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    The Rambler Hotel

    4.1 (213 reviews)
    ModerateHotels
    Open Open 24 hours

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    Outside chk in area
    Carri F.

    Great place to stay. 70s retro vibe. Comfy beds. Lovely rooms. Arcade located in lobby and small eat lounge to the right of that with more arcades. Heated pool. WiFi. Friendly staff. Clean rooms.

    Board games you can borrow
    Miriam P.

    The motel has a cute vibe! You can buy smores in the lobby to toast in the fire place by the pool. The front desk staff was so friendly. They saw my id and saw I was coming from bakersfield and informed me that the padre hotel where I am from is their sister hotel! What a small world. The rooms were clean the bathroom definitely needs a little revamp but nothing too crazy. I love how they have a cafe on site I woke up and went straight to the coffee shop! Great location would definitely book again.

    Rachel T.

    Honestly, we recently stayed at a hotel that was about the same cost and the experience was night and day. The service, cleanliness and charm of the rambler motel is top notch. The decor is so inviting and fun and the extras that they offer make for such a great time. They have a pool, a fire pit, coffee shop, game room and casino. We could have just hung out at the hotel when we came. Fully recommend!

    Maxine P.

    How to describe this renovated motel of times past. It's located right off the Main freeway in Chula Vista. The motel has a Route 66 theme with word designs on the outside of main buildings and the rooms as well. Each room number is designed to look like a mile marker in bright colors. The room itself is tidy and clean, with large words on the wall in bright colors. The bed was comfortable, there were shampoo, conditioner and body soap dispenser in the shower, with a strong shower head spray. Lotion provided as well. We had the bottom room floor near the pool so it could be a little with music and laughter of the families. Didn't bother us, just pointed out in case those interest preferred quiet. The pool area looked well cared for. Charging port for phones were located by the bed side. The office is decorated in bright fun furnishings attached to a restaurant called Rambler Cafe. This came in handy since we were hungry when we arrived. The motel is only 20 minutes from the Gaslight District, Coronado Island and airport when traffic is light. There is a wildlife refuge close by with walking and biking trails. The price was right at 125.00 a night.

    Amanda P.

    Another great stay! Thank you for always making it a smooth experience and the coffee shop never disappoints!

    Such cute decals.
    Kristin J.

    This was such a funky cute hotel to stay at in the south bay area in San Diego. I was visiting family and wanted to have a safe, decently priced hotel to stay one night in. My husband and I checked in at 11pm and checked out the next morning at 10:30am. It was a super quick stay. There was plenty of parking, I felt like my car was safe there overnight. I did the precheck-in that was sent to me via text and email, so when I went to the lobby to check in late at night it was super quick; like just looked at my ID and handed me the room cards quick. Our room was on the ground floor near the pool. It was a very clean room and was such a relief to walk into after a long drive. I adored the decor and all of the cute extra touches to make the room unique. In the morning, I saw a menu on the desk for the coffee shop. We scanned the QR code, which didn't work with my 2018 phone, I pulled up the cafés website and tried to order from there but it said they weren't taking online orders. I then called the reception desk and asked to be connected to the café and tried to place an order for pick up so I could just walk right over and grab it when it was ready. After I was connected to the cafe I was told they don't take orders over the phone. No biggie, just less convenient. My husband walked over and ordered our drinks and waited for them. He got me an Iced Chai Tea Latte which was really really good! Checkout went smoothly in the morning. I really wanted to keep one of our room keys but they have a return the room key box on the counter. The receptionist printed out my receipt and we headed out. It was a relaxing very quick trip. I highly recommend this hotel if you are looking for a spot in the south bay. It is conveniently located right off of the 5 freeway.

    Madelyn T.

    I would highly recommend the Rambler Motel if you're looking for a place to stay outside of downtown SD. It's not the greatest, but they do offer better amenities compared to your typical motels. They do have a cafe on site that is open daily from 7am-8pm if I'm not mistaken. I really like their retro theme throughout the motel. They also offer movie nights at the pool every Fridays. Staff were great upon check in and check out.

    Dirty Horchata
    Ivett G.

