Rock72

Oh yeah, one more annoyance. I was up last night on the computer at around 11pm when I heard a knock on the door. Bellhop was there asking if we were moving rooms. I told him that I was never told such as thing and that everyone else was sleeping...turns out he had the wrong room. It's just a mistake but still annoying.

There is also no pool.

But OTOH, the fitness room is very nice.

Pentech

It is now $35/night for parking at the Grant.

millere2

I will be here in June, glad I am not renting a car. Some of the other SPG properties I frequent seem to raise parking rates $1-$2 every 6 months.

Blumie

Just spent a night at the US Grant, the second time I've been in two years. The room was decent size (presumably due to a Virtuoso upgrade from the category I booked) and the bed was very comfortable. BUT:

-- There was a fair bit of street noise from Broadway late into the evening and early hours.

-- A guest from another room had stacked dirty room service dishes near my door. They were there when I checked in at 1100p, and still there when I departed at 900a the next morning. Totally unacceptable.

-- There was a little card on a table informing me that the bottle of water was complementary, but there was no bottle of water!

-- The minibar fridge did not work. There was a sign taped to it indicating that it was due to a "programming error." W_T_F!!! The minibar prices also were beyond offensive, on top of which they tack on a 20% "restocking charge." Just plain offensive.

-- They deliver a USA Today to each room in the morning. IMHO, a high end hotel should always offer the option of a real newspaper (the WSJ or the NYTimes). (In fairness, they did give me a free copy of the NYTimes when I inquired at the desk.)

So while I applaud the hotel for its wonderfully comfortable rooms, they just completely fall down on the small stuff -- the type of stuff that distinguishes really good hotels.

ralfkrippner

This hotel is on my "never again" list of hotels now.

I've booked a corner room on higher floor on a 299$ AAA rate. A day before arrival I checked my booking and it was upgraded to "Landmark Suite".

As we arrived early with bulky luggage we made our way to the hotel at 11:00 am and asked if we could check in early or at least leave our luggage. As no rooms were available we left our luggage and my mobile number and were told that as a plat member they would work on a room to be available earlier than 3 pm and call me. No call came, from 1:30 pm on we waited in the lobby and asked the front desk person to notify us, when a room would be ready. Again, no contact so at 3:15 I asked again and immediately got a room.
I would rather have liked a honest "sorry, no room before 3 pm" instead of 4 hours of waiting.

We got room 814. So this is a "Landmark suite"?
- Very small "sitting room" - just one easy chair, very uncomfortable and a small working desk with a regular chair - also very uncomfortable
- Frosted windows in the sitting room and bedroom - This is because you would otherwise look onto a wall 3 ft from the window, almost as high as the room. So we have a high floor room but frosted windows. Great!
- Very loud AC, switching on and off frequently with a loud banging sound as some partition is moving in the air duct - will definitely wake us in the night
- Filthy coffee maker with some brown/grey film in the water tank

Definitely not worth the money. I should have booked a much cheaper room in the Westin a block away.

ralfkrippner

In addition to what I've already posted:
- TV with audio only / no picture
- No turndown service

Siriusly

I've stayed there three times in the past couple months and have nothing but great things to say about this property. It's an historic property- so expect cozier rooms (although the Landmark Suites I've stayed in have been more than adequate- 901, 914 and 907).

The unique character of the US Grant is a welcome intermezzo for Starwood roadies. If you're sick of the drab standard Sheraton decor, enjoy the Grant's interior design by LA's S.K.I.N. firm and the ubiquitous proprietary "blue" throughout the property the concierge informed me was inspired by the oval office and fittingly called... ummm... "US Grant Blue."

Gateway to the Gaslamp District, the hotel's got a great map of the area identifying all the local bars by name. Grant Grill is freakin' awesome... they got a creative chef with a New American menu and serve their Manhattans with Luxardo cherries (my fav).

Original artwork throughout is incredible. The $35/valet is competitively priced for the area. Housekeeping staff was very attentive and sweet. Remede bath products, linens and towels are standard to the Luxury Collection- but I don't pass thru too many cities with those properties, so it's good to experience something different.

Since I usually stay there before catching my bird, it's good to stock up on newspapers to peruse while I'm under 10,000 feet. Property carries USA Today/ WSJ/ NYT and local... available gratis at the front desk.

Because of a large convention in town last week, we had to hop around to three different Starwood properties. Without a doubt, my staff and I have made this our San Diego property of choice and look forward to returning next month.

Quasiconvexity

I echo the comments of the previous poster. The room was definitely on the cozier side, but nicely appointed. The bathroom (and toiletries) were especially nice - I much prefer the shower stall here to the standard tub found in hotel rooms.

