The Bristol Hotel - San Diego

Hotel · San Diego

The Bristol Hotel - San Diego

Hotel · San Diego

1

1055 1st Ave., San Diego, CA 92101

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The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by Photo courtesy of The Bristol Hotel
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null
The Bristol Hotel - San Diego by null

Highlights

Modern rooms, American grill, exercise room, meeting rooms.  

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1055 1st Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 Get directions

thebristolsandiego.com
@bristolhotelsd

$$

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1055 1st Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 Get directions

+1 619 232 6141
thebristolsandiego.com
@bristolhotelsd
𝕏
@bristolhotel

$$

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Last updated

Oct 26, 2025

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@afar

"The Bristol Hotel is a modern boutique property located near the Gaslamp Quarter. A member of the Green Lodging Program, the hotel is one of seven in San Diego to have a Green Eco-Leaf Rating. From energy-efficient technology to eco-friendly amenities, the Bristol’s commitment to lessening its footprint extends to the smallest details. All these measures don’t diminish its focus on comfort and convenience, though. You’ll find down duvets, free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and in-room iHome docking stations. As you explore the property, you’ll find pop art pieces by renowned artists. Be on the lookout for Teddy Roosevelt by Andy Warhol and Oval Office by Roy Lichtenstein. Business travelers will also be pleased to know that the Bristol is downtown San Diego’s only meeting space with a retractable roof. When you’re stuck in conferences all day, you can give a new meaning to multitasking while you work on your tan."

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Nicole Ward

Google
My company booked this hotel for a conference held at the convention center, one mile south. Not a bad walk in my opinion but that might not be best option for some. Staff seems mostly cheerful and helpful, but since this is a "boutique" hotel they have no room service etc., and the desk must be manned 24/7...you can tell the front desk is tired in the morning. Nice coffee machine and lobby. Can't speak to parking. Not badly located with some easy to reach restaurants and Gaslamp just a few blocks away. The room was clean but some of the outlets were wobbly and didn't work. The bathroom is also antique size so plus size folks may have trouble with the shower (no tub). Not many drawers to put your things in but the standing wardrobe does contain iron, mini fridge, and coffee maker (cup variety). The extra pillow in the container smelled a bit musty. I found the bed and pillows to be too soft for me but otherwise the furniture was in good repair and clean. Definitely a dampness issue; my clothes were a little damp in the wardrobe after hanging over night. Perhaps I'm just not used to humidity anymore.

donethat1950

Google
I wanted to enjoy this place. Apparently it was redone/redecorated a few years ago. But to me it seemed superficial. It's age still shows under the gaudy colors and the attempt to remarket and update your brand. Underneath? It's not worth the cost. $40 a night for parking? A rip-off. Indifferent hotel clerk upon check-in. The room was neat, yes. But the bathroom, the shower, was terrible. Leaky toilet, very low shower water pressure, filthy tiles; at least the grout was. Hey, management, it needs some deep-cleaning, not superficial sanitizing. It's not housekeeping's problem, it's managements' prioritizing. Get it done right if you want to charge what you charge.

Jazzy Lovely

Google
TERRIBLE SERVICE. The service was so bad that I took off 3 stars. The front desk manager and valet are incredibly rude (older gentleman that, according to the manager, has a language barrier). If you recommend client communication training, you'll be met with complete opposition. It's a hotel...communication and hospitality is literally the job. Shame because the rooms are clean, the bathroom is nice and spacious, and it's actually a really cute boutique hotel. The parking is not clear, and the staff don't really understand that you, as the client, probably need to know where to park, if they don't want you to use their hotel parking. This is a super common problem in downtown SD, so it's not a fault of the hotel for not having ample parking, but it's kinda ridiculous that they can't communicate the issue in a calm and courteous manner. The problem is 100% the manager and staff. We stayed only 1 night, and we won't be back. I will say that the young man who was working both valet and the desk by himself was the most helpful and nicest person there.

Shelly Tilly

Google
Do not stay here!! The rooms are decent and good location but the service is non-existent! I couldn't get my room cleaned in the 5 days I stayed there. They said I needed to let them know the day before if I wanted my room cleaned. I tried twice and no one came to empty the garbages and give me clean towels. The ironing board wouldn't stay up so had to iron on my knees. The room wasn't very clean to begin with. My card didn't work one day for some reason. There are no robes like advertised. Talked with someone else staying there and they were supposed to get a bottle of wine with their stay. They were told they were out and weren't provided any compensation. Do not stay here! For $250 a night I expected better. I'm sure a motel 6 would provide better service!!!!

