Pay the extra 20 bucks and stay anywhere else
Any motel that you have to drive down an alley past a chinese restaurant and 2 cop cars should have screamed to us to turn around. We decided to keep our reservations anyways, but that was a mistake. 
The drug deals and meth addicts/hookers in the parking lot, meant we rushed right to our room. There we were hit with the stench of smoke and chemicals (despite being a smoke free room), a burnt comforter covering stained sheets, strange stuff on the walls, a non-draining sink with no hot water, a moldy shower, thin tiny towels, a TV with bunny ear quality signal, and a toilet that had been glued back together. 
I will admit that I tend to not leave reviews when I'm rather neutral on the subject, but this motel was a slum. Nothing has been "refreshed" as the website claims, unless you count the dirt that might get washed off during a rainstorm. I've spent 27 nights in hotels over the past year and this wasn't the cheapest one, but it was the worst. 
Please don't stay here if you want to enjoy your trip to beautiful San Diego.