We were genuinely surprised. We've stayed in four hotels in the San Diego area recently -- two in Hotel Circle, one downtown, and this in La Mesa. This was the best of the four! The rooms were spacious and clean. The parking is free (that's a savings of $30 a night or more compared with other hotels!), there's a free breakfast, and the rooms were splendidly dark at night. The downsides: the heater/cooler unit wasn't particularly great at heating, and was noisy; the water pressure was pretty low, and the water was only warm; and the breakfast was pretty not-great (though I liked the biscuits and gravy!). Mixed bag: The location was perfect for us to visit family, but for a San Diego trip it might feel out of the way, and it's an Uber ride to a trolley station to get downtown. (But what you save in parking makes up for this hassle!) Also, the room was pretty quiet unlike freeway-adjacent hotels, but it was VERY noisy in the mornings as they rolled out bins and such. The service is hit and miss, too. Overall, though, were pretty pleased and surprised! read more

I had a business trip to El Cajon so this place was convenient to both my work and lots of dining options near by. I stayed here a couple of years ago. They were in desperate need of a remodel, which they have since had. Positive: my room was nice overall, the bed was comfortable and the breakfast options were decent. Negative: you can hear every footstep of the individuals above you. Opt to stay on top floor. The person above me kept me awake with thier walking. They frick'n paced back and forth, clomping like a speed walking Yeti. The other negative is parking. They charge $20 to park. This isn't a downtown limited parking hotel and it's not in the prime part of S.D. or a secure parking lot. Next time I'm in town, I will be looking at other options or I'll make sure I'm on the 3rd floor. read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - King room. Dated for sure. - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Expensive hotel for what you get. We booked a Friday and Saturday, the two highest-priced nights of the week. I negotiated a lower price for the second night, but the total was still upwards of $500. Found myself with a repair situation on my hands at home and had to stay at this hotel for two nights until the issue was resolved. It's a Holiday Inn Express (no frills here). We got a decent clean room that was decorated with modern furniture and minimalist touches were attempted here and there, such as the blackout shade. Standard Amazon cherry wood clothes/jacket hangers, plus hooks on the wall for heavier coats. There was a small round table we ate delivery meals on. The two queen beds were comfortable with plenty of pillows, and we finally slept well after a bevy of dogs stopped barking. I had to look out the window to see if there was a kennel next door. There wasn't and the barking finally stopped. So apparently, dogs are welcome at this Holiday Inn Express. Breakfast is provided but it's your standard breakfast, nothing in particular stood out. The staff were fine. They were kind but not overly friendly, which is fine. I suggest you stop at a 7/11 or similar beforehand if you need cold drinks for your in-room fridge, because they are overpriced here. In the lobby at the front desk they also have a few frozen meals, candy, snacks, etc. to use in your in-room fridge and/or microwave. Everything at the hotel is priced extremely high. The in-room safe was fairly large and handy. The walk-in shower provided sufficiently. Soap/shampoo/conditioners are all attached to the shower wall. I don't really care for this setup but many hotels have now converted to this. Even with signage, the outdoor pool was difficult to find as it was outside, stuck in a desolate back of the hotel. You had to walk through a driveway/parking to get to it. And the steep ramp leading up to the pool would have been difficult to push a wheelchair up. Kind of an odd setup. We weren't planning to use the pool, but it would have been nice to sit at if it was clean. I would probably not choose this hotel again because of the vibe and the price point. read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - 04.04.25 -Dirty Pool, Outside in Ugly Area - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

We have stayed at this hotel 5 times this year, and every time, the room, the service and the price were right. Front desk people were always nice and efficient. Checkin takes 5-10', and there was never a wait for us. Parking was always available. All the rooms we have stayed in were spacious. We had a double queen suite one time, and a queen room with kitchenette some other times. We didn't need to use them, but there were fridge, microwave, dishwasher, portable stove, bowls, plates, pan/ pot and utensils. Bathrooms, beds and linen were clean. There was hot water running strong in the bathroom and sinks. I have nothing to complain about this place. I highly recommend this place for the cleanliness, friendliness and convenience that it offers. read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - Complimentary hot breakfast - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