Jessica Mendoza

Google
First time staying here and we were a little skeptical when we pulled up. I booked this place because the price was reasonable and it was close to everything. Checking in, the workers were really nice and told us our room wouldn't be ready until 4:00 PM totally understand since it was noted when I booked it. When we returned Robert checked us in and my husband went to move the car to the self parking. Because he was confused on where to park he had to go back and repark it or else he'd get ticketed. Robert was so kind to give us a bottle of wine for our troubles. So very nice of him!!! I was shocked because not a lot of people go out of their way like that. The Filipino valet guy was very kind as well!!! He helped my husband figure out how/where to park. Again he went out of his way to help my husband and we appreciate it!!! We will definitely recommend this hotel!!! Rooms were very nice, clean and updated!!! Staff was 5 stars all the way!!!

226angelicaelizabeth

Google
After a complicated arrival due to a rude attitude from the valet, Robert completely turned my experience around. He was outstanding, attentive, and genuinely made me feel that guests do matter at The Bristol Hotel. The hospitality business truly needs more people like Robert. Thanks to him, I left with a positive impression, and I will definitely be coming back soon 👏👏

The Goober

Google
Hotel is basic, but everything you need. Clean, modern, and tidy. I really appreciated being the guest of the day, it allowed me to check in early. No breakfast or pool, but there is a gym and a first floor sitting area. Area around has some spots to eat for breakfast as well as a nearby MTS station which was very convenient, but a lot of homeless and can get sketchy at night. For the price, this hotel is worth staying at for a few days.

Elliot Johnson

Google
The staff are nice and accommodating. The location of the hotel is very nice. There are plenty of places within walking distance. The room's view was very nice, we had a great view from the 7th floor. The beds and pillows are soft but too soft. (Probably a personal preference) overall {A-}
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Iekika M.

Yelp
First time staying here and we were a little skeptical when we pulled up. I booked this place because the price was reasonable and it was close to everything. Checking in the workers were really nice and told us our room wouldn't be ready until 4:00 PM totally understand since it was noted when I booked it. When we returned Robert checked us in and my husband went to move the car to the self parking. Because he was confused on where to park he had to go back and repark it or else he'd get ticketed. Robert was so kind to give us a bottle of wine for our troubles. So very nice of him!!! I was shocked because not a lot of people go out of their way like that. The Filipino valet guy was very kind as well!!! He helped my husband figure out how/where to park. Again he went out of his way to help my husband and we appreciate it!!! We will definitely recommend this hotel!!! Rooms were very nice, clean and updated!!!
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Ellie D.

Yelp
I recently stayed at the Bristol Hotel, and overall it was a decent experience with a few things worth noting. This is a smaller boutique-style hotel, so if you're looking for a quiet, low-key vibe, this might be a good fit. One of the best parts of the stay was the location--it's super close to the Gaslamp District and just a short walk to the waterfront, which made exploring the area really convenient. That said, there are a couple of things to be aware of: * There is no breakfast service, which was a little disappointing, especially for a hotel in this price range. * The air conditioning in the room didn't work well, which made it a bit uncomfortable at times. If you're mainly looking for a place to sleep while you explore downtown San Diego and don't need too many amenities, the Bristol might work for you. But if strong A/C and breakfast are important, you might want to look elsewhere.
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Analiea M.

Yelp
Stayed here for a last minute weekend trip and lucky they had a room available since it was a busy holiday weekend. It's conveniently located in downtown San Diego not too far from little Italy, Gaslamp District and Seaport Village. We checked into their fab queen room and it was very nice. Clean and spacious. There was a full body mirror in the room which is great! They also had robes for us to wear. We also weren't able to hear any of our neighbors. We did hear a bit of traffic coming from the street but it's granted when you have a hotel in the city. As far as parking, they have valley parking available but they also recommend a parking structure which was just around the corner. It's in now way associated with them but it does run a bit cheaper than the hotels price. This was very nice of them to disclose because we went ahead and parked there instead. My only complaints are there is no pool or bar/ restaurant attached to the hotel. There are many places to eat and drink on the area though, and the beach is only about a 20 minute drive from the hotel. I would definitely recommend for a quick weekend trip.
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Ashley T.

Yelp
Information to know when you get there. Parking isn't included. It's $42 to overnight park with the hotel. The ambiance was really kinda of hip and chic. The front desk staff was incredible. I can't remember the name of the gentleman but he brought a bouquet of flowers to our room while we were out to dinner because my fiance asked him if he could. The bed was comfortable and the shower had good water pressure. Would def I stay here again.
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Deanna G.

