Hotel Review and Feedback Thread

[jontargaryen]

I've stayed at a few hotels in San Diego so I'm just going to list some pros and cons I've had with each of them

Name of Hotel: Omni

Type of Room: Two double beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: 2

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2015

Pros:
-Location. Gaslamp is right outside your door, convention center right across the street.
-Beautiful rooms. Spacious enough for two people, comfortable beds.
-The pool area is gorgeous, especially at night.
-Clean lobby.
-Fantastic staff. They definitely go out of their way to help everyone.

Cons:
-Expensive restaurant and bar. I know all hotel bars are expensive but $15 for a glass of wine is just outrageous.
-The bathroom doors don't close. They slide back and forth so there's never a time where it's completely shut.
-Expensive valet

Name of Hotel: Marriott Marquis and Marina

Type of Room: Double Bed

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2013, 2014

Pros:
-Location, obviously.
-Views from the room can be stunning if you get lucky. Beautiful sweeping views of San Diego harbor.
-Well appointed rooms with plenty of room for 2 or 3 people to fit comfortably.
-Comfortable beds.
-Great bars.
-The pool area is awesome and you can hang out there all night (as long as you're quiet).

Cons:
-Location in terms of the Gaslamp Quarter. You have to cross the street. Beware of the Freight Train of Doom. If that thing comes by you're waiting on either side for at least 30/35 minutes.
-It's a little too big for my taste, but I prefer smaller boutique hotels so it might just be me. It's really spread out.
-Expensive. Don't even think about going to the Starbucks in there.

Name of Hotel: Hilton Bayfront

Type of Room: Double Bed

Number of Nights You Stayed: 7 total

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2013, 2014, 2015

Pros:
-Location for Hall H line and convention center in general.
-Beautiful grounds that surround the hotel.
-Pool and lobby bar are wonderful. The lobby bar serves fantastic drinks and has great bartenders.
-The gym is fantastic.

Cons:
-Rooms on the smaller side.
-Location in terms of Gaslamp Quarter. Freight Train of Doom.
-Second floor lobby and elevators to guest rooms.
-It always feels really crowded.

[hjlodge]

Name of Hotel: Omni

Type of Room: 2 full-sized beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2014

Hotel Review:

This was such a coveted hotel, we were really psyched to get it. From a location standpoint, it's pretty good, though I preferred the Bayfront for not having to cross the busy intersection to get to the con. This hotel was a solid experience but I'm not certain it completely stands up to the hype around it? So far I've stayed at the Bayfront, Marriott Gaslamp, and the Omni. I think Bayfront was the best and Marriott Gaslamp/Omni were comparable.

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
I think there was a restaurant but we never took advantage

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous?
Yes - totally polite

* Did you order room service?
No

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?
Didn't use any of them!

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels?
I felt like the room was really cramped for 4 people, and this was my main complaint. The beds were on the smaller side (Double vs. Queen) and we had very little floor space for all of our bags.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?
N/A

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?
5-10 minutes from door to door

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
No noise issues at all

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
No (not that I can remember)

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get?
No

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?
I was expecting to see a ton of celebrities but it wasn't really the case here. Maybe I'm just not good at noticing these things

What did you like about staying at this hotel?
The location is fantastic, and the rates were pretty reasonable. We also had a good view of Hall H and the line situation most of the time.


Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
I thought the rooms were a bit cramped for a 4 people/double situation.

[hjlodge]

Name of Hotel: Hilton Bayfront

Type of Room: 2 beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2015

Hotel Review:

This was my favorite hotel so far. The location is unbeatable - being on the same side of the railroad tracks as the convention makes a big difference, and the skybridge was really easy to take for getting to events/the Gaslamp.

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
Yes. There was a Starbucks but it was unfortunately always way too crowded to bother with. However, the frozen yogurt shop right next door had low/no lines and was always a refreshing treat. Also had a breakfast buffet (not complimentary) that was delicious in the morning.

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous?
Yes - totally polite

* Did you order room service?
No

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?
The pool looked great, but I didn't get a chance to take advantage.

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels?
The room was large and the beds were large - comfortable for 4 people 

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?
A roommate of ours did park, and it was $$. Would not recommend doing that.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?
5 minutes

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
No noise issues at all

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
Yes - we had free wifi

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get?
Yes. Only wifi.

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?
There was a lot of great programming in the hotel itself, and the con was very easy to get to. Only con is there are not a lot of easy/cheap food options without crossing the street.

What did you like about staying at this hotel?
Great location, great rooms.

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
The crowds were the only downside. I'm a person who needs coffee daily but I couldn't tolerate the long lines at Starbucks.

