Balboa Park Inn

NO LONGER A B&B. In October 2014 it became an apartment building.

quote from their website
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
As of October 15, 2014, Balboa Park Inn has ceased operations as a bed-​and-​breakfast, and has been converted to apartments. We thank you for your many years of patronage, and appreciate your business! If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call us at (619) 298‑0823.

A boutique hotel that looks like it used to be an apartment complex back I’m the day. It was built in the 1920ish era so the room layouts can be a bit unique. Also, the air conditioner was a wall unit that didn’t really cool the room evenly. Parts of the room were super cool and other parts were quite warm. Nice part was it had a small kitchen, should you want to bring your own food & attempt to cook.
The best part about this place is the location. You are a short walk to the zoo. We were going to the zoo’s annual food & wine festival so it was perfect… if we had one too many drinks there was no need to worry about driving or calling a cab… we just had a 5min walk back to the hotel.
The room came with a breakfast of sorts. Your choice of a small bowl of cereal, juice and some assorted grocery store pastries. It’s food and it’s edible but nothing special.
Overall, I’d stay here a night or two if I was going to the zoo for an event or something. I probably wouldn’t stay any longer though.

A unique experience, indeed. If one wants to be treated like a second class citizen. The nighttime inn keeper, or whatever she fashions herself to be, is a rude, crass, ignorant hag that has no problem chatting you up on the phone. But when you arrive at the door, tired from a long day of travel with a disabled partner, and are not what she envisioned her guests to be, she suddenly changes her tone. I never saw a plastic smile turn into an honest expression of distaste that quick. All of a sudden we were told that there were no rooms available (after we were told on the phone that there was plenty). Nice. About as tacky a response as the décor we saw in the entry way as she slammed the door in our faces. She was too good for our money. So we went to the Sommerset. Very nice.

Spontaneous last minute trip, every hotel was full. we needed one room for one night. For last minute, found a room for $ 179, king bed+ jacuzzi. It was decent, reminded me of my grandmas house. Lol.

Soo happy, we stayed on our 1^st wedding anniversary and could not have been a more perfect trip. The staff is so amazing and nice, there is a laundry service I mean come on that rocks, they called us to see if we wanted breakfast on our last morning, I mean the room is fantastic the shower everything. This place will always have a special place in our hearts. If I could give them ten stars I would.

Stayed here three times now with my husband and it’s a good deal for a B&B in a pricey city. We’ve stayed in the Aruba Room twice (our favorite) and City Lights once (not so much a favorite — partially due to the cleaning smell others mentioned). All the rooms are decorated in a tacky/​charming sort of way.
Can’t really beat $ 99/​night for a good place to stay in a great little neighborhood, Hillcrest — very central to everything in SD and free street parking (which is clutch in SD — other hotels charge you a ridiculous amount). The staff is always friendly and yes the breakfast is nothing great, but I wouldn’t expect much more for such an inexpensive place!
My only complaint from this last stay that’s not really controlled by the Inn was the family that let their kids run around screaming in the courtyard both mornings at 8:30am. Didn’t know people brought kids to B&Bs, but that’s fine, they just need to remember that some of us are still sleeping and the courtyard is directly in front of many of the rooms!

This place is nice the smell isn’t bad at all I’m a local I’m familiar with that historic smell haha it wasn’t an offensive smell in any way. It literally just smelled like a home that just had their carpets cleaned. I had the courtyard room it was nice it wasnt wild like the other rooms, it was one of the causal rooms. The hot tup with nice a big, I didnt get to turn on the jets though because they kind of had a curfew on the jets due to noise issues for other guests. I was really bummed about that since it was my honeymoon, my husband and I would get back too late to the room and we’d just settle for soaking together in the tub. The area is nice its right next to a school which I can imagine might come with some issues but we were lucky enough to have no issues. Our stay was nice, quiet, and relaxing.
All the themed rooms will make you giggle, I wouldn’t mind testing out their other rooms in the future.
I didnt even bother with the breakfast since I read its pretty cheap and generic and also because I brought some left over wedding food to the room and heated it up in the microwave.

Nothing misleading about the sign out front «A Unique Bed & Breakfast». It delivers on the unique and the quaint B&B charm. This is my second stay at Balboa Park Inn in the last two years and the place is just great.
If you’re wanting hotel quality décor, super fast wifi, breakfast buffet with egg white omelette station for your fad diet then you’re better off at one of the big chain hotels downtown.
If you’re wanting a quaint, B&B feel with kitsch galore; this is your place.
The zoo is a short walk from the inn. Walk north to find small shops and new restaurants. The Hillcrest area is definitely walkable too.
The breakfast — your choice of juice, assorted pastries or cereal — is the perfect way to get the day started. It’s delivered to your room within minutes of ordering from the front desk. If you walk to the zoo you’ll burn off all those sugar calories.
The bed was very comfy and the linens were probably the most luxurious thing in the entire place. We slept in both mornings.
My only complaint is the extremely strong carpet cleaner smell in the hallways. I think the staff has become accustom to the the fragrance and they don’t realize how over-​powering it is for the uninitiated.