Yelp
Decided to book a last minute trip to San Diego with my boyfriend the Bristol caught our attention and at the time of booking they were promoting a free bottle of wine when you arrived. So we got there to then see valet was sold out so had to park around the corner parking lot at Laz parking structure tower 180 & had a horrible experience if I may add since it's the closest parking to the hotel. Anyway so we checked in and asked when we get the free bottle that was advertised.... They then tell us they are all out. Like what! How are you going to run out if you know what you're promoting, be sure to have enough in stock especially it being a Holiday weekend definitely false advertisement Overall hotel was 6/10.
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Martin C.

Yelp
Love staying here when I'm San Diego. It's close enough to everything and far enough to take a small break from all touristy commotion in the Gaslamp District. Great customer service and always a pleasant experience when staying at The Bristol Hotel.
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Beth S.

Yelp
Pros - good location near a trolley stop and gaslight district. Beds are comfortable and rooms are large. Cons - can hear everything in room. Including room next door watching tv. Biggest con though is the bathroom light. It's annoying enough when a hotel room has switch outside bathroom so light will shine into room when turn on and off, bothering whoever isn't using bathroom. But this place takes it up a notch and the bathroom light (switch located inside bathroom) turns on vanity light, which is outside of bathroom. So essentially, if you go to bathroom in middle of night, your options are to leave dark, use a flashlight, or turn on a light in main room. Sometimes I seriously wonder if people who design hotel rooms have ever stayed in one with someone else.
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Taylor K.

Yelp
Greeting/Welcoming was nice. However, parking was valet and it was $42 a night!? Also inside the room, no microwave; so that was kind of an inconvenience. I don't believe there is a pool either from the looks of it. Gym was available until 10pm. Probably going to pick a different hotel next time.
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John Kevin G.

Yelp
Was looking to hotels walking distance from gaslamp. Solid hotel for overnight. Check in and check out was easy. Hotel is walking distance to gas lamp and surrounding areas of downtown. Especially the train station. Wish they were a bit more detailed in morning accommodations. There is a valet for parking if needed and a lot across the street. Also wish there was a security in late night for safety
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Yelp R.

Yelp
For the price, this hotel is OK. Just OK. Our room was on the top floor at the end of the hall. It was reasonably quiet -- no noise from adjacent guests, but the red San Diego trolleys can be heard rumbling through the intersection directly below. This was not a problem during the night. Air conditioning was adequate, but the temperatures outside were mild. Bed was well worn and sags easily. We prefer firmer back support. Wished there were additional pillows. The USB-A ports on each side of the bed didn't work. Toilet clogs easily. No plunger available. Shower grout needs cleaning and resealing. Would prefer if the shower had a hand wand. Prior, during, and after our one night stay we received a ridiculous number of emails. Seven "Reservation Confirmation" emails were received on the day of our arrival! Insane! For breakfast we recommend The Corner Bakery, just a short walk south.
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Al S.

Yelp
AC did not work so we had to keep the windows and curtains open, which made the room really bright and we could hear all the noise from the city. The room was good other than that.
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Corine G.

Yelp
The Bristol is one of our favorite hotels! We've stayed here on different occasions. As an avid world traveler and San Diegan, I'm surprised by the low score and bad reviews. Please don't let those stop you from staying at The Bristol! The suites are spacious, clean, comfortable and well-appointed, with two TVs, two bathrooms, and a pull-out sofa bed in a separate living area. Although some reviews mention street noise, we've found it impressively quiet given the downtown location. It's a perfect spot for exploring--just a block from the trolley stop and within easy walking distance to main attractions and dining options. The valet service is fast and trustworthy, and the staff is truly exceptional. While I can't recall all of their names, every employee we've encountered has been incredibly knowledgeable, accommodating and attentive. They're also helpful when unloading our car and getting bags to our room. Special thanks to Erick, Russell and Kevin (valet), and JP, Roxanne, Angeli, Sandra and Darlene (front desk) for going above and beyond. My two-year-old and I love coming here, and whether you're staying for one night or one week, The Bristol is an excellent choice for a great price. I highly recommend it for families, couples, and solo travelers alike!
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Maitri M.