[soncrazy808]

Name of Hotel: Hilton Bayfront

Type of Room: Had a king room. We did an upgrade so we were overlooking the convention side.

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2015

Hotel Review:

Food
I didn't spend much time exploring food options at the hotel. However, I do know they have a starbucks and yogurt place conveniently downstairs.

Staff
Hotel staff were friendly. We had a few bumps in the check in process in regards to who's card could be on the reservation, but we later called that night and the problem was quickly resolved.

Amenities
I'm not sure about all the amenities. But the pool!!! It was great. I believe it was a salt water pool and about 4 ft deep all around. My shorter friends particularly loved the height of the pool because she could walk all around it. I definitely think this would be one of the biggest draws for me to stay in this hotel again. If you get the hotel you should check it out!

Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels?
The king room was decently roomy. I believe it's on the bigger side compared to other rooms I've stayed at like for example Town and Country. It definitely wasn't as big as a Hard Rock suite. There were about 7 of us and it wasn't super tight, a little crowded, but definitely roomy enough.

Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
Surprisingly no noise to my knowledge. I don't know if it was the lack of people on my floor, or if the room walls weren't thin, but we didn't have any issues with noise. We were also pretty high up so all the noise from the ground didn't reach us.

Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
When I was there AT&T users got free wifi. My friend had AT&T so he lucked out on that.

Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?
Definitely lots of celebrity sightings. I stayed in the Hard Rock the previous year and I had a lot more sightings at the Bayfront. I think a lot of parties were also done at the Bayfront so we were always running into people in the elevators, like some ppl from the vampire diaries.

What did you like about staying at this hotel?
I was a little skeptical about the hotel at first since it's so isolated from the other downtown gaslamp hotels, but I actually really loved my stay. It's pretty close to the convention center and you don't have to cross those ridiculous crowded streets. The view was also great. We could see all across the convention/downtown, and the sea area. Lots of celebrity sightings if you're into that kinda stuff. And the pool!! Just loved my stay in general. Hoping we could go back in the future

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
None, honestly.

[jasperthecactus]

HOTEL REVIEW

Name of Hotel: Manchester Grand Hyatt

Type of Room: 2 full beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: Wed - Mon

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2015

Area: There is a great shopping area behind the hotel with with lots of food options and places to explore. I particularly enjoyed the Ben & Jerry's window strategically placed beside an old-fashioned carousel. There is also a small cafe just outside the back door with great breakfast options that usually had very short lines compared to everything else in the area.

Staff: This was one of the most friendly and accommodating hotel staffs I have encountered

Amenities: Didn't use them, but the hotel was super nice. Comfortable beds, soft towels, quiet rooms. No complaints at all. The room was reasonably sized - didn't seem particularly large or small, but average.

Distance: Somehow the walk from the MGH manages to be just a bit further than it should be. Getting past the two hotels next to it and then to a door of the convention center that they will actually let you enter is further than the "3 blocks" listed, but still much better than many other places. Also, by being on the same side of the street as the convention center, it was nice not having to deal with the crazyness of trying to cross the street from the Gaslamp.

Pros:
really fancy/nice hotel
quiet rooms
friendly staff
nearby shopping/dining
location

Cons:
a little further than I wanted it to be
didn't see many celebrities

[Turtle26]

Name of the Hotel: Hilton Bayfront

Type of Room: 2 Beds

Number of Nights you stayed: 4

Year you stayed there: 2013

Hotel Review:

This is the only hotel in the downtown area I've stayed at, but it was wonderful.

Food: I tried the yogurt place and it wasn't very packed when I would walk by it. The prices were ok (from what I remember). The hotel had a area where it had food available to purchase right away. It was very convenient since I was always on the go.

Staff: The staff was very friendly from the little bit of interactions I had with them.

Wifi: It was not free (at least when I stayed there)

Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels? : I was mostly out of the room, but when I was in I was able to sleep. The room itself was comfy (I've been in much smaller rooms before)

Pros:
Location
Celeb sightings
Great Staff

[asternberg]

HOTEL REVIEW AND FEEDBACK LAYOUT

Name of Hotel: Horton Grand

Type of Room: (Did your room have 1 king-sized bed, 2 full-sized beds, or another type of bed?  Did you have a suite?): 2 beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2015

Hotel Review:


* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel? Yes, a restaurant/bar inside the hotel and plenty around it.

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous? They were all generally very nice. I had an issue when they loaded up my car at the end, they forgot to put my backpack in there (that included basically all of my expensive possessions). The valet guy personally drove it to my house in LA and dropped it off which was definitely above and beyond.