    This hotel is so clean and cute! I love the location just off the freeway and plenty of parking! Cute little pool as well. The cafe is amazing and you get a discount if you stay at the hotel. I'm hoping to go back soon!

    Coffee shop inside the lobby with some arcade machines!

    Booked a stay here for one night. We were only supposed to be in town for the day as our "day trip" but ended up staying the night lol. We stumbled across this place through Expedia and loved it. The room we stayed in looked like it was remodeled and the graphics on the wall were cool! Nice huge mirror by the sink which I really enjoyed. The room itself seemed clean but the bathroom seemed to have not been a part of the remodeling venture - lol. Nothing too crazy-- overall still got to do what we needed to do. Motel is right by the freeway but I don't think the noise caused us any disturbance. The price was reasonable and we'll definitely be staying again when we're in town.

    Pool area
    Ellie V.

    Don't be fooled by the term "motel"!Absolutely enjoyed our stay! From the moment we checked in, I couldn't help but be awed by the overall fun vintage decor of this place, also very clean! And free parking! Friendly staff also a huge plus! Rooms did not have a mini fridge or microwave but they do have an ice bucket for the ice machine if you have a little cooler. I believe they also have rooms with a kitchenette available to book, which we may do next time. Shampoo/conditioner, body soap, mini bar of hand soap & lotion (orange scent was fabulous) were provided. Also had a hair dryer. Pool lounging was nice. You can order right from your lounge chair! Also get 40% discount while staying at the motel. We enjoyed it so much we booked another night! We most definitely will be booking our stay here when we're in town! Kudos to the entire team! You're doing an amazing job keeping this place enjoyably clean!

    Cafe' treats a lot of people to quick food and there's grab and go too

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    4 months ago

    Loved the hotel! Super clean and cute themed room! Would choose them again if we are ever back in the area! Their coffee shop is the best!

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    1 year ago

    Quiet and affordable, great location right off the 5. Clean and tidy. Ample parking as well. Friendly front desk staff, too

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    The Rambler Hotel Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Rambler Hotel

    What does the Casino offers?

    It's a card room.

    Is the cafe open to-go? They don't seem to have a website currently.

    Hi Vanessa, Rambler Coffee Shop is open 7AM-3PM SUN-THURS and 7AM-5PM FRI-SAT.

    Is the pool open now?

    Yes, it is. But social distancing is required.

    Is there Continental breakfast?

    No. No refrig or coffee in room either. They are building something in front that looks like a cafe of sorts.

    View All 5 Questions

    Review Highlights - The Rambler Hotel

    PROs: great prices, other location reviews are scary with bed bugs, this motel was surprisingly CLEAN I loved that!!

    Mentioned in 20 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    As you read about El primero you already know it was built in 1930. Knowing that the hotel is cute…read more, quite a little out dated furniture and carpet but that's it's character and you should embrace it. I took my girk friend there for a birthday night. The location was perfect. We walked up and down third avenue enjoying the shops, bars and restaurants. When our night on the town was over we enjoyed walking back to the hotel to our king room . No hassle whatsoever entering and exiting freely. I would recommend this hotel to anyone that is willing to just enjoy where you are and not expect bellboys and fancy amenities. We plan on doing it again for her next birthday.

    I booked El Prinero in an effort to be local to a waterpolo tournament rather than spending my time…read morein my car and my money in businesses that are not local. Chula Vista is a cute neighborhood. The hotel promised quit settings , the smoke store and 7-11 across from it made me doubt that when we first arrived but it turned out to be totally true. The neighborhood is super safe and has everything you will EVER need right on 3rd. The lady running this hotel is super organized. We booked the largest room as we had a 4 night stay. The bed and pillow were cozy. Towels ample in the bathroom. The parking lot on the side dedicated to guests was a life line and so practical. Water pressure and temp were perfect. Spacious bathroom. Cute and large outdoor space. Coffee and tea for guests ready in the lobby every morning. I appreciated that the other guests were equally as quiet as that as it is an old building and you can hear other folks' convo from room to room. As it is often the case no matter how expensive your hotel is. Five star if the trash had been emptied and the bathroom had had a refresh. Booking was easy , payment taken on arrival , easy check out. We'll be back.

