Hampton Inn San Diego - Downtown
We choose this hotel because it was conveniently located near the airport, offered a free airport shuttle, and was a five minute walk from the cruise ship pier, which we were arriving in San Diego a day early for. Also, we had high expectations from a hotel with the Hampton Inn (Hilton) brand name, from previous experiences. Best way to review this hotel is to list the pros and cons:
Pro: Near airport, with free shuttle. Friendly staff at check-in. Large clean room, with more than adequate breakfast included. Walking distance to center of city, and downtown San Diego attractions (i.e., Harbor walk and museums and excursions, Seaport Village, Horton Plaza, and many fine restaurants.
Sounds good so far. So why did we rate our stay "POOR"... Here it comes:
CONS: THE CONTINUAL NOISE from the railroad tracks and street crossing guard rails next to the hotel. I seemed that just about every 5 to 10 minutes we heard the clanging of the railroad crossing gates, as they went up and down for every passing Amtrak train, light rail (The Coaster) train, and freight train that went by. Shortly after checking in, I went to the reception desk to ask to be switched to a quieter side of the hotel, and was told that they even hear the noise from the trains in the lobby, and that there were no quieter rooms available! Te worst was yet to come... It seems that freight trains run through the city during the middle of the night (after the passenger trains finally stopped running) not only causing the same noises previously mentioned, but also blowing their whistles and horns that could be heard miles before they arrive, and long after they passed. Needless to say, we did not get much, if any sleep during our stay there, and we heard just about every other guest complain about the noise level, while we were having breakfast.