Pier South Resort, Autograph Collection — Hotel in Imperial Beach

A Mixed Experience at Pier South Facility

I recently had the opportunity to stay at the Pier South Facility, and while there were some positive aspects, there were also a few areas that fell short of expectations. Here's a comprehensive review of my experience:

First and foremost, the location of the facility was undeniably fantastic. It offered easy access to the beach, charming shops, local restaurants, and the pier. Exploring the area on foot was a delightful experience. However, it's important to note that if you're looking for activities beyond the immediate vicinity, expect to drive 20-30 minutes or more to reach other parts of San Diego.

Unfortunately, I encountered some issues during the booking process. Despite qualifying for discounts in various ways, I did not receive any on my stay, which was disappointing. It's crucial for the facility to ensure that guests receive the discounts they are eligible for and to address any discrepancies in booking promptly.

The room itself was spacious and boasted a spectacular ocean view, which was a definite highlight. However, the cleanliness of the floors did not meet our expectations. It's essential for hotels to maintain high standards of cleanliness, and this was an area that could be improved upon.

Although I did not avail myself of the spa services, the prices seemed reasonable, if not lower than expected, which is a positive point for those interested in such amenities.

When it came to dining, Sea180 offered a diverse menu with typical tourist or upscale pricing. While the overall food and service were exceptional, there was an unfortunate incident where we had to send a dish back due to finding hair in it. Thankfully, the issue was promptly addressed, but it did leave a negative impression.

One aspect that the hotel should focus on is providing proper information to guests about beach contamination issues. It is important for guests to be well-informed when making their booking decisions. Transparency in communicating such issues is crucial for guest satisfaction.

Additionally, the website suggested that robes and slippers would be provided, but unfortunately, they were never received during my stay. This discrepancy between the website and the actual amenities provided should be addressed to avoid disappointment for future guests.

While there were only minor issues with service, particularly with housekeeping, and some aspects of the facility itself, these small details can still impact the overall guest experience. Consistent excellence in service and maintaining the facility's condition are essential for a pleasant stay.

On a positive note, I had a remarkable experience with Mark at the front desk, and the valet service was exceptional as well. Recognizing outstanding staff members is always important and encourages the hotel to continue providing excellent service.

In conclusion, while the Pier South Facility has a great location and offers some positive aspects such as spacious rooms with ocean views, there were notable areas that need improvement. The lack of received discounts, cleanliness issues, mishaps with dining, and discrepancies with amenities and beach information did detract from the overall experience. Considering these factors, the value provided by the facility did not fully meet the expectations one would associate with a "4-star resort."

I hope that the facility takes these points into account and works towards addressing them to enhance the guest experience...

We tried to stress the positive But it was hard to pretend the negative did not exist.

1. food was average. My lunch time salad came out completely wrong, so they brought out what was missing and I but it together. The Server was gracious enough to remove the charge,( even though I did not ask ) from my bill. When we had dinner, keeping an eye on our table was a challenge for our waiter. I did get upset when they offered the couple next to us fresh ground pepper for his salad, not for this cheeseburger, but we had not been offered the same opportunity. The VIP breakfast coupon deal is screwed up big time. We where allowed 4 items off the coupon, plus 2 coffees or juice. If we justed wanted 4 cups of coffee, the restaurant wanted 2 coupons. No exceptions. So I ordered food I didn't even want, because of this policy. EXTREMELY BAD BUSINESS DECISION! If I was overseeing this operation, any time someone wanted to swap bacon or sausage for a cup of coffee. Da! Louis,the Front end manager sent up Chocolate covered strawberries and Champagne for my wife's birthday. Unfortunately the restaurant called us at 10:00 pm and said there was a mistake and that they could bring them up late, or the next day. A little bit of a let down.
2. we called the desk the night before and asked to get fresh towels and the trash emptied the next day. Did not happen until we requested the service 2 more times the next day, and housekeeping did not have a record of our request. When we asked to have our room completely serviced after the 3rd night, with a 2 day notice, that also didn't happen. We finally got a maid to change our sheets ( which is all we actually wanted I'm the first place)
3. the hot tub area was dirty, with dirty towels on all the chairs. We had to go to the front desk to get clean pool towels. After staying in Marriott hotels for 1,500 nights, and other brands for 800+ nights, I think I have a excellent feel for what's going on with hotel staff. The problem is not so much the management, but lack of employees,and lack of time to properly train employees, due to management trying to covet all the bases. This problem is for upper management, normally above the first line management and the hotel general management. Somebody needs to step in and help until the hotel hires and trains a full staff. The hotel definitely needs some TLC. Having said that, we would go back and give the hotel one more try before it goes on our " black list" of hotels we...

This was our first stay at Pier South and we had an excellent experience. We arrived at the hotel and were immediately met by the valet and the bellman. They took care of our luggage and stashed our car in the parking garage below the hotel. As it turned out we didn’t even use the car during our four days there. The bellman and valet were both friendly, courteous and professional as was the entire hotel staff. When we checked in we were assisted by Gabby at the front desk who did an outstanding job getting everything taken care of and providing amenities for us based on my platinum status. I should mention that Gabby and probably other front of the house staff aren’t just functionaries but provide a full range of concierge services so you should call on them for assistance and recommendations in addition to answering questions about the Pier South property. Big shout-out to Gabby for treating us so well. We arranged for a one-bedroom ocean-front suite and were very impressed with its size and layout. There was plenty of room which included separate bedroom/bath and living area. There is also an outside balcony with chairs and table where you can have breakfast or just sit and soak in the sights and surf sounds. Our room had a refrigerator which we used to keep sodas that we brought with us. There was also a nice desk/chair with plenty of electrical outlets for a computer and phones. The power base also had a couple of USB outlets for charging other devices. Wi-Fi was included as part of the room’s amenities and was solid and speedy (four out of five bars on my computer). Ceiling fans in the living room and bedroom were another nice touch. Beds were very comfortable and we had no problem sleeping. Two problems to report … the chair in the living room seems to have been more a design choice than a comfort choice (as it wasn’t very comfortable) and there was no towel bar/hook within reach of the tub/shower. Minor stuff. The Pier South facility itself was outstanding. We visited the fitness center which had plenty of equipment and was open 24 hours. I made use of the business center on several occasions which provided two computers and a printer for printing out boarding passes if necessary. We spent a couple of hours on the roof deck which was outstanding. It’s furnished with rattan and white canvas couches and has a spectacular fourth floor view of the ocean and beach. A great stay at a...