Howard Johnson Express Inn

The room was spotless, including the sink, tub, toilet, bedding, towels, curtains, corners, and under the bed. The floors had some luggage marks but had been mopped. The AC was clean and strong, the TV worked, and there were plenty of lamps with chargers. We had a microwave, small fridge, and coffee maker, with extra coffee at the desk. The freezer had built-up ice but was clean. There was an open closet with hangers and a long pole. Beds and pillows were clean and firm, so picky sleepers may want to bring their own pillow. Housekeeping refreshed everything on day two, and we had no problems. We were very happy at the Howard Johnson in Hotel Circle. It’s within 1-4 miles of SeaWorld, Sesame Place, San Diego Zoo, USS Midway, Maritime Museum, malls, and other places, so it works well for business or family trips. The building is older, like others in Hotel Circle, but the second-floor room was clean and had no bugs or bad smells. There’s plenty of parking, with CCTV, a flat lot, and views of your car from many rooms. We felt safe. I mentioned a stranger outside on the first night, and the front desk dealt with it. The area stayed quiet afterward. Check-in involved a few forms and a $100 hold on the card, released after checkout if the room is left in good shape. That’s normal. We paid a fair rate for Thanksgiving weekend. Vending machines are available, but there’s no convenience store nearby, so bring drinks and snacks. The hotel sits by the freeway, so traffic is audible. It didn’t bother us, but light sleepers may want earplugs. Kind staff, clean room, safe surroundings, and lots of parking. We’d stay again.

After four days, I found a cockroach on my pillow the morning I was leaving. I’d been lying with my face on that pillow for four nights and part of the last morning, so it was especially disgusting to see it crawling there. The front desk offered nothing, not even cleaning spray. I asked for a partial refund because of how dirty the bed and pillow were, and they said they’d call later that day or the next. No one ever called, and my attempts to reach them went unanswered. This was the worst motel or hotel stay I’ve had. Don’t waste your time or money on this pest-filled place. I filmed it in a second video, though I didn’t realize I’d recorded a Live Photo.

After our booking fell through at another hotel, we found an available room here at a reasonable price. It had a fridge and microwave included, and the place was clean and quiet. We mostly used it to sleep and shower between outings, and everything went smoothly. SeaWorld was less than a 15-minute drive away, with other spots easy to reach too. I’d stay here again.

The room was cleaner, more comfortable, and more updated than I expected, but I wouldn’t come back. I arrived around 10pm for a prepaid reservation and ended up waiting outside in the cold for ten minutes. When the desk man finally came out, he looked visibly annoyed and told me it was rude to check in so late. Then the next morning, around 11am, two guests were waiting in the lobby and there was no staff in sight.