Hotel Review and Feedback Thread

[hikanteki]

Name of Hotel: Springhill Suites by Marriott San Diego Downtown/Bayfront

Type of Room: Two Queen Beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: 6

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2022

Hotel Review:

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel? Yes, the hotel had an outdoor/rooftop restaurant, but I never went there. The hotel did have a free breakfast buffet which was pretty extensive, although way too much white flour-based starch with not enough other stuff. For instance, they had bread/muffins/bagels and make your own waffles everyday. Then, in the hot section, there was one rotating starch but 5 of the 6 days I was there it was also a white flour starch (including waffles TWICE, in addition to the daily waffles they already have.) The other day, it was potatoes...it would have been nice to see potatoes more often. Then they had one meat item (rotating between bacon/ham and chicken/turkey/pork sausages), scrambled eggs and scrambled egg whites both made from pre-mix. One nice thing is that they actually had cold-brew coffee on the breakfast buffet (in addition to regular coffee and tea). I haven't seen that at any other free hotel breakfast.
 
* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous? Yes, the staff was excellent.

* Did you order room service? No

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them? They had a gym and an outdoor pool, but I didn't use 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? The room was very nice and up to date, although not technically a suite since there was not a separate room (it just had a floor-to-ceiling desk between the beds and the living room). I wouldn't say the room was huge, but it was definitely bigger and airier than the MGH. The queen beds are actually queen beds too, unlike MGH where they were more like twin beds.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays? I didn't, but I saw they had both self-park and valet options and I want to say they were around $35-50-ish

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot? By trolley, a ~7 minute walk to the Santa Fe Station trolley + 5 minute ride. It would be shorter if there weren't barriers. By foot, just under 30 minutes.

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

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests? Yes

* Are you a member of the hotel's rewards program?  What level do you have, and what kind of perks did you get? I am a silver member and to my knowledge there were no extra perks. Although, we did ask for a late checkout (normally at 11) and they extended it 1 hour, until Noon although I am not sure if they would have turned down my request if I were not a rewards member.

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above? They put up Star Wars decorations in the lobby. It shares a building with the Residence Inn. The bathroom is the sliding door type which doesn't really close, which is a little awkward if you're sharing a room.

What did you like about staying at this hotel? Pretty much everything. I thought it was much nicer than the MGH and the Hampton, which are the two we've stayed in before. The rooms were comfortable, the view was great (we had a view of the harbor, based on the layout most rooms probably did as well) and the cold-brew coffee for breakfast was a nice touch.

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel? No real complaints. I would have said that I want it to be closer, but it really was a nice walk along the waterfront to the convention (and on preview night, it was fun to stop by Hess Brewing and have a beer overlooking the harbor), and it was also nice to be a block away from Stone w00t X.

[sessionka]

Name of Hotel:

Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina

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?)

1 King-sized bed

Number of Nights You Stayed:

6

Year(s) You Stayed There: (Type in the actual year: 2012, 2013, 2014, etc.)

2019,2022

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).

Marina Kitchen - Full Service restaurant.  Good Food
Tequila Bar and Grill - Bar with food service.  I love eating outdoors when I can.
Exchange - Sandwiches, snacks, bottled beverages, coffee
Starbucks - Coffee and breakfast sandwiches.  I got breakfast from them if I had an early panel.  I also liked to have coffee and my breakfast sandwich on my balcony


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

Staff was great!!!

* Did you order room service?

No
   

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?

I didn't use the gym or the pool.  I did sit outside near the pool on one of the chaise lounges.  It was relaxing.

* 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?

No roommate.  The room is large.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?
No Car

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?
The hotel is right next to the convention center. Five (5) minutes.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
Noise levels are fine.  I had no trouble sleeping.  I was 6 floors up facing the bay, so there wasn't much in the way of outside noise.

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
Yes, for members of its rewards program.  I had my own portable hot spot, so I didn't use their 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, but my visit isn't on the rewards site (yet). 

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?
My original reservation was for a double, that I got thru the exchange.  I was able to change it to a single.  I also got moved to the North Tower, which I wanted because those rooms have balconies. Think I was able to accomplish that because I got in early (Tuesday morning).

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.

:
- close location to the convention center
- had great customer service
- great view from my room
- a lot of Con activity in the lobby.  I love the energy.
- There are panels scheduled in the hotel
-  They run movies in one of the ball rooms
-  Volunteer HQ is in the 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. 

