Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa

I hate posting negative reviews but this is a very tired, dirty property. I stayed here for a seminar I attended.
Keep in mind I am lifetime platinum Marriott member so maybe I am just jaded.
So I arrived a day late and they wouldn’t wave the first night fee. This was aggrevating but I guess I understand but the place seemed half empty so it’s not like they needed to use the room.
My room was big and had a view of a fence. There was sand on the couch and the toilet seat was dirty.
Staying in hotels over 100 nights a year I have seen a lot of weird things but I have never had the safety latch on the door lock me out. But it happened twice here. Security showed up and got me into my room by jimmying the security latch with a do not disturb sign!
The security and housekeeping people were very nice.
I’d avoid this place. Very tired and dirty.

This has to be the worst Hilton in the chain. I stayed there for 3 nights. This hotel needs a lot of TLC. Dirty dark hallways. Very out dated rooms and furniture. They don’t offer valet parking, but they charge you to park your own car. My stay was paid for in advance, opon are check in we we told there would be a $ 300 security hold put on our credit card until we checked out. When we checked out on Monday, we reviewed our bill. Luckily we did. There were over $ 100 in charges on our bill for restaurant and bar charges that we did not charge. There response was we will look into it and get back to you. We requested them to look into these charges now! The desk person went into the backroom and returned about 15 mins. Later. She told us these charges were a mistake and would credit our card. We will never return to this hotel.

Meh, me thinks not.
I just want to start out by saying that I am a Hilton Rewards member and have gone out of my way to stay at Hilton’s all over the world. For my wedding, we also used a Hilton because of their beauty and professionalism. I have never had a negative experience at a Hilton prior to this one. Let’s hope it is my last.
My husband and I came here to celebrate our anniversary for a night in beautiful San Diego. We arrived around 11 am and went to check in only to be told that we were too early and would have to come back but we were not given a time frame. instead of troubleshooting and attempting to find us a vacant room or accommodate us in any capacity, we were just told to leave them our phone numbers and they would contact us between now and 4pm… a 5 hour window. Upon further discussion, we offered to take any room that would be available so we could start our limited vacation there as we only had one night in San Diego, which the hotel staff knew. The front desk hotel staff, who shall remain nameless for her own sake, was rude to us and very blasé and did not seem to care one iota about our request to have a room earlier. After leaving, per her request, and then coming back in an hour to see what could be done, suddenly there were amble rooms available for us but this information was only provided after we rejected the option of upgrading to a more expensive room. I feel it is in the hotels best interest to work with the customer and accommodate us where you can, not give an attitude and act as if you really wish you were not in this job.
Needless to say, we were moved right away to an equivalent room and were able to change into our swim suits and start our day. I don’t understand why it was such a big deal to do this hours before. I certainly didn’t see other guests being treated this way and we did see a guest request the same thing the next day when we were checking out. Interesting.
Otherwise, the hotel itself and the pools on site were beautiful. The restaurant was also delicious but extremely expensive. For two main courses and one appetizer, we spent $ 100. No alcohol was even ordered! i would see that there are probably better choices in the area but this wouldn’t be a bad choice. it’s very basic.

I attempted to cancel our reservation two days ahead of arrival as we need to stay at a different Hilton hotel in San Diego. The reservation supervisor would not budge & displayed not ounce of customer service. We have enjoyed the resort in the past, but I doubt we’ll stay at it again due to their cancellation policy. We are longtime Hilton Honors members as well, but that made no difference!
Update to my above review — Happy to report that I was able to work out our above concern with Hilton San Diego. We ended up staying there one night and had a wonderful time! Thanks for listening to my concerns.

Excellent all around. Staying in a king studio with water views. Absolutely amazing. Privacy is assured and the hotel staff are incredibly accommodating.

We had a really nice stay and room. Hilton beds and pillows are A+. Staff was friendly and efficient.
We could see the bay from our balcony and hear a waterfall from across the yard. It was quiet and peaceful despite being a «family resort». The whole resort is divided into «villas».
Location is great! It was easy to get in and out of and close to the airport. Mission beach is about 10 min away and lots of fun.
Only real complaints would be the $ 30 per day «resort fee» which does not include overnight parking (that is another $ 30 per day). A complimentary breakfast service would be nice too. There is a coffee shop with muffins, yogurts etc but they pander to Hilton Honors guests in terms of perks.
Overall, I would definitely stay again.