Yelp
We got the suite room at this hotel which overlooks the city and other buildings. The suite is very spacious. Comes with 1.5 bath! A separate couch room, and bedroom. Plenty of space. Love this room so much! Downstairs manager - her name is Sandra - and she's the sweetest person ever. Asked her for recs around San Diego, learned a bit of Spanish as well, just a very wholesome interaction. Definitely talk to her when you're here.
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Elmira R.

Yelp
The Bristol Hotel offers a stylish and bright décor that stands out, and the beds were incredibly comfortable. It's very clean, and the staff are friendly, creating a pleasant overall experience. That said, the rooms are quite small given the price, and the hotel seems more suited for business travelers rather than families on vacation. If you're visiting San Diego with your family, you might find better options elsewhere. Despite these drawbacks, the hotel's central location is a big plus, with easy access to the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy. The combination of a classic building with modern, though compact, rooms at a reasonable price makes The Bristol Hotel a decent choice, especially if you're looking for a stylish place in a prime spot.
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Matthew C.

Yelp
Pretty good location just down the street from Horton plaza. Kept clean and maintained well. Not a whole lot of extra amenities here, but you downtown and can walk everywhere. Stayed here New Year's Eve and rooms We're about $150 less then other ones around it. So I will definitely look at this hotel next time I stay downtown.
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RJ E.

Yelp
Sandra is an amazing manager. They welcomed us with open arms 10 out of 10 I recommend this hotel! Thank you for the wonderful experience
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Jessie Z.

Yelp
This is a decent functional reasonably-priced hotel to stay the night in, but other than that, nothing super special. We got a Fab King room and the interior was pretty modern, though the view was facing a random building. Our stay was fine overall, with little details here and there that made it not great, but not terrible: shampoo pump wasn't really working, the grout in the shower wasn't totally clean, there were keurig cups but no keurig machine, the down pillows were slightly lumpy, the walls are somewhat thin (we could hear our neighbors talking loudly late at night), and the mattress was way too soft. Other than that, it's what you'd expect from photos. It wasn't super noisy outside on a Friday night, although we were all the way up on the 8th floor. You have the option to valet for $39/night or self-park for $24/night at Tower 180 around the corner on the same block. While the hotel entrance is on First Street, Tower 180's entrance is around the corner on C Street. We traveled with a baby and the streets were pretty safe at night and in the morning, so the short walk from self parking was fine. You have to park above the 4th floor to avoid reserved spots. Keep your parking ticket to re-enter the parking lot. The pedestrian entrance is located in a very unintuitive location behind the place where you scan your ticket. Look for a blue door to the right of the parking garage door. Besides being cheaper, another advantage to self-parking is there are only 2 valet guys so there were multiple people waiting for their cars in the morning.
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Christine B.

Yelp
I stayed here for a work conference and didn't have any say in the choice of hotel. I will start with the good. The location is pretty central and I found it easy to get around to other parts of downtown. The room was clean and my room was pretty big. But this is the most "no frills" hotel I've stayed at in a long time. Even the budget chain hotels offer more perks. They have a coffee machine that didn't look very promising in the lobby. There is no room service or restaurant on site. I had a double room (2 beds) and they have only 2 of each towel. They also have no room cleaning unless requested. There is a gym but one of the treadmills was broken. Only one elevator was working during my 4 night stay. The hotel is old. They've certainly done some updates so it looks okay but the bones are old. My in room refrigerator didn't allow me to adjust and it froze everything that I put in it. The air in my coworker's room didn't work 3 of the 4 nights we were there. If you are looking for a hotel with no frills, this is it. But don't pay too much for it. Over $400 a night was too expensive for what it offered.
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Holli P.

Yelp
Okay! This hotel is clean, super cute and in a great location ... and they gave me a bottle of wine at check in. Looking back, I'm sure that it was to assuage my feelings of complete frustration because their customer service is as bad as it gets, although it is coated in sugar. Although I prepaid my room, when I checked in my credit card was scanned (perfectly normal) for the deposit. I watched it go through but the girl checking me in at the front desk said it didn't. Ok, round two. It went through again. Yay! I checked out the next day, paid for my parking and went on my merry way. The next day the first $100 deposit fell off. Two weeks later the other one is still sitting there, pending. Don't try to email (three times) because you won't hear a word back. Zip. Nada. Zilch. When you call you get someone who has a canned answer and can't/won't help you at all. The End.
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Mimi L.

