When I plan short 2-3 day weekend "getaway" trips (especially during a holiday weekend), I search…read morefor budget friendly hotels since we typically don't stay in the hotel other than to sleep and shower. I am so happy I found this place via AARP! Located in the heart of the Gaslamp District, I had never heard of this hotel prior to searching. Upon checking in, the desk clerk was very friendly, efficient, and answered any questions that I had. As for the room, he put us up on the top (4th) floor. Room is the perfect size for two people. Very clean, warm, inviting, and has some really cute and convenient amenities such as a pineapple themed USB quad port at the desk, along with a Keurig machine (had I known that I'd have brought my own Starbucks K-cups)! The bed was nice and comfy with lots of soft but supportive pillows and two separate comforter blankets so you're not fighting for covers if you are sharing the bed with someone or your significant other. Bathroom is very modern and clean. A hairdryer is hanging in the bathroom as well. The only item missing was an iron and an ironing board; however, you can request that at the front desk. If you are looking for a hotel with a gym, laundry facilities on site, and a full breakfast buffet or continental breakfast, then this place is not for you; however, if those things don't matter to you {I typically look for those types of hotels during a longer stay) then this hotel is all you need. You also get other unexpected creature comforts such as Starbucks coffee in the lounge along with 4 different blends of water as well as these cute pineapple cookies in the afternoon. Based in Seattle, WA, I am so happy I found this chain as I will be on the lookout and consider staying in other cities. Parking is available in a garage connected to the hotel next door for a fee. Also, bikes are available in the lobby for getting around (not sure if gratis or for a fee). I definitely recommend staying here! One small recommendation for the hotel: provide rooms with a small microwave and mini fridge to reheat leftovers. It all worked out as I gave a homeless guy mine.

We checked into our room today and it is not what it showed on the website…read more We don't have double duvets on the bed nor do we have Terry cloth lined robes to relax in. So for as much as I paid, I expected to at least have that. Well the staff was nice and welcoming. It doesn't justify the over $400 a night and not getting everything that the website said we would get.

We have been coming to the beach cottages every summer since I was a baby. This place is hands down…read moreTHE BEST. It may not be the most updated hotel on the boardwalk, but it has everything you need. The staff is always welcoming, the house keeping staff are friendly and trustworthy, the parking lot is gated and secured by a guard throughout the day, the rooms are always clean the grounds are well maintained, and after all the years of being loyal visitors, we have yet to experience anything negative at this property. I love that the grounds are secure and you can allow your children to go into the courtyard area and play the provided games with peace of mind- knowing that they'll be safe. They provide tons of outdoor seating options and grills for tenants, which makes cooking a breeze. In order to enter from the beach/boardwalk, you must have a room key to enter the premises- another awesome perk. This keeps all the riff-raft out of the area. &At night, they also require a room key to enter through the front of the building- which is a newer feature, and much appreciated. You can leave your beach toys & chairs outside your room without worrying about someone coming to steal it. We have locked our bikes up downstairs in the courtyard area & nobody messes with them. This is such a great place to stay & an amazing tradition that our family has. We look forward to our visit every May!

We loved The Beach Cottages for the location, the retro vibe (loved it just the way it is), the…read morefriendly and accommodating staff, the outdoor bbqs and spaces, the cleanliness, the simply and amply appointed kitchen, and the big parking lot (which can even allow guests). Close walk to lots of fun restaurants, bars, and groceries. A bit of noise from the boardwalk on the weekends but that's because of all of the above and worth it!