Birthday weekend in san diego. Hotel Staff super helpful not only will they give you directions they will walk you to the area that you’re trying to find. Very good bell service check in was a breeze & we were given a room with a beautiful harbor view Yes! Lots of mallard ducks
Hotel restaurant 3 Appetizers & bloody Marys on patio 5 cocktails =$ 103
Four stars because the bathtub that doesn’t drain. Had to stand in dirty water while showering & took at least 10 min between each shower = ³⁰⁄₄₀ minutes for 3 women to shower. Bathroom ample size .
Note; housekeeping staff on ⁴⁄₃₀ called maintenance dept. From our room phone & reported the tub drain issue & it was never addressed I elected to shower st home on check out day,

Vanessa was AMAZING!!!
Felt so relaxed, loved the hot stone massage!
Charity at the front was so sweet and welcoming as well. Very clean, quiet and peaceful environment. Great little escape!

Nice location, but the rooms are expensive and they over charge for everything else. $ 35 for parking. $ 11 for the blandest bowl of oatmeal I’ve had in a long time. Not steel cut or with dried fruits or nuts like other nice hotels. $ 3.50 for a small bottle of Crystal Geyser water. It costs them less than $ 1 per bottle, so why rip off the guests? This is an isolated location, so having a car is a must — and you’ll want to use it to buy all your meals and snacks offsite.
Our room was clean and comfortable, and we had a nice balcony with a nice view. We were in the Villa Palacio building, which seems pretty old, but it looks like they’ve tried to make updates. We visited a friend in another building which seemed older and had a patio with no view, so it would be helpful to ask questions and see where the room is before committing to it.
The grounds are nice with lots of ducks and greenery. There’s a great path for walking/​jogging/​biking/​whatever that runs along the edge of the bay just past the hotel grounds. The gym is better than many hotel gyms with a good assortment of equipment and weights. There were 5 or 6 people working out when I was there, but it didn’t feel crowded.
There seemed to be some large groups while we were here so when I went to the pool one morning there was a large private buffet there, so I left. One evening there was a large group with a buffet and people talking on microphones on the lawn outside our room. If I’d known I would’ve asked for a room away from that commotion.

This resort is amazing! My boyfriend and I live about 90 minutes from San Diego but we wanted to have a little getaway. (Keep in mind we work at a 4 diamond resort and spa so we know standards and we are very picky) We also wanted to take my daughter to the zoo for her first time. It was spring break so we were concerned about all of the hotels having a bunch of loud obnoxious drunk people walking through the halls and in the pools. This place was extremely family oriented, it was just what we were looking for! For about $ 260.00 we got the room and breakfast package. We checked in sort of late and we left early the next day for the zoo. Next time we stay we are definitely going to be booking two nights so we can use a full day to enjoy the resort and all that it has to offer. Here are some of the things we LOVED about this resort:
–Movie nights
–Smore nights (they have fire pits on property and –some right outside hotel rooms!
–Three pools including a kiddy pool
–Jacuzzi
–A pretty decent fitness center
–Water sports
–Calm beach perfect for the kiddos to play in and not have to worry about waves crashing over them
–Ample grass area for running around and perfect for some bubble blowing (my daughters favorite)
–Amazing breakfast buffet!
–One of the concierges (middle aged man with dark curly hair) was amazing! He gave my daughter a ballon each time he saw her and the cutest little duck blow up ball. The little things like that make hotel stays memorable. Hats off to him for his OUTSTANDING customer service!
Here are a few things that we didn’t like:
–Breakfast staff seemed very confused and disorganized. I had to ask four different waiters to bring me a glass of water. It’s a glass of water folks, I shouldn’t require me to ask four different people.
–We found a disposable coffee cup that was clearly used with lipstick residue, coffee drops on the side, and wait for it… two hairs! If the housekeeper missed that we are wondering what else they missed When I brought it to the front desk agents attention all she said was «I’m sorry that is not our standards», It didn’t even feel like a genuine apology at all. She should have been more sympathetic and asked what she could do to rectify the situation or at least offer a complimentary cup of coffee, given I couldn’t drink the coffee in the room due to the used cup. I was in a rush so I didn’t have time to wait to speak with a manager.
-$ 29 bucks for parking… yikes! I would pay that for valet but not to self park. We couldn’t even find a spot near our room! (This is nothing huge, just a issue for me:)
We had a few minor hiccups but overall our stay was amazing and we will be back. We hope that this review helps with training so other guests do not have to experience the lack of customer service in some departments that we did. Keep up the good works guys!