* Did you order room service? No.

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them? No big amenities. A nice courtyard though with seats and tables.

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels? We had 3 in a room so it was a little tight. I have definitely stayed in bigger rooms. But it was generally quiet and nice.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays? 20 for overnight, I believe.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot? We generally traveled by foot, and it was maybe a 10 minute walk.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)? Not too thin, things were fine.

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No) Yes

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get? No.

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above? Just a general good hotel, small and boutique like with interesting furniture. I'd prefer a closer one, but was altogether pretty good.

[cciveg]

Name of Hotel:

Embassy Suites

Type of Room: All Suite hotel, we had a King and a pullout in other room.

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2013-2015

Hotel Review:


* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
  yes, full breakfast buffet including eggs, omelets to order, a bar, baskin robbins, cheesecake factory across the street

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous?

Yes

* Did you order room service?
No, but they have a full breakfast and mini fridges which can help with the budget.

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?
Used the pool before and hottub, ok, if small

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels?

Huge rooms, very nice

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?

expensive like most downtown, $38

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?  Usually walked to the con which is 5 long blocks. About 15 mins. Took the shuttle back which wasn't too bad as it's the first stop.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
ok

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
no, free wifi for Hhonors gold status

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get?

see above, also you can pick a room sometimes

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?

near the cheesecake factory and sometimes there are parties at the park across the street

What did you like about staying at this hotel?

room sizes, real breakfast

[fayeray99]

Name of Hotel: Hilton Bayfront

Type of Room: 2 queen-sized beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: 5

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2013, 2014, & 2015

Hotel Review:

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
Yes - there is a little area under the hotel with a froyo place, starbucks, and a sports bar.  There is also a swanky bar and restaurant inside the hotel.  Their breakfast buffet after ComicCon is pretty great!

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous?
My first year not so much but the last two years they have been awesome!

* Did you order room service?
   No, they have limited services during SDCC. 

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?
I know there is a pool on the side of the hotel near the water, and a gym but honestly I didn't really use any of them since I was there for the con.

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels?
The rooms are a good size. 

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?
the parking is expensive. I think like $20 bucks a night maybe more. 

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?
It is right across the street from SDCC.  It is great if you are an Hall-H person because it overlooks the line. 

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
It was quite.  I don't know that we ever heard anyone but we also were not in the room that much. 

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
Yes in lobby only though.

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get?
yes, I am the lowest level.  I like that they let me earn the points which helped me earn a free hotel stay later but there really are many more perks during SDCC

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?
alot of the press is done here so if you wait out on the street of the side entrance you will see tons of celebrities.  A lot of them stay there too.  I was in the elevator with one of the guys from Vampire Diaries and Hank from Breaking Bad.   The cast of Heroes was hanging out in the hotel bar sunday night after. 


What did you like about staying at this hotel?
I like that we could see the hall h line. We really had no need to leave our area and made for a really great experience at SDCC.  The celeb sightings are really fun too! They also use this hotel for some of the programming. 

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
The cost.  It's about $340 a night with taxes plus another $20 for parking. 

[Turtle26]

Figured I would review the only other hotel I've stayed at even if it was in Mission Valley


HOTEL REVIEW AND FEEDBACK LAYOUT

Name of Hotel: San Diego Marriott Mission Valley

Type of Room: 2 Full Size Beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4


Year(s) You Stayed There: 2012

Hotel Review:


* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
   I honestly don't remember if they did. My group and I either ate downtown or ate the food we bought from the Kmart that was a few blocks down.

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous?
   The Hotel Staff was wonderful. There was a issue with checking in and they took care of it right away.

* Did you order room service?
   No

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?
   I know that they had a pool (good size). My group went swimming one night and it wasn't crowed at all and had towels at the ready.

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels?
   Yes we were able to sleep soundly. Since it was so far away it was quiet. The room fit all three of us comfortably.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?
   We flew in so I don't know what the rates were.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?
  So the shuttle took a good half hour at least to get to and from the convention center. The biggest problem with the shuttle was that sometime it was already full from previous stops. For one of the shuttle my group had to wait for for the better part of an hour. A few of the others waiting for the shuttle even left to take the trolley.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
   The walls were fine. I couldn't hear anything on the other side.

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
  No one from my group used the wifi there.

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get?
  was not a member

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?
  The hotel itself was nice. They had flavored water in the lobby that was different everyday. The staff was very friendly, I actually had a conversation with a staff member about SDCC for a good half hour.

What did you like about staying at this hotel?

