Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

I stayed here back in April. I loved it. The room was clean, the beds comfy, we had a nice view of the city. And it is very centric. A train station is right across the street. They have speedy check out by dropping off your room keys in a box. Staff was very friendly and cordial. If I am ever again in San Diego, I will stay here again.

Great location. Family of 3. The room had a “split bathroom” setup – the shower on one side, the toilet on the other, and the sink right in the middle of the junior suite. Cleaning was just average. The pool is apparently reserved for external events every weekend – GUESTS CANNOT USE IT. We had to walk in sarongs and swimsuits, with our 5-year-old child, all the way to the Hilton pool instead. Calling that a pool is laughable – it was extremely dirty, and our daughter developed a contact rash after swimming there. Absolutely disgusting. We booked through Booking.com, and nowhere was it mentioned that the pool would be unavailable. In fact, the main reason we chose this hotel was precisely because of the advertised saltwater pool. One last inconvenience: the in-room food service. Very poor quality and incredibly overpriced. Definitely not coming back.

Unfortunately, our stay at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego didn’t live up to expectations. The incidental hold was shocking—half the cost of the stay—which we weren’t prepared for. While the location is great, especially for events at Petco Park, there’s no included parking. Valet is pricey, and self-parking is in a separate garage. Valet did help on game day when spots were not available, but overall, it felt like a lot of extra cost for little convenience. The hotel itself is in serious need of a refresh. Our room lacked a refrigerator, ice was only available on higher floors, and the pool was more patio than anything else. The air conditioning barely cooled the room, and the toiletries had an unpleasant scent and poor performance. Even the toilet paper was single ply. Small details, but they add up. Worst of all, a dirty room service tray sat in the hallway near our room for two full days. Between that and the overall tired condition of the hotel, it was clear that attention to detail is lacking. There are much better options….literally next door. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.