A-​OK pretty much sums up my stay at this Hilton.
Came here for a bachelorette party, and although it was a little far from the gaslamp, we thought the grounds/​view would make up for it, and they did.
2 things I can say for sure here:
1. The pool area/​ground are beautiful.
2. The staff is very helpful, all around.
But I did have issues with my stay. First off, our shower ceiling had black mold-​like stuff at the top corner, and you can tell the the room needed a little overall retouching to patch up a few area. I would honestly expect more from a Hilton.
Another issue were some of the costs. Parking was about $ 35 which is absurd! We came in 4 cars because all of us finish work at different times and dished out $ 140 just for parking! On top of that, they had a $ 24 daily resort fee. Ouch.
But what really got under my skin was breakfast. On our last day we had some activities planned, and the first activity was for the early morning, so we didn’t have time to go find a breakfast restaurant. We ordered 4 bowls of Frosted Flakes and we were hit with a bill of almost $ 100. Are you guys kidding me?! $ 100 for 4 tiny bowls of Frosted Flakes?!
All in all, it was the pool that made up for everything. Will most likely not stay here again though.

I was recently in the resort for a conference with my company. I was deeply disappointed. I have stayed in Hilton Resorts all over the US and the world. This was the worst room I have ever been in while at a Hilton.
It was not all bad when I arrived. I had high hopes after meeting the excellent front desk staff. They were informative and quite pleasant. However I was not told in advance that they took a deposit of $ 100.00 a day which if I didn’t have fraud alerts I would not have known. I have stayed at other resorts and had no more then $ 50.00 or $ 100.00 total put on my card.
When I arrived at my room I was a little disappointed in the quality of the furnishings but I was tired so just decided to take a nap. This was a huge mistake. By the time I really noticed the quality of the room it was to late for me to request a change.
I went in the the restroom and was appalled at the quality of the bathroom. There was rust/​possible mold stains on the bathtub. The toilet was not secured to the floor correctly and would rock while in use.
When I decided to take a shower I noticed black mold along the lines of the tub and other fixtures inside the tub/​shower basin. The bathroom appears to have had an attempted remodel done however it was quite slapdash and the work was poorly done.
Other minor issues were that the AC did not actually function though it turned on and the fan ran. However it didn’t actually create air cooler than 72 degrees.
Overall I will never return to this resort even if given a free room. Hilton should be ashamed to have this «resort» using their name. Again the staff loved up to the Hilton name but the resort itself it in poor condition.

Ok so we stayed here for the weekend and it is a great hotel mostly because of the staff they are very kind and sweet and loving which is truly appreciated another thing is that though I loved the experience it gets down to the real stuff there was black stuff in the bath tub as if not thoroughly cleaned but besides that great hotel.

Had a great evening there for the Teddy Ball. They really decked the Halls! We had a Suite that over looked the bay which was gorgeous. The room had a bar but no wine opener. But when we called, this amazing kid kept running back and forth to get us whatever we needed. I like the set up of the rooms and lots. For the most part, you are able to park in a nook close to your room. It can be confusing, say you are in room 330, you are not on the 3^rd floor, you are on the main floor in just a certain part of the Hotel. I really liked that int he lobby they had a blanket to cuddle up to because it was freezing. The staff was very friendly and aware of keeping their guests accommodated. Great event and great place to hang.

I stayed here for business earlier this month. My room was comfortable though I had trouble figuring out the thermometer. The hot tub surrounded by a nicely landscaped rocks, trees and shrubs was very comfortable and relaxing. I was surprised that the toilet paper wasn’t folded to indicate housekeeping, nor was the face tissue nicely prepared. The bed was comfortable enough I suppose, I never seem to get a good night’s sleep when I’m away from home.
The room my company was meeting in was comfortable and the staff kept bringing in delicious food. Our catered lunch was fantastic. I definitely love the food here. I will be looking forward to my next visit.

Although it was raining when we arrived, we were very impressed with the surroundings. The pool area was luxurious and tropical. We had a top floor with an amazing view and the hotel staff was courteous and professional. The room was spacious and comfy. It also felt less sterile than other hotels I’ve recently stayed in as it had character and felt upscale.
All in all, I wish we had more time there as it was certainly a nice hotel.
The one complaint I had is — although I was aware of the $ 22 resort fee, I was not aware of the $ 35 overnight parking fee. That seems pretty ridiculous as it’s clearly an area where cars are necessary. $ 10 parking? Perhaps but $ 35? This is not city parking. Seems too high.

We drove from LA, checked into this hotel, attended a wedding, checked OUT of the hotel the same night, and drove back to LA. That’s how terrible the room was; I’d rather drive two hours after a wedding than stay there.
The hall smelled like what could generously be described as «cat piss.» Our sink wouldn’t drain. Our door, when it swung itself shut, wouldn’t latch – so if you didn’t pull it shut as you left, your room was left unsecured. There was mildew somewhere near or in the toilet; it stank. The wicker furniture in the room was embedded with mildew. It stank.
Explain to me again how this cost $ 280 a night (when the Hyatt Regency in Century City is $ 260 a night, and the Luxe is $ 240). Oh, tack on $ 25 for a «resort fee» (about which we laughed all the way back to LA) and $ 35 for each night of parking. That’s self parking; they don’t even have a valet. Not that I need a valet, but for $ 35 someone else better park it – and wash it too!
I will say that the wedding venue was nice enough, the food was actually fantastic (but it could have been a caterer), and the staff were friendly. But I’d stay with sadness in a Days Inn before I spent the night retching about the smell in every bit of the lodging part of the Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa.