My family and I stayed here for a couple of days for a mini-vacation in downtown San Diego. If you…read moreare visiting San Diego, I do highly recommend this place. Location wise, it is in the heart of downtown. Everything is within walking distance. Immediately outside of the hotel, you can get to the Star of India as well as USS Midway museum. Both are must visit places if you are in downtown SD. Little Italy is also just about a 10-minute walk. It is a great place to visit the farmer's market in the morning and explore the food scene at night. Balboa Park and the SD Zoo are also very close and easily within driving distance. In terms of the hotel itself, we had the fortune of being upgraded for free AND given a free late check-out as well. They do have a balcony with a bar and plenty of seating. The balcony has a killer view. I got quite a bit of work done there every morning and it is a great way to start the day. The room itself is spacious and can fit 3-4 people since the couch can be a pullout. That being said, the couch wasn't that comfortable, but I survived without breaking my back. However, it did take me the first night to get used to. The view from the room is a killer and it's hard to get tired of it. All of their rooms face the ocean, so don't worry when you book, you will get a killer view regardless. Breakfast is complimentary, but their breakfast is very average. It is very hectic in the morning and the food is not the best, but it is included in the hotel. If you get tired of the breakfast here, again Little Italy is within walking distance with much better food options in the morning. They also have a tiny gym. It's got a treadmill and dumbbells. They don't have everything, but the equipment was sufficient for what I needed. Parking here can be quite expensive. I believe it was around $35 or $45 per day. But again, the convenient location of this hotel is hard to beat, so I think the parking price is worth it especially since parking is expensive everywhere in downtown SD and also hard to find. Overall, we had a great stay here. I do wish the breakfast was better for the price we are paying per night at the hotel and I wish their pullout couch was a bit more comfy. However everything being considered, I do highly recommend this hotel if you are visiting downtown SD. The location is just way too convenient.

Had one of the most amazing birthday stays here! Thank you so much to all the staff here and…read morespecifically Gerardo! He checked us in early as we requested. As we are arrived upstairs I was met with a very thoughtful gift of chocolate covered strawberries and some sparkling waters, along with a birthday card! This was beyond thoughtful and truly set the tone for this amazing stay. We had a king bed room with a pullout couch. It was pretty standard, bathroom was nice and spacious. The room had a partial bay view and it was literally walking distance to almost everything in the area. Little Italy, Seaport Village, and downtown San Diego! We were able to enjoy the breakfast buffet served in the morning, which had a nice selection of food and drinks . There's also a couple minimarts and food spots including Starbucks located right outside the hotel. The rooftop pool is so amazing. It's away from all the noise and traffic of downtown San Diego and has a partial view of the bay as well. The harbor and sky restaurant was so convenient for us. We were able to dine in for lunch many times and we truly enjoyed the food and service here! Service here was just beyond amazing and the self parking was extremely convenient and considerably cheaper than most places ($45 per night). Overall, I would definitely recommend this stay!

