More about Howard Johnson Inn - San Diego Sea World
Great for the Price!
by TripAdvisor Member nickiwms
Did a name your own price on Priceline and asked for a 3 star hotel.. got HOJO.. was originally very upset as it is a 1 star hotel.
After our 4 night stay, i must say, it was a great overall experience for the value, price and location. it is a MOTEL, not a HOTEL so you must remember that. but the room was clean and newly remodeled with nice furniture and detail. there was free breakfast, not the best but free! the location is close to old town and seaworld.. would definitely stay at again
Not family friendly
by TripAdvisor Member dillbillies
We just finished a five night stay at this Motel. The rooms have been newly renovated and were nice for a motel. However I do not recommend staying here. If you are a light sleeper the walls are very thin, we could clearly hear our neighbors conversations and tv's. Also if you are returning late from Sea World for instance good luck on finding a parking space and if you do don't expect it to be by your room. There is a restaurant attached to the motel on the upper floor. Their patrons take up the parking late into the night. We did eat dinner there and it is good food and was convienient. If you are looking to stay near the military base this may be a good choice for you. If you are looking for a family friendly place with easy access to the attractions get accomodations on hotel circle. This motel is not in the best area had a lot of panhandlers and there are some sleazey strip joints you will have to pass everytime you want to get onto the freeway to get to the attractions. My biggest complaint however and the main reason we will never stay here again was the mix up on the price. I had booked on the internet through their own website for a Thursday - Tuesday stay and was aware that the rate went up for Friday and Saturday night. The rate then went back down for Monday and Tuesday. We paid the bill in full when we checked in. When we went to check out they demanded more money. They tried to charge us the higher rate for the entire time and said that their system doesn't show rate changes so we needed to prove it. I couldn't locate my confirmation so they had to call an 800 number to "verify" what I was telling them. I tried to tell the clerk I could show her the confirmation if I could get access to the internet. I was then rudely "shushed" so she could talk on the phone. They ended up having to reimburse us a small overpaid portion for each of the two rooms booked and said again they cannot see what their website books for you. Not a good experience for us.
Would come back and recommend
by TripAdvisor Member gpickypick
I booked the SeaWorld/Zoo package with my wife and added an extra night for a three night stay. I had read good reviews on TripAdvisor and thought it was worth a shot.
We were very satisfied with every aspect of the stay. I interacted with four different front desk employees in person, and all were extremely friendly. The room (king, non-smoking) was very clean, obviously newly remodeled, and well-designed. My wife said the mirrors were in good places, and it was convenient to have a good place for her to do her hair-drying, etc. Also, the bathroom had a vent, which surprisingly hasn't been at a couple of "nicer" places we've stayed lately (a killer if you have to dress in the bathroom).
The location cannot be beaten for convenience. Sea World, the zoo, Seaport Village, and the Gaslamp Quarter are all just a few minutes away. There are tons of restaurants nearby, and being displaced southerners we passed right by In-N-Out every day to go to the Chick-fil-A right down the road! Two Starbucks are within walking distance, though driving would be better, and a Walgreen's and CVS are practically next door.
I would highly recommend this hotel, and if I was going to the same places, or perhaps a Padres baseball game, I would stay here again.
Stayed Jun 28 - Jul 1
by TripAdvisor Member kmwaf
My son and I just finished a 4 nite stay. OVERALL A GOOD EXPERIENCE, nice decor,soft beds, good pillows, central location. nice staff. The biggest problem I found was it is a non-smoking property but they do not enforce it. Although my room did not smell you could tell by the burn place on the counter tops people has smoked in the room or having to walk thru the smokers on the balconies to leave your room or walking thru all the cig. butts. The first nite was hard to sleep because of the noise from the other rooms but I just turned on the fan which took care of the noise problem. We were on the top floor which helped. The Coaster train to Legoland was great and Amtrak to Disney was great. The Orange Cabs were the least expensive and quicker but the motel pushes the Green Cabs.Walgreens at the end of the block came in handy for beach supples, water. etc. Henrys across the street had good fruit and not bad deli. we brought back to room. Frig. and microwave came in handy.
Newly renovated hotel
by TripAdvisor Member dandansf
I stayed 2 nights in this hotel. The hotel is newly renovated, nice furniture, bathroom and bed. The free breakfast is not the best but above average. Free wirless internet with good signalT. he location is convenience to everything, grocery stores and lot of restaurants are near by.
