Horton Grand Hotel — Hotel in San Diego

We stayed in the Horton in June. This was a special trip to San Diego for my wife's 50th birthday and the hotel came highly recommended by friends who had all had wonderful stays.

Sadly we did not.

When we booked we were assured the bedroom was quiet with a courtyard view. We were given a 2nd floor room. Looking from the balcony - was simply a vast wall of dark trees, no courtyard view at all. In navigating the tiny space my wife cut her leg on a painted nail sticking out of the dilapidated balcony. We showed Reception her leg and asked for antiseptic ointment. They could not have cared less about the incident. All they could find to give her was an alcohol wipe, so we had to find a CVS to buy ointment.

They moved us up to the top floor. This room did have a nice view over the city but was filthy. They had to send Housekeeping up to clean the headboard which was filthy with thick dust. Housekeeping did a mediocre, at best, job of cleaning it. The rooms are small and the bathrooms are miniscule.

In the kerfuffle of moving rooms and having to have housekeeping attend we did not notice there was an adjoining room to another bedroom. The occupants of this room were not quiet and you could hear everything they said, plus the very noisy sex they were then having until after midnight.

We could not enjoy our balcony because whenever we went outside the neighbors on the other side ( not the noisy sex couple, that would have been even more awkward) had their door open too and you could see straight into their room. If they came out we went in and when they went in we went out but it was like sharing a suite with another couple. It was the strangest hotel balcony setup we've ever experienced, and you could exchange pleasantries and watch their TV.

In terms of other facilities you have a bar, a fitness room and a set of snacks. They give you a drinks voucher for the bar, but don't get too excited at what it covers - just basics. The cocktails were overpriced as they do something fancy to them. Not that you can tell.

We tried calling to voice our complaints but didn't get very far with reception and they have not responded to email feedback either. What was supposed to be a fabulous, restful birthday celebration was ruined for us and we are beyond disappointed at the level of service and the hotel conditions.

We will not be recommending the...

The lobby, bar and courtyard are beautiful and charming, reflecting turn of the century décor. It was a significant birthday and I reserved a Grand room with a fireplace as a splurge. I was so looking forward to it. But it was a disappointment and not what I expected. First, there is an annex to the hotel. Our room was not in the main building, but in another building nextdoor. We got to it through an outside walkway between the two buildings. The only likeness to the video shown on their website is the layout. The room is large and one could probably do 3 cartwheels without knocking into furniture. It has a great kitchenette area with a small fridge, sink and microwave. But it was dark and dismal with an odd odor. Lots of browns, tans and dark green colors. The main problem was the dingy dark green carpet with stains all over it. Thank goodness I travel with room slippers. In the bathroom, parts of the wallpaper or paint was peeling. The balcony is barely 2 feet wide, so don't expect to sit outside with a cup of coffee. It is basically a wide ledge with a railing around it.

The front desk personnel were not welcoming or friendly. We hardly ever got a "Welcome" or as we were leaving, "How was your stay?" It was as if they didn't want to engage and just get straight to business. I hope other clients didn't mistreat them. The valet (by the way, parking is $48 a day) and Salt&Whiskey staff were personable and friendly. The S&W burger is wonderful. It is 1/2 lb patty with a fried egg (never had it on a hamburger before), queso cheese and bacon jam. OMG! Pair it with a bottle of wine and it is a great.

Down the street is a breakfast / lunch place called Café 222. Very close and the food is wonderful. We found out about it through a Bobby Flay, Best I've ever Eaten episode. In the opposite direction on 4th, 5th and 6th streets is the lively area with tons of entertainment. So it does have a...

I stayed a night here during a girl’s weekend trip. Such an easy place to find and valet was great. We checked in on Saturday at 3pm on the dot. No line. Check in was fast and easy navigation to the room. Good size room. Clean. Access to balcony. A lot of storage for clothes and items in room. Not so much counter room/space or cabinets in our bathroom. But it wasn’t too big of a problem for us. We managed. Ice machine was close and a house keeper was near and was nice enough to give us a couple extra towels we knew we’d need later. Over our stay there was no issues. Nice guests and nice employees. NOW!! Almost 2 weeks later I realized I left behind 4 items! Two piece bikini a beach towel, and a cover up. I called immediately when I realized at 10:30 at night. I spoke to Jasmine at the front desk. She looked up reports and found my room number and the items I described on this written report. She said to call back the next day and speak with the Concierge. He took care of the lost and found items and he would have to pull them from their storage. I did just that. I spoke with Austin. He told me he’d call me back. I was worried. It wasn’t that valuable to me, it could be replaced, but it was pricey. He called me back in about 12 minutes. He had my items in hand. I was so excited. I lived almost 2 hours away but I said I would go pick them up when I would be in the area for work. Again, easy to find, valet let me park right in front with no issue. Ran in, grabbed all my items that were bagged with no issue. Showed my ID and that was it. I have unfortunately left items behind over the past in hotels. NEVER have I EVER been able to retrieve them. EVER!!! This was the first hotel that was loyal, honest, trustworthy, and dependable. I couldn’t believe it. They were on top of it. I would stay here again with no hesitation. Such a great...