Holiday Inn Express San Diego South - Chula Vista by IHG

We came in January during the low season. The rooms are very nice and it’s great value. Breakfast is decent, just go early and you shouldn’t run into problems. The area isn’t too bad, without an excessive amount of sketchy people or activity. It’s about a 15-minute drive to Balboa Park, and San Diego is close by.

Ramona at the front desk was exceedingly helpful when I called the week before arrival with questions and requests, and she stayed friendly and helpful throughout the visit. She really knows what excellent guest service looks like. I booked three nights in early October '25 as a base for dental tourism in Tijuana and a visit to San Diego. Being near the trolley to the border was a main reason for choosing this place. I hadn’t stayed at a Holiday Inn Express before, and for the room rate, the property exceeded my expectations, especially the room’s size, decor, fittings, and feel. Breakfast offered a lot of choices and was very good. There was some issue with the news feed in the breakfast room, but it seemed fixed before I left. The in-room clock also had a minor problem. All in all, I was very satisfied with my Chula Vista stay.

I stayed here in December of 2024. Bed bugs! I didn’t feel like I could leave with my clothes contaminated. When I asked the manager to cover my dry cleaning, he got aggressive, even though I was being super chill about it lol. They did refund the room, at least. Hopefully they’ve sorted it out by now. Good luck getting rid of these!

The bathroom and room were so dirty that I had to cover the whole bathroom floor with towels. The area didn’t feel safe either, and the “gym” had only three machines. Is that really a workout? After more than 20 years of travel for work and personal trips, I’ve never failed to find a place that was clean and safe until this stay. It was awful. Save your money and stay somewhere else. This hotel gets zero stars!