Hotel Del Mar | 720 Camino Del Mar |
| Del Mar | Del Mar Beach Hotel | 1702 Coast Boulevard |
| Del Mar | Hilton San Diego/Del Mar | 15575 Jimmy Durante Boulevard |
| Del Mar | L'Auberge Del Mar | - |
From OpenStreetMap's open map data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), plus places PJ photographed that the map was missing (Alila Marea: its sign, and the address on the County's food permit record). It isn't a complete list, and SideGuy doesn't take bookings or commissions. Know one that's missing? Text PJ and it goes on.
While you're here
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Questions people ask
Should I get a hotel or an Airbnb in Solana Beach?
For a night or two, a hotel: Solana Beach's short-term rental permit covers stays of seven to 30 days, with one booking in any seven-day period. For a week or more with family, a permitted whole-home rental fits.
What is the hotel tax in Encinitas and Solana Beach?
The transient occupancy tax is 10% in Encinitas and 13% in Solana Beach, on hotel rooms and short-term rentals alike.
Can I get a new short-term rental permit in Del Mar?
Not right now: Del Mar caps short-term rentals at 129 citywide, so new owners go on the City's waitlist.
How much is Airbnb's service fee?
Airbnb says guests pay 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal, and most hosts pay 3%.
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