Holiday Inn Express San Diego N – Rancho Bernardo

Stayed here for a week and it was a good experience overall. The room (a king suite with jetted tub) was clean, the bed was comfortable (though the pillows sucked), and the staff was friendly — though a little clueless (we asked for a wireless bridge per the placards in the room and were told they didn’t have them any more because «everything is wireless now»).
The housekeeping staff could use some work as well. Our room was in the annex building across the parking lot from the lobby, and while my wife worked every day, I was in the room the whole time. We only had housekeeping in once (because you’re required to let hotel staff in once every three days), and the cleaning lady didn’t start until 3pm, and then it took her 45 minutes to clean the shower, the toilet, vacuum, and spray the whole room down with incredibly overpowering air-​freshener, and make the bed. However, they did have plenty of time each day to vacuum the hall outside the room 3 times.
The breakfast options are good, except for the bacon. I’ve made a lot of bacon in my life, but this is the first time since my boy scout camping days that I’ve seen bacon that was raw and burnt at the same time.

Great location. Fair pricing. Super friendly staff. I saw a manager, Hazel, deal with a unhappy customer (something about 3^rd party booking price) and she was super professional then helped me with a smile. Clean rooms. I called down to get extra pillows and they were delivered in 3 minutes! Breakfast was yummy.

Definitely would NOT recommend staying here to anyone! Booked a 3-​night stay while working the Fred Hall Show. First night: we had 2 spider/​crab looking creatures crawling across our bed. Attempted to call the front desk & discovered the phone was broken. Had to walk downstairs & change rooms. Second night: arrived back at hotel around 10:00 p.m. after a hard day of work to discover NOT one single parking spot available! After driving around for 10 minutes, went inside and was told by the front desk that they share the lot with a BBQ place and couldn’t do anything about it. End result was being rudely directed & practically yelled at by the manager to park my car in the red zone for the evening. Third night: was unable to access hotel due to police blockage and accident. After 45 minutes of waiting, walked into our room with it still a mess, coffee cups out, toilet left up by maid, etc.
This is one of the worst experiences we’ve ever had at a hotel.

Horrible! Customer Service is bad with so many choices this should not be one to consider.

Stayed here recently over a long weekend for a staycation. Definitely a worthwhile spot to stay in North County San Diego. Don’t let the «Express» part fool you – this is a quality hotel.
The rooms are express-​sized though, but that’s to be expected. We arrived to a nice, clean room. One nice feature is the small balcony. We never went out, but it was nice to have a sliding door to let some fresh air in. There were the standard amenities, TV, fridge, plenty of outlets, and complimentary water. No microwave, but it wasn’t needed. The closet, also unused, is pretty spacious. The walls are on the thin side, so you’ll be party to whatever your neighbor is watching on TV.
The bathroom is on the small side, but accommodating enough. Shower head was a decent height, and it had different settings should you want variety in your shower stream. The cleaning staff replenished the toiletries, which I haven’t seen too often in my recent stays at other hotels.
There is a complimentary breakfast. They served the same thing both mornings we were there. Notable foods – egg scramble circles with some salsa thing folded inside, magical pancakes that come out on a conveyor belt, and pretty tasty cinnamon rolls.
One really nice touch was the cookies they had in the lobby one afternoon. Not sure how often they do this, but definitely be on the look out.
Parking is adequate, but it can get a bit crowded. There seems to be covered parking as well. The hotel is near the freeway, but it’s far enough for the noise to be minimal.
All in all, we enjoyed a lovely weekend at this Holiday Inn Express. I would happily stay here again.