Yelp
This happened last year. I wish it could have been better for a 3 night stay. There's only valet parking so if their driveway is pack, you'll have to wait at the curbside. This can take 10-15 minute because the guests have to check-in and then they'll take your car inside the garage. Our room was okay...I like it but the bed could be better. The reason why I will never go back to this hotel is because the valet driver backed my car into their own fire box in the garage. My rear window broke. I know this because I have a dashcam. I was not notified until the next morning when I was going to leave town already. If I had known the day before around 6 pm, I could have gotten it fixed somehow. The manager spoked with us about reimbursement and getting it fixed for us, but I cannot trust them after leaving my car in their hands to park. The valet driver did not appear the next day when we saw our car. Fast forward, we got the window fixed and left home with the information needed. A week goes by and the manager doesn't reply to my emails, then I received an email from corporate about reimbursing the window, but we had to sign an agreement form and a 1099 form for their "HR" department. Luckily, I know someone who works in car insurance, and she recommended me to just report like an accident. My insurance went after them for the accident they caused. My family and I had to call off work the next day to get this window fixed. Hope this helps future guest and get that dashcam.
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Wendy B J.

Yelp
I stayed at the property for one night but wished it was longer. Located at First & Broadway, the location offers lots of walkable restaurants, stores and other venues. I stayed in a suite located on the top floor. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in to see the amenities offered. The suite was calm and inviting. I checked in late in the evening and was welcomed by a friendly staff. They even listed me as one of their "Guest of the Day". There's a public parking lot across the street but the hotel offers Valet service in their private garage. I used the Valet! I enjoyed a peaceful night sleep and walked to the Corner Bakery for a nice breakfast the next morning. Thanks to Joseph, Angeline, Roxanne, the PM & AM Valet attendants for taking good care of my car. Special thanks to Sandra for making sure her Mother In-Law had and enjoyable stay. I will return to this location for future visits to San Diego and highly recommend it to others visiting "America's Finest City"
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Lauren S.

Yelp
it is impossible to get a hold of anyone in the middle of the night. Our neighbor was BLASTING music from 2am-3:30am. I called the front desk multiple times and no one answered. It was incredibly frustrating. It is a pretty standard 3 star hotel. It has a good location (walking distance to all of Gaslamp and Petco Park) and comfy bed
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A.J. A.

Yelp
Good service and clean rooms. Free coffee in lobby but the steep charge for parking is a turn off!
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Rebecca G.

Yelp
Great location. Was able to walk to the Gaslamp Area and the Pier. (The shuttle to Coronado is at this pier!) Rooms are newly renovated. Beds were surprisingly comfy! Staff was not friendly. Check-In was weird. When I asked for anything I was given a dirty look or a Mhmm and a nod. **Please Read** Info for Self Parking: Make sure to park in the garage around the corner off First Ave and C St. (Tower180). Unfortunately they do not specify were to self park in the reservation or at the hotel (no signage). I had to wait and ask an employee. Then I had to reverse into traffic. Luckily the street wasn't to busy but it would have been nice to know pricing and where to park beforehand. Another thing to note: When I checked in and ask about parking the receptionist mentioned I will pay in the tower when I leave. Cool. What she did not mention was that you need to keep your parking ticket with you to get in and out of the parking garage. I was preparing to leave the hotel and took some bags down and walked around the corner to the parking garage and could not get in. I had to call the security number on the door and ask how to get in. They apologized and said I would need my ticket. So I had to struggle back up to my room get my ticket and go back down. Not a great experience. Currently self park is $24 a night and valet is $48.

Steve M.

Yelp
Shameful business practices at The Bristol San Diego. With no explanation or warning, this property canceled our block of eight pre-paid company rooms at the last minute, on a reservation made eleven months earlier. And during a conference where all downtown hotels were booked for a large convention. According to The Bristol, they 'accidentally oversold' the property; We're betting they realized they could charge more by kicking early bookers out for added profit. And that many others also lost their prepaid reservations, not just us. The Bristol's booking manager/s have demonstrated the most unprofessional negligence and glaringly poor customer service practice I've experienced in nearly 30 years of event bookings. We're urging colleagues and associates to avoid The Bristol and choose another, more reliable hotel in the Gaslamp Quarter and downtown San Diego instead. The property is lovely, but your reservation will be at risk of late cancellation for no reason and without cause, regardless of advance booking or prepayment.
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Liza C.

