La Quinta Inn San Diego Mission Valley, San Diego

We weren't sure what to expect because we were staying with our pet in a pet room, but were pleased. The room was clean and large, the breakfast was all we wanted plus good waffles, and there was no extra charge for our pet. Also we were there for a cycling event at Balboa Park and there was easy access by side streets from the hotel to the park. There were also a number of restaurants in walking distance (we liked getting take out from Dennys) and a mall,a grocery and a Starbucks an easy drive away. The only dislike was the pet walking area, a small dirt area that is pretty unpleasant, but there are nice walks down sidewalks to other areas. If you are looking for Hilton quality you might be disapointed and there is a Hilton right next door but if you are looking for reasonable quality at a reasonable rate you might try the La Quinta.

Understanding that my father and I came to the hotel in one of the busiest times of the year (Comic Con) the hotel was over priced and over booked for their parking availability 4 of the 5 nights we stayed. The first morning I was there the breakfast room was so croweded that someone knocked me over and my coffee spilled and gave me a 2nd degree burn. Which the hotel did not do much to help me with it. They gave me burn cream the was 3 years expired and the phone number to urgent care. Once they found out my father was a nurse they stopped helping completely. The night crew was very nice and understanding but the day shift (including managers) we short with you and in some cases not friendly at all. I'm not sure if I would recommend this or not, because if it wasn't durning this time of the year I may have said yes, because the room was nice and it was in a good location, but I would say if you are going to stay when the town is busy, don't stay here unless you can gaurentee that you will not need staff assistance of any kind.

We looked at several hotel reviews on the web, and found some very positive ones about this hotel, so we decided to give it a try. Unfortunately we stayed at a Hampton Inn for the first few days of our trip, and found out what nice rooms and real breakfasts were. The rooms here were very small, which caused one bed to be put directy under the window. Which allows people to walk past and watch you or your kids sleep. In fact, the room was smaller than the crummy and cheap casino we stayed at on our way to California. Our other complaint was the breakfast. If you like eating while standing in a cramped furnace, go right ahead. It could have been better with just a little more traffic flow planning, because the huge line for waffles blocked access to the other foods. The fruit was always green, and the cerial was not child friendly. This was the first time my family had stayed at a La Quinta, and we will now pay a little more to stay at a hotel where you can enjoy the vacation. Might have been worth it to stay at the Hampton in Carlsbad.

Located on the south side of San Diego’s famous Hotel Circle, this Fairfield by Marriott is close to downtown San Diego, Sea World and the attractions in Balboa Park. This property can be the base of operations for a family holiday, or a business trip when you are not trying to impress a client with a five star hotel. The rooms are clean and functional. The room that I had included a small microwave oven, refrigerator and wall safe for the valuable papers that I did not bring with me. The frig was a little noisy at night when the compressor kicked in. While wireless Internet is provided, the workspace in the room was a bit small. Most Fairfield Hotels that I stay at have a larger desk area. The desk that I had here reminded me more of a Best Western. Being on San Diego’s famous Hotel Circle, the property is right next to the I-8. Being in the “motel” style, with room doors that open to the exterior, one can hear the roar of the traffic. The further one is back towards the rear, the less the noise. The property is protected by sprinklers and alarm systems, as well as a smoke alarm within the units. The property appears to have been upgraded to meet the ADA.