I have stayed here at the Rancho Bernardo multiple times and every time it has been a wonderful stay! Rooms are clean for the most part and very comfy, big tvs, and modern design… The breakfast here is good. I love what I call the «pancake fax machine» it makes perfect pancakes every time and you don’t need to wait for clueless patrons to operate the flipper appliance most other hotels have. Good location, around the corner from a Starbucks and multiple liquor stores Also, right next to the 15!
Ok so here’s why it’s 3 stars: My room (277) had some ants in the bathroom coming from the walls. The staff didn’t seem to be very sociable. I don’t know if there was a language barrier but it almost felt like they were running away from me. Not a lot of natural light coming into the room. I also had an issue with the shower in my room where the hot and cold were switched and either boiling or freezing then the water wouldn’t turn off! The maintenance man was great though, he handled it :) The AC could be better but it keep the room cool for the most part. I’d definitely stay again.

Got there and sofa bed had weird blackish mark stain under it. Figured we didn’t have much of choice cause they were sold out and we’re only there for tournament for kids softball. So we stay. Well she ends up walking away with two of the biggest bug bites I’ve ever seen. Another family on the same team had bug bites on her 2 year old. On top of that by second night there was weird muggy stench from room but again we’re told their super booked. Not to mention when we complained the guys in front of us were talked into a room on the second floor who’s window doesn’t lock?! What’s wrong with this picture?! Ya don’t stay here while staff is friendly makes no sense why they can’t fix noises in pipes, stench from room, obvious spider issues and windows that don’t lock. Get your crap together folks. You’re my only second one star review ever.

I am astonished that this sub standard motel is allowed to carry the Holiday Inn brand name! I have stayed at many fine holiday inns that deserve a 4 star rating. Not this one… my family was welcomed with stained sheets and hairs in the bathroom. In addition to that we were awakened at midnight to what sounded like very loud power tools. I had to get up at 4:30 am for my child’s softball tournament. I called the front desk to complain. I asked them if they were doing maintenance at this hour… i told them that we heard extremely loud drilling from the room next door. They sent an employee to my room to investigate this noise. The hotel worker heard the noise and told me right away…“oh thats just the water pipes”. Are you serious??? What kind of establishment has a plumbing system that is noisey enough to wake hotel guests in the middle of the night? This is the Holiday Inn, Rancho Bernardo, Ca.
I would expect this to happen at a skid row motel, Not at the Holiday Inn.
Other families on my team also stayed here and had problems with doors that wouldn’t lock and air conditioning vents and dirty filters that fell out of the ceiling. This place is a dump and i urge you not to stay here.
Holiday Inn is a great chain… and should be extremely embarassed that this dump is part of thier chain.
the previous week i stayed at a Holiday Inn in Mirmar. It was a very pleasant experience.

Last month I got here help for a small birthday party; it was my girlfriend birthday party. At first I went here office room and made a good deal for venue selection. Just it gave me just job; the entire job was perfect and presentable. Good friendly the manager, thanks lots you sir.

Despues de un dia largo de trabajo y lo unico que deseas es descansar, este hotel es indicado para eso, las habitaciones son pequeñas y bonitas.
La calidad del servicio de las personas frente al mostrador es bueno, el desayuno va incluido con la reservacion, confieso jamas lo eh probado.
Me parece un excelente hotel para descansar despues de un dia duro de trabajo.

Last minute stop to this place and I don’t regret it. They gave us a room quickly and they were really friendly. The room was spacious and really clean. I had a good nights rest and looked forward to the free breakfast. The breakfast was okay, there was a lot to choose from and I would come back.

I work for another major hotel chain but my employee discount for a room in San Diego was $ 50 more per day than this location… and I needed a room for 3 days, so Holiday Inn Express it was! So happy with this decision. The front desk staff were friendly when my family and I checked in yesterday. The gentleman who checked me in also had a package I had shipped to me ready (free of charge) and also gladly assisted with printing out directions later on in the evening. My family and I are in room 242. Very impressed with how modern the room looks. Carpet appears to be new. The bed was clean and very comfortable. And there’s a pull-​out sofa and nice little balcony! Continental breakfast selection and quality were also pretty decent. The breakfast room was popular and fairly busy this morning. I was carrting my 3-​month old baby, and Blanca F. (Breakfast Specialist) was soooo kind enough to help me pack my breakfast so that I could take it back to my room.
I would stay here again in a heartbeat, and would highly recommend to anyone.

