The hotel is laid out like a resort, with five buildings that encompass a pool courtyard, all surrounded by green space. The tropical landscaping and koi pond around the sundeck give the grounds a calm and welcoming feel. Inside, the decor has been updated with a mix of tropical prints and colorful contemporary furnishings on backdrops of high-polish stone floors. The walls give the hallways an uninviting cinder block look, but floor-to-ceiling windows brighten up most of the other interiors.

La Jolla is an affluent seaside community north of San Diego, home to restaurants, shops, mansions, a famous golf course, coastal bluffs, and a beautiful beach. Situated near the 5 freeway on a cul de sac called Holiday Court, the Sheraton La Jolla Hotel is within easy driving distance of the University of California at San Diego, Scripps Research Institute, and La Jolla Shores' shopping, art galleries, and restaurants. It's is a 15- to 20-minute drive to the downtown area and eight minutes to the nearest (La Jolla Shores) beach. Expect 20-minute drives to the San Diego Zoo, the famous Gaslamp Quarter, and San Diego International Airport.

Plantation shutters and dark wood wall molding add a touch of class to the large standard rooms, with somewhat mundane portraits of exotic plants echoing the hotel's tropical theme. Some ground floor rooms have patios facing the gardens, but none have balconies. The work desks are accompanied by a convenient reading lamp and a rolling desk chair. Some guests report noisy air-conditioning. All the rooms feature Sheraton's trademark Sweet Sleeper beds. The bathrooms are so small, the doors nearly hit the toilet in some, but they're clean and have lighted, wall-mounted vanity mirrors. A mini-fridge, microwave, and single cup coffeemaker (with Starbucks coffee) come standard with basic Wi-Fi, though high-speed access is an extra charge.

The Sheraton has a total conference/event space of 9,000 square feet, including ballrooms and smaller meeting rooms. An area in the lobby is devoted to a business center with several computers along floor-to-ceiling windows. The bright, modern fitness center is well equipped with weights, circuit machines, bicycles, three treadmills, and an elliptical. For dining, options include Shooter's Bar and Grill along with Humphreys La Jolla Grill, which specializes in solid, but not uncommon (swordfish, halibut, king crab) seafood dishes. The outdoor pool is heated and set in an inviting garden courtyard with a pond and small waterfall that add more ambiance than one would expect in this location. Parking around the hotel is hard to find except in the hotel's own lot, but the lot is dilapidated and the hotel charges a daily fee.