Holiday Inn Express

The free breakfast at this Holiday Inn Express was surprisingly good! I was totally expecting them to have only a dozen donuts and instant coffee in the lobby — but instead, they had cheese omelettes, bacon, biscuits & gravy, muffins & pastries, cold cereal, yogurt, and fruit.

It’s a cozy place to stay. were here for d marathon rock n roll. nice rooms, clean n accommodating staff. jus a walking distance of d old town san Diego. if u like Mexican n Italian foods, lots of restaurants nearby. big swimming pool n jacuzzi too

My family was coming down from San Jose area and wanted to go to Seaworld and Legoland. They booked a suite here to accompany their family of 5. Unfortunately the only plus of this hotel is the sparkling fountain in the courtyard.
We called in advance and asked what time our room will be ready. We were told 12pm so we planned accordingly to arrive around that time. Once we arrived at 12:30pm we were told to wait 30 more minutes… the kids wanted to start our day already so I left my poor mom in the lobby as we headed to Seaworld. Two hours later and she’s still waiting in the lobby for our room! The front desk then proceeded to tell her that the room will be ready at 4pm. She sat in the lobby as people checked in and checked out. We immediately called mgmt and after much noise making, we were finally able to check in. Now that’s hospitality at its finest if I say so myself. I understand the Holiday Inn is not the Ritz but granted customer service should not be taken advantage of. When people say they’re going to do something, they should follow their words. Absolutely no accountability was taken.
I won’t even get into the state of the room… I’ll leave that to your imagination. Needless to say, I’m very disappointed in their customer service and lack of trust they offer their customers. I rather pay the extra $ 30 for the Marriott.
Check in at your own risk.

We stayed here on our way to Maui once.
Pro’s-1.staff and employee’s were helpful, and friendly.
2. close to Old Town, we usually go to Old Town for the cutest sun glasses before heading to Hawaii.
Con’s-1.finding the room was confusing, it was large and not laid out well
2. It did not seem too safe and there was roaming security in the hotel to keep you safe but they had security because they need it.
3. the near by streets are not lit well at night and everything seems to shut down super early.
For our purposes of just sleeping and flying to Hawaii it wasn’t too bad but we preferred Holiday Inn Bayside for our purposes.

Smelled like mold or water damage in room 118. Super bad. Otherwise nice stay for one night. Staff helpful.

My wife and I stayed here a couple of days in San Diego and it was wonderful. The rooms were nice and the breakfast was amazing for a free hotel breakfast.
There are about ten mexican restaurants within walking distance, and a liquor store across the street for beer.
They have fridges inside the room to hold your beer, so all is good.
For the price, we loved this place.

Love the atmosphere-​if I could live my whole life in a spanish style hacienda. Anyhow, free breakfast, great location, decently moderate prices. Only thing that was a downer is they don’t tell you they charge to park underground.

Vanessa at the front desk was really nice & helpful, she made our stay much more pleasant.
Complimentary breakfast buffet, I abused this to every extent I could. Yeah, I know I ate like a pig. I ate so much at the buffet to the point where I wasn’t hungry for so many hours later. Most days, I didn’t even eat lunch. The buffet had coffee, tea, hot chocolate, OJ, apple juice, cranberry juice yumm. They also provided bagels, bread for toast, English muffins, regular muffins, biscuits, cinnamon buns, scrambled eggs/​omelets with cheese, hardboiled eggs, sausage patties/​bacon/​some sort of meat mush that tasted so good, yogurt, cereal, milk, oatmeal…
Coffee maker, microwave, & fridge in the room. I don’t drink coffee but I made hot water in the coffee maker for tea. Microwave & fridge, I didn’t think we needed it but it came in handy with all the leftovers we had.
Complimentary shuttle:
The ONLY reason I chose this place rather than other hotels. They provide shuttles to/​from the airport, San Diego Zoo, and Sea World. To get a hotel shuttle to transport you to the hotel. after getting your luggage, you can go to the information desk & they’ll dial the number for you so you can talk to the people at the hotel to send a shuttle for you. Leaving the hotel & going to the airport, I believe the shuttles depart the hotel every hour on the hour.
For SD Zoo and Sea World, you need to make reservations the day before you want to go or a couple of days before, let the person at the front desk know & they’ll write your name on their list. The shuttles depart once a day and come back to the hotel once a day. We didn’t come back to the hotel with the shuttles, we went exploring other places instead.
FREE wifi, used it to check my email & to look places up on Unilocal =]
Didn’t use the swimming pool or jacuzzi or other services they provide…
I have a hotel phobia (nice & blah hotels, it doesn’t matter, they’re all the same), I don’t like thinking or over thinking about what others have been doing in the room I sleep in. I don’t like sharing beds, sheets, toilets, & showers knowing strangers have also used them before me. During our stay, it was rather clean so I wasn’t too paranoid.

