Holiday Inn San Diego Downtown
The Holiday Inn San Diego Downtown is located at First Avenue right at the Interstate I-5. From the hotel one could easily walk down First Avenue to Horton Plaza and Gaslamp Quarter and even the convention centre. I have done it twice and think it is walkable but you should at least calculate with a walking time of 30 minutes.
The airport is reachable in 10 minutes by the complimentary hotel shuttle. Unfortunately the hotel is not listed on the courtesy phones in the arrival hall, meaning you have to call them using a mobile phone.
The hotel itself is a unique for the San Diego, because it is a round building (you find the exact same sort of hotel building in many cities across the USA). It has 220 room and 16 floors. A parking garage is available for reasonable 12.00 USD / 24 hours. In addition there are two places across the entrance for ten minutes without charge. The small pool could be found left of the main entrance. There is also the really small gym with one of the oldest equipments I have experienced so far. The pool is also small
and the area not really nice. You are looking on a gas station or the hotel building and have the noise of the nearby interstate.
The lobby of the hotel is quite small. On the right side of the entrance are some sofas and lounge chairs as well as two internet PC’s. I would not call this business centre. On the left side is the small self service restaurant, which provides food and beverage. In the morning breakfast items are served and also food for lunch. The check-in area is right across the two entrance doors providing space for two agents to check guests in or out.
The elevators are centrally located behind the check in area.
visited on USA + NZ
direct linkt to hotel:
Holiday Inn San Diego-Downtown
stays 12 February 2008 - 21 February 2008
Arrival Date: 12 February 2008
Departure Date: 13 February 2008
Room type booked: Standard
Rate Plan: Advanced Purchase Rate
Room Number: 0702
Room Rate: 124.00 USD
Status of Guest Program: Platinum
I called the hotel after my luggage had arrived on the belt and was told that the shuttle was on its way and would be there in app. 10 minutes. Having some experiences with shuttles this one arrived after 10 minutes and we were on the way to our hotel; I was somehow impressed by this fast service.
Check in was fast, I was asked for credit card and ID while during check in. I got a voucher worth 10 USD for breakfast.
My room was small and looked like a typical Holiday Inn room. The door opened to the corridor, it seems it has been a room for handicapped people. The large bathroom was right at the entrance. It had a bath and a toilet. Shower curtain was okay while the shower head was old. The bathroom was showing its age very clearly. From a conversation I heard in the elevator, I heard the hotel is undergoing renovation in the moment. All rooms will get new bathroom and new carpets. The furniture will remain the same but
will be replaced later, too.
The sink was in the room, tea and coffee facilities were placed there, too. Also the hairdryer could be found there. All towels – three of each side (small, medium and large) – hung on the rack in the bathroom. There was no rack at the sunk; a bit strange as one needs a towel there, too. In addition the area around the sink was pretty packed with the coffee machine, box for ice cubes and four glasses and the bathroom amenities. You hardly had space for your personal belonging.
The hotels had some problems with the water pressure in the evening. But as I phoned front desk was told the hotel was working on it and five minutes later they called and told me that it was an issue with the water system in this part of San Diego. They expected the problem to be solved in an hour or two.
The room was fitted with a bed along with two bedside tables and reading lamps and a lounge chair on the left side, while a desk and a commode with the TV was placed on the other side. The working desk had a lamp and a LAN port, but W-LAN was also available in the room for free.
The mattress was for my taste a bit too soft, but again I prefer a really hard mattress and therefore it might be okay for the most travellers.
One telephone was on the desk while the other one was placed on one of the bedside tables.
The carpet showed its age and had some stains. There were also some scratches at the wall, especially near the entrance and where the luggage could be placed. The furniture had some scratches as well and was not quite modern. As written above, it’s a typical Holiday Inn.
Breakfast in the morning was okay, it is self service and the Platinum voucher worth 10 USD gave you more or less a free continental breakfast. I had a coffee, a bowl of fruit and a French toast and had to pay only additional 2.56 USD. Though the ambiance in this restaurant is not so nice, the food was surprisingly not that bad as expected, probably better than in the Holiday Inn Bayside. Staff was a bit slow.
A requested late check out for 15.00 was denied, I was offered 13.00 instead and later told 14.00 would be okay, too.
Check-out was okay, but I was not asked if there was anything wrong.
The big advantage of this hotel is to me the location and the free shuttle to the airport. The interior and design of the hotel is out of style and the upgrade of rooms and interior might be necessary. The gym and the pool area are not worth as a reason to choose this hotel. Staff is friendly
Arrival Date: 21 February 2007
Departure Date: 22 February 2007
Room type booked: Standard
Rate Plan: Advanced Purchase Rate
Room Number: 1016
Room Rate: 104 USD
Status of Guest Program: Platinum
I arrived really late this time, due to a cancelled flight and another delayed flight from SFO to LAX and the rush hour traffic down to San Diego. I parked the car at one of the two short time parking places in front of the hotel and entered the lobby.
The agent at check in recognised me in the moment she had my passport and welcomed me back at their hotel. I assumed because I arrived by car was asked if I needed a place to park and got a allowance to park in the garage free of charge instead the usual fee of 9 USD. Also the voucher worth 10 USD for breakfast was given to me and I was told I was upgraded to one of the rooms on the higher floor, Check in was this time fast and very personally, as I was addressed by name.
I parked my car and took the elevator up to the 10th floor.
The room faced the street with the gas station in front and the highway with also a view towards the runway of San Diego airport.
The room was not in the same way styled than my room nine days earlier.
The room was of the same seize and looked like a typical Holiday Inn room. The bathroom was this time small with bath and toilet, the sunk together with tea and coffee facilities were in a separate area in front of the entrance to the bathroom. Shower curtain and shower head was okay. I am not sure if this was a renovated room. The bath had a scratch, nothing big, but I assumed they would have replaced the bath during renovation, but I might be wrong. Shower head and curtain and the area around the bath however
seemed to be new.
Towels were provided for three persons.
The room was fitted with a bed along with two bedside tables and reading lamps and a lounge chair on the left side, while a desk and a commode with the TV was placed on the other side. The working desk had a lamp and a LAN port, but W-LAN was also available in the room for free. The working desk was standing the way, one had air condition and window in the back, not straight the way I like it. The window could be opened, so one was able to get fresh air in the room.
One telephone was on the desk while the other one was placed on one of the bedside tables.
The carpet was in much better conditions this time and showed not stains, a few scratches at the wall if you took a closer look. The furniture had some scratches as well and was not quite modern, it was the same style than in the room I have had on my previous stay. But my general impression this time was that it was in much better conditions this time. It might be, because it was a room of a better room category or slightly by coincidence. I do not know, but generally I think they should consider a replacement
in the neat future.
Breakfast in the morning was okay, it’s self service and the Platinum voucher worth 10 USD gave me this time a free breakfast. I had a coffee, a muffin and a bottle of water, which was completely cowered by my voucher.
Check-out was okay, though it took them a couple of minutes to figure out which sort of booking I have had to get me my invoice. As I showed the agent the confirmation mail they got it by confirmation number I think.
Overall this was again a nice hotel. Though I had planed to spend more time in San Diego and therefore had booked this hotel, it did not happen this way. But I was thankful for the convenient location and the free internet and the hotel being close to the highway, downtown and the airport. This is one of the huge advantages of this hotel, especially if the rates are not that high. Staff was friendly and it was nice to be recognised and it pays off to stay frequently in the same property. At least at your second
stay you get a better treatment and so it was this time. I would consider this hotel again if I want to visit downtown San Diego again. If I want to relax at a pool, I would consider trying another property.