:
No Complaints
It is my favorite Hotel.  I hope to stay there next year

[Friends of Comic Cons]

[Michaelnaut]

Name of Hotel:
Hilton San Diego Bayfront

Type of Room:
2 queen beds (single occupancy chosen on hotel reservation form)

Number of Nights You Stayed:
 8 (arrived Sunday before con, departed Monday after con)

Year(s) You Stayed There: (Type in the actual year: 2012, 2013, 2014, etc.)
2019, 2018, 2017, 2016...(I forget after that...but at least a few more times)

Hotel Review:

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
Yes, they had a few, the only I took advantage of was the poolside bar, margaritas in the hot tub

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous?
 All staff were professional and great when they were engaged with

* Did you order room service?
Room services was available, but did not order any

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?
The pool area was great.  Large pool, many lounge chairs around it.  2 hot tubs I believe, but I only used the one closer to the pool area entrance. You'd not believe how well a hot tub works after walking all over SDCC each day.  I also had a mini fridge that I asked for in the room, that helped w/leftovers when eating 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?
Just me in the room so no issues with space

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?
I believe parking was $40/night. It did give in/out privileges tho.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?
I believe it took something like...15 minutes?

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
Walls were thin, but to be expected for a hotel (I think)

* 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?
Yes, Hilton Honors, Silver

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above?
Many celebs room here...I met Keanu Reeves, as well as quick "walk by hi" to Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld.

What did you like about staying at this hotel?

• Starbucks as part of the hotel, good for early coffee (when there wasn't a crazy line)
• Close to the convention center...easy walk
• FX/other offsites near
• Loved the pool area...wasn't crowded...hot tub was great
• Easy access to skybridge to cross over into Gaslamp

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?

• The hotel had instituted a "ask for housekeeping" policy, not each morning as I was used to while travelling.
• As others mentioned, the union strike was quite jarring...I'm a pretty big guy so no one messes w/me, but on more than one occasion walking out of the hotel being approached and being yelled/screamed at w/a bullhorn definitely wasn't fun. Luckily that didn't last long.

[tsnyder]

Name of Hotel: Omni

Type of Room: Two Queen Beds

Number of Nights You Stayed: 6

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2022

Hotel Review:

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel? Yes, had bar/restaurant that we never used.  Also had a Coffee shop that my group used a couple of times on the way out the door.  Was really no line to grab coffee but it was also around 530AM.
 
* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous? Yes, the staff was excellent. Zero complaints

* 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 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?  Previous years we stayed at Bayfront and Hard Rock and I feel like this room was a little larger.  Had a small fridge for drinks that we didn't have to remove all the stuff like in the Hard Rock.  Beds were comfortable as well.

* 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? I'm all about location and the Omni is awesome!  5 min walk as long as you don't hit a train coming by.  Love being right across the street.

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

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests? Yes

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

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above? No celebs sighted which was a slight letdown from our stay in Hard Rock in 2019.  Will certainly be trying to stay here again in the future.

What did you like about staying at this hotel? Actually felt it was the quickest to get to from previous stays.  Bayfront if you aren't coming from Hall H line actually seems farther away a bit.  Hard Rock may be a little closer but there is always a slowdown crossing street there and having to deal with security and key cards.  Was able to make it from exhibit floor and back to drop off stuff in around 15 mins. 

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel? Weird farmhouse sliding door on the bathroom that barely closes the opening without a gap which can be awkward when cramming 4/5 people in the room.  When checking in they billed me $500 more than I anticipated which was a $100 a night amenity fee which they said I would be credited back if I didn't use any amenities.   

[lliving]

Name of Hotel:Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

Type of Room: King Bed Studio & 2 Queen Bed Studio
Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2022



* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?
   Yes, did not make use of any of them.

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous?
Most of front desk staff, housekeeping, maintenance and bellhops were courteous and polite.  Some of the security staff in the elevators and out front were a little aggressive. Having to show a card key every time I entered the lobby got old very quickly. Also,
 being loudly told to get on another elevator by security when I am paying to stay in the hotel is something that irked me.

* Did you order room service?
   No

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?
I did not visit the gym(even though I paid for access apparently), some others in my party did and found it useful. Did not visit the pool.

* 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?
Rooms were bigger than the ones I've had at the Omni and Hilton Gaslamp Quarter. Large bathroom and shower, very modern look to the entire room. Mattress was super comfortable.
Stocked fridge with  liquor, beer, soda, bottled water & candy.  NONE OF IT FREE! (I took things out to make room for stuff i bought at Ralphs and made sure to put them in their original places at check out). There was an "intimacy box" with condoms, lube and candles(all with prices clearly marked) . Definitely something I hadn't seen at other hotels. I left the box alone too.

* 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?
It's right across the street, so not a long walk.  But you do  have to navigate through the crowds to get across the street.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
My room faced the convention center, did not have any major  issues with noise from other rooms.  Lobby area and near elevator could get loud particularly during the EW party.

