We booked a one night stay after leaving a conference week at a lovely Hilton in downtown San Diego in the Gaslamp District. We were thinking a day near the beach and pool would be lovely. We were wrong. This place stinks!! Literally, the rooms and hallways smelled of trash and mold. The doors to our building were propped open with old face cloths and trash and old food littered the stairs and halls. The ventilation is antiquated and the rooms could not be adequately air conditioned to remove the humidity. Worst of all was the strong musty smell on our second story room. We set the A/C
to cool and hopefully remove the dampness and set out for dinner Upon our return the room was not improved and the smell was worse than before. My husband went to the front desk for help but he was told they did not have a room for us. The clerks were rather rude to him and not at all skilled in customer service. When he insisted we needed to move or be refunded, they found a room. The bell hop came to help us move and he was all excited, saying that we should be "stoked" because we scored a choice room near the beach. This room was only slightly better, the odor was diminished but still musty. I went a bought a candle in the gift shop to help us make it through the night with the bad smell, but lay awake thinking the room would catch on fire. As far as this being a prime room, it was far from it. We went to unpack and found that a key lighting fixture did not work. Another call to the desk, a visit from maintenence. The poor fellow could not identify the problem but indicated that there was an electrical problem in the breaker and he couldn't find the problem. He offerrred to bring us a floor lamp and an extension cord. OK we just did without that corner of the room being lit.
In addition to the room problems the dining room waas very poor. The food was hyped to be a gourmet experience but it was far from it. All around us people were complaining about the sow service and lack of attention. Several people left, others complained to the wait staff. We were seated for long periods of time when our waiter went missing. Our food was average but extremely small portions and quite overpriced. We are used to Hilton quality and service and don't mind paying higher prices for a great setting and a fabulous meal. This was not great, it was barely fair.
The next day at the pool, we were chatting with some other folkds. It turned out they were "friends"tender and were quite intoxicated while enjoying the hot tub. They admitted they were not guests but lived in the area and were there to enjoy the amenities.
If you are looking for a relaxing pleasant environment, this is not the place.

Firstly, for such a beautiful place you think the staff would be happy to be there. So far on my trip this is the worst regarding service. The front desk were bordering on rude, they made ever effort not be be helpful, asking them a question was a bother met with a puff and even a roll of the eyes on one occasion. Basically, disappointed sums this up. Oh and the wifi is only available in "common areas" ie limited and not in your room.
The only good thing was the restaurant.... Amazing food.

I'm 3 days into a 4 day stay here and I'm very disappointed with this hotel. Tried to get help several times the desk girls were very rude. The concierge starts at 10 and finished before 5. Haven't seen her yet and it's been 3 days. No wifi in rooms unless you want to sit out in the cold foyer at the front. Car parking was more expensive than the car rental! Hotel isn't close yo anything except sea world! Two words: don't bother!

After staying in a 3-star hotel for a 3-day vacation, we checked in to Hilton for the work event. I was excited to get here, since this hotel is rated as 4-star, and is located right on the beach. Long story short, we were quite disappointed.

Sure, the rooms themselves were nice, the beds comfortable, the TV with digital cable has a good assortment of channels, in addition to the pay per view ones. The AC is quiet The towels are nice and thick, the bed linens are luxurious, and the furniture looks nice. The decorations in the rooms are tasteful. Our room had a balcony, from which we could see the beach. But... the bed uses flat, not fitted sheets, which get untucked with the blanket (remember that Seinfeld episode?). The armchair was uncomfortable, with the seat completely horizontal and the back reclined backwards, and no foot stool to rest your feet on, so when you sit on it, you slide forward.The hallways are plain and old, and look outdated. Our low-rise building had no elevator. I believe there is also a tower, which will likely have the elevators.

The part of Mission Bay that the hotel fronts is completely still, and carries little of the allure of the ocean front, While there are nice walking paths along the shore, this is not the place to enjoy the surf.

Now to the things that really get me - the room has no wireless internet, and while there is a wired connection in the room (not good for my tablet, cell phone, or computer without an RJ45 port), it costs $15 per day to use. Breakfast, should you choose to accept it, is nearly $20 per person. A non-optional expense, if you come with a car, as I did, is parking, which is a whopping $32 per night. Unlike hotels in busy urban areas, which have to share public parking, this hotel has abundant parking on property, so it is just a way to separate guests from their money. I feel they have to disclose this during the booking time.

The staff were mostly helpful. But this does not take away from the feeling of being taken advantage of by the hotel. If the price is right, I might stay here again, but for over $200 a night, I think I can find a better beachfront hotel.

I would not really recommend it.