Hotel Aqua Mar

The rooms were small and smelled nasty, and they charged for parking, which was weird. They also kept our deposit. I called to ask about it and was told it had already been issued. When it still hadn’t arrived, I called again and they said they withheld it because we supposedly stole a blanket. We spilled coffee on one, and staff came to take it but didn’t replace it. We had our own blankets and no reason to steal theirs, especially since they weren’t comfortable anyway.

The room was clean and convenient for a one-night stop before my son and I went to legoland. It was just big enough for two beds, a small end table, and a mini fridge under the TV. The bathroom was about the size of one at a gas station, and the beds were hard and very squeaky. The real problem was how we were sent to the room. The man at the Point Loma hotel had me book in the office, then told me to walk a block to a different location. I was with my 8-year-old son and our suitcases at 2 in the m******** morning. Nobody had told me before I paid that we’d have to walk with our luggage, and he offered no help. He took my money, gave me keys, and told me to go to the traffic light, turn left, and look for the hotel sign. As soon as we left the office, he locked the door behind us and left.

For the price, the room was severely lacking compared with other places we stayed on our California road trip. It was tiny, with just a bed, nightstand, and mini fridge, and didn’t feel cozy or welcoming. We spent one night there, by far the worst hotel we’ve stayed at. Our corner room faced a busy intersection, with traffic noise all day and night. It was extremely loud, the window wouldn’t open, and the wall-mounted AC was noisy too, so sleep was nearly impossible. The metal bed frames rattled loudly with even the slightest movement. The sink drained poorly despite being on the second floor. We weren’t given enough towels for the number of guests in the booking, and there was no hairdryer in the room, so we wasted time trying to find one. Parking was $10 a night, with no mention of the charge before we arrived. I wouldn’t recommend it or stay again.

We arrived at 2 am and found the hotel closed, with nobody there and no working phone number. We had to book somewhere else, even though we’d already paid in advance to avoid exactly this situation. No one from the hotel helped us or gave us access to our room. Other hotels said they’d never heard of a hotel or office being “closed.” I still haven’t received a refund. The worst experience ever for my family.