The price and location could not be beat. Checkin process was a breeze and I loved being able to get in with door codes. The neighborhood was better than expected and relatively comfortable to walk around alone during the day. It was walking distance to House of Blues, plenty of restaurants, a parking garage a small block away, convenience stores, and just a 20 minute walk from all the great museums in Balboa Park. Being able to park in the parking garage and walk my luggage over to store it and then walk to late lunch/early dinner before check in was so convenient.
The room was clean and cute and well lit from beautiful big windows and was just the size I needed. It smelled like bleach when I walked in because the bathroom had apparently just been deeply cleaned, so that was nice to be aware of and the smell faded fast. The pillows and towels were so soft. The full length mirror was much appreciated and the little table was perfect for my needs. There were complementary waters in the fridge which I appreciated so much being a frequent water drinker. I loved the availablility of the personal mini fridge and microwave and coffee maker and mugs and candy and plastic cutlery and a big trash can on each level in the hall. I ended up with leftovers from restaurants so that came in handy and helped me save money on meals. There are chains on the doors and they can be locked from the inside as well.
I don’t know if my room placement was intentional, but I am a small woman and was traveling alone. My room was in the corner of the top floor next to Bill who had a Ring device on the entrance to his room and my room was the only other on that side of him. Whether it was intentional or not, it made me feel safer and he was a quiet neighbor.
If I had to nitpick little things for others to prepare for:
1. There is no elevator and I was on the third floor so carrying heavy luggage up stairs after a 7 hour drive was not my favorite thing, but it’s not the hosts fault I packed as well as bought more than I could carry from lunch/snack shopping. Fix/Prepare/Be Aware: A quick message to Bill at checkin showed he was available to help me carry my luggage up, so just be aware that’s can be option if he’s available, or just don’t overpack and weigh yourself down like I did.
2. The building is old and I noticed it could get a bit stuffy at times, but opening the windows let in a great breeze and my room had an air conditioner and a fan. My room was on the street side and the traffic was a bit loud with the window open, and the swamp cooler was quite loud as well, which were fine during the day but bothered me at night. Also the walls are thin and the floors are creaky but aside from the occasional slamming doors from other guests during the day, there weren’t as many noise issues as I would have expected. Not much different from your standard hotel room. Fix/Prepare/Be Aware: Bring earplugs if you feel these things might bother you. I’m a light sleeper so I slept with my headphones in listening to music quietly on the first night and without anything in my ears the second night and both nights I slept fine. Napping during the afternoon didn’t end up being possible though but that’s to be expected.
3. The bed mattress was a bit loud to get in and out of. It didn’t bother me to sleep on but I wondered if it was a disruption to guests on the floor below me at all.
Overall the good things far, far outweighed any of the little things that are easily fixable/avoidable. I was completely satisfied with the experience and could not have found a better situation without paying at least double the cost.
I want to come back to San Diego and I wouldn’t hesitate to book this room again.