Stayed there a couple of weeks ago when visiting San Diego. Stayed in the Southwest suite. The staff could not have been nicer. Always willing to help with directions or calling a cab for you. The owner very proud of his business and shares how each room got it’s theme and décor. Memory foam mattress that gives you a great night’s sleep. Simple continental breakfast that they will bring to your room, the court or up on the beautiful sun deck. When we go back this is where will will stay and looking forward to picking a different theme room :-)

Ew. The person who answered the phone, Judy, was so unwelcoming and borderline rude, that I would never stay here. Ever.

We stayed in the Medley suite with our 2-​year-​old. The rooms are small but not tight. We had a fully stocked kitchen with fridge and microwave and dishes and utensils. The room was clean and seemed to have been recently painted. It was an easy walk to the zoo which was fantastic. The neighborhood is safe although there are a few homeless types who walk around occasionally. There is free street parking and we found a spot in front of the room although bc of street cleaning on Monday am, we had to move car on Sun night and found a spot 2 blocks away.
The bad. The breakfast is perhaps McDonalds quality pastries and a bowl of cereal already poured into a bowl for you (you pick if u want corn flakes, etc). They would do themselves a service if they simply gave everyone a pastry apiece from a quality dessert shop, little cartons of milk and OJ, and little cartons of cereal. Or something along those lines. We felt they should forego breakfast and just call themselves an Inn rather than a B & B. We are from LA so $ 149 a night is very reasonable and we don’t expect free food with that rate. Also, our bed had an old mattress and was very soft and squeaky. My wife is 5’2″ and had a hard time climbing into bed because it was pretty high up off the floor. Yes, the bars of soap are 1.5 inches small.
All in all, a charming spot, great location. We would stay again if we could get a better mattress.

Customer service was very friendly. The room was cery clean and there were an abundance of fluffy towels. I stayed at the Beach House which was a terrific choice because it has a huge jacuzzi tub. It also had a stand up shower which was roomie and has a bench seat. The B&B is located super close to the zoo which was perfect for me.
It got a 4 instead of a 5 because the breakfast sucked (ceral and assorted pastries) and The bathrooms only had one small square of soap in the entire bathroom!!! No shampoo, no conditioner, no lotion, no mouthwash, and only one square inch of soap. Wtf!?! I’m sorry but when I go to a hotel I don’t bring my own soap and only bring shampoo if I’m staying more than 2 nights. You need to provide soap for people! The décor was a little cheesy with the fish decorations on the ceiling but not all around horrible.
I would stay here again, but I will come prepared next time. I would also recommend it highly for couples that want a romantic experience complete with hot tub, candles, and mood lighting.

It’s in a nice area, very convenient location, nice people who work there. I had a few issues though. So the cheapest room they have is $ 99. The «breakfast» they offer you is either cereal or a «warmed pastry.» Carbs carbs carbs… and cheap carbs at that. I have a pre-​Diabetic condition and I can’t just eat carbs and sweets like that. I would expect that kind of breakfast at the Econo Lodge. But not for a $ 99 a night room. The rooms are charming, the beds are comfortable. The Wi-​Fi SUCKS. Seriously, if you depend on the Internet business people, consider staying at a main branch, because the friend I stayed with here really depended on the Internet and she was struggling. Also she mentioned that every time someone used their water (i.e. flushed the toilet, used the faucet), she could hear it. I suspect it is because the plumbing is very old (they said it was built in 1915).
Overall, you’re paying for location (it’s in a good neighborhood too) and the cute charming rooms. It’s pretty much a ripoff in my book though. I would have gotten much better value if I had stayed at the Econo Lodge.

I should’ve stayed at the Holiday Inn or something. I was looking for a non-​corporate hotel so I stayed here. The buildings and rooms smell really old (in a bad way) and musty like the carpets haven’t been changed since 1915, which is when the apartment buildings, turned b&b, were built. The location is on a very loud street and several times during our 2 day stay I heard from our room, homeless or perhaps crazy people walking by yelling obscenities. Disturbing.
The halls in a couple buildings stank of horrible bleach. I don’t know which smell was worst: the old building stink or the bleach. Breakfast was a joke. It was a few sugary mainstream cereals, pastries, oj, and coffee (probably gotten at Costco).
There’s just no way I can recommend this place to anyone.