FYI, this hotel is a virtuoso property and the benefits include full breakfast for two, plus a $75 incidental credit (which also applies to parking). Service at Grant Grill was very attentive.

I havent been upgraded to a suite here in my three stays which is a bit disappointing given the large pool of suites here. It might also have to do with the fact that my visits have coincided with fairly large conventions in town. I much prefer the U.S. Grant to the other SPG options in the area.

jmr.jr

-- They deliver a USA Today to each room in the morning. IMHO, a high end hotel should always offer the option of a real newspaper (the WSJ or the NYTimes). (In fairness, they did give me a free copy of the NYTimes when I inquired at the desk.)

If you can't get your "real newspaper" on your iPad then it's probably not that important to you and it's definitely not worth mentioning in a hotel review. I love the us grant. Stayed here three of the last four years and have never had any issues. The bar has great food and is open relatively late if you are coming in on a later flight. The gym is not good but there are several legit gyms in the area that you can go to and pay a day rate. I've stayed at both westins, the W, and the US Grant and this is the hotel I keep coming back to in SD.

Blumie

I guess the ipad you sent me never arrived. But thank you for telling me what I should and should not care about. I'll remember to check with you first next time.

The US Grant is a crummy hotel. The reviews on this board make that clear.

jammanxc

stayed at the US Grant Hotel in san diego in July, booked the lowest standard room - superior, was upgraded to a Landmark Suite

As a platinum, I received

Suite upgrade (Landmark Suite)
$100 resort credit (AMEX FHR program)
$80 breakfast credit (AMEX FHR program)
4pm late checkout granted
chose 500 pts Platinum amenity
free internet for multiple devices
gym access (has a fridge w/ many bottles of water FYI)

booked $179 FHR rate


The lobby was magnificent and it's easy to get lost because the front desk check-in looks like a regular concierge desk. I parked my car two blocks away and paid only $11 for overnight parking as opposed to the valet. Upon checkin, I was notified I was upgraded to a Landmark Suite. It's a very chic suite with luxurious bedding and amenities. Had lunch, happy hour, and breakfast all at the Grant Grill restaurant. The food was astounding as the waitstaff was very attentive although the restaurant was pretty much dead. The Grant Grill looks to be a corporate expense restaurant as I only saw executives in suits dine for lunch and happy hour. I'm glad I booked via AMEX Fine Hotel and Resorts which gave me a $100 resort credit which I used towards lunch and the evening happy hour. The location is VERY central for being in the Gaslamp Quarter. Across the street is a full service mall called Horton Plaza and it's possible to walk everywhere in downtown, including PetCo Park to catch a baseball game. I would definitely stay here again if the rate was in my favor.

FD1971

The US Grant is not a crummy hotel, more a solid option in San Diego.

It should not belong to the Luxury Collection brand, but would make a good Westin and is on par with many big and really big chain hotels in San Diego, too expensive and not necessarily up to date, despite the fact that the US Grant is relatively new.

MSPeconomist

I would disagree. The US Grant is much better than the chain hotels in San Diego, including the line of big convention hotels lined up around convention center. It's fun, has a personality, and IME offers good service, although I can see that one's impression and experience here could depend a lot on your room type. I had some sort of suite with a large foyer, a tiny windowless sitting room, and a large king bedroom with large windows looking toward the fountain (in the bottom inside of the U of the building, with nice and interesting lighting at night). The bathroom was very small with only a shower, but good toiletries. Everything was fresh and very stylish. The restaurant treated me well even though I wanted just a glass of wine and a small snack as I had been served a late large luhch on my flight. I would gladly go back. IMO the only major drawback is the lack of a concierge lounge.

sunk818

Stayed Sunday to Thursday. Horton plaza across the street is being demolished. Stay away from the us grant and westin gaslamp until the demolition is finished. I could not sleep because demolition was going on at 2am sometimes. Westin emerald is far enough away so the demolition sounds are not an issue.

For a "luxury" collection, we had a poor experience with the hotel staff. When we asked for a crib, it took many hours. Housekeeping did not replenish consistently. They put pillows against the far wall. Tv remote missing and channel 43 bravo did not work. Maybe the demolition is also reducing morale, as I don't recall this poor an experience the last three times we stayed there. Next year though, we are not booking us grant for my annual conference.

ellaq2008

Currently staying here. sunk818 is totally right about the demolition/construction, it's right across the street! And they start working early. The sign says the new Horton building will be open in summer 2014, so it may be a while before everything goes back to normal again.

Our interactions with the hotel staff were quite pleasant though.