Handlery Hotel San Diego

Decent hotel that seemed like its peak was in the 70s or 80s. Pool and fitness center were unavailable due to renovations which really stunk. A free shuttle to the other hotel with pool access would have been nice, but as it was it was an 8-10 walk. Rooms were good. Endless hot water is always good, especially when two adults and a child want to take turns showering/bathing.

I stayed at the Handlery Hotel San Diego and there were a few positives, but unfortunately my experience overall wasn’t great. On the plus side, the price is very reasonable, and the hotel has some useful amenities. There’s a small gym with two treadmills, a couple of other cardio machines, some free weights, and a small bench. The swimming pool is a decent size and there’s also a small jacuzzi, which is nice. What really ruined the stay, though, was what happened during the night. It rained heavily, and even though the balcony door was closed, I woke up in the morning to find the carpet by the balcony completely soaked. The water had clearly leaked in from outside. I went to reception, and the only solution they offered was to move me to another room , but since I only had a few hours left before leaving, it didn’t make sense to pack everything up and move. This kind of issue makes you worry about maintenance and building condition. With better handling from the hotel and more proactive solutions, the stay could have been much better, but as it stands, it was a disappointing experience.

I have to share this first: It was the day before New Years eve and we wanted somewhere to go for New Years that wasn't going to break the bank. I looked up hotels in San Diego and Handerly popped up. My Boss mentioned it was Hawaii like setting...which is what we wanted so I booked without reading the reviews "nonrefundable" well...I ended up reading the reviews after and I was literally worried. To be honest I would have canceled... BUT... SO GLAD WE WENT....let me say this LOUD... the establishment was beautifully decorated CLEAN, the landscape is gorgeous. Staff was very nice. Pamela the greatest. Our Room CLEAN... Rm 165, 2nd floor. No bad odor. We had a comforter, lol! No bed bugs because we checked, lol. No way those reviews were speaking of this property were my thoughts. The pool, Jacuzzi AMAZING! I have absolutely no complaints about our stay. I will say however there was no live music as was stated on their website, and the REEF restaurant was closed the entire time we were there. However, We were able to walk 10 minutes to the Town and Country next door to the Monkey Bar where there was music and food. There was a coffee cafe and a couple other restaurants. Wonderful experience all the way around. We were very Happy with our stay. I bet the summers here are crazy... we will be back!

Staying at this hotel now - on a quick trip from Arizona to discover Sand Diego. The hotel is fine, but dated. We’re traveling with e-bikes so I requested a ground floor room since there are no elevators here and no storage area for bikes, so we need to store them in the room. By luck, we were assigned a room that has a grass area off the patio, so we can wheel the bikes to the patio and store them there. Fortunately, the hotel is fairly quiet because nobody has been above or in a neighboring room - when someone was there, you can hear everything. The breakfast included is good, but you’re limited to 3 choices from the menu which is odd since everything costs about the same amount=- what would it matter what you order? Carmen the hostess is charming - a glimmer of light amongst the others who don’t seem to care about anything. Downsides. 1) the room is dated - we spilled something on the carpet and after we wiped it up, the washcloth was dingy. The carpet in this room is filthy. 2). I booked the hotel for location and the hot tub, but it is now roped off and has been closed for half our stay. When we ask the front desk, they just say it’s closed. Why wouldn’t this be a priority? Overall an ok stay, but could easily be improved.

This hotel really tries, which should be commended. It is a bit older, which means that the lobby smells like teenage socks and the walls are not thick enough to block out conversations in nearby rooms, not to mention that agitated couple at 3am. The fixtures are ailing. But all the things that can be controlled are great. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, the beds are enormous and comfortable, and linens soft and fluffy (just bring really strong black tea if you plan to brew it in your room to disguise the coffee flavor that has settled in the nooks of the machine). There is an outdoor pool. Two restaurants and a promising looking hair salon. The neighborhood is suburban strip mall adjacent with a view of the highway and some upscale other hotels and apartment buildings. There are shops galore in walking distance, a stop of the green line that will take you places. Also a ‘riverwalk’ that is more popular with the unhoused than the locals who are carefully separated behind their various fences. Uber takes an easy 20 minutes to the airport.

This was by far one of the worst rooms I’ve ever stayed in. For starters, I got there early for a convention and my room wasn’t ready, that’s to be expected. Went back around check in time and the room still wasn’t ready, so the clerk pre checked me in and told me when my room was ready I’d receive a text and I could come get my keycards. Well 5 hours later and I still haven’t received a text. Went back to the front desk and it turned out my room had been ready for a while and they never bothered to inform me. So I’m finally able to get in my room and it was disgusting. The remote control didn’t even function, I called the front desk and 25-30 minutes later a staff member brought me another one and while that one worked it was sticky and gross. The bathroom lights were corroded and gross. There are no fitted sheets on the mattress only sheets and blankets and no comforter, so if you are a restless sleeper you will wake up on a bare mattress. The exterior building light was positioned directly in the middle of the window so even with the blackout blinds closed there’s a lovely ray of light shining right in your face. The air conditioning is so loud you have to turn it off to sleep it literally sounded like an idling motorcycle and the air filter itself looked like it hadn’t been changed in years it was so caked with dust and hair it was no wonder I woke up feeling terrible. For what this place is charging nightly and with the $24 a day parking is literal robbery. I would not be surprised if I came home with bedbugs with the lack of care and cleaning goes on in these rooms.

We stayed here last week & had a wonderful vacation! The staff was all top-notch! I’d like to thank Jesus especially! He was very kind & genuine, worked quickly & efficiently, was always a step ahead, anticipating our needs! This wise gentleman is a very important asset to your service team! Thank you, Jesus, for making our experience memorable! We will be back, & I hope to see you again! While I have read some mixed reviews; I feel that the Handlery room & accommodations met our expectations for the price! It is an older building & nothing is perfect?! 4 stars based on that… Our basic needs were met. The beds were very comfortable, drinking water, coffee & breakfast was available…nothing in this world is free! Parking in California is a whole different story! Period. I’d be happy to make a few suggestions on any minor details if you’d like to contact me! Thanks again for a lovely vacation! We thoroughly enjoyed an off-peak peaceful October week lounging by the pool! We cannot control the circumstances which surround us. Duh, if you had good parents! I once had to close my poolside patio door because a child had the nerve to giggle & shout during my 3 pm nap! Hahaha!!!