New digs on the beach

Along with all the scenery at San Diego's new Tower23 comes quite a scene. The hotel, named after a nearby lifeguard tower, adds a touch of minimalist grace to the fun and funk of the city's Pacific Beach neighborhood. Think of it as the anti-Del: If the the Hotel del Coronado celebrates 19th-century elegance, Tower23 is all about 21st-century cool.

As a Tower23 guest, you become part of the beachfront action, which includes the hotel's bar and its restaurant, Jordan ($$$$; call for hours). Whether from a lounge by the reflecting pool or a balcony room facing the water, it's fascinating to watch bicyclists along the beach slow down to take a look at this glassy apparition ― and to check out who is staying here.

Rooms are furnished simply but filled with creature comforts, including high-tech foam mattresses and 32-inch flat-screen TVs. But then again, who needs the tube when the best scenes happen just outside your window?

Info: Tower23 (from $359; 4551 Ocean Blvd., San Diego; or 866/869-3723)