I just returned from an overnight visit to San Diego, staying at the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa on Mission Bay. The hotel really is a mixed bag - there are wonderful things about it, and some real negatives as well. Overall, my opinion is that I wouldn't return here, or recommend it to a friend - there are too many other, nicer hotels to choose from in the San Diego area.
WHAT I LIKED:
*Nice location right on Mission Bay. Sandy beach out front and miles of walking trails right from your doorstep.
*Large room, newly-redecorated and furnished.
*Appointments and amenities are very nice.
*Big, flat-screened HD TVs in the rooms.
*Room rate is moderate for the location.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
*Despite the fact that the furnishings and appointments in the rooms and public areas are renovated, the infrastructure itself is not. EG, things like the door locks, light switches, air conditioning units look straight out of the 70s. The hallways were stark. This gives the impression that the hotel was renovated recently, but on the cheap, and gives parts of the hotel a very dated look and feel.
*The $32 DAILY fee for parking is absolute robbery! This hotel is not located in Manhattan or downtown San Francisco, and the owners/management should be ashamed of this policy. This alone is a deal-breaker in terms of my ever returning here.
*They advertise availability of free Wi-Fi, but it turns out it is only available in the reception area and conference rooms (I could not get it in the lounges outside of the restaurant or by the pool). There is no Wi-Fi available in the rooms; you have to pay for wired access. This is deal-breaker #2 for me. COME ON HILTON PEOPLE, THIS IS 2012!
*Bathrooms are small and shower/tub was very dated looking.
*Swimming pool/jacuzzi area was attractive, but too small for a resort with this many rooms. It was filled to the brim on a Tuesday in mid-March; I can only imagine how overcrowded it must get on a sunny, Summer day when the resort is full and everyone wants to swim!
As other reviewers have suggested, this is a hotel with a lot of potential. If they spent a few extra dollars to complete the renovations, installed Wi-Fi, and reduced the rate of their parking fee by about 75%, I would give this hotel five stars....
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