The Holiday Inn will always hold a special place in my heart because I love the Chingy song about the Holiday Inn.
This Holiday Inn location is cute. It is great hotel for families. I wish I had more time to hang out in the courtyard area. Its location next to Old Town means you are very close to some good eats.
Checking in and out was very easy and our room came with a king-​sized bed, a mini-​fridge, coffee maker (i think) and a microwave. I got a good deal on the room thanks to my entertainment card. There is also a continental breakfast but we missed out on it because we overslept.
They currently charge $ 12 per night for parking and you need your key card to park in the garage so don’t try to go into the parking garage before checking in. You could also try street parking to avoid paying the $ 12.
I am sure I will be staying at this Holiday Inn again.

We really had a nice stay. It’s conveniently located right up the street from old town and there was street parking so we didn’t have to pay for the $ 12 a day hotel parking fee. The new linens are very nice, each of us had a soft and firm pillow. But, the towels are old and crunchy… they need an immediate upgrade too. The free hot breakfast was good, people seemed to love the all you can eat factor. There are easy access doors to gain access to the main street so you don’t have to walk through the property to get to Old Town. Fridge and microwave were great. We’ll stay here again soon.

A — List. Recommended. I booked this hotel through hotwire at 39.00 + tax per night per room for the upcoming holidays. I was not disappointed.
PLUSES + LOCATION TO OLD TOWN & TROLLEY, HOTEL DESIGN (GREAT LOBBY /​EATING AREA, POOL/​JACUZZI, SOME ROOMS FACING COURTYARD), NON-​SMOKING, CLEAN ROOMS, FREE AIRPORT /​ZOO /​SEA WORLD /​CRUISE DROPOFF/​PICKUP, FREE BREAKFAST, FREE WIFI, GREAT STAFF.
MINUSES — FOR SOME IT WILL BE THE LOCATION (CLOSE TO FREEWAY BUT NOT ON TOP OF FREEWAY), HIGH CALORIE/​FATTY BREAKFAST, LACK OF RECYCLING, CHECK IN AT 4 PM, POOL CLOSES AT 10 PM, THAT’S ABOUT IT
There are certainly a number of sites and individuals who have plenty of positive comments regarding location, cleanliness, friendliness, safety and services provided. This all non-​smoking hotel is situated close to a major freeway. This might be considered an issue for some. However, the hotel’s proximity to historic Old Town (2 blocks away) and the Trolley line /​Coaster line (a lovely 0.6 mile walk down Congress Street) makes this hotel a gem. Make sure to ask for a room facing the courtyard. This will reduce road noise somewhat, allow you to open the balcony doors (those facing the freeway are painted shut) and have a view of the courtyard with trickling fountain. The room I stayed in has been fully renovated and updated. The room was spacious with full size bed and three chairs, a table and entertainment center. The room also came with a microwave, coffee maker and small fridge.
The free breakfast is mostly high calorie, sugar and fat. However, if you stick to the raisan bran cereal, boiled eggs, banana, skim milk and perhaps an OJ and coffee or tea, you may find the breakfast acceptable. From a look around the breakfast area, most people did not have any problems with the white bread and bagels, pastries, manufactured eggs, grits and gravy and high sugar yogurts.
The free shuttle was on time for the most part. There was a delay in picking a group up from the airport (I was part of that group). However, past that the shuttle departs once a day to zoo /​sea world and one afternoon pickup. They make runs to the airport as required, just make sure to book a space on the shuttle at the front desk in advance.
What else? The pool and jacuzzi are both in good shape and was used by many families staying there. The pool area closes at 10 PM. The front desk was always attentive and friendly. There is free wi-​fi running throughout the property. You can also pick-​up the wi-​fi signal in your room. It works well. I had no problems whatsoever. Check-​in is at 4 pm. However, I arrived after 3 and had a room within minutes.
I used the trolley line to get to the football games. It was so easy to purchase a trolley ticket and get to the game. The trolley line takes you right to the stadium. Also the trolley line stops at all the major shopping (Fashion Valley, Hazard Centre and Mission Valley or downtown at Horton Plaza). If you are heading to Copley for the symphony or other performance, the trolley takes you within a block of Copley at the 5^th ave stop. As an added bonus, the Coaster train service (which you can catch at the Old Town Trolley Station) will take you up the coast to as far as Oceanside for $ 13 dollars return. Why rent a car???
In summary, the ‘hotel’ I experienced was updated (although I understand from some guests that not every room has been renovated), clean, friendly, safe, reliable and affordable. If you can get a similar rate, it is excellent value. The fact that the hotel is so close to Old Town and the Trolley Line, makes this hotel a best kept secret. Highly recommended.