Nice Hotel, Great Staff, Pool, quiet (if that's what you are looking for)


Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
The hotel was far from the convention, the shuttle was a long wait if it was full.

[susieqz]

Name of Hotel: Horton Grand

Type of Room: two queens

Number of Nights You Stayed:5

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2014

Hotel Review:

(Here are some questions to get you started as you think about your hotel stay during Comic-Con.  Again, you can answer all or some of these questions to help you write your hotel feedback comments.  Include as much information as you would like.)

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
  yes, everything. the hotel is right in the center of the gaslamp. perfect location

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous? super nice. we even got some free stuff from the gift shop in exchange for giving them good reviews lol

* Did you order room service?
 we did not.

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them? nothing fancy. there might have been a gym but we were too busy

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels? Yes very comfy, lots of space.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays? we took the train! Parking is always insane wherever you go. Highly recommend the train if you can.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot? 5 minutes

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)? Not that I could tell. we were all comfy and happy. we did have a balcony facing the main street, but honestly it was fun and we were happy to be in the middle of it all

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  no

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get? No

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?


What did you like about staying at this hotel?
Since you might have already wrote about it from the questions above, just make a quick list about the things you liked the most about your stay at this particular hotel.

 Super close to convention center
right in the middle of everything
super cute victorian hotel

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
Tell us about anything that negatively impacted your stay at this particular hotel that you may not have already mentioned above.

the most annoying thing was that there seemed to be some sudden hidden charges when we checked out. before we even got there we made sure to get every single fee possible so we knew what to expect and then suddenly there were extra charges so that was super annoying.  If you stay here, make sure to find out about that ahead of time!

[Totorozzz]

Name of Hotel: The Westgate

Type of Room: Standard 1 king size bed

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2015

Hotel Review:

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel? Yes
   If "Yes," tell us about the restaurants and type of food they had (if you remember). They had Sushi Deli 2 across the street as well as a Tender Greens next door. It's within walking distance of the Gaslamp so there was plenty of places to choose from. In addition, I've heard great things about their Sunday Brunch buffet but did not get the opportunity to try it.

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous? For the most part yes. I did not have any issues with the concierge or other staff folks.

* Did you order room service? Yes in a sense....
   If yes, tell us about if you had a good experience with room service. It was fine. The only reason we have to call room service is because they do not have ice machines. If you want ice, you have to call in.

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them? No

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Yes, it was actually quite roomy. It was just my boyfriend and I, but we had several relatives come visit as well.Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels? I would say larger but that might be because we had 1 bed.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays? I think it was roughly around $38 a night at the hotel valet.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot? By foot it was around 20 minutes to walk to the convention. The shuttle took much longer because of all the traffic.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)? It was pretty quiet. You may hear the doors closing in the next room or the front door. If you can imagine, there's your room, the room next door, and when you walk out there's a little lobby area that connects the two adjacent rooms and a main door.

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No) Not quite. It's part of the resort fee.

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?No  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get?

*Pros
-Lovely boutique hotel with a really pretty lobby area. The whole place has a very 1920s feel about it.
-Quiet. Did not hear much noise even though there was a party.
-Is still part of downtown
-Located next to a shuttle stop
-Close to Spreckles theater

*Cons
-The whole ice situation. You have to call in to request ice instead of there being an ice dispenser.
-Can be quite the walk if you plan on walking back and forth between the convention.

[Hermionel6]

Name of Hotel: Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown

Type of Room: 2 Queens (first year), 1 King (second year)

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2013, 2014

Hotel Review:

Room
We stayed here our very first time at SDCC, and liked it enough to make it our top choice again the following year. Rooms were very comfortable both times, friendly staff and easy checkin/checkout process. The first year there were three of us in a double queen room, and there was plenty of space (even as our swag started to pile up by the last day).  No noise problems or any other issues at all.

Free WiFi?
Yes (in room and lobby)

Location
It's about a 10-15 minute walk to the convention center, if you're walking at a brisk "We're at comic con and I just drank 20 ounces of coffee and we have to get in the BR20 line NOW" pace. More like 20 minutes walking back at the end of a long day.  It's also right next to the House of Blues, where the BBC has been known to hold fan meetups, and just a few blocks from the Balboa and Spreckels theatres, where a lot of offsite ticketed events (stand ups, Nerdist Live Podcast, Conan tapings, etc.) take place. Tons of good restaurants nearby as well.