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* I stayed a night here in San Diego for my Mother's 88th birthday. * The parking, accommodations & staff were above average. * However, in the evening when I turned the AC down the room smelled of chemical cleaners & I chain sneezed until I turned the AC back on. * The price was a bit high as well at $287 for a night, plus $20 a day for parking. * Otherwise my stay was pleasant, peaceful & uneventful. * I felt safe & secure at this facility & everything was clean & fresh. * On balance I would stay here again, though it was a bit pricey & the $20 nightly for parking was excessive. read more

Great nice hotel great area and wonderful and helpful staff Nicest hotel Ive got in the san diego area for this price range

ulises gave good customer service Clean & safe w/ excellent coffee. Nreakfast buffet delicious w/ a variety of of choicrs. recommend the hotel 100% read more

Stayed here for one night as I was in town for a concert. I was skeptical since a lot of the reviews were bad but I noticed most of them were prior to the remodel so I decided to give it a chance. Check in process was easy. Rooms are clean. Staff were pretty friendly. They have a fitness center, pool, and complimentary breakfast. They charge $20 per day if you plan to park your vehicle in their parking lot. The permit is issued at check in. Although I didn't care for the parking charge... this hotel was a great deal for the area so you can't beat it. Overall, I had a nice stay. read more

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I have stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in La Mesa half a dozen times now. It's become my go-to address when in San Diego. Only minutes from SDSU and a short drive downtown - I have felt welcome there from the word go. Great staff and my fellow travellers have been varied from college sports teams, business clientele, academics and parents of students. Great workout room and clean, hardly used pool. Breakfast is good- healthy options, and on my visit this past week, a new coffee machine (two!) with fresh ground beans for each cup. read more

No water pressure in shower or sink and reported this upon discovery. Day 2: still no water pressure or service attention to request. - Requested room cleaning for daily stay and none received either day. Will not be back! read more

Nice and comfortable hotel. Very modern and upscale-feeling on the inside. Room was large and spacious. Great TV for watching football. Parking is easy here. Breakfast was very good, on the "better" end as far as IHG properties go. Lots of shopping and food nearby. read more

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Room smells like sweaty clothes. I stay in a lot of Holiday Inn Expresses and this one is low on the list of quality. Staff is friendly, breakfast is typical except there is never any half and half. Not everyone likes flavored creamers and on two days, the coffee was ice cold. Parking is good. However, when I first walked into my room, it smelled like a men's locker room. Carpets were stained and there is debris under the air conditioner and under the bed frame. Looking at other reviews, my room is not the only one that smells. During my 5 day stay, my TV never had a signal. Even after I asked the front desk to have it looked at, nothing was done. If I didn't have to stay here for work, I wouldn't stay here at all. read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - Stained carpet next to the beds. - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

Came to San Diego for a little vacation and check in was easy and fast. The lobby is clean, the room is spacious, clean and fresh. The AC works amazing! Their breakfast was surprisingly good. Overall our stay was very pleasant. read more

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The Room was great, thank you to the staff for upgrading me to the king suite. The room is well maintained and tv is up to date. Kitchen was a great addition as well. read more

Not sure why the average is 2.5 stars. The overall rating should be 3.5 or 4 stars. We checked in after dinner and were warmly greeted by the night manager and a very polite young man. The lobby was well lit and contemporary in decor. This property has been recently remodeled. The new decor refreshes the HIEX brand. Decent fitness center offered convenient cardio machines & dumbells. Since the property is older, the room is larger and more spacious than newly built hotels. This also means the bathroom had a nice large vanity! New builds offer little counter space. Nice appliances like microwave, coffeemaker, iron & board. However the closet rod was missing, so we couldn't hang clothes if we wanted to. The desk is a nice size but it was missing a chair... unless we're meant to use the ottoman / backless stool, which we found under the nightstand between the queen beds. Thanks to the front-desk rep, who advised us to park near the back door. It was closer to our ground floor room. Unfortunately, other guests in the parking lot were loud; we heard them throughout the night as we tried to sleep. The interior hall was slightly quieter. Breakfast was included in our stay. It even had hot scrambled eggs (when local grocers are sold out), sausage, biscuits, cold cereal and hot oatmeal, and a DIY waffle iron. We opted to try the nearby restaurant b/c D.Z. Akins has such good reviews. Second preference Acapela Tacos for breakfast! read more

