Homewood Suites by Hilton San Diego Hotel Circle/SeaWorld Area

The hotel has five floors of rooms and suites and has recently been renovated. Hilton Honors members can use the app to get a digital key. The breakfast buffet was good. The shredded pork was especially juicy, and the steamed rice was delicious.

We’ve been Hilton customers for a long time, so we’re comparing this with other Homewood locations. The staff were friendly, helpful, and working hard, and they responded to what guests needed. The food was good quality, the rooms were spacious and well kept, and the outdoor space was lovely for family games or coffee in the California sunshine. Being just off I-8 also made it a great base for San Diego attractions. There were some odd omissions in the rooms: no desk or other workspace for remote work, and no table, either a dining table with chairs or a low coffee table. That made it hard to eat meals in the suite or play games. The coffee station had hot water but no tea or hot chocolate except during breakfast. The kitchen seemed short staffed as well. The facilities are nice, but the mattresses and dated sofa sleeper need replacing. It was a great stay, just not the best Homewood in Hilton’s portfolio.

Room 126 had no cell coverage at all. We have T-Mobile, and neither of us had network service on the first floor. Even on Wi-Fi, phone conversations kept cutting out, so we had to go to the lobby or outside to talk. We weren’t told about this issue with first-floor rooms. We were there for family matters, not a vacation, so it made things especially difficult. At about 8pm, there was just one person at the front desk. She was checking guests in, handling issues, answering calls, and contacting housekeeping and maintenance, so the three people ahead of us meant check-in took around 20-30 minutes. The property seemed understaffed. The young woman also gave us no information about breakfast hours, every-other-day housekeeping, parking rates, or anything else about the stay. Housekeeping should be daily at a property where guests are likely using the kitchen. Food waste can attract bugs, and we noticed moths or something similar in the room. Even if the rest of the room isn’t serviced daily, the kitchen should be. When it was eventually cleaned, the dishwasher detergent pack wasn’t replenished, and the kitchen towel was taken and not replaced. We were told that even if we requested daily cleaning, they wouldn’t accommodate it. We stay at Hilton and other hotel chains around the world for work and leisure, and housekeeping has never been an issue outside COVID times. We’ve had daily room cleaning at hotels before, during, and after COVID. There were other problems too. The ironing board had no cover. The website listed parking at $26, but we were charged $27. At checkout, I brought up the difference and the young woman just said, “nope, it’s $27,” with an attitude. I’d seen a prior review from a family in the same room a week or so earlier, also mentioning a $26 charge, so perhaps the price went up by a dollar. Parking prices were listed on the Hilton website. Our reservation covered two rooms, one for family. Check-in should include information about the stay, and it should actually be available when booking. I’m very disappointed and won’t return. The front desk was clearly understaffed, and I can understand how one person could be overwhelmed. I gave the location two stars only because it was somewhat convenient for where we needed to be.

The entrance looked clean and nice, but our check-in began badly. The man at the Honors desk was so cold he didn’t even say hello until I did. The other women were nice, but not helpful. Our couch was in very poor condition. When I reported it, they said all the rooms were the same and sent us to another room to look. That room smelled bad, and we were told there was nothing else available. It was interesting that two other couples checked in while we waited. Breakfast was free but extremely minimal. Hampton is much better. I won’t return, since there are better options nearby at the same price.