The Davis Downtown San Diego

I stayed for a weekend over Valentines Day. Room 107 was quiet once I was inside, and the place was really clean. They provided complimentary coffee, water, and earplugs. The shower was spacious, with a rainfall head and a smaller attachment with stronger pressure, but it took ages to warm up. Once warm, it stayed that way. There’s no shower door, though, so water got all over the floor. The room looked much bigger in the photos. In reality, it had room for the bed and bathroom, and that was about it. The area felt a bit sketchy with lots of homeless people around, but my partner and I walked around at night a few times and felt okay. There’s no on-site parking; I paid $20 for a night at a lot a block away. For the area and the room size, it was a bit pricey. There are no employees on site or online, just an AI system, and that wasn’t great.

This 126-year-old building offers a clean, no-frills stay at a low price, great if you just need an affordable place. You get a code by email for the lobby and your unit, and maid service costs extra. There’s no parking, the rooms are small, and you can hear street noise. Still, the location is great, the lobby and rooftop deck are adorable, and there’s a coffee and tea station. The staff were responsive, and the place was clean.

The cute decor is the best part. The place is noisy, and the hot water lasted about a minute before turning cold each time. After traveling all day, it really sucked that the virtual concierge didn’t work and I couldn’t check in. If you’re going to have one, it needs to work.

I didn’t love it. The place is loud and completely self-serve, with no service. You’re in a main route for police, fire, and ambulances, and there are several homeless encampments between the hotel and the bayfront, with homeless people walking down the street. I felt like I had to keep my head on a swivel. They require you to buy insurance, even though I already have an annual policy, or pay a $250 deposit. It’s not in a great part of town.