Came to this hotel with low expectations from the odd somewhat negative reviews. Left with a great stay at a beautiful resort right on the water in San Diego and a conveniently short drive to SeaWorld.
My wife and I wanted a long weekend getaway with visits to SeaWorld so I was in charge of picking a hotel. I chose the Hilton because I thought I’d stayed there before and liked it – I had it confused for the nearby Hyatt. I was glad I chose the Hilton even by accident.
The hotel’s location is superb right on the bay in San Diego. Could there be a nicer spot in San Diego?
At my late night check-​in, the woman at the front was extremely nice and gave me tips on things for kids to do at SeaWorld.
NEWSFLASH: There’s a $ 35 per day parking fee. It says on the website and when you book. I knew about it before I arrived in San Diego. You can avoid it by arranging other transportation. There are places to park nearby for free but at one’s own risk. Most high rated hotels in the U.S. in major cities charge for parking. Some don’t. But most do. They also tell you at check-​in.
SECOND NEWSFLASH: Most resorts charge a «resort fee.» It’s again in the information when you book a room at a resort.
$ 35+$ 25=$ 60. Add this to your per night room reservation, add taxes and there you have your nightly payment.
This is a great resort for families. In fact, I looked in the pool each time and saw nothing but kids and their parents. This doesn’t seem like an ideal couple’s weekend away, certainly not at the pool.
My daughter had a lot of fun in the kids pool. It’s 1 foot deep and has all the benefits of the other pool but we knew she was safer because she could walk and doesn’t know how to swim yet. We were easily able to order beverages and lunch by the pool with the friendly servers. Other families were friendly here and when kids rarely got rowdy, their parents intervened.
The room was nice. It was fairly standard. I didn’t notice anything «old» or unclean about it. We had a nice patio that led to lawns and had a view of the bay. The building looked renovated.
One night, there was a wedding on the property so there was no parking when we returned from dinner. I went to the front desk to share my concerns and they couldn’t have been nicer. They showed me places to park that aren’t normally allowed. We worked out a solution that made me happy.
From the location, the grounds, the friendly staff, the nice room, the great family pool area, we’re looking forward to returning here.

A-​OK! (As Unilocal would say)
Here’s a fun fact. You know where the term «OK» comes from? Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States of America, is from Kinderhook, New York, and he was part of a club, a men’s club, called Old Kinderhook. And if you were cool, you were in the club, they’d say, «That guy’s OK.» cause he was in the Old Kinderhooks. Love Silverlining’s Playbook.
But seriously this resort has everything you need. Pool, check. Restaurants, check. Convenient store, check. Bed, check. Bathroom, check. What’s everyone complaining about? Okay fine, the resort fee is unnecessary and to have to pay for parking out in the middle of nowhere is ridiculous. View to Mission Bay is super romantic, take your hunny bunny out during sunset with a bottle of sparkling wine (don’t call it champagne the French HATE that), throw on a Boys 2 Men track (what what!) and let the good night sail away.
$ 35 a day to park
$ 24 a day resort fee

I recently had a two night staycation at the Mission Bay Hilton in February with my family. We arrived before noon and expected to burn some time at the pool before our room was ready (maybe 4pm advertised check-​in time?), but reception informed us the room was ready. YMMV of course, but a good way to start our stay.
We spent most of our time here at the pools and hot tubs, and enjoyed our time there. They have a kids pool with a fountain and floating balls, which my kid loved. Unfortunately off season in San Diego can be a tad chilly for swimming — the pools are heated, but still. We found it pleasant to alternate between the pools and hot tubs. You can also switch hot tubs to get more shade — very convenient throughout the day.
The housekeeping services are excellent and the facilities are well kept. The daily resort fee keeps going up ($ 28 after tax now), but at least it includes WiFi. Also worth mentioning they have excellent disabled parking options.
But as far as Mission Bay lodging options go, if I compare the Hilton to similar price and class hotels in the area, for me and my family (being very familiar with the area) it ranks about #4. The Hilton is just so isolated — that’s good sometimes, but it limits your immediate wining and dining options (bar and restaurant are in separate reviews) so you can easily rack up a hefty tab. Certainly nothing unpleasant about the stay, but a pretty average experience all in all.