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests?  (Yes or No)
NO    One of the annoying things was the VIP PASS . What a bogus charge.  WIFI and access to the gym should be free. The VIP PASS and the $500 amenities hold I did not feel were explained well during checkin. It was also at a time when I was tired and just wanted to get to my room and unload all my stuff. So maybe I wasn't listening as well as I should have been.

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

* 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 looking forward to staying here because of the celebrity sightings I've heard other people talk about.  I saw NO ONE. Perhaps the limited elevator access/elevator police might be the reason.  Two of my friends who didn't go to SDCC, but tagged along to see San Diego saw Winston Duke at the exercise center but didn't figure out who he was until later that day. "We saw this guy using one of the bikes. I knew his face but just couldn't remember from where..."


*What did you like about staying at the hotel?
Proximity.  Size of the room and bathroom. Comfortable bed. Room had a modern, well maintained appearance. Will keep it in my list of downtown hotel options, but probably not first choice.

*Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
There was a hold of $500 per room placed to cover amenities in the room, which I wasn't expecting.   It was refunded within 24 hrs of returning home.  Access to my room was delayed when I first got there because the lock wouldn't open due to a dead battery.  It took 3 trips downstairs for  a new card key before some one figured out the problem. Replacing a hotel lock battery apparently requires Maintenance to replace the battery and Security to reset the code afterward, so it was not a quick process. I did not enjoy the frequency of  having limited access to all the elevators at the front of the hotel.

[kimchi_paradise]

HOTEL REVIEW AND FEEDBACK LAYOUT

Name of Hotel: Hotel Solamar

Type of Room: 1 king-sized bed

Number of Nights You Stayed: 4

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2022

Hotel Review:

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel?

There was some quick breakfast and free coffee in the foyer, which helped to save some money from buying breakfast from Starbucks or keeping snacks in the bag during the con. Cost-wise, it was probably the same.

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

Hotel staff were courteous. Valet was timely in case you needed it. It was weird though since we got a physical key (like metal key) for our hotel room, and after a certain time, you could not get in without a key card, so had to knock/get front staff attention to be let inside the hotel. Our room was one of the only ones with a physical metal key due to them fixing things up, so I suspect that this shouldn't be too big of a problem for most folks.

* Did you order room service? No

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them?

There was a pool with access, and it was a great pool -- husband used it every day with our toddler. Great area. It was closed off during the National Geographic party that was happening, but other than that it was a great time.

* 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?
Room was very spacious for 2 adults and a toddler. They were able to provide a small cot for our toddler daughter which was very helpful.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays?
Parking rate was $55 per night.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot?
It was in a great location, it was about an 8-10 minute walk from the con. Close enough that the walk wasn't bad, but far enough that you were just outside the craziness, which was nice with a toddler. Because of this flexibility I hope to have a closer hotel in the future.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)?
Walls weren't super thin that you could hear other guests, but you could hear outside commotion. I suspect that it would be less intrusive here than in the heart of downtown/by the con. It did not cause us any problems, as the rooms were well insulated from the noise.

* Does the hotel have free WiFi for guests? 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? Not really....


What did you like about staying at this hotel?
- close location to the convention center (8-10 min walk)
- had great customer service (always available for questions, even had packages delivered there)
- close to a lot of restaurants
- great view from your room
- got to see a few smaller scale celebs and artists, such as Ahmed from Community and a Spiderman Comic Artist.

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
Nothing in particular stood out as BAD per se. Parking was expensive, the room was expensive, the small grab-and-go breakfast available wasn't free -- but this is normal stock for most of the downtown hotels. Also having an actual metal key was slightly worrying since we didn't want to be responsible in case that key was lost, unlike a key card. Still a great experience and worth the premium due to proximity to the convention center. The rooms were decently sized for a couple and a child, and the hotel folks were pretty flexible.

[Amurphy599]

Hilton Bayfront 2019 double bed. Excellent location, room was basic but clean.

[kamisbutterfly]

Name of Hotel: Hard Rock Hotel

Type of Room:  1 king-sized bed standard room

Number of Nights You Stayed: 3

Year(s) You Stayed There: 2022

Hotel Review:

* Were there any dining options inside or near the hotel? Yes, Mary Janes was connected to the hotel and there was also a Starbucks nearby. Both were great.

* How was the hotel staff?  Were they polite and courteous? The staff was awful and unhelpful. They were rude and unless you were a celebrity, they treated you like trash. The only helpful staff was the bell hop guy who, without us realizing it, was preparing us for our stay.

* Did you order room service? No

* Tell us about the hotel amenities, like the gym or pool.  Did you use any of them? They had them and you would be able to use the for an additional $25 a night. However during the con everything is closed because of special events.