Food & Drink
The Starbucks in the lobby was open early for con-goers the second year, which was extremely helpful. We did order room service for breakfast one morning, after arriving too late to line up for Hall H the night before. It was delicious, as I recall, and really put us in the right mood to salvage the rest of the day. We also hit up happy hour at the lobby bar one night, and enjoyed the comic con themed drinks

Other Services
We were able to leave our bags downstairs in a secure room Sunday morning after we checked out, go to the last day of the con, then grab drinks at the brewpub across the street while we waited for our taxi to the airport. They also provide a service for guests to leave boxes with the front desk to be taken to the nearby FedEx, if you end up with more swag than your suitcase can handle.

Overall a very nice place to stay!

Pros

- stylish, comfortable rooms
- very helpful staff
- walkable distance to the convention center
- close to theatres for offsite events
- many nearby restaurants
- Starbucks onsite

Cons

- walk seems longer at the end of the day
- no pool or hot tub for your aching feet

[geerome99]

Name of Hotel: Manchester Grand Hyatt

Type of Room: Double Room

Number of Nights You Stayed: 3

We stayed here in 2015

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?  Very nice hotel and convenient (5-10min) walk to the convention center. Especially nice to be able to walk out the back along the pier to get to the back entrance of the con.

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably? Had 4 ppl in the room, so we were a bit squished. Room size is not huge, but workable. However, we did have a beautiful view from the harbor.  No issues with the room itself. Everything was in working order and very clean.

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous? Staff was fantastic. Lucked out one night and the provided us a suite (and gave us meal credit for "inconvenience").

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel? Ate at the hotel restaurants a few times and food was pretty good. Wide selection of restaurants out back and in the lobby area.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?The parking was pretty expensive (in the $30 range), but that's to be expected for any hotel downtown.

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests? Yes.

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program? Yes, happened to be platinum member at the time.

Overall, a great experience. Likely to also see a celebrity or two walking around the lobby. Really wish I landed it again this year since I have a newborn, but got a Mission Valley hotel.

Pros:
- Great view
- Wide range of restaurants
- Very convenient to walk to convention center
- Friendly hotel staff
- Clean and modern rooms

Con:
- A bit noisy
- Expensive parking

[eek]

Name of Hotel: Embassy Suites San Diego Bay

Type of Room: Cityview King Suite w/ Pullout Sleeper

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2015

Hotel Review:

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
Free breakfast buffet - Hot items like eggs, bacon, sausage, can’t recall if there were pancakes/waffles. Cold items like fruit, yogurt, bagels, etc. They give you a wristband to access this breakfast when you check in. Every morning there was an employee checking for these wristbands.
There’s also a happy hour in the afternoon with free appetizers and drinks. We were never back at the hotel around that time, so no opinion.
Did not try the restaurant in the hotel.
Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robbins on the 1st floor were convenient for snacks.


* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous?
Yes, had no problems with staff.

* Did you order room service?
No

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?
Did not have time to check out these amenities.

* Were you and your roommates able to sleep and move around in the room comfortably?  Do you think the room is smaller or larger than the same type of room in other, comparable hotels?
Suite layout was spacious for 2. Plenty of room to drop your bags and swag.
I think it would have been fine with a 3rd person sleeping on the pullout bed in the "living room" area.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?
Did not drive, but parking in 2015 was $42/night and valet only.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?
The hotel list says it’s only “4 blocks” from the convention center, but they are long blocks. Distance is a little over half a mile each way. About 10-15min walk in the mornings. A little longer at the end of the day because of tired feet.
Sometimes we took the MTS trolley, which was only 1 or 2 stops from the convention center. We took advantage of that option when the crowds weren’t too bad.
If you are taking the Amtrak to SD, this hotel is close enough walking distance from the Santa Fe Depot as well.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
It was mostly quiet. Sometimes we heard muffled voices from the guys next door, but it wasn’t anything that would wake you up in the middle of the night.

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
Not free, at least not in rooms. 

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get?
Lowest level. No perks that I can remember, other than getting points for the stay.
Only get perks like free wifi if you book directly thru Hilton, so the TP booking did not count.

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?
 

What did you like about staying at this hotel?
* Room was well-appointed and clean. If you opt out of daily housekeeping, you get a voucher/ small credit for the restaurants downstairs.
* Room had a microwave and mini fridge. I think this is standard for all rooms in the hotel.
* Walking distance to the con
* Close enough to trolley stop if you don’t want to walk
* In a quieter corner of downtown
* Hotel overall is quiet and calm compared to what I’ve read about the more chaotic hotels closer to the convention center 

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
* Walking distance to/from convention center may still be a bit far for some people’s comfort
* Somewhat far from the hustle and bustle of the Gaslamp (this could also be considered a “pro”)