this place is cute because its in old town. our room was on the 3^rd floor and had a balcony that opened up to the courtyard (pool, jacuzzi and fountain). the walls are pretty thin here but the bed is big and the sheets are soft and comfy.
the carpet feels damp on bare feet and there were TONS of little black hairs on the white kleenex dispenser right when we checked in. ewwwwuh.
the breakfast that everyone talks up so much was alright but i didnt get the same low-​price that everyone else apparently got. so it would have been cheaper to stay at the hilton and go for a nice breakfast elsewhere. plus who wants to get up early for breakfast?!
also: the front desk clerk chose to simply look at us, luggage in hand, as we walked in. he didnt greet us at all (hey, good evening, how can i help you? do you need to check in? do you have a reservation? etc) but just stood there til we said something. nice and awkward beginning to our stay.
oh! and check-​in is at 4p… wtf! why so damn late when check-​out is at noon?

We booked a block of rooms here for our wedding. Everyone was very friendly, the rooms were clean, the free breakfast and shuttle were awesome perks. The front desk staff were kind enough to hand out goodie bags to all of our out-​of-​town guests. Even when we had some issues with rooms and rearranging payments, it got handled smoothly.

I love the fact that the front desk was very respectful and took the time to immediately solve an issue that we had.
This hotel is very lovely, clean, and there’s free breakfast.

«How can $ 44 pay for all this babe? I think this is my favorite hotel now!» — boyfriend upon arrival at Holiday Inn Old Town
My boyfriend and I have been hotel hopping the past few months trying out several places we find on priceline and hotwire.
We found this hotel on hotwire for $ 44.
We thought it was going to be a run down hotel since it is only rated 2 ½ stars on hotwire. Oh wow, we were wrong.
The lovely Spanish style architecture was basically what sold us. Location is great. Right next to Old Town.
There was FREE breakfast, and they had a hot tub too!
We will definitely be back!

I believe it is official. Holiday Inn Express is my favorite «moderate» hotel. I’ve been to afew in the past couple of years and they have all been hands down better than any of the Best Western, Days Inn, etc.
The positives here:
Location: It is right smack dab in Old Town. We walked to restuarants for dinner each night (the bars are right there too, but far enough away that you don’t hear them). It is a straight drive to down town and a short drive to the beach. If you are doing any of the tours Cityseeing, Old Town Trolley the departure points are also within walking distance.
Atmosphere: We stayed on the 2^nd floor where most of the rooms overlook a courtyard area with a clear blue fountain in the center. It was very relaxing, and we actually left the door to the balcony open most of the time (they aren’t connected to the other rooms)
Pool: The swimming pool and jacuzzi area were nice. I do think every place should have a child-​free area, or at least posted hours when the wee ones aren’t able to scream and yell and run and jump in the pool when others want to relax.
Continential Breakfast: usually I skip the continential breakfast, because my expectations are so low. My husband came upstairs and made me go down… it was a real breakfast and goooood too!
Rooms: The rooms were very clean, decent in size, comfy with a variety of pillows.