A review I have on TripAdvisor — I was thinking about my CA trip this morning so I figured I’d share. (2011)
I stayed at the Balboa Park Inn for 4 – 5 nights back in July 2011, and it was great. We stayed in a room facing Balboa Park, on the first floor. The room had a very warm, homey feel. Kind of like staying in the guestroom at your grandmothers house. The bathroom was large, with a jacuzzi tub. it was kind of weird that the mini-​fridge, microwave, and other kitchen supplies were in the bathroom, but we got over it. There is a Trader Joe’s nearby where you can stock up on microwave-​cooked foods. The daily breakfast was nice, they were always very friendly when you called and ordered. Always a great job cleaning the rooms when you’re out for the day.
The Inn is right across the street from Balboa Park. We jogged through the park every night. We walked to the San Diego Zoo easily. There is also a bus stop right there that goes in Downtown San Diego, convenient way to avoid drinking/​driving at night. The parking is sreet parking, and it can be tricky, but I stay in North Jersey a lot so it was really no big deal, just like home. There is always somewhere to park, it just always isn’t right in front of your hotel.
The staff was great and friendly, they were able to hook us up with a nicer room upon check-​in for no extra cost. We originally were going to be in one room for 2 nights, then switch to a smaller room for the remaining nights. They ended up letting us stay in the larger/​nicer room for the same price as the smaller room. I would definately go back.
Traveled as a couple

Came here on a livingsocial deal for a weekend getaway with my boyfriend. We had to switch our reservations to another date when only Park Place was available. I was kind of doubtful that I would like the room due to all the pink in the photos on their website.
When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised that a new décor had been arranged. The room was large and very clean. Lots of little quirks and felt really welcoming. A little bit on the side like grandma’s house, but still pleasantly comfy. Breakfast was simple and delivered to your door. We were fortunate to have very comfortable weather and walked to all the activities and museums in Balboa Park.
My only complaint would be the shower in this room. The curtains hang awkwardly where it made me feel very claustrophobic with them blowing inwardly and sticking and having to stay to the very front of the shower to get under the shower head which hardly extended out from the wall. Also the vent fan was very weak so we had a very stuffy room for a while. Minor thing, but would’ve been the only thing to get the extra star.

Had an overnight in San Diego and we were looking for accommodations that were in Hillcrest with easy downtown access which this place offered both.
Checked in with on-​street parking right out front with no intention of moving it until we left in the morning. The 7 bus will take you right downtown (we walked down and rode back).
The room was exactly how the described and certainly met our needs. We were not in a themed room (unless I missed that) but the bed was comfy and had no other issues.

I have nothing to say but good stuff about this quaint place.
I had a Living Social deal and Judy, who I spoke to over the phone, was SUPER helpful when talking about each of the room (Jacuzzi vs. not) and available dates. The deal was also available for Memorial Day weekend, which is rare for a LS deal. I changed my room/​dates twice (a few month earlier) and she was very accommodating about that. Emailed confirmation was also a nice touch. Also offered us to call in to see if we can check in early.
Location: RIGHT BY the zoo and Balboa Park. Street parking, but that was super easy to find. Location is on the corner of two main streets so it was easy to find, park, and check-​in. Service was SUPER nice and clear at check-​in.
Service: Front desk, housekeeping, everyone we encountered was friendly. Kind of annoying was the kids (which I assumed belonged to housekeeping) who were running around the patio area.
Décor: Like what everyone said, which place is themed and quirky and quaint and simple and homey. Don’t expect chain hotels or even fancy bed-​and-​breakfast. Expect a home away from home. We stayed in the Beach House (#29) and LOVED it!!! The décor, the furnishing, and bathroom… everything was so cute! We love the sofa area (where we ordered delivery/​take-​out and ate and studied, the plates, microwave, fridge, coffee machine, the tub, shower, super soft bed and covers… everything! This place was very charming. At least our courtyard area was. We had a courtyard and a sun terrace, which was really nice. The other rooms were in the other buildings so I don’t know how they are set-​up.
Check out is at noon, which is later than most places now.
We really enjoyed our stay here. And yay for LS deal!

If you’re ever in San Diego, stay here.
Here’s why:
So most of the time, when rooms are themed, it’s creepy. It’s not right. It’s creepy, and you know why.
So Balboa Park Inn. Independently owned and operated for however many years, has themed rooms. But… AWESOME.
Not like, «space-​shuttle» themed, or anything, but each suite has different features/​options and a different title.
Our suite was called Las Palomas, and it had a killer balcony and a master bedroom for the mister and I and a smaller bedroom/​pull out couch and additional couch for guests. And it was kitschy, but cute. And clean. And nice. I mean, actually… it was awesome.
It was awesome because it was a departure from the norm. Not that I hate on the norm… the norm is fine. But I like different, usually. Scratch that… almost always. Three adjoining buildings comprise the hotel, which overlooks beautiful Balboa Park. (Do I sound like a commercial yet?)
The staff was super friendly, and the air-​conditioning totally adequate on the 103 degree September day we checked in.
Awesome landscaping and super kitschy fun on the outside, too. This place was the perfect mix of eclectic, clean, fun, differently different awesomeness in a hotel. Super recommend.