I stayed here for a work function. I was simply amazed by the way the staff took care of everything. Super clean and ready for my stay. The property is located in just the right spot. Easy access to the freeway and quiet. I’m pleased with my stay here. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. They have a nice continental breakfast and plenty of coffee.

I have stayed her 2 times already. The location is close to the freeway but not enough to hear the noise. A special shout out goes to the Manager «Dee» who was more than accommodating with the pool issue. He knew we wanted to use the pool and because it was being repaired for a few weeks, he went out of his way to call me with updates as to when it would be ready. Bless his heart for going over and beyond to do that for us. He was super sweet towards our family. The room was nice, clean and spacious. Way to go Holiday Inn Express. We are lifetime customers!!!

I was so amazed by this hotel and the staff. First, I met with Kristin to discuss doing a room block for my wedding guests and she was so sweet and kind I immediately booked the room block for the Holiday Inn Express Rancho Bernardo. Once the room block was set up, Hazel began to help my guests make their reservations and even the late bookers were accepted. I spoke with Kristin, Hazel, and D several times making sure every detail was considered and let me tell you, I was so pleased!
Most of my guests checked in 2 days before the wedding and almost all of them received the gift bags that I had prepared.
When I checked in, I was amazed! The suite they had put me in was amazing!!! The bathroom included the most amazing Jacuzzi tub I have ever seen. Yes I was totally surprised by it!
The breakfast was great, the pool was great, and the staff was GREAT!!!
Thank you so much for your hospitality,
Xo
Tammy & David

So me and my boyfriend are on our way to Chula Vista for family but decided to come a day early and stay at a hotel so that we didn’t have to drive twice in 1 day.
Now we always book with IHG hotels (why? Idk comfort?)
The front desk agent shirrie? Was busy but very nice and up beat.
We arrived around 7pm checked in no problem.
The only reason I gave minus 1 star is because our room smells a bit off, couldn’t put my finger on it but it wasn’t right, just sprayed some perfume and opened the patio door to air out the room and smell was gone in 5 mins.
I was in an executive king suite on the 2^nd floor and had no problem with any noise from outside or downstairs. The bed was on the short side, I’m 5’6 and my boyfriend is 5’10 and he was pretty close to the edge but whatevs.
For what we paid this was a standard ihg hotel, there are better and worse. This one is right in the middle.

So far 1 star. We’ve got 3 more nights to go. So let’s see what happens. We got in around 10:30, went up to the room to shower (we drove 7 hours and were very tired)
Found a bug on the wall just before we got in. We laughed it off because we aren’t really picky people.
Walked in an saw the bed is super short! It was a king but we barely fit. Im 5 foot 3 and barely fit lengthwise on the bed.
When we got in I found three hairs in the sink, didnt think anything of it though just thought they were the cleaning lady hairs.
Plus i wasn’t expecting much from this place.
Then i got in bed and started itching pretty bad and noticed two fresh bugbites. That was gross so I got up and looked at the bed and there was dirt and hairs all over it. By now i was grossed out and it was about midnight.
We went downstairs and told the front desk. He moved us. We had to move everything that we unpacked to a different room (no upgrade either) by the time we settled in it was already 2am (we had to be at the zoo in the morning. Which ended up not happening we were too tired)
Walking through this whole hallway smelled like weed. Which i do not like and was pretty gross. Also interesting considering this is a «non smoking hotel»
This room we found a pube in the sink. Gross but rinsed it out and the bed was clean. Also found blood on one of the handtowels. Ew?
The AC units make a bit of noise so if you’re a light sleeper (we are not so we dont care) beware.
So far its pretty nasty. Would never ever ever come to a Holiday Inn ever again and will never recommend this place to anyone.
Day 2: three more bug bites have appeared and we requested a microwave (since we had to move rooms) it arrived dirty with food particles baked into the ceiling. Yuumm
Night 2 we had to move again because of bed bugs. I got a few more bites on my head and neck then we inspected the bed and found the nasty critters. We are talking to a manager tomorrow. It is 1:40 am again.
Night 3: manager never called but we talked to the front desk and it happened to be the general manager. She was nice and very helpful and even asked if I needed to see a doctor (i said no, I’d prefer my own at home) and told us they were calling someone in to inspect the rooms. We were also told we would be refunded two nights. Better than nothing! Good service from her so I will say 3 stars now.
Pros:
Cheap
Can get a microwave
Pillows are soft
Cons:
Dirty (found hairs in both rooms. One had a dirty bed. Bugs. And one had a bloody towel in our «clean room»)
Cheap things
Smelly (smelled like weed and pretty musty)
Bad service (front desk just rushed us to another crappy room)
The room itself isn’t that great, bed is short and hard