The free breakfast at this Holiday Inn Express was surprisingly good! I was totally expecting them to have only a dozen donuts and instant coffee in the lobby — but instead, they had cheese omelettes, bacon, biscuits & gravy, muffins & pastries, cold cereal, yogurt, and fruit. WOW! Oh, and they had fresh brewed coffee, tea, milk and juices, too. I had a cheese omelette, bacon and wheat toast. The cheese omelette was simple, but delicious after I hit it with some tabasco and pepper.
Our room was large and had a microwave and fridge. Very clean. There was plenty of room to set up the portable crib so we weren’t cramped. The hotel is also within walking distance of Old Town San Diego and a five-​minute car ride to downtown, so we didn’t have to drive far to go places.
I was really surprised and extremely satisfied with our stay at this hotel. We shall return!

To be honest, I don’t expect much from a Holiday Inn, but this place surprised me. The architecture is unique and fits in great in Old Town San Diego. I have a room with a king size bed which I found to be comfortable and overflowing with pillows. Some rooms are a bit more outdated than others, but overall, all the rooms are very clean and include a mini fridge and microwave in addition to the typical amenities. ALSO, the breakfast is amazing. Not just your typical continental breakfast, but it also includes hot cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon or sausage and biscuits and gravy. A real winner in my book!

I’m currently staying at the Holiday Inn Express in Old Town and I highly recommend this hotel. It is about 5 minutes south of the airport and 10 minutes south of the port, in an historic area of San Diego. There is a shuttle to and from the airport and it’s a $ 10 cab ride to the port. The hotel is 2 blocks from I-​5. Traffic noise and train noise was not noticeable.
It’s an older hotel with some usual wear and tear. However, the rooms are super clean, the beds are comfortable with lots of pillows and a fluffy comforter. The hotel is quiet, although the walls are thin and some muffled converations can be heard through the walls. Why hotels don’t have better soundproofing between rooms, I’ll never understand.
There’s a breakfast included that has waffles, english muffins, bagels, yogurt, cereal, hard boiled eggs, juices, fruit and most importantly, coffee!
There’s a nifty self-​paced walking tour of the historic buildings in the area as well as several tasty restaurants all within walking distance.
I was upgraded to a Junior Suite, which was very nice and included a huge patio with a 6 seat patio table.

This was the Hotel my family and I stayed in when I moved to SD from Mass back in ’03. It was good enough that they stayed here again in ’06 when they came for my graduation. The hotel itself is quite clean and well orgainized. It includes a free newspaper and a quality continental breakfast. Everything seems very clean and very new. The building is not that new, but they have done a great job at maintenance. The pool is pretty nice and is located in a central courtyard featuring numerous fountains and palm trees. This hotel is perfect for those coming to get get away from it all, but not wanting to spend a lot of money. I couldn’t give it 5 stars because I felt that only luxurious hotels could command that rating. As far as everything else goes I would say this hotel is deserving of a 5 star rating.
My mother got a room on the first floor, but found it much to dark. The ground floor is surrounded by a dirt birm separating it from the street. This makes you feel like you are in a «dungeon» I guess if you prefer things to be lighter. The staff gladly relocated her to the second level without a charge. The second and third floors are preferred because of the increased line of sight (there aren’t really any views in the traditional sense of the word). The hotel is towards the end of the strip that makes up old town. This area is kind of closed in by freeways on all sides so its not as though you feel like you are on the outskirts. The walk from the hotel to the end of the strip is probably less than one mile. I preferred this because a «centrally located» building would force you to backtrack to see everything. Here you can walk to one and then walk back on the other side.
Things in old town close dissapointingly early. By 9 or 10pm the place will resemble a ghost town. Be sure to make plans to head to downtown, pacific beach (college age crowd), or maybe out to Viejas (or other) Casino if you plan to stay out later.