Hello, good morning. I would like to thank all the staff at Holiday Inn Express for being so kind and providing excellent service. They also keep the rooms completely clean and comfortable for a good night's rest. I truly recommend it. It is a very good hotel and also offers a completely free breakfast. Thank you, Holiday Inn Express. read more

Noise from hallway blasts right into the rooms. Upper floor squeaks into lower rooms. Rooms stink. Carpet needs cleaning/replacing. Spend your $ on a real hotel in downtown San Diego. You're welcome. read more

We do a little "staycation" here every five or six months, just to get out of the house. It's a favorite because they have recently renovated, provide quite a few amenities, and are centrally located near the freeway, shopping, and restaurants. Price-wise it's pretty comparable to other hotels in the area, and includes an actually decent breakfast. The kids are obsessed with the automated pancake machine! There can be some sketchy-types hanging out at the 7-Eleven next door, but for the most part they don't bother anyone. I think the two and half stars on Yelp is unwarranted, and you can see most of the more recent reviews are very positive. read more

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I stayed as a guest of a guest! I got in late the night before and woke up starving. I manage to find the dining area and foot area. I walk in! Hmmmi smell the food but, I don't see it. Everything looked as if I missed breakfast.! I hear the banging of pots n pans I peek my head in and there is standing my future bff for 1.5 days! I asked ummm sir did I miss breakfast! He goes no it closes at 9:30 it's 9:22 lol. He goes let me show you. Y'all seen the Jettisons? Well this pancake maker was definitely confiscated from their cartoon kitchen. Grab breakfast and back up the vator Well then I go back down and Mr I call him Challenger is boom right where I left him. Sir do you know if a Ross's is close by. Lo and behold Mr Challenger let me follow him to the nearest one. And if that's not enough I had cut the tip of my finger the night before on a paper towel dispenser! Brutal works of art aren't they! So my finger was getting in my way when I was doing my hair! Ouch right ladies. Well I call guest services. Ask where I can purchase some bandages nope you come on by the desk they are waiting for you. the lady demands! Noooo problem I toss on my whatever's and hoof it straight down Lo and behold! Mr Challenger with some ointment and two bandages! Mr Challenger. Thank you for your amazing friendship! And customer service. I could have slipped you a 20 and called it a day! Not good enough for you! I feel you deserve the 5 star treatment! Your amazing! Now go trade that car in. I'm still looking for that t top ok! One pleasantly pleased guest of a guest. Andrea M read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - The hotel - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

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nice hotel,I enjoyed my stay. good customer service, everyone i encountered was very friendly and helpful.very clean as well

The good: The hotel and the room are very clean. The staff was ok The bad: It took a male receptionist over half an hour to check one person in (a long line was formed due to this) That is at 7:00 pm not a typical check in time. Parking is horrible. The-stalls are so small ( just wide enough to meet specifications ) . Hard to maneuver , to get in or out. Even then on the day I arrived availability was almost zero. They run out of most Breakfast items before 9:30.. supposed to serve until 10:00. Elevator by the lobby out of order, ice maker out of order...When it worked the elevator makes a loud noise and jerks before making a stop scaring the hell out of everyone inside. That is why I gave them 3 read more

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The hotel staff is so kind and the rooms are so clean this place is so good this is the best hotel ever read more

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Clean lobby and rooms, the hot breakfast is a real hot breakfast, the staff is very professional and friendly. We walked to chipotle and Costco is also close by. read more

Do not go here. Absolutely disgusting. Non smoking room smelled like heavy smoke. Huge stains all over the carpet. Trash overflowing. It looked nothing like the pics online and we paid $250.00 for one night! Doesn't even deserve 1 star. read more