Locate right off the Rancho Bernardo exit off the freeway, this location of Holiday Inn Express is frequented by many travelers, as expected. So as always, be on guard for personal items left in your car.
The breakfast area is in their main reservation office area so if you’re staying in any of the other buildings, which will be more than likely; you’ll have to wake yourself up early enough to freshen up a bit & get yourself ready for a stroll to their breakfast area. It fills up quickly.
The hotel did have locked entrance doors that would require your room key card to gain entry. Same goes for their elevator. It made me feel safe; but also a bit uneasy cause two times my card didn’t work & I got stuck outside in the middle of the night. The front office concierge quickly solved the issue.
The room was comfy, but the carpets needed to be shampooed. The room carpet was pretty dirty. I walked around just a few minutes with bare feet — something I rarely do in hotels — and my entire soles of the feet were dirty with dark colored dirt. They looked like I’ve walked bare feet for years! Eek! Washed them right away & put flip flops on.
The breakfast area served rock hard frozen oranges. I had to let the person working the area know and they took the entire tray in the back and when they brought it back out, I realized they only changed the first row of oranges. The rest were wet from still in the state of being defrosted. Strange.
There are other hotels in the area, with similar, if not better amenities. I’d conduct a bit more research.

Went here for a birthday party in their basement venue room. It fit 150 people comfortably, but there was nothing special about the room or hotel. Just a normal place overall. Cost wasn’t too high at $ 1000 to rent the room for the whole day.
Plenty of parking for all the guests, but when leaving you could get stuck getting back on the W Bernardo Dr going south because of the two way traffic.
It’s a convenient location just a block away from the 15 freeway and behind the Elephant Bar restaurant.

My review is just about the convention rooms. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity of visiting this hotel because it was an Indian clothing festival, and it was an amazing event with colorful dresses, saris and tunics for both men and women, with the most intricate patterns. Initially I thought the venue chosen by the organizer of this event (I guess the distributor in the US of this kind of upscale clothing) was not the most appropriate, but after seeing so many attendants and all happy (especially Indian women that work or live close by) I think it was a very convenient place/​location.
The hotel is not too big and can be easily confused with a condominium complex in Rancho Bernardo, just behind one of the gas stations in West Bernardo Rd. It is a simple hotel, but well maintained and the service people were very accommodating when my colleagues and I got lost (it was not easy to find the meeting room). It was a simple huge room with nicely decorated carpet and good illumination. That is all was needed as the main focus should be in the outfits to sell. I think this hotel is an ok place to this kind of gatherings, without expecting any luxury.

Stopped here overnight our way to San Diego. My traveling companion and I were not looking for anything too fancy, just a place with a clean room where we could rest our weary heads. Check on was quick and the front desk employee Dee was very pleasant.
We scored a free continental breakfast the next morning which was a nice surprise.
The rooms were clean and quiet and I loved the fact that they labeled the firmness of all their pillows.
They also have a small pool and a bare bones exercise facility that houses an elliptical and treadmill
Pur only «complaint» was that the lighting in the bathroom was sub par and the water pressure was a little weak.
Located right off the I5 a great place to stop on your way to or from San Diego.
Some might be surprised at 4 stars for this hotel, but for the price, what we expected and what we got this location definately shined.