Just got back from a four night stay at the Sheraton SD Hotel & Marina. I used my Starpoints (1,500 per night) to upgrade to a 12th floor Club Level room in the East Tower. The room faced the marina and the inlet and the view was great - especially with a full moon one evening. The room itself was spacious but the carpeting was a little dreary/older. Club level provided access to Penthouse (one floor up) for Continental breakfast which consisted of fruit, cereals, pastries/muffins/bread, OJ, and coffee. The upgrade also included free usage of the fitness center - which was a very good fitness center I thought, and I worked out with (name drop here) Bill Rancic of The Apprentice. Other amenities of the upgrade included free self-parking or half-off the $16.00 day valet parking, and one free large bottle of H2O per day. The main pool was real nice although I was expecting bigger given the pictures on the website. I had to go to the Lanai pool early one morning as they were power washing the main pool deck and lounge chairs. Had lunch at the Harborside Cafe in between the two pools and looking out over the marina. Food was just OK. Played ping-pong just outside the fitness center but they really should invest a few $ in some new paddles.

I had major problems getting a few packages delivered to my room as I had to sign for them and they could not coordinate getting them up to my room. I waited for an hour before I called again and told them it wasn't fair that I had to be held hostage to my room to sign for packages when they couldn't tell me when they would be delivering them. They finally agreed to leave them at the bellstand but not without a little persuasion on my part.

For some strange reason, I was not charged at all for the many LD telephone calls I made from my room. I was pleasantly surprised to not see those charges on my final bill and now wonder if my total charge on my corp. Amex will be higher than what it indicated on my folio at checkout.

The hotel is on the outskirts of the downtown area, but not far at all. Even at rush hour it was only 15 minutes to get to the Gaslamp Quarter. It did get a little crazy (traffic-wise) the night I drove down to the Gaslamp Quarter when the Padres were playing the Dodgers as the park is right at the foot of Fifth Street where the Gaslamp Quarter begins.

I had some outstanding dinners at Blue Point Coastal Cuisine (Seafood located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter), Lou & Mickeys (steak and seafood located near Petco Park), and McCormick & Schmicks (Seafood located right next to Petco Park). For entertainment I went to the new Shout House, a dueling Piano Bar on Fourth Street in the GL Quarter (next to Hooters) and had a GREAT time. I highly recommend Shout House for an evening of sing-alongs to great songs (sounds corny but it's not - trust me) and some irrerevant fun. Drinks are way watered down though! Also went to Petco Park after McCormick & Schmicks to see the Padres beat the Dodgers 2-1. Nice park but nowhere near as good as Citizen's Bank Park in Phila.

All in all, I thought my stay at the Sheraton was a good one - not outstanding though. The next time I visit SD, I'll make it a point to try to stay in the GasLamp Quarter so I don't have to drive back and forth all the time.

Snowcap