My wife and I stayed at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina while I was participating in a…read moreconference, and we very much enjoyed our stay. The rooms are beautiful and comfortable, and ours offered a wonderful view of the bay and even the ocean beyond, with a clear view of Point Loma. Down below was Roy's Restaurant and the pool area. While our bay view king room did not have a balcony, the window did have the ability to slightly open if we wanted to hear the sounds or get some fresh air. With the window closed, the room was very quiet, so we had no noise issues. We also didn't hear noise from any neighbors, with the exception of the occasional person talking the hall or letting a room door close. Though the beds were not the most comfortable we've ever had, they were comfortable enough for both of us, though the pillows weren't my favorite because they were the kind of feather pillows you need to bunch up so they aren't too thin. They aren't very soft or spongy. Nonetheless, I was able to sleep on them sufficiently well. We can be a little picky about beds and getting good sleep, and we slept fine. Unfortunately, like many hotels, the sink, toilet, and shower/tub are all in one room, making it less convenient for two people to be doing things at the same time, especially since there is only one sink. There was a decent amount of lighting and space for toiletry items. We had no major complaints about the room, but we did have a broken toilet paper fixture in the bathroom on the wall next to the toilet that resulted in the toilet paper falling on the floor several times. Service was super friendly, but it was difficult to reach the front desk at times without a very long wait on the phone. When I called down to request a luggage rack for the room, I was told someone would bring one up, but it never came. I had to walk to the front desk to ask for one, which was later delivered. They do have an automated attendant that lets you request a limited number of items, and I was able to request a robe for my wife that way. While we were there, the elevators were a problem for a lot of people. For part of the time we were there, some in our tower were not working, causing relatively long waits for the remaining elevators and sometimes multiple stops on the way down or up at peak use times. The hotel said they were working on it, and things did seem to improve a little by the time we checked out. The property itself is beautiful and laid out well for its limited space in this part of town. Once inside, and even outside when walking the grounds near the pool, you are in a bit of a protected oasis that doesn't make you feel like you are sandwiched between the bay and the street out front. We ate outside every day with the conference, and the area we were in was super pleasant. There are a number of restaurants on property, but since we were usually eating with the conference, we didn't have time to try any except for the Marketplace. It was very expensive for most items, but the quality was really good, and we never had much of a wait. They serve Starbucks coffee here, but you can probably save a bit of money if you get that (or mobile order) from the on-site Starbucks, which is in a different part of the building. The food served at the conference was of good quality. If you go to many conferences, you'll find it to be competitive with any of the better resorts, though, in my opinion and as one might expect, it doesn't outshine the Ritz-Carlton or certain J.W. Marriott facilities. The food service staff for the conference were excellent, helpful, and fast. The hotel is in a very convenient area downtown on the bay next to the San Diego Convention Center. Traffic in the short distance between here and the freeway can be bad depending on time of day or events happening at either the convention center, downtown, or at Petco Park, where the Padres play, but the distance is short enough for it not to be much of a headache in most cases. I doubt you'll find very many cities with access this easy from the hotel to the airport and all of the local attractions, including, in this case, the Gaslamp District, Little Italy, Coronado, the bayside attractions, Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, and more. Hotel parking is expensive, of course, so if you don't really need a car, I highly recommend using Uber or Lyft or walking to get around to the nearest things. Overall, I would certainly stay here again, and I do highly recommend this hotel if you are attending a conference or vacationing in this part of the city and can afford the price point.

Great hotel! Staff was not engaged at all though. No one was very friendly. Check in person barely…read morespoke to us. No conversation. I like interaction and there was nothing there. Room with view of bay and balcony - worth the upgrade! Food was traditional blah hotel food except when we got the blackened chicken sandwich for room service for late night meal and it was delicious!!!

Awesome staff! Tori and Leon were especially great!…read more We went to the Padres game and it was a great location for Petco and restaurants. The staff made recommendations that were very good!

Bar review: The Old Fashioneds are some of the best I've…read morehad. Unfortunately, the service fell well short of the quality of the cocktails. I sat at the bar for over two hours, yet the bartender rarely checked on me, even when my glass was empty. Every time I wanted another drink, I had to wave him over. What was even more surprising was that he couldn't remember my name or room number despite serving me throughout the evening. Great cocktails can make a bar memorable, but great service is what keeps people coming back. The drinks were outstanding. The service and attention to detail were not.

We had such a wonderful stay at the Pendry, but I especially wanted to recognize John Minz from the…read morekitchen. He went above and beyond to make my husband's birthday feel truly special, and his kindness did not go unnoticed. It's the people who create memorable experiences, and John is one of them. His thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and genuine hospitality made our celebration even more meaningful. Thank you, John, for helping create such a special memory. We can't wait to come back!

