The US Grant - San Diego, CA [Master Thread]
Oct 10, 2009, 11:02 am
Pre-upgraded to Legacy Suite as a platinum, but none were available at checkin, so they moved me to the 3-room Event Planner Suite.
Letter from manager at check-in explaining that I would receive a 500-point platinum amenity (which I believe is a new policy).
An hour or so after check-in, a fruit plate and Panna/San Pellegrino water was delivered to the room (which I believe was the previous Platinum amenity).
Lower floor rooms can be loud if you are street-side, and the ventilation needs some help (the humidity in the room may be a culprit in my Blackberry keyboard meltdown)...
While the W San Diego seems to be cutting corners, the US Grant seems to be over-the-top in paying attention to guests' needs and desires!
Jan 12, 2010, 4:17 am
Choosing between
Grand Deluxe - $224 per night - Has a Whirlpool tub AND on the top floor
Legacy Suite - $294 per night - Two TV's and Bathroom but no whirlpool and not on the top floor
Only slightly bigger.Landmark Suite - $360 per night - Whirlpool and bigger room so I can understand this room category.
I am confused about the difference between the Grand Deluxe and Legacy Suite. Why is the Grand Deluxe less $$ for a Whirlpool and top floor ? I have checked many dates and it's the same story
Jan 12, 2010, 6:41 am
Feb 13, 2010, 9:57 am
Feb 13, 2010, 11:08 am
Feb 13, 2010, 12:29 pm
Feb 13, 2010, 10:16 pm
Feb 22, 2010, 7:26 am
Overall it was a very nice stay. Will post a full report later.
Feb 22, 2010, 10:48 am
Check -in: Arrived on Monday at 3pm, room was not ready yet, but was told we were moved to a much nicer room to fulfill our requests of a quiet room, a crib, and a minifridge. The desk agent, Harry, was extremely courteous and apologized for the room not being ready. This was not a problem for us so we walked around for a bit and came back at 4pm and our room was ready. The agent did offer us a 20% off coupon to eat at the Grant Grill if we wanted to wait there and eat. We received #727, it is a corner room and has a nice size. The sign on the 7th floor said it was the SPG floor.
Room: Like I said, nicely sized. The furnishing look much like the pictures posted. The bathroom has a shower only though, so no tub it that is what you need. Bath amenities were G&S and were okay. Bed was comfortable, and the duvet was heavy and soft. The reports about the noise from the street are dead on. We could hear sirens and traffic at night, even on the 7th floor. It didnt bother us too much as we are sound sleepers and the noise was not constant. The AC works, but we had to put it on 66 to get the room to feel comfortably cool.
Restarurant/Room Service: Ate at the Grant Grill for dinner and the food is quite good, though a bit pricey. The service there was excellent. We ordered room service 3 times, the first two times the food was delivered 5-10 minutes outside the time range we requested it for. The third time it was right on time. The food was excellent, and in sizable portions.
Customer Service: The staff really make an effort to make you feel welcome. Besides the desk agent making a good first impression, we also found the consierge to be helpful with ideas for activities. Once, we realized the trash can had not been emptied for 2 days in our room and the trash was starting to pile up. We didnt think it was too big a deal and just called and asked for it to be emptied. Someone from housekeeping came within 5 minutes to apologize and remove the trash. Later on that night, we received a complimentary fruit plate and two bottles of spring water and another written apology from the head of housekeeping. It was a nice touch.
Location: Nice location. About $12 cab ride to airport. Balboa Park/Zoo is about $10 cab ride. You can walk through Gaslamp very easily or even walk to the harbor without much trouble. The Convention Center is about a 15-20 minute walk away. Horton shopping plaza is right across the street. Restaruants all around and the ones we tried (Yard House and a BBQ place that I cant remember the name for) were very good and well priced. There are some panhandlers on the streets surrounding the hotel, and they can get to be a little annoying after a while.
Overall, nice stay, and great customer service.
Mar 12, 2010, 12:44 pm
Mar 12, 2010, 1:06 pm
The US Grant - A Luxury Collection Hotel
326 Broadway San Diego, CA US 92101
The US Grant - A Luxury Collection Hotel (12 Photos)
The US Grant - A Luxury Collection Hotel
OK, finally figured out how to post images properly, so here goes a report.
Check In
As others have noted, this is a great property to stay at in SD. The hotel is superb at making a stay gracious and welcoming, right from pre-arrival communications from Demi (their guest loyalty coordinator), to the check-in process (smooth, courteous, quick, Plat amenity and of course: upgraded!), throughout the entire stay and offered 4 pm checkout.
Room
I was very kindly upgraded as Plat to a lovely and spacious Signature Suite. It has two Kings, a dining table, sitting area with sofa and chair, and a large bathroom with rainshower. Demi and Douglas Korn (GM) were also generous in their welcome with a sparkling water and fruit/caramel platter on arrival (no pics, was devoured very quickly).
The artwork is a very, very nice touch to the room. I very much liked the inked/canvas headboards.
Location
The hotel's location cannot be beat if staying downtown. It is right across the street from Horton Plaza, at the top of the Gaslamp, and a short walk to the waterfront and Little Italy. There is no pool, but the Westin Gaslamp is across the street connected to Horton Plaza, and they have a heated outdoor pool that I used several times. The MTS trolley is also a stroll across the street outside of the valet entrance. There is no house car, but a town car is available to hire. I used it to get to the airport for $15 (a cab is $11).
Overall
I wish I had taken more pics of the lobby and the ballroom levels. The common areas are grand and also filled with lovely artwork. Next trip! Also, on the last evening, Demi and the GM provided milk and cookies to make the bittersweet ending more sweet than bitter (again, devoured before camera could make it out).
It was my first time in San Diego. What a beautiful and lovely city. I cannot wait to return, likely this summer when it is hotter. I guess El Nino played havoc on the weather as people kept saying how abnormal the weather was. I wouldn't think of staying anywhere else but the US Grant.
Last edited by masskrug; Mar 12, 2010 at 1:20 pm