We had booked in to stay here for one week, but within hours we were already planning our escape.
Arriving at check-in we were told that our room wasn't ready but that we could wait at the bar. We were told they'd call when the room was ready or that we should come back in an hour (4pm) if we hadn't heard from them...
So checking the bags, off we went. What greeted us was like something from an early American Pie movie. A ferral frat party exploded in and around the pool. For a no smoking hotel, the pool area was thick with smoke, semi naked people everywhere and a bar staff that ignored us for near on 30 mins.
We booked a week downtown so that we could see all that San Diego had to offer and relax by the pool on some days. There was no chance of that happening! You couldn't get near the people let alone relax by it. It was a truly horrific seeing people try to read a book as hordes cavorted, drank and made out in and around the pool. Relax? Fat chance!
So we went back to the front desk at 4.15 to see if our room was ready. It wasn't.
So when would it be?
They didn't know.
Could they tell us?
No.
Could they find out?
Did we really want them to do that?
Er yes... If the room was to be hours, we'd go for a walk. If it was minutes away we'd wait.
We sat down and waited for an answer for 20 minutes. Whereupon we were told it was finally ready.
The room itself was lovely. Small, but spotless, well equipped and very comfortable. Waiting for us also was a lovely tray of dips and flatbreads to welcome us. It was then we began to wonder if perhaps, this had just been a bad first impression. Everyone has bad days! So maybe, just maybe... it would get better.
It was shortly after we started on the dips that a letter came under our door, informing us that the pool and bar were closed the next day from 4pm for a function. Not only that but the day after the pool and bar were only partially available as a result of a wedding!
So our vacation downtown with it's wonderful pool were out of bounds after 4pm, as the hotel was more concerned with its other paying guests.
It was at that point I used the room phone to call and ask about cancelling our reservation. A call for which we were charged long distanced call rates!
The mind was made up - we're off! We had been told by some locals prior to arriving at The Solamar "we give you two nights there." We din't know what they meant before hand - but we did that night.
The room may have been nice, but frankly what's the point of going to a hotel where you can't access the very facilities you are paying to use? It's a breath taking cheek for the hotel to do that - what if that had been your one night away? Instead they advised us to ask for suggestions on what we could do instead of use the pool. I was tempted to ask: "Where can I go for a swim where I have already paid to use the facility?" But I realised there would be no point.
So I went down to front desk (hopeful they wouldn't charge me for the conversation) and asked if we could leave. The thing that struck me, wasn't his shock at the request - rather that he didn't seem at all surprised.
The noise from the pool was noticeable, but we were on the 10th floor and so it wasn't an issue. I can't begin to imagine what it was like lower down.
So all in all very disappointed. I had looked forward to visiting this hotel for months and was gutted when I saw what was on offer. I would not go back and unless you are a 20-something pool dweller who loves beer and has a hearing impairment or with a convention that has booked the place out, I'd advise you to avoid it too.
If you're planning to visit San Diego, stay at the Hotel La Jolla instead. Now THAT'S a hotel. Everyone at the Solamar should go and see how it's really done.
hotel reviews