I booked the Pendry through the FHR program with Amex. I thought it would be like the other…read moreexperiences I have had with FHR. I was not correct. Walking in, we were greeted right away by the valet asking if we needed baggage assistance. We did not. We walked to the front desk and a very apathetic person checked us in. No mention of anything about the hotel other than handing me the Amex paper and some bonbons. I guess I could have asked but I'm used to being told the amenities, especially if I'm paying an extra $50 a night on top of my already high room charge for them. He did ask if I was going to stay until 4pm at checkout though which I appreciate because most front desks that I have encountered never seem to remember this. We did not get an upgrade, which I never expect, so that was fine. Our room was on the 4th floor, with a view of a corrugated tin roof (or a fancy version of that) and Margaritaville next door. The room was not luxury. The carpet was dirty at the edges and there were weird white marks and the strong smell of bleach in the shower. The sink is set so far back, I had to stand on my tippytoes to brush my teeth. The shower also leaked a lot, at one point I thought a ghost had turned it on. We had to get up out of bed to make sure there wasn't anyone inside of it, that's how hard the water was flowing out. I hate a minibar in a room, especially when it takes up refrigeration space. That does not speak luxury to me and I really hate the waste of space and money grubbing. If I want something, I can call and ask for it. They do say you can ask to have the contents of the fridge removed but ugh. Why? The breakfast restaurant was meh and we only ate there once. I refused to spend any money on it again, "free" or not. The lobby looks lush and gorgeous but the hallways are something out of a horror movie. I don't care if it's an older building or if it's just the hallways, there needs to be more life and less institution in a luxury hotel. I've been motels with better hallways. Also, this was the first time I never received a folio at the end of my stay. I checked on the tv every night to make sure I was being charged correctly and my card was charged what seemed to be the correct price but a folio at the end would be nice. Yes, I could have checked-out physically but it's not really something I've done in a long time so I was surprised a place like this didn't send an email. I have received two emails from them since my stay though, asking me to review my stay. While people say this place is better in terms of hotel operation than the other FHR nearby, I don't think I would stay here again.

Had an exceptional stay at the Omni San Diego. Loved the modern and clean rooms, hospitality,…read moreproximity to downtown, and most of all the rooftop pool. Highly recommend!

The Omni San Diego has become our annual San Diego trip hotel location. We love the location and…read morethe sky bridge to Petco Park since we always take in a baseball game while in town. We arrived for Labor Day weekend. It was a very busy weekend to be there. Check in process was smooth. We had a double bed room booked which was upgraded to a bay view without asking which was nice. We love the pool area and the Tiki Social menu that is available during the summer. Our stay overall was wonderful. I liked the addition of the breakfast buffet at Fresco which was not there last year during our stay. The location is great and there's plenty of places to eat at close by in the Gaslamp Quarter. My only two gripes are the cost of valet parking which was $70 a night which is pretty steep. I also requested to have strawberries placed in the room to welcome my son back to the hotel as it is his favorite place to stay in San Diego and they never arrived on any of the nights we were there which was disappointing. Tony and Shelby provided great service at the pool. The pool was very busy and they had a really good DJ over the holiday weekend. We'll see you next year for our annual trip and hotel stay.

Being the second hotel I stayed in this week, hotel indigo was a breath of fresh air. My friend and…read moreI opted for valet so we were able to pull up right out front and unload our bags. The valet retrieved a cart for us so we had a super easy time checking in and getting comfortable in our room. (Valet is $70 fyi, somehow we missed the giant sign when checking in) Water bottles were provided, the room was nice and clean and was very inviting. This is the first time I've seen a shower seat available in a hotel and I love that touch. The room was a nice size and had a big window letting in a lot of natural light. In the same respect there was multiple curtains that allowed us to have privacy but still get the light, or to close both and have it nice and dark for sleeping. We chose this hotel because of its location right in gas lamp and walking distance to gallager square where we were attending a concert. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and Petco park steps from the hotel so there's plenty to do in the immediate area. We had considered having breakfast downstairs the next morning but stood for several minutes without being acknowledged at the check in for the restaurant, so opted for elsewhere. I only took one singular picture unfortunately but we had a nice stay overall.

