I came to the US Grant with high expectations. The photos looked wonderful and I thought it would be higher end luxury. I came for the Gran Fondo San Diego and had my bike shipped to the hotel. The hotel handled the package and even delivered to my room which was fantastic, thank you.
The rooms are tiny. I'm talking S.F. room tiny. With my wife and a one year old, plus a crib, we were tripping over ourselves. The photos weren't exactly aligned with my expectations. The lobby is gorgeous, but the room and upper floors are older, with a touch of remodel.
The biggest thing my wife and I were unaware of was the street noise. The sirens from police, ambulance, and fire is super loud. You can also hear people partying from the Gaslamp district. Drunk people yelling and laughing all throughout the night. If you're looking for a restful sleep, you'll have a hard time. Especially if your baby wakes up in the middle of the night.
The rooms are very clean and the service is excellent. All the staff is very helpful, especially the bellhop and valet guy.
I felt semi-rested for my 100-mile bike ride on Sunday, but would have preferred to been fresh from a good nights rest.
Another thing about the location is the homeless. There are homeless people everywhere. Plus, they sleep right on the sidewalks in rows next to each other. Safety is a factor since I have my wife and child, so I would not recommend a romantic walk after 9pm. There are a lot of good restaurants within walking distance so you can walk or I'd prefer to take a cab if I didn't have a car.
The hotel is central to everything, but maybe to central for us. I think next time, we'll look for a hotel 15 minutes outside of Downtown so it's more peaceful and less stressful.
Business center is free if you have your own laptop. No free wi-fi is available in the room. I haven't understood that yet. Stay at a cheap hotel and it's free, but stay at a premium and you pay? Hmm.
Also parking is valet and $30+ dollars a day. I think it's worth it considering there isn't much place to park in the congested Downtown area.
Last thing, I was very excited to be able to take a bath with my 1 year old and take him swimming. Just a basic expectation without having read all the features and amenities. That was my fault. When I got there, I was disappointed on both counts. None of these features are available. Had to give my 13 month old son a stand-up shower.
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