Not a great stay, but not entirely bad. Wouldn't recommend it for others with small kids. Read on for a, hopefully, nuanced description of our stay.
We are currently at the hotel and leaving this morning after a 4 day night stay. We rented a very expensive bay-side bungalow which has a "kitchenette" (more on this later), separate bedroom and living area. The porch opens out onto the bay beach. This is a family trip and we have two small children with us.
Pros
The location is right on Mission Bay with great views day and night. The beach is good for small kids to beachcomb with 19 fire rings for a late night smores fest with the kids. There are five pools and multiple hot tubs that are heated. The ambience of gas-lit tiki torches down the main drives is beautiful.
You're within easy driving of restaurants/bars in Pacific Beach and not too far from La Jolla with a huge range of choices.
Great location for seeing the sights in San Deigo and environs.
Cons
It's very irritating how the hotel nickles and dimes you on everything. They charge a $25/day parking fee (which they'll waive under certain circumstances) for parking in front of a $400/night bungalow. There is a fitness center, but that's an extra $12/day/person. There's a village store where you can buy a small wood pile for a beach fire, but, oh, did you want a starter kit for that. It's extra. Need matches or lighter, more yet. Did you want a late checkout? That's $50/hour.
The service is horrible. The first night we needed extra blankets (none on the pullout in the living area) and had to call 3 times over more than a half hour. We had similar experiences later in the trip. However, the room cleaners were good and eficient..
The bungalow "kitchenette" consisted of a microwave and a small cube refrigeratot. No plates, no cutlery, nothing. The doors on the kitchenette are hanging badly on the hinges and wouldn't close properly. Hard to describe it as a kitchenette.
The bungalows are in serious need of being refurbished. It's clear that someone made an effort and slapped a coat of paint on everything, but things are old and dated. A sink spigot in the bathroom was so broken that it was hard to shut off.
Our bungalow was very near the noisy causeway crossing Mission Bay making the "sitting out on the porch" experience one of listening to the sound of Harleys and trucks go by.
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