Windows Lounge

Stayed at the DoubleTree on a work trip. Usually after a long day I hate leaving the hotel and trying to find something to eat. Nice bar downstairs and a typical bar food menu. However, it’s definitely not «bar food» quality. I had a burger, which was excellent. I know, it’s a burger, but it’s pretty easy to screw up a hamburger! Overall a good place. If I ever stay in San Diego again for work, I’ll definitely come backs

Sorry wring restaurant. I did not go here.

While staying at the DoubleTree, I wanted a place where I could relax, have a beer and a quick bite to eat before retiring for the night. It was a Tuesday evening and I had several options to choose from at a nearby shopping center within walking distance. I wasn’t in the mood for walking and decided on staying at the hotel and trying the Windows Lounge. The lounge is quite large with a variety of tables, both inside and out, and large screen TVs showing the latest sporting events. I ordered a draft ale, which was good, and a sausage and mushroom pizza. The service was good and my waiter was very attentive. The food came quickly and tasted good. The pizza was quite large and I only was able to eat half of eat, but the price wasn’t too bad considering this was a hotel restaurant. Pizza was $ 14 and beer was $ 6. I would certainly stop by again next time I’m in town and just want a quick bite to eat!

The Windows Café and Lounge serves a dual function as the Doubletree Hotel Mission Valley’s lunch/​dinner restaurant, and the hotel’s bar. A medium-​sized bar shares a large open area with a variety of types of table-​seating. At times there is a bartender plus a floor-​server; other times the bartender handles the entire area.
First, about the food: The menu is purposefully limited to a few core items the hotel kitchen can do well, given the limited demand for lunch and dinner in this venue, which is surrounded by other restaurants in the Hazard Center complex and in Mission Valley generally. Candidly, prices are not low; they are what you would expect from a Hilton-​property hotel. However, the food quality is very high. Dishes look, smell and taste very good. The pizza is tasty and a good value. Recent dessert additions have proven excellent. Some patrons choose Windows because food service continues late, until about 10:45 pm. One caveat: Though the servers will work to get food to you as fast as possible, do NOT come here depending upon a quick in-​and-​out if you have a deadline, such as a movie time or meeting to attend. Patronage of this bar/​restaurant is very unpredictable for the hotel, and if you happen to arrive on the heels of many other food customers, wait time will increase.
And now the bar: Windows Lounge is meant to be a quiet bar, conducive to fun in the form of relaxed conversation and quiet music. «Rowdy» is not the idea. There are many good bartenders and servers here, but Gibson, who bartends many evenings, is a customer favorite for good reason. You can obtain a high-​quality, well-​mixed drink of whatever complexity. This IS a fun bar, with sports on several TV screens. However, if you would like a break from loud, jangly «sports bars» and «dive bars», this is a place to try.
One word about a problem the management needs to solve: Like every place of business, Windows has to have a closing time. And as with most combo restaurant/​bars, that closing time is before the 2:00am legal cutoff. Right now it is 11:00pm most nights, midnight Fridays and Saturdays. At Windows, this is really a service-​ends time, not a take-​your-​glass-​away-​and-​throw-​you-​out-​time. And it is posted on the lounge menu sign and the hotel room brochures. Nevertheless, there is an ongoing nightly conflict where some hotel guests argue they did not know about the early closing time, assumed the bar would be open later, and are put out. The management can easily solve this problem by posting a prominent sign in the bar saying «Today the bar is open until _​_​_​_​_​_​», and another large sign the bartender can flip between «Open» and «Closed».

Windows is located in the Doubletree Hotel — Mission Valley.
It is a nice average hotel lounge with one really enjoyable feature.
Night fires …
The lounge has both indoor seating and outdoor tables.
They have some good beers on tap, a couple of really good wines by the glass — however, the drinks are priced a bit high.
(hotel business expense account prices ??)
The bartenders are fast and knowledgeable.
The really fun thing about windows is that after the sun goes down they light fires in two pits outdoors between the swimming pool and the lounge.
A nice area under the palms …
A totally enjoyable place to drink and socialize.
A great atmosphere
… almost good enough for four stars but the remainder of the bar isn’t that great.
It is designed to serve the hotel guests
It was quite busy all the nights we were there.
But those evenings drinking out by the fires, enjoying the cool «ocean breeze» was supurb.
A great idea …
«Nice» bar