Hotel Narcissus

The restaurant noise made it hard to rest. We got woken early by people banging dishes after driving all night for our honeymoon, and tonight, after another long day, there’s loud music and people talking and laughing outside our door while we’re trying to sleep early before an early start. The place emphasizes quiet hours but doesn’t seem to consider guests when it comes to the restaurant noise. Listings on Google and hotels.com, where we booked, leave out that the restaurant is right outside the door. One guest was sitting so close to our front door that we nearly had to ask him to move his restaurant chair to get in. Coffee is provided, but the sugar and dry creamer are in grandma metal cookie tins with scoops that everyone and their mother have had to finger out, so they don’t feel clean. The beds are hard as a rock, there are spider webs on the bed frame, and the blinds were open on a window where neighbors could see right in from their balcony. The restaurant crowd and workers took up so much parking that we had to park down the street on a dark, shady street. The interstate is loud right across the street. Don’t come here. We can’t get out fast enough.

Alchemy, in the hotel courtyard, was a big part of what made the trip. Eddie Cortes, the owner and head chef, was warm and creative, and made me a special off menu dish that made me feel like a VIP. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and made with real heart. Another fun discovery was The Silo Room, an intimate music venue right across the street that hotel owner Ben Longwell also runs. It’s inside an old bread silo and has unique experimental music shows once a month. That local creative energy made the trip feel special. I grew up in San Diego and now live up in Los Angeles. I’ve made the SD trip a million times, but this was easily one of my best visits in years. I took the train down for a quick getaway and stayed at Hotel Narcissus. The property is beautifully designed and intimate, with boutique charm and San Diego soul. It felt like a hidden gem in the neighborhood. Between the design, hospitality, food, and creative community around it, a simple train getaway became really memorable. As someone who grew up here, seeing SD evolve with places like this made me proud. Highly, highly recommend. I’ll definitely be back.

A fun, quirky boutique hotel in a neighborhood that’s coming up. Good coffee is within walking distance, great food is around the corner, and you can also grab a cocktail or dinner right in the courtyard. It’s new, but I think this place is going to be big.

I stayed in room number 3 and would definitely come back. It was spacious, with vaulted ceilings, a comfortable bed, a rain shower, and a nice big bathroom. The AC worked well, too. Thanks to the owner for the easy check-in and communication.