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My dad made his own reservation here. I warned him in advance not to be too cheap... He didn't listen. I wanted to escort him to his room, and I'm glad I did. We get up there, filthy, phone doesn't work and reeks of cigarettes. He has asthma like I do, so this wasn't working. He was exhausted, but I couldn't let him stay in that room. We came back down and got a second room... also filthy, stained, smelled slightly less like cigarettes. He was too tired to try again. The HVAC didn't work at all. I wiped everything down with Clorox wipes while he semi unpacked, and we went to grab a burger for dinner down the street. When I got home, after dropping him off and took off my shoes, my feet were black. Being in the room for 5-10 minutes and my feet were filthy. I looked up this place on Yelp, then I couldn't even sleep a wink that night. I was scared shitless for my poor elderly dad. This place is a complete health hazard. When they have the lobby completely locked, 24/7, that says something to me about the safety of the area too. I don't care if there was a security guard on site or not, I was not reassured. Fortunately, nothing happened to my dad, but this place was really terrible, and I'm glad he is safely back home now. I hate that he had to stay here and deal with this. read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - Lobby - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

Let's start off with the fact we came down the wrong weekend of comicon and the room was about $400 per night. When we got here there was no one to open the door we had to wait 15minutes until another guest opened the door for us. There was only 1 person working plus parking is $20 a night. There is a coffee machine in the room but not a single bottle of water was provided. The place it's self smells like marijuana and grease. There were stains on the floor and wallpaper pealing, the bathroom just smelled horrible. There is no one to help you with your bags. Again for the price per night I'm glad we only had to spend a single night there this place was a last minute choice for us but 10 out of 10 I wouldn't this place nor will I ever return!!!!!!!! Horrible read more

I am not typically one to leave a bad review but dang, this IHG hotel needs to be reevaluated and reconsidered having the IHG branding rights! I booked this room over the 4th of July holiday weekend for 3 nights for me, my 18 yr old son and 24 yr old daughter. Thank goodness they aren't babies anymore because had they been little I would have been in a world of chaos! Anyone with small children, this is NOT the place for you! It was absolutely disgusting! The sidewalks outside were cleaner and safer to walk on! The windows in the room looked as though they hadn't been cleaned for weeks as there were dirty handprints everywhere possibly with food. The curtains only opened on one side but the beds looked like the sheets were clean. There were small ants everywhere especially in the restroom! There are no microwaves and no shampoo/conditioner/body wash (my mistake thinking there would be since it was an IHG property). Friday - Upon check in, we had only 2 towels, a hand towel and NO wash cloths. I went down stairs to ask for more and was told they had ran out but would have more in the morning (I packed beach towels so we improvised). Saturday - In the morning, still no towels. We left for the day. When we got back to the room, I asked for the towels and again, they didn't have any. When we get back to the room, my son tells me there is no more toilet paper. Of course, I look everywhere because what hotel doesn't leave an extra roll in the room? I find NOTHING! I walk back down stairs, ask for toilet paper and to my surprise, they ARE ALL OUT!!!! WTH!! Thank goodness, my daughter said she had some in the car. Sunday - Morning Still no towels and No toilet paper. We left for the day. We get back around 1am ask for towels, we were able to get 6. But they stunk! The hallways on the 2nd floor smelled of weed (I know it legal) so I won't make a big deal out of that, to each their own. Bottom line, although the location is a good thing, this is a last resort hotel. It's gross. REALLY GROSS! One positive is the front desk people were nice and very apologetic for not having what they didn't have. lol. read more

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Newly Renovated. We held a Regional Conference for the Masonic Red Cross of Constantine with 104 members in attendance. The hotel staff set up a block of rooms for our out-of-town members and graciously extended the reservation date twice to ensure everyone got the discounted rate. We rented a larger room as our Hospitality suite, and the staff helped direct our arriving guests there. The Hotel is within a few hundred yards of the freeway, which makes it easy to find and access for those from out of town. The AC works great, and they have really great window shades that do a great job of blocking the sun when you want to sleep in! The rooms were spotless and very modern, especially the bathrooms, and they have a well-stocked snack room by the front desk for those craving something in the middle of the night! All rooms have refrigerators and microwaves, which I always make use of. Got to have a place to keep and reheat the leftovers after going out to eat in the area! They are within a few blocks of several places to eat, and there is plenty of parking. The fact that they serve Breakfast every morning without an additional charge was wonderful. Great way to start the day before starting your sightseeing. I am a long-time IHG member and will recommend the La Mesa property as a great place to stay when visiting the area. read more

