Good hotel, lots of tourists, a bit expensive
I stayed here at the end of September, 2006. The hotel is located in the heart of Old Town San Diego, and is an easy walk to the restaurants and shops of Old Town on San Diego Avenue. It also located adjacent to the San Diego County Sheriff's Museum (free admission).
I stayed on a Monday night after the summer season, and paid $209 for one night! The hotel was full, with lots of foreign tour groups, cruise ship passengers, and conventioneers. The hotel is nice, but it was the most I've ever paid to stay at a Holiday Inn Express. The hotel itself is old, but seems to be maintained nicely. It is also a smoke-free hotel, which I think is great. You sign a document when you check-in that if you smoke in your room, you will be charged a $250 cleaning fee. If you REALLY must smoke, you can go outside to their interior courtyard.
The front desk staff is very friendly, and gives you a walking map of Old Town when you check in. There are also lots of brochures and tourist guides on a table across from the check-in area. The free breakfast is nice, and has the usual types of food that all Holiday Inn Express hotels have. However, the eating area is extremely small. There are only six tables that hold four people each, and there are only three tables that hold two people each. They should make the eating area larger, by placing tables and chairs outside the door in their courtyard area---it's only a few feet away---and since the weather here is nice year around, tourists would probably enjoy eating outside (and it would lessen the very large crowd inside).
If you're trying to make reservations at this hotel and it's booked, there are several other similar hotels within walking distance of this location. Courtyard by Marriott is just down the street, as is the La Quinta Inn. They both looked very nice and offer similar items (free breakfast, free internet, etc). The San Diego Trolley (which isn't really a trolley, it's a modern light rail system) is a 10 minute walk from the hotel at the Old Town transit center. The Coaster commuter trains also stop here, but Amtrak does not.