BEWARE -- especially if you're traveling with children…read more This hotel uses what I consider extremely misleading bait-and-switch advertising regarding its pool. The website makes it appear that guests have convenient access to a pool right next door. In reality, the pool is located inside a gym roughly 2 1/2 blocks away -- and, most importantly, you have to be 18 or older to use it. I brought my 11- and 9-year-old sons here and was looking forward to spending some time at the pool with them. We walked the 2 1/2 blocks to the gym, only to be told when we arrived that my kids weren't allowed to use the pool because they're under 18. Nowhere during the booking process was this made clear to us. Even worse, at check-in I specifically mentioned that I was planning to take my kids down to the pool, and nobody bothered to tell me they wouldn't be allowed in. Had I known the "hotel pool" was actually an adults-only pool inside a gym several blocks away, I absolutely would have booked somewhere else. For families with children, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere. This was incredibly disappointing and felt very deceptive.

regular GUY reviews... Pacific Terrace Hotel (Pacific Beach,…read moreSan Diego, CA) Family Suite, Room 122, 6 nights 550 ft2 2 Queens, 1 Sofa/Bed, Patio Cost: $$$ ($600 - $999 / night) */* Final SCORE: 4.55 Last Thoughts: Pacific Terrace Hotel was an excellent (and not cheap) base for an amazing Pacific beach vacation */* */ The Room... (4/5) Bathroom: Clean, lots of towels Toilet and shower in separate room from vanity Dual sinks but limited electrical outlets Plenty of counter space Enclosed shower with rain head; No tub regular GUY's daughter reports: "I really liked the shower" The Beds: Beds were on the softer side; Linens were clean and fresh; I was comfortable Sofa Bed: regular GUY's daughter reports: "The sofa bed was ok I guess" Extra Features: Convenient outlets and USB ports built into side table and desk Ceiling fans Kitchenette: Coffee maker (think there was free coffee pods but didn't use), mini fridge, microwave, toaster (rare thing) First night there was a couple bottles of Evian with a complimentary label on them... there were more bottles after that but without a complimentary label so we didn't drink those (I could have asked the front desk if they were free but didn't) There's a Ralph's and 7-Eleven walking distance for stocking the mini fridge Layout: Lots of space; 2 separate rooms; bathroom in the bedroom; kitchenette in the living room; 2 TVs Dedicated desk space Outdoor Space: Patio, 4 chairs and a small table, comfortable seating, heavy furniture No other guests could see us but people walking by could Style: Lots of woodwork (headboards, blinds, even ceiling in vanity area) Open all the blinds to bring in light View: I knew that family suites were on the first floor, side of building, with partial ocean view. Our room was closest to the boardwalk, with a nice view; people walking by did look at me on the patio !-------- LIGHT Alerts! Bedroom had a decent amount of light in the morning with the wood blinds to the patio closed NOISE Alerts! We could hear boisterous neighbors across the hall Patio furniture is heavy; we could hear neighbors dragging it around --------! */ *... Activities... (-/5) There was a fire show thing by the pool the day we arrived but we couldn't make it I think you can arrange a room massage but we didn't do it Amenities... (5/5) No resort fee We used the hotel's free beach towels, chairs and umbrella (ask front desk), think they have boogie boards and bikes Small gift shop with nice selection Fitness Center... (4/5) Accessed via the garage; Small, maybe 4-5 people max regular GUY's son reports: "Pretty ok, especially if I'm the only one in there" Grub... (4/5) Terrace Café is available for breakfast, brunch & dinner (food a little fancy) Many food options short walk to Mission Blvd and Crystal Pier Location... (5/5) Amazing sunset view Short walk to Crystal Pier, shops along Mission Blvd, Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach and Mission Beach The hotel sits on a bluff above pacific beach; to get to the beach: directly north is a ramp down to the beach; directly south are stairs down to the beach - may be an issue if you have mobility concerns Parking... (5/5) Valet $45 / night. You can self park. Secure underground parking lot. It's not a secret - you will pay (a lot) for parking anywhere near the beach so plan on paying or finding parking on your own Pool... (5/5) Heated, nice size, great view, poolside service, plenty of towels Guest rooms facing west can see the pool; people walking by can see the pool Seating is first come, no cabana rentals, seating a little tight Random... (4.5/5) Laundry room (on the garage level), didn't use but good to know Elevators were slow Safety... (4/5) The neighborhood and walk along the beach were safe. Occasional unhoused people. *Teenage daughter walk around the area alone? No Staff & Service... (5/5) Front desk always attentive and friendly Valet and bellhop fast, friendly and efficient Cleaning was always in our room rather late (between 3-5) Check-in (room was ready when we arrived at 3pm) and check-out had no issues No Billing issues ...*