    Holiday Inn Express San Diego South - Chula Vista

    Holiday Inn Express San Diego South - Chula Vista

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    SUPERB & SQUEAKY CLEAN! My family and I stayed here during San Diego Comic Con since we didn't want…read moreto drive over an hour from our house to the Convention Center. We were so fortunate that my Mom found this Holiday Inn. Our front desk attendant Ramona was phenomenal and extremely hospitable! A majority of the staff were very friendly and helpful. I was welcomed back almost every night upon returning from my long day of fun by another sweet lady pulling the night shift. Everywhere from the complimentary breakfast room, (open from 6-9:30am) to the elevator, to our room was exceptionally clean. I even peeked in the fitness room and all the stations were well-kept. This Holiday Inn had a medium-sized pull perfect for sun- bathing. Everything about this hotel was convenient. I had some stuff to do for work and forgot my laptop, thankfully they had a desktop in the lobby which allowed me to submit a few documents to my employer. The soap dispensers in the shower and near the sink are high quality and easy to pump. However, what I love the most is this Holiday Inn's proximity to the E Street Metro Station. Each morning it would take about 8 mins to walk to the station from the hotel and I would be off to the convention center within 15-20 mins. My only complaint would be the showers and cost. The shower's plug would not drain correctly and I was forced to take a "bath", which was kind of gross. I don't like standing in my own bath water. As for cost, this location is uber expensive, we paid almost $1,500 for 5 nights. At least parking was free? Overall, I felt very safe at Chula Vista's Holiday Inn. Furthermore, the beds were some of the best in the business. I would return on a non-SDCC weekend. I think they increased their prices for the con. Side note; The breakfast bar was really GOOD! They had snack bags. eggs, biscuits & gravy, waffles, oatmeal, fruit, coffee, juice and more!

    This hotel has a lot of great reasons to stay there. And a…read moreone of the biggest reasons is the hotel staff! Everyone seems happy to work there at the front desk . And the lady that prepares the breakfast is always ready before the actual time breakfast is supposed to be served. Which is a huge plus for people like me that usually miss out on the opportunity to have breakfast. The hotel is modern enough and clean rooms. I like that the shower doors work well keeping water on the right side of the glass. The only downside about this place it's not a beautiful view when you look out your window, but you're only a mile from the beach and other attractions .

    Best Western Chula Vista/Otay Valley Hotel - Exterior

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    My cousin had our annual Christmas party at his house (we all take turns and I'm up next year,…read moregulp!) which is in CV. We weren't about to make the 130 mile trip back home late at night, so we booked this place (as did my brother-in-law and my other cousin's son (and his GF, hmmmm...) Close to the border in CV, this roadside motel sits inside the driveway to a gas station. Yup, I almost missed it when my nav told me to turn into the gas station. There's ample parking; almost empty when we checked in, though we were surprised that when we returned after our party that the lot was pretty full. The guy at the desk was really nice but wasn't too familiar with any local attractions (we went to Sea World the next day). We volunteered to bring Little Caesars pizza to the party and he did know where that was. In fact, just one exit south off the freeway you'll find a bunch of fast food restaurants and Little Caesars. The room rate was fair for a two queen bed room and a simple breakfast is included. The room was what you would expect from a roadside motel, fairly clean, super simple and basic. The location next to the freeway added to the endless din that made its way through the single pane windows. Partiers who drove the 4 miles across the border to party in TJ made a ton of noise up to 4am, but I won't complain. Just bc I have 4 kids doesn't mean I don't like to have a good time, too. When we packed up the truck to leave, we did smell smoke and it appeared that a homeless person was burning a small on the other side of the wall between the motel and the freeway (no doubt to warm up on a 48F morning... For a motel, it is what it is. However, my wife and I discovered that our kids are bougie since they were looking for the lobby, casino and restaurants... Or was that us???

    No hot water; bath tub very slippery; coffee maker missing parts; hair in the scrambled eggs at…read morebreakfast

    Hampton Inn & Suites Imperial Beach San Diego - Guest room bath

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    The Rambler Hotel - hotels - Updated May 2026

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