Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott San Diego Pacific Beach

Mission Bay Park is just a five-minute walk from the front door, and there’s a miles-long concrete path beside the water. Within five minutes on foot, there are good casual Mexican, Thai, and sushi restaurants. The hotel is right off Interstate 5, which connects to everything, and parking is included in the rate. We’ve stayed many times because it’s our go-to during frequent trips to San Diego. The rooms are clean and comfortable, and there’s a hot breakfast buffet with cold options, plus a fitness center and small pool. Staff are professional, if not especially outgoing or friendly. For a Marriott branded property in San Diego, it’s good value.

Parking was free and plentiful, with easy access to the beach, shopping, and dining. Breakfast included sausage patties, scrambled eggs, waffles, oatmeal, a couple kinds of dry cereal, bagels, muffins, fresh fruit, yogurt, coffee, and apple and orange juice, though the juice was very watered down. No hot chocolate. At check-in, the desk didn’t tell us room service had to be requested, so we ran out of clean towels and the trash bins overflowed. I’ve never had to tell a hotel to clean a room. The shower body wash and conditioner were empty. Bring your own blankets if you want to stay warm. I know it’s California, but I still like a warm blanket.

The hotel is run down and bare, and the beds were horrible. The windows were dirty, street noise was loud, and this was the worst customer service I’ve had from a general manager, Sasha. There’s no art in any of the rooms, I was told, despite the website photos. The pictures and the “100 percent satisfaction” promise online were false advertising. I complained, but instead of trying to make my stay right, Sasha said I could leave and get a refund for the extra nights, while still being charged for the night I’d stayed. Her assistant had offered 2000 points and a refund for the remaining nights. Sasha called me a liar and argued about whether her maids speak English, after they told me they didn’t. Her staff are very rude, and I can see why if she sets that example. Now I have to change hotels, which is very inconvenient and sad. She should be fired.

Two days into our five-night visit, we heard what sounded like gunshots near the hotel and didn’t feel comfortable staying any longer. What upset me most was how the concern was handled. I was told nobody else had heard anything, and felt dismissed instead of met with empathy and professionalism. As a guest raising a safety concern, I expected them to take it seriously. Being offered only a $50 discount or 10,000 points just added to my frustration.