This place isn't what it use to be. To start, they had my elderly parents waiting 1 extra hour after checking in. They needed a handicap room/ shower. Once they got in the room, mom noticed the carpet, and curtains which were dirty and had cigarette burns. The carpet was so dirty... she called me at night to tell me there was a roach on top of her bed. My poor parents were not able to sleep. The only reason I booked this place was because I live around the corner. I don't have a ramp for my dad's wheelchair. They were having their tub cut for dad to be able to shower in their bathroom.. please don't stay at this place. You will regret it. read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - That's inside the room - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

Our family stayed here for 2 nights as our son had a basketball tournament in San Diego. It's an excellent hotel that is well placed to get anywhere near San Diego. It's right off the freeway too and had plenty of parking. The hotel has been recently remodeled and was very nice. The breakfast was great and the staff was friendly and hard working. Everything was VERY clean. I'd stay here again without any hesitation. read more

Let me tell you why this place gets one star, and one star only. My homeboy Curtis, he's the king of the bed bugs. (He's the only reason for one star, because he's a star in my eyes) Upon arrival, I had a roach try to smuggle a grilled cheese and a cigarette from me. It was my only grilled cheese left, so now I'm going to be sad for the rest of my trip. (I'll insert an image so that you can imagine how sad I am) I check into my room and the first thing I noticed was some musty sheets and to my surprise, someone was coming out of the bathroom. Who could it be? MY HOMEBOY CURTIS, he rolled himself up in our musty sheets and went to sleep. But you know what? I'm not mad, because he sleeps like an angel. read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - A single tear for my stolen grilled cheese - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

DO NOT STAY HERE! This hotel, which was actually worse than a motel, had carpet stains that were extremely disgusting. It appeared to be from water leaks; however, the carpet looked like a dead body had rotten on it. The smell in the room wasn't that of a dead body rotting; however, it was putrid. This hotel was so gross that we checked for bedbugs. The A/C unit was loud and had to be dusted and sprayed with Lysol. When these issues were brought to the attention of the staff, we were told that they were booked and that there were no other rooms available. No, other remedies were provided. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we were stuck at this hotel (unless we slept in our car); however, that would have been a concern as well, because of all the homeless people around the outside of the hotel. This place needs to be shut down and brought up to minimum hotel standards before allowing anyone to stay here. read more

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My name is Daniel Medina, our stay at the hotel was super! Kieth, the front desk manager. He made sure out stay was more than better.

Staff and cleanliness of room are good. I don't mind no breakfast grab and go at the moment, but I am concerned about the shaking elevator last inspected in 2018. If you don't mind the smoked weed scent on second floor, then at least know Room 212 had damaged lamps and odor scent in the sink (unless closed). I read the reviews, and I really hope management truly starts remodeling next year. read more

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Dirty hallways/elevators, plus bathroom had several long black hairs on floor when arrived. (I am natural blond) Takes 15-20 min just to check in each time here & EACH time here say computers not working. Do not have car, but charged me for one! Today, just needed to replace two towels, asked the cleaning person but the one today doesn't speak any English so didn't want to give me two towels even though brought out 3 day-used ones to trade. Breakfast is OK. Very nice employees in kitchen & w/ breakfast. Quiet except on weekends. Close to everything so great location. read more

My son had an medical emergency within 24 hours of our planned stay. They would not refund any portion of the amount because we missed the cancelation timeline. read more

I would definitely stay here again. Con: It can get a little messy. People leave their trash and dirty bedding in the hallways, and the staff leave it for the cleaning crew to get to it when they get to it. Pros: 1. The employees are SUPER nice and VERY helpful. 2. The free breakfast is AMAZING, and the food is always available at 7 AM on the dot. 3. It's about an 8 minute drive from SDSU. read more

They are infested with roaches. please avoid staying here at all cost!!!. The worst hotel I've ever stayed at. Walking into my room I was shocked at how filthy it was. I was greeted with a horrible smell and the carpet was very old with stains in it . I was walking toward the bathroom when I seen something crawling and there it was a giant roach. I was disgusted. I had to leave. read more

Holiday Inn Express - La Mesa - Roaches everywhere - Hotels Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This Holiday Inn has been convenient as family is close. The carpets and furniture were filthy! read more

I've never met a more kind and caring general manager at a hotel, ever. There were glitches in my stay, but the manager and all of the staff were kind, helpful and worked towards fixing any problem. read more