The only problem is the refrigerator in my room, there is ticking sound all nights which is not fthe normal sound from the compressor, it is very annoying and made us can't sleep all night. I complianted to the night clerk and was told the maintenance guy would fix it. But it is still the same in next night, finally, I needed to unplug it. I told the manager when I checked out. She said that t she knew it and the refrigerator has to be replacded. What a customer service, why they don't fix the problem before check in guest.
Overall I statisfy the hotel and would recommend to others but don't forget to check the refrigerator.
Great stay!
by TripAdvisor Member malia311
This hotel is a GREAT deal for the price! It is really hard to find an affordable room in San Diego but this one is really great. Rooms are spacious and clean. Bathrooms have been renovated and are very nice. There's a mini fridge and microwave in the room which are pretty hard to find in hotels now. Free continental breakfast in the morning and free wi-fi. I stayed at the sheraton in Anaheim right before this and I enjoyed this hotel much more!
Nice place
by TripAdvisor Member northerngirl26
My parents and I stayed here in April and enjoyed our stay. The only complaint was that we were flying in late and one of the reasons for choosing this hotel was the free shuttle. I found out once we were at the airport that they dont run the shuttle after 9pm. Only a minor inconvience. The rooms were pretty nice, I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and nice they were compared with the price we were paying. The location is nice if you dont have a car, close to the airport and close to Walgreens and a lil shopping center for any forgotten items. The staff was all very friendly as well. Thanks for a great stay.
Terrific stay at Howard Johnson
by TripAdvisor Member starshine
After reading other reviews on the Howard Johnson chain, I wasn't too sure what to expect but the reviews on this HJ turned out to be correct and I was pleasantly surprised.
Our family of 2 adults & 2 children stayed at this hotel for 6 nights last week and we LOVED this hotel and thanks to the reviews I read about this hotel on this website, I was very pleased with my decision to book this hotel.
The front desk staff were very friendly and efficient at check in and checking out. The room had been totally recently renovated including a marble bathroom, trendy furniture, very clean and odour free and it was very spacious which is important when there are 4 people in one room. The two beds were very comfortable. We loved the fridge & microwave which is very rare in most hotels these days and it was free!. The linen & towels were in excellent condition and were folded into pretty fans. Even the toilet paper was folded. The water pressure was great also the bathroom had a vent which was nice. The housekeeping was prompt, efficient and happy.
The free continental breakfast was just right to start the day & there was a free USAToday. Free wireless internet was a breeze connecting and we had no problems. The property was kept very clean and tidy and the only thing I could see that needed some work was that the hotel doors needed a bit of a paint job and although the weather was overcast and the kids only got to swim once, the pool area was very nice and free parking a bonus. The location is perfect for Seaworld, 30mins to Legoland, Chuck E Cheeses, Seaport Village, Gaslamp district, USS Midway and plenty of shops just across and down the road including Walgreens, Starbucks, CVS. There is also a lovely Mexican restaurant attached to the hotel.
I can't say enough nice things about this hotel and would like to invite other travellers to stay at this hotel.
Keep up the GREAT work Howard Johnson.
Great Stay at a Great Motel
by TripAdvisor Member Sirengirl
We stayed 1 night (Oct. 8) while in San Diego visiting the zoo and Sea World and our stay was absolutely lovely. While it is true that the location of this motel was not as desirable as some others, I certainly didn't feel unsafe in the slightest. The exterior doors needed a coat of paint on the outside, but other than that the motel was in excellent condition. The rooms themselves looked recently renovated with new fridges and microwaves and new furniture. The bathrooms were beautiful with granite surround tub and curved shower curtain rod for extra space. The shower head was also totally awesome and had 6 different settings, evidence that the motel didn't cheap out on the important stuff. The beds were very comfortable and the pillows were a good density. I actually caught my husband looking for the tag to write down the make so he could buy some when we got home...lol. The motel was very quiet, but we were on the top floor, so I'm not sure what the noise level was like below us. Check in/out was quick and efficient. The free continental breakfast was perfect for us with plenty of choices. My one and only complaint would have to be that the pool wasn't heated and it was a bit too chilly in the evening to swim in it. Other than that though I wouldn't hesitate to stay here in the future or recommend this location to friends and family.
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