Yelp
Pros: Cute modern hotel in a great location for everything. They have a water fill station which was convenient, so make sure to bring a bottle. Our room was spacious and clean, no complaints there. Big tv, staff was friendly. They have a snack/soda machine. Cons: Tv didn't work, called front desk first night and they said it was too late and no one was there to fix and they'd send someone the next day to fix it. Next day we call to have our car ready from valet and ask them to send someone to fix the Tv while we're gone, they say ok. We get back to the hotel thinking we're going to relax and watch tv..... wrong, no one came to fix and yet again it was too late. When we called they said they'd give us a credit and told us exactly how much. However upon checkout we asked if it was deducted and half of what he said was. They don't service your room and the hotel has no included parking. I'd give 3.5 stars if I could but just don't think it's 4 stars. I would probably come back and try it again.
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Steve C.

Yelp
If you're looking for a pet friendly hotel, the Bristol is certainly pet friendly. What happened was that we confused it with another hotel and ended up staying at the Bristol. The room is nice, but when you enter, you will notice the earplugs That the dogs. We have a dog, we just rarely take her with us on hotel stays. The problem is when people do not crate train their dogs. They leave the dog in the room, thinking it will be happy to have the room by itself, but dogs are social, and they miss their people. Thus the constant barking and the earplugs. Fortunately, you can request a non-pet floor, but this is an older building, and the floors and walls are particularly thick. If, on the other hand, you can sleep comfortably while Rover is barking, you might really enjoy staying here. Like I said, we confused it with another hotel and that is on us. I think three stars is fair and it seems like most people agree with me. If you don't want to worry about pet fees, and other issues involving your pet staying with you, then check out the Bristol.

Vanessa G.

Yelp
Bob from night shift is the best concierge we have ever met! He was so fun and made us feel like the guests of honor as we were a little tipsy coming home from the club! I hope everyone gets to meet bob, he really is the best!
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Nate F.

Yelp
Sad that this is a nice hotel but the staff here refuse to actually work. Needed help with booking a stay however the guy Jesus just immediately said they were booked without knowing which night I was looking at. Didn't want to help any further than just saying they're booked. If the service is this bad to book a stay I could only imagine how bad the service is while staying there.
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Ana A S.

Yelp
The staff were very nice. The room was clean. But it's like airbnb place. The only free is coffee. I complained about the bedside lamp. It's a fire hazard. The staff said that they don't have maintenance person at night. They should check all the appliances before someone stays there. And also, the towel was dirty! I don't know if they wash it or not!

Circus A.

Yelp
As others have said, it's decent but nothing special. The best item for us was the electric car charger. That said, if you want to park here and use it, it is mandatory valet parking, so add forty+ dollars to the price per night. The worst part was the noise. The interior noise from thin walls and the exterior noise from the cars, people, and city train (it stops sometime after ten, thankfully) was distinctly unpleasant. As for the rest, most of the place felt subpar. It is reasonably clean though and the staff are very nice. That alone is often "good enough."
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Ciara U.

Yelp
Loved my stay here. Book through their actual website, it's way cheaper than third party. They have promotions. PROS: -The staff was so incredibly friendly and welcoming. Very informative about the amenities and hours of them all. Even told us what floor the ice and water machines are. Usually you have to hunt for them. Lol. -We booked the Cool King room. Top floor, "nice views" (not really. I'll explain later) The room was so nice & updated! Gorgeous layout. The bed was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in. The tv was nice and huge with good channels to choose from. -Had a safe & fridge. Good amount of storage. The closet set up was odd but enough room. Shower was clean and nice. Good water pressure in the shower, I just wish the shower head itself was better. -Good choice of snacks in the lobby to buy at any time. The lobby was also very beautiful and updated. -Great location & walking distance to gas lamp. ****CONS: -the hotel looks more run down from the outside than the photos show. -there isn't a safety latch on the door. So if someone were to have a key to your room, there isn't anything stopping them from getting in. -you need an extra key to put into the wall to get electricity in the room. Odd. But when we checked in, there was already one in there from whoever left it before. And it worked for our door. So they never reset the keys and if someone who stayed before you still had a key and wanted to come back to do something while you sleep, they could get in with their old key. And like I said above... no latch to stop them. -the self parking garage... oof. Well if you have a truck, be ready to park in there. Only problem is when you go up to the kiosk to pay and get in, the gate opens towards you! It hit and got caught under our trucks bumper. And damaged our tow hooks on the front. There is no sign or anything telling you it opens that way. And it's not like we were too far up to it. We were literally at the kiosk. Level with the driver window. Wtf. The garage itself is tight to get around. You have to park in the 4th floor, take an elevator down, then walk in to take the elevator back up to your floor. Not fun if you have a ton of luggage. -the view from our room sucked! We paid more to specifically have a good view and we just had the wall and rooftop of the building next to us. Completely obscured. Kinda lame. Overall, I'd definitely stay here for the comfort, location and the upgraded room,
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Russell Z.

