Holiday Inn Express San Diego SeaWorld, an IHG Hotel

I didn’t want to leave a negative review, but I feel like I have to. I have traveled to more than 7 countries, and I’ve never experienced a hotel like this before. (I’ve traveled to the U.S. as well, but I couldn’t help but think, “Are all hotels in San Diego like this?”)

I had booked a total of 13 nights, but I couldn’t bear it any longer and left early to find another place to stay.

1. Bugs
A. Suspected Termites
On the second night, I went to Universal Studios in LA and returned to the hotel late at night. When I turned on the light, the room was crawling with strange bugs, as shown in the pictures (they were only on the wooden floor). These bugs were even inside my luggage. I told the front desk, and they moved me to a new room. However, because of the bugs in my luggage, I had to spend the whole night shaking out my clothes and repacking. The next day, I even had to do laundry. Why did I have to repack everything while being so exhausted?

B. Just Ants
The new room they moved me to had ants. When I asked the front desk for bug spray, they said they didn’t have any. So I went to Target and bought three cans of bug spray and had to deal with it myself. There were also dead ants on the walls. Why am I paying for a hotel and still having to do pest control?

-> In the end, I bought a sleeping bag and slept in it! Funny, right?

2. Housekeeping
This hotel only cleans if you specifically request it. Otherwise, they just refill the towels. I understand that’s their policy, but it would be helpful if they had a door hanger for housekeeping requests.

A. No Cleaning, but They Took the Tip
I was so horrified by the bugs in my room that I requested cleaning every day. I even took out the trash myself; all I wanted was fresh bedding. But for three days in a row, they didn’t clean the room, despite my requests. I even asked at the front desk to please clean the room that day, but it didn’t happen. One day, they didn’t even take the used towels or replace them. Why did they take the tip if they weren’t going to clean the room?

B. Staff Response
When I complained about the lack of cleaning, they just said there was no housekeeper available in the evening. I can understand that happening one day, but for three days in a row? I made my request in the morning, but by the evening, the room still wasn’t cleaned. And all they said was, “There’s no housekeeper.” What am I supposed to do with that? They’re playing with me, right? Also, do the staff here not know how to apologize? If they had at least apologized, I wouldn’t be this angry.

3. Room Condition

A. Dust
I have a dust allergy, and this hotel is filthy. Especially the carpet and the bedding. I had hives all night and couldn’t stop scratching. In the end, I had to buy allergy medication and anti-itch cream from Walmart. If you have sensitive skin or children, do not come to this hotel.

B. Smell
The room smells like dust and mold.

C. It’s just dirty.

Good Point: Free parking.

Honestly, I want to give this place negative stars. I’m not a native English speaker, so the whole experience was even harder for me. The bugs and dust made my stay unbearable. I trusted Holiday Inn when I made the reservation, but I am completely shocked and disappointed.

DISAPPOINTED. We have stayed at many nice Holiday Inn's and this one was not that. Please take the time and get a nicer hotel. They literally took and old hotel, added some paint and called it a Holiday Inn. Disclaimer which wasn't mentioned THIS BUILDING CONTAINS LEAD.

Pros: Free breakfast, free parking, close to major attractions, friendly staff, decent price.

Cons: The whole hotel smells like mold. It truly has a bad odor. Pool is so small. Not worth it.
There is no laundry facility.

Absolutely filthy. Floors are dirty you do not want to wake barefoot. Tiles do not match and are very dirty.

All corners of the walls have dirty red stuff and filth.
Lamp shades are nasty and lights are rusted.
Sink and faucet was not in good condition. Even the outlets were bad.

Blow dryer filled with lint and looked like it hasn't been cleaned in ages.

Worst part of this hotel is bathrooms are so small one person barley fits in them. The ventilation is absolutely HORRIBLE. You cannot breathe after you shower due the steam filling it up so fast. Windows can only be cracked a smidge. Door was cracked and didn't even lock.

We tried to check out at 4am and nobody was at the front desk. Good luck coming in early in the morning if you are traveling.

Coworker of mine stayed here and had a not so great experience. First inconvenience is that we mistakenly booked a room in the wrong location; meant to book at the Holiday Inn in Old Town. When we called to have the reservation changed, we learned that the hotels are not franchised, and therefore cannot swap any reservations. The room that he stayed in was really small and uncomfortable. There are no restaurants within walking distance of the hotel, which is inconvenient if you don't have a vehicle. Then, when we called to get a copy of the invoice emailed after the stay, they refused to help. When it was recommended that we speak with the General Manager, Angela, we still did not receive a response back from her. After this experience, we will never be doing business with Holiday Inn Express again.