Howard Johnson by Wyndham National City/San Diego South — Hotel in National City

I had to stay here with my 2 (older) kids because of an unexpected home repair. This was the only place I could find that was within my budget for such an unexpected and lengthy stay.

I normally don’t leave reviews but I was so pleasantly surprised I had to. While the location isn’t the best in San Diego, it worked for us because of the proximity to the freeway. The motel isn’t a luxury stay, but I was so surprised by how modern the rooms are! What really surprised me was how clean they are. We got our room cleaned every day and they asked if we needed clean towels throughout our stay. The cleaning staff is SO nice and overall sweet ladies.

The first night we got there, the TV wasn’t working (we couldn’t change channels). I called the front desk and they instructed me to reset the sensor for the remote, but that didn’t work. Since it was late, I decided to just let them know in the morning. When I got back from work and my kids from school, we realized they had changed out the TV! They gave us a bigger and newer TV. The front desk personnel were on it!

The stay includes a LIGHT breakfast, which for us was great to grab before heading off to work/school. It’s oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt, fruit, a piece of sweet bread, granola bars, and coffee. If you’re expecting a continental breakfast— don’t, and it says on the site while booking so not sure why some people were surprised at the lack of LIGHT options.

Anyway, I could go on and on, but overall our stay was comfortable for 4 nights. Even with the freeway close, the noise is minimal. The beds are comfy, mini fridge worked great, and the microwave was fine (although a little old). They provide shampoo, conditioner, body wash (which are fine, but we brought our own), you get plenty of towels, and TP as much as you need (just ask).

HUGE shoutout to the management at this location, you’re...

Cockroaches, ants, disrespectful staff and management as well as using my laptop as a doorstop to clean the room is really just a tip of the iceberg. Stayed here for San Diego Comicon 2016 and informed the staff on the first night about the ants. They said they'd take care of it but it got progressively worse as the days went on including ants in the luggage and in the bed. The manager was dismissive at best when told about the insect issue. For $200 a night you would think there would be a higher level of concern for a patron. I guess once they have your money they no longer care. When I needed to use the restroom at night cockroaches would scatter each and every time. Managements response was "Sorry about that. We'll look into it." The kicker of it all was when going back to the "hotel" to pack up today, the cleaners had decided that my MacBook was the ideal doorstop and had it in full use. After all he issues and spending $900 on A poverty style room management offered a discount of $60. Half off would have been a respectable amount considering the trouble and filth. Would have even accepted one night off as compensation but to be so incredibly cavalier about their issues and their serious problems is far beyond what any business should consider acceptable. There is not a chance of this establishment getting my business again and the Howard Johnson brand now has one of the worst reputations in the industry due to...

Like most Howard Johnsons, it's a no frills situation. They do have an ice machine and laundry area. The website said free breakfast but no one ever mentioned it and I forgot to ask. I'm assuming Covid-19 shut it down. My room was reasonably clean and it was quiet enough to actually get some rest. The hotel sits away from everything while still managing to be surrounded by everything. It's not an upscale area but you'll get what you need. I stayed thru Valentine's day. 13th, 14th, 15th. My original room was wonderful. Unfortunately we couldn't get the tv to work. So he was kind enough to switch me to the room next door. It was the exact same everything but mirrored. I simply liked the first room better. The staff was mostly helpful, friendly and very accommodating. They worked with my schedule in regards to cleaning my room and never blinked an eye while issuing me a new key...all three times! I lose keys. Don't judge lol. I was on the first floor so I could hear a bit of stomping and door slamming from above but that's no reflection on the staff. If I had a complaint at all it was the lackluster customer service from the woman who checked me out. A little eye contact or a smile would have been a pleasant end to a pleasant stay. I also was not a fan of the $200 deposit. It should be mentioned in booking.com to avoid sticker shock. Not everyone has an extra 200 to stay at a 2star hotel but, if needed, I would ...