Quite an experience! It’s kind of a old Victorian boarding house/come hostel— but don’t let that put you off. It’s extremely good value for the location. It’s clean, centrally located. I was travelling on my own and felt quite safe— walked to Little Italy and Balboa Park. My only down was the fact that I looked forward to using the shared spaces— eg lovely front porch and kitchen, but other guests didn’t always clean up behind themselves.
Not a big deal, but I was on vacation to get away from cleaning up behind other people so food wrappers, full ash trays and empty weed containers scattered about was unfortunate.
I had the room with the private bath and found everything in good working order. The bed was comfy. The towels and linens could use a refresh but they were all clean. The rug has seen better days. Again, not the Hyatt— but also not $400 per night, so manage your expectations accordingly.
So, you’ll read lots about the planes in reviews and it nearly put me off from booking. Yes. It’s loud. But it’s the trade off for staying anywhere in Downtown San Diego that is not a modern Hotel tower. I found it was pretty quiet between 10 pm and 6 am. After that, all bets are off and the planes are in 5-10 min intervals. I didn’t hang around during the day.
Didn’t meet Michael— but the young woman who works with him is really lovely and helpful.