My wife and I got a free night because of the Best Western rewards program, and we settled on this place in San Diego Bay.

It was a great choice. We stayed in the Casa del Mar building. The suite was very spacious and decorated very well. My wife was delighted that we had two bathrooms and two television sets. She awarded herself the larger bathroom. I could watch sports on one TV in the living room while she watched the shows she likes in bed on the other TV. Just like at home.

We had a pleasant patio and nice views of the water. We enjoyed strolling along the waterside as the sun went down.

The room came equipped with lots of stuff in addition to the two TVs: a microwave, a small refrigerator (both standard in many places), dishes, forks and knives. The killer option for both of us--glass glassware. If a motel room has glass glasses you know it's got to be good.

The bed was one of the most comfortable I've encountered in a long time. My wife wanted to stay another night because of the bed, but I promised her we would return another day.

I see that the general manager monitors these comments. We were in Room 412, and the only negative about the stay was that the Wi-Fi was spotty.

The reviews of this property seem to be ranking different hotels. If you are in the standard rooms, your experience will be about 2 1/2 stars. As others have mentioned, these rooms are old, dark, and not exceptional. There were tiny ants in my room -- not a lot, but enough to give me the creepy crawlies and a general feeling of dirt and discomfort. I was happy to leave this hotel.

The one cool thing about it were the desk-top connections where you could plug in your own e-device (iPad, laptop, etc) and watch your own content on their large, flat screen TV's. I'm including a photo of the connection panel.

Other than that, if you're in a standard room, expect no more than a 2 1/2 star experience.

Not only is it a great location, the staff is among the best we have ever encountered. The rooms are spacious and very well appointed. We are in the bar the first afternoon, food was excellent and service was amazing. The second night we ate in the dinning room again great service and excellent food.

After reading the rave reviews, I have to be honest and say that I was pretty disappointed in our stay at the Island Palms. My husband and I booked a week's stay in September 2012. We booked a traditional non-view guest room. I didn't realize that the hotel has several buildings and the traditional rooms are quite dated and very dark. Had I known that the traditional rooms are in a building from the 60s (my best guess), I would have paid extra for a room in the newer Casa Marina building.

The staff at the hotel was very good. They were friendly and accommodating and although they did not offer to upgrade us to nicer room (even for a surcharge), they were pleasant and helpful. Maid service was great.

The hotel has two pools. The main pool just off the lobby is small but has a nice tropical feel with landscaping and umbrellas. The pool outside the Casa Marina building is also small and lacks any sort of shade or ambiance.

Nice features at the hotel include: coin-op guest laundry, great happy hour, in-room coffee maker and mini-fridge and free internet/parking.

Overall, the hotel had great amenities and a friendly staff, but I would not recommend it based on the outdated and dark rooms.