* 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 the size a standard room at a hotel. However, this hotel charges more per night than any other hotel and there is nothing in the dated room we had to warrant such a price.

* If you drove and parked your car at the hotel, how much was the parking rate per day for overnight stays? We drove and it was about 50 a night I believe.

* How long did it take you to travel to and from your hotel by shuttle, trolley, or on foot? Walking distance but with the crowds in the Gaslamp probably like 10 minutes.

* Are the walls of the room thin?  What are the noise levels in your room from outside sources (hallway or next door)? This is a loud hotel at all times of the day. Bring earplugs.

* 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? I am a member but upon check in was told there are no perks to being a rewards member.

* Is there anything else you like to mention about the hotel (i.e., celebrity sightings) or your room that isn't mentioned above? This hotel used to be known as the hotel celebrities stay at. This is no longer the case as its mostly reporters and entertainment companies’ staff that stay here. I chatted with 2 reporters on the elevators and they mentioned the Pendry is where the A-listers stay. Also there are apparently parties there but not even they are invited. There are some minor non A-listers that do come here for those interested.


What did you like about staying at this hotel? Apart from being close to the con center nothing else.

Finally, what didn't you like about staying at this hotel?
This is very long so pardon but read on for why you should never stay here. It started even before I checked in. If you uber or get dropped off they send you to the Omni because they close the street off. You can only enter the closed street if you are staying there and will valet. I drove there and it was an adventure to get to valet. They didn't believe me that I was staying there. I had my email, reservation but I figured they were just being strict. Than upon check in the front desk agent wanted to charge $25 a day for wifi and amenities like the pool, gym, 207 lounge etc. All those amenities are closed because of the parties and some of those have been reserved for parties. I told her that too and front desk agent just laughed. I have their rewards program and the front desk agent said she never heard of the program when I mentioned it to her. She went and asked her manager, her manager came by and said the rewards program doesn't do anything. I am like ok well thanks for letting me know. We were told to use the 3 elevators to the left and were assisted by the bell hop staff. On the way to our room, we were greeted by what the bell man called the suits. He than dished all the tea on how ridiculous the hotel is by hiring a manager to attract Hollywood people, a manager to pick the music and manager for private parties. Thinking back on it now they should have hired a customer service manager because the hotel is severely lacking in that.
Once we got to our room, I was shocked with how old and dated it was. It looked like a hotel room from the 80’s. Old damaged furniture and fixtures. A remote from the last century with buttons that didn’t work. About 4 of the light fixtures didn’t work. The bathroom had mold in the shower and the sink had major water damage.
We went out to the con using the elevators they told us to. Day 2 comes and suddenly we can only use 1 elevator on the left out of the 3. The other 2 had a rope. My guess was they were for people going to their parties. They have a silly side entrance with a red carpet that we weren’t allowed to walk to. I also should mention the noise, its ridiculously loud at all times of the day so if you are sensitive to this look for another hotel.
We also weren't allowed to wait in the lobby for some odd reason. I was waiting for a friend for dinner and the hotel staff said I can't wait in the lobby and sent me to my room. She says go back upstairs or wait outside! This lady yelled at a hotel guest for being in their hotel lobby! I've never stayed at a hotel where the lobby is forbidden to wait in. I thought ok whatever but than the day of EW party they wouldn't let me use any of the elevators to get to my room on the 7th floor. They told me to go to the other end of the hotel and use those or take the stairs. They were so rude and treated us like trash. When I tried to take the car out they said they weren't taking valet calls because of the party. So I paid 50 a night to have my car trapped behind maybe celebrity cars.
Checkout time came and I asked for bell service and no one came. Called again and the guy said oh we forgot we are busy. At this point I just want to leave and get my car from valet but plot twist they aren't taking valet calls. So me and my group go downstairs finally get a guy to find our car. 3 trips up and down to get our stuff in the car. I should mention that I tried to check out like 5 times and never got my bill no email nothing. I finally get a txt 3 hours later saying I checked out. I will never stay at the Hardrock again. I would not stay here unless I had no other choice. This is a dying hotel, and they are desperately trying to cater and be cool at the expense of those who actually paid to stay there. They are nowhere near the caliber and quality of The Pendry and have the worst all around service that I am not surprised celebrities are choosing not to stay there anymore. One last bit, about 2 or 3 weeks after the con I saw charges on my credit card from the Hardrock and I was never able to get them to answer where these charges came from. I did a chargeback and got my money back. I did end up contacting and emailing them about my terrible experience, but they didn’t care and never answered me. Please stay away from them, you deserve a better hotel stay than this.