This hotel was super conveniently located right on the boardwalk in Pacific Beach, it was perfect…read morefor me. I paid an arm and a leg for the room but it was absolutely massive and I had sliding glass doors directly onto my own private patio which was right next to the pool overlooking the ocean, it was really incredible despite how outdated the room felt, somehow the size of the room made it more modern and it felt clean. The people at the front desk were young, fun, outgoing, really friendly and I appreciated that. They told me about some happy hour they were having later in the day and I felt very welcome here unlike other hotels I stayed at in the San Diego area. The bathroom was huge in my room, very weird vibe, like felt cabin-like, I don't know how else to explain it, but it was spacious, big countertop by the sink plenty of room to get ready. The coffee bar had an enormous countertop which was great for keeping all of my things, huge mirrors everywhere too. The bed was really comfortable, again great view outside, awesome staff. It was so nice to be able to walk the boardwalk and pop back in here whenever I needed to grab something or use the restroom. Walking distance to everything. Highly recommend, I would definitely stay here again. But I probably won't because the cost is INSANE. Sorry but it is. Also housekeeping found my jewelry box loaded with jewelry and returned it to the front desk who subsequently shipped it back to my house for me. For a charge of course but I do appreciate the honesty of the staff that goes a long long way! Thank you!!

This is such a beautiful hotel I was excited to get the chance to stay. I was here for a conference…read moreso the prices were kicked up significantly. There was also a lot of varying information on the price of both self parking and valet for overnight. It seems the price changes depending on hotel occupancy. I did valet upon arrival and my bags were loaded up and delivered to my room which was great. I had read that check in can take quite a while but things went pretty quickly for me. This is a massive hotel so the walk to our room was pretty far. Although my room didn't overlook the ocean which the original reservation had been for, I did have a nice view of the courtyard from my little patio. The room is very cute and clean and nice sized. There's a walk in closet and full size mirror plus a steamer and coffee maker. I was able to hear my neighbors through the walls just fyi. My friend forgot a toothbrush and when she called the desk they brought her 4! I found that funny but we were grateful. We did order room service one morning and I was shocked that my favorite part was the kids fruit! What? It was such a nice size and the taste was phenomenal! The mint sauce over the sweet fresh fruit was seriously amazing. We did also get eggs Benedict that was very tasty as well. They mentioned it could take up to an hour and a half to receive our order however it came in about 20 minutes. Very quick! I was disappointed to see they didn't have and coffee options on the room service menu though. I did visit the cafe later and ordered a salted caramel latte but that was one insanely salty latte. I generally enjoy salted caramel, this one was a bit much. I did visit another persons room who had a fire pit right on the beach. I have to say that was amazing. Although it was still 80° at 2:30 in the morning we lit that sucker up for at least a few minutes to enjoy the ambiance. Overall I had a nice stay.

The truth is that what makes this place so great and enjoyable is the location, and how nice the…read moregrounds and most of the employees are. People are usually in a good mood, the weather is perfect, and the food passable, specially after a few drinks. But then reality hits when you go back to your room, or when you realize that the ocean is contaminated due to sewage coming from TJ, and also when the food starts to taste even blander after a few days. But first, the room. They aren't cheap, and that's fine, we chose this location. (I always disliked people who complain about things they chose). But the quality and cleanliness barely surpasses a Motel 6. Yes, its painted nicely, and have cute wall paper, but the shower is full of mold, there's dust, sand, and hair all over the room, refillable soap bottles are oozing with rust, and the maintenance is lacking. Then, after a few days you really need to escape the hotel food. But watch out, because the hotel never mention the beach being unsafe to get on, not even hidden somewhere on their website. I would come back for a couple of nights, no more than that. It will be easier to not be as disappointed knowing what to expect.