11/01/08

Historical beauty and getaway

by jwhung

At the spur of the moment, my hubby and I decided to book an overnight stay after a wedding we were going to attend that day in SD. The hotel just happened to have a cancellation and the rate wasn't too bad ($150/nite). The hotel was really quaint. Made me feel like I was 30's and 40's. The lobby was heavily decorated with ornate pieces and flowers everywhere, not my taste normally, but it felt right. Almost like walking into someone's mansion. They were having happy hour on the roof, which was cool, since it was such a perfect day. The people were pleasant and easy going. The suites were more than I expected - it was like they were previously bachelor's apt. - walk-in closet, built in drawers, sitting area, little yet fully equipped kitchen and place to eat for 4. The paint helped cover the oldness of things, but I thought they did a good job. The king bed was nice too. Pillows small and not too puffy. I'd definately stay there again. A few things to note tho, the walls are pretty thin, so you can hear what's going on in the next room and I'm sure your neighbors can hear you too. And throughout the night, I think the pipes were knocking, which were unnerving but can be ignored. Also we kept our windows open when we slept and though we were on the 3rd of 7 floors, we could easily hear the street and foot traffic and planes in the morning. Also they only have 1 elevator, which is really slow, so be patient. The continental breakfast is better than avg too - juices, bagels, english muffins, toast, yogurt, pastries, fruit, coffee/tea. A lite pick-me-up before you start the day. Hotel is also within walking distance of Balboa Park which looks like a real nice place to explore and hang out. The parking lot is small, so if you have space, try and hold it. Also, they didn't even laundry bags, which I thought was odd. I've never stayed somewhere that didn't offer any.

• Pros: Staff, location, big rooms, continental breakfast, close to Balboa Park
• Cons: Thin walls, small parking lot