Yelp
STAY AWAY FROM THIS HOTEL!! PROTECT YOUR CAR AND SAVE YOUR MONEY!! pros: convenient location and okay rooms, what you will generally expect at this price point. We unfortunately came to SD during the UCSD commencement weekend so we didn't have many choices. cons: valet parking. It took more than 30 minutes to get your car back in the morning. Very badly organized and THEY SCRATCHED MY CAR! Front desk lady was kind and told me I had to wait till 11pm that day to talk to manager. Manager was very rude and kept questioning whether the scratch was already there prior to check-in. They didn't have any marks in the valet ticket and why would I waste my time at 11pm with the front desk when I had a 7 am flight to catch next morning? He was not helpful at all, kept telling me that insurance company would reject the claim since there's no evidence and NEVER apologized, NEVER offered any solutions of sorts. Filed a complaint with the hotel but NEVER heard back. If you want to protect your car, save your money, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS HOTEL!!
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Ryan P.

Yelp
This was a super affordable hotel. Close to everything. Check-in and Check-out was hassle free. Would stay again!
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Toto C.

Yelp
The Bristol certainly lives up to its claim as a boutique hotel. The rooms are newly furnished with chic modern interior and furniture. The lobby is nicely decorated and customer service is upto the standard. The best part is that it's located in the center of downtown so you can practically walk to Gaslamp District where dining, entertainment and events are the best in the city especially during the evening. There's valet parking in the hotel so you can leave your car there while enjoying the short walk to Gaslamp District. That's my advice, as parking along the district is challenging especially during lunch and dinner time. Mind all traffic flows and signs as they can be challenging. Will definitely stay again in the Bristol whenever we find ourselves back in downtown San Diego.
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Andrea F.

Yelp
First thing we had to wait minutes for some one to check us in. There was no bell or anything for us to alert the person behind the curtain that there were guests who needed assistance. Second the bathroom and towels were suspect! There was random long hairs everywhere, on the towels in the shower. (I'm bald) The shower was also stained or moldy or even both. I expected more from a downtown San Diego hotel!
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Elizabeth B.

Yelp
Update: called and spoke to a manager to ask for at least a partial review. You know, threats by the neighboring "guests" that were screaming about how much cocaine they did... again, not the hotels fault druggies came to party or tried to come through my door, nor that they yelled at me through the adjoining door to "spread your legs bitch we know it was you"..... however, the manager never called back. It's been 3-4 weeks at this point. Terrible handling of a scary situation. Terrible management. Not worth it. Go to Pulse Marriot. Sooooooo much nicer
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Davion F.

Yelp
I arrived today at our hotel room who we had booked through a third party company. I thought the letter said that parking is included an unfortunately it was not free its 39 per night. Once walking in the staff was very friendly explained where our room was and explained that the breakfast in the morning is on them. I love it because it so close to the Gas Lamp District in which the car can remain parked. The view is pretty decent, our room is on the 5 floor, upon entry of the room I was shocked to see the results. I absolutely loved the room the beds are memory foam and comes with three pillows each very comfortable. i love that the room comes equip with usb plug all over the place. It has one chair and a table which is very comfortable. The wifi works great, they give you the password when you get the key to the room!

Gisselle A.

Yelp
i came to the bristol hotel and purchased a bag of chips and a diet coke and they were both expired. They have no amenities so the least they can do is offer a better variety of snacks and food that's not expired .
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Bill R.

Yelp
Not a wonderful first visit, there we no blankets or comforter on the very comfortable bed, I woke up at 4am freezing. Went looking for the advertised robe to warm up, alas no robe. So like anyone who feels like they have been wronged I called the desk, the very polite man said he would send up 2 comforters, however he was unable access the robe. The comforters arrived in 5 minutes so I was able to go back to sleep nice and warm. Parking fee of 39.00 is excessive but not for the gas lamp area I noticed. Overall a pleasant stay in a clean hotel with very friendly staff.
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Omaralexis O.

Yelp
Misleading photos. Adversarial staff. Originally booked The Bristol for a short, more boutique stay in downtown San Diego. Although the hotel is charming, with a comfortable lobby, and cute colors, that's about all this place has to offer. I'd say you're better off finding a hotel in the city with more amenities, because this one is bare bones, so expect to simply sleep and leave. I'd have given The Bristol a higher rating, if it wasn't for my experience with their front desk staff. When we arrived to our room, we realized that it looked nothing like the photos we were expecting, so we called the front desk to see if there was a mistake. The problem was: We booked a Primo King that was pictured to have a king-size bed, and an expanded seating area that included a couch. The room we got had no couch, no expanded seating. It looked exactly like their Fab King option which was decidedly cheaper and smaller. When we brought this up to the front desk, the woman assisting us was immediately defensive and told us: "Well that's technically a Primo King because of the square footage. But I understand why you perceive it to be misleading so here's a discount." Although the discount is appreciated, we'd have preferred to simply get a room that had the features we were expecting, rather than this bandaid solution. Not the most hospitable hotel, so I'd say you should look elsewhere!
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Leslie E.

Yelp
The place is very clean. Very clean. What was kind of Annoying it's a charge $38 overnight parking for one day they charge $10 for early check in $10 for late check out and And $100 deposit that is not given back to you for about 30 days. The rooms are has a large TV but it's pretty basic has two chairs safe a K cup coffee machine. So it's not bad. It's a very nice basic hotel. The staff was OK nothing special. The areas in looks pretty safe. There is no food no breakfast nothing. You're on your own.
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Matt H.

Yelp
Popped in mid-pandemic because I needed a place to stay for work in the area at the last minute, and the rates were very reasonable. No, it is not a super luxury spot, but it is nice, clean and comfortable. The bed is fine, the linens comfortable, and the TV fairly large. I did get the cheapest class of room, which meant I had a view of the parking garage wall behind the hotel, but the rooms with the better views were not much more, I just didn't need it. The site is am easy walk to the Gaslamp Quarter and not too bad a walk from the Amtrak station, plus there are trolley routes nearby. My biggest issues were that the room did not have a robe (I was there one night, I didn't need it, but it would have been nice) and the "rainfall shower" was set way too low and not a rainfall shower head. Small quibbles.
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Janine E.

Yelp
Manager on duty did not honor the package description listed on their own website. Booked a 2 night stay and realized they had a promotion on their website called "Socal Social Distancing." The description reads as follows: two-night accommodations, parking, local-inspired treats, bottle of wine, local map." We called the hotel to ask if we could switch to this package since parking there is $39/night!! What a deal, right?? Not at all! The receptionist hadn't heard of this package so she calls the manager over. The manager then dismisses the website's description and states that all guests must pay for parking. Whether it's a disconnect between the manager and the website, the penalties shouldn't fall upon the customers. We ended up canceling our reservation, but were still appalled by the dismissive behavior.

Lydia H.

Yelp
This was my second time staying at The Bristol Hotel - San Diego. This is the only place that I will stay from now on. Love the hotel and the location. Walking distance to the Gaslamp District and close to everything. We didn't rent a car, but didn't need to. Uber rides were really inexpensive to all of our desired locations. Special kudos to the hotel staff. They are extremely warm and welcoming. A special callout to Roxanne. I couldn't believe that she remembered me from the last time I was here with my son. Incredible customer service from Roxanne and all the hotel staff that we interacted with. They all seem happy to be working here and it shows! The hotel rooms come with a huge big screen TV. Even though I'm not a huge tv watcher, it's such a nice treat to watch movies on such a large screen. It felt as if we were in a VIP room! Thank you Roxanne and team for all that you do to make your guests feel special! I'll be back soon!
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Daniel S.

Yelp
This worthless hotel won't refund me no my "non refundable" room while San Diego has been named as under emergency due to the Coronavirus. It's unbelievable that they would expect me to come there and risk getting corona nor expect me to just sit In their hotel and do absolutely nothing because everywhere is closed or at high risk of causing you to get Corona virus?! Shame on his dump for thinking I'm canceling for any other reason but Corona. This place only cares about money and will treat anyone like crap in order to keep their money. I advise anyone to stay away from this place because they have a black heart of darkness. This place literally could make me sick and figuratively does so as well. I hope they go out of business during the crisis as they are incredibly greedy and unfriendly. It's the kind of place that doesn't deserve to exist. If even offering half the money would have been more human of them but instead they took it all. Her response here is heartless and I hope they suffer during this crisis.
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Geoff L.

Yelp
We booked the Bristol through a deal on Hotwire being that we were going to a 7:10 baseball game and didn't feel like driving home afterward. The hotel is advertised as being in the Gaslamp, but is really just outside the furthest northern stretch of that quarter. As it happens, it's exactly one mile from the park and resulted in a nice, safe pre-bedtime walk back to the