Hillcrest House Bed & Breakfast — Hotel in San Diego

Warning: This place has an absurd cancellation policy and Ann will nto work with you, even in terms of pandemic travel.

I made the decision to reserve at Hillcrest based on the positive Google Reviews. The very next day I unexpectedly tested positive for COVID.

The site lists their cancellation policy:

Hillcrest House B&B: As of July 1, 2021 Fourteen (14) days notice required and a $25 cancellation fee will apply. Less than 14 days notice will forfeit the first nights room rate and tax paid at time of booking.

When I called Ann to inquire about rescheduling my stay, her immediate response was to ask if I had purchases travel insurance. It was very clear she did not intend to help me book future dates.

To be clear: I was hoping to reschedule my stay. Ann had every right to keep one night's stay as a deposit (BTW - was charged to my card immediately upon placing my reservation).

However, there was MORE TO MY QUESTION that Ann dismissed and refused to discuss. She first answered by telling me she couldn't rent the room again on such short notice. That didn't answer my question, so i asked again. She next told me she is 'very busy.' Ann never once acknowledged that I was looking to schedule future dates. She was clearly most concerned with keeping my deposit...and she simply wanted to move on and end the call.

So, beware the customer service is not great....and certainly substandard for most properties in this post-pandemic world. If you cannot travel for whatever reason inside their absurdly long 14 days reservation window - Ann will take your deposit and refuse to work with you (on any level).

Needless to say, I won't be looking to...

Just spent 3 lovely nights at Hillcrest House B&B and am VERY happy we found this location!

Ann is supremely thorough in her communication, and it is obvious that she has been in business for awhile and does her best to make sure that all of her requests/policies are shared with guests in her comprehensive email correspondence that was received once we made the reservation.

The house is located in a great part of San Diego with quick/easy access to numerous restaurants and things to do/see. If you haven't been to SD before Ann has lots of suggestions of places to dine, experiences to have, and more. Her knowledge of the neighbourhood and city is impressive!

The suite we stayed in was well equipped, and the bed was SO COMFORTABLE - both the bed and the bedding made me think that i could easily spend the whole day just relaxing there, and i did find myself doing a bunch of work on my laptop while snuggled in the soft sheets and pillows!

Though we are late-to-bed and not early risers we did not experience the "grab-and-go" breakfast, but each morning it was nice to see that her homemade mini muffins were thoughtfully left on a plate for those of us who aren't able to make the breakfast window. (There is also coffee/tea/etc service available which we could have taken advantage of if we so desired.)

Off street parking was available and we used it for our rental car. Ann had made sure to show us where the available spots were when we checked in, and we were thankful we didn't have to look for parking!

Overall a wonderful experience which we will look to book again the next time we're...

I am so upset that I have to write this review of Hillcrest Bed and Breakfast but it is necessary to warn future guests of this home. I always buy insurance to protect my trips just in case anything happens and was taking my 90 year old mom on her birthday trip. I was told by the owner to book directly with her even though I had all my reservations for the rest of the trip on Expedia and had insurance for the flights, cars, etc. Unfortunately bad weather on the east coast cancelled our flight. I called them right away and let them know that we would not arrive until the next day. ||||I arrived for our second night and stayed the one night. No one at the property informed me that they would charge me for the first stay and no one said anything when I departed about paying for two nights even though I stayed only for one. I have stayed at hundreds of B&Bs over the years and never did I get a charge after leaving the B&Bs always go over charges before you depart. The owner should have said that there would be a charge for the first night before I left, not finding out only when I checked my credit card statement a few days later. She instead gave me a lecture that I should have had insurance. I would have been covered if she had not insisted that I book directly with her, which I am sure saved her money but not having to pay for referrals from third party companies. If you do stay at this B&B, make sure you never book directly or you will pay dearly for a night you did not stay if you flight gets cancelled or...