December '23 Southwest Hotels Stay Report (San Diego, Kearny Mesa)

[SoCalFlyer97]

Hello Community Southwest:

Here's a trip report of my recent hotel stay in San Diego on a Friday night booked through Southwest Hotels. This is my second stay with the California Suites Hotel and of all the budget motels in the area, this inn delivers on value. Yes, this place will likely not win "San Diego's Hotel of the Year" award anytime soon but its low prices and comfortable amenities is a great hospitality inflation-buster alternative in my opinion. Plus, no deposits for single-night stays.

Had no issues at all with Southwest Hotels Booking or Check-in.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to take too many pictures of the hotel other than a couple morning photos of the pool area and the pond in the atriums to share on this forum. Check out my Report from October additional hotel pics.

https://community.southwest.com/t5/Rapid-Rewards/Oct-23-Southwest-Hotels-Five-One-Night-Trips-at-Fiv...

Here's how SW Hotels pricing fared compared to the competition:

Room Type: Queen Room
Rapid Rewards Points Plus: 1,000
SW Hotel Base Rate: $95 w/ Free Cancellation

Competing Booking Site Rates w/ Free Cancellation:
Rocket Miles: $94 w/ 1,000 points
Other 3rd Party Lowest Price per Trivago: $81
Direct: $96

The $14 price difference in return for the 1,000 CP-eligible points is a fair trade in my opinion. As mentioned, finding a regular hotel with a private room anywhere in the San Diego area on a Friday or weekend night can be difficult; many standard, non-resort hotels were pricing for well over $200 with some in the $300's.

Paying $95 w/ $1000 RR Points was a good deal.

The only issue I have had with this inn is that the pool/spa area is long past due for deep cleaning, possibly a renovation. The waters are actually clean and refreshing but the build-up on the surfaces can make the area uninviting. Also hoping they get the resources they need to restart their continental breakfast soon. They have a nice small dining hall next to the lobby that isn't used. This hotel also supports extended stays with some folks calling the hotel their home; keep that in mind. However, it's low prices and the overall value of this place means I have nothing to complain about. My original review of SAN's California Suites Hotel is on TripAdvisor.

Travel Safely!

[bec102896]

Have you tried the priceline express deals or Hotwire deals? Sometimes I have gotten some nice hotels for the price of 1-2 star hotels 

glad to hear your trip went well though. 

personally I’m very picky about my hotels (inn’s/drive up to door without security scare me 😂) 

[SoCalFlyer97]

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@bec102896 wrote:

Have you tried the priceline express deals or Hotwire deals? Sometimes I have gotten some nice hotels for the price of 1-2 star hotels 

glad to hear your trip went well though. 

personally I’m very picky about my hotels (inn’s/drive up to door without security scare me 😂) 

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When I compare prices between Southwest Hotels and the hotel market, Trivago (and Google) will usually pick up the lowest base prices which includes Priceline and Hotwire. I always toggle the filter to show the rates for free cancelation and use that as my price point for the market rate.

I've also reviewed Priceline Express and Hotwire HotRate deals where one does not know where they're staying until after they paid...Like you, I need to review where I'm going before committing; I'm not a fan of buying non-refundable (and no return credit) hotel rooms and certainly will not do so blind. To be fair, Priceline Express at least shows one of a few "possible" locations as location "hints" on a map but I will not commit to staying anywhere unless I've reviewed the place and surrounding area first...security is certainly a factor. That's part of my hotel shopping process.

I've read stories of people buying blind only to placed at hotels that charge parking tolls or other hidden fees that erode the savings; other situations involve being placed too far from the destination or being placed in a "bad" part of town...The risk of this occurring is high for SAN and just about any other part of SoCal. I require knowledge of where I'm going and the assurance that I can cancel/change the booking without penalty in the event plans or prices change. 

That's why I like Southwest Hotels Points Plus properties w/ free cancellation support...They offer generous points bonuses...I always compare with the base prices shown on Trivago to ensure the Rapid Reward points payback is fair...and just like the No-Change-Fee policy for Southwest flights, I can scrap the hotel booking and rebook at no charge if I see a better deal.