San Diego Downtown Lodge

“An Inexpensive, No-Frills Motel with Broken Aesthetics, but working HVAC, Comfy Bed, Quiet Room, and Slept Like a Baby”

It's always great to have inexpensive alternatives to spend the night in downtown areas whenever a major event is happening there and hotel market prices surging. Central San Diego's got a slew of luxury destinations that were pricing in the $500's or more for just one night, there were the stand… more

It's always great to have inexpensive alternatives to spend the night in downtown areas whenever a major event is happening there and hotel market prices surging. Central San Diego's got a slew of luxury destinations that were pricing in the $500's or more for just one night, there were the standard hotel brands that were asking for around $300 for the single night, and then there's the Downtown Lodge within walking distance of Broadway Avenue and the Gas Lamp Quarter that asked for only $98 after all taxes and fees. I was a bit hesitant about booking at the Lodge based on the numerous negative reviews about it, but my other alternative was to spend a couple of hundred extra bucks elsewhere just to sleep. Despite all the negativity that I saw about this place, I decided to give San Diego Downtown Lodge a try, and they delivered on the most important part: I slept like a baby! I made the reservation through RocketMiles that promised the $98 total rate in a really tight hotel market with 1,000 Southwest Airlines points and free cancelation. Okay, sold. San Diego Downtown Lodge is located off 10th Street in downtown, just 3 blocks away from Broadway Avenue. Situated at the foot of the historic Route 163 Cabrillo Parkway through Balboa Park, this little inn that lives next to a freeway offramp was a No-Frills experience for me; huge emphasis on "No". Check In: I assumed based on others' comments that this place strictly enforced its 3pm-or-after check-in time and to not arrive earlier; thus, I arrived at about 3:10pm. The clerk staffing the desk was friendly and check in went smoothly. Reservation found. All good. The posted incidentals deposit was $200...a bit high in my opinion for a motel but the clerk accommodated and only held $100 for the single night. I did not have a car with me; thus, I cannot comment on the parking accomodations or capacity but parking is included and I did not see any double-parking capacity situations anytime during my stay. My room was on the first floor facing the main parking lot and the 10th Avenue offramp. The hotel uses standard key cards and door locks powered by inserting the card into the lock. When I opened the door, I noticed right away there were a few broken items. Some parts of the floor were dinged up, the lid to the toilet tank had a small piece missing, and some of the white paint on the walls near the baseboards appeared to be chipping. The room's interior was no-frills. No framed wall pictures; walls also lacked color. No alarm clock, no nightstand lamps, no coffee pot. Aesthetics certainly ranked low in my opinion and the official marketing pics of the property appeared to be very misleading, but the purpose of hotels is to offer a tired traveler a good night's rest. That's where this little inn delivered. The bed looked uninviting, but it was comfy with plush pillows. The toilet looked ugly because of the dings on its lid but it worked and flushed as expected. The shower looked basic, but it had hot running water and got me clean. HVAC also appeared to have been recently modernized and worked flawlessly, keeping the room temperature comfortable. And despite being next to a freeway offramp, the room was quiet. I slept well. To be clear, I was able to hear some footsteps in the room on the floor above me but that didn't disrupt the night. The room also had a working mini-fridge, microwave, table and chairs, and a USB charging port on the side of the dresser. Wi-Fi had good speeds and was very easy to log into: Punch in the network and code printed on the cover of the room key card and you’re good to go. Regarding the surrounding area, San Diego recently enforced a No Camping rule on its public sidewalks and commons areas. This included a field between the hotel and the Highway 163 onramp which used to have a transient encampment problem at one point that made this hotel even more uninviting. Thankfully, I did not notice any encampments or misbehavior during my stay in the immediate areas nor in the parking lot. Overall, this little place delivered because I slept, but the broken aesthetics certainly are overdue for repair and the room can use some help from an interior designer to get some nicely framed room pictures, inviting colors, and bedside lamps placed to better match the existing flooring and window coverings which should allow their marketing photos to no longer mislead. Will I be back? That depends...Would I invite friends and special loved ones to stay with me at this place as it is now?...No way. Would I rebook at the Lodge if I was traveling solo and the rest of downtown San Diego was charging double, triple, or even 5x to what this little placed quoted me for a private room? I would consider that given they delivered on their most important basic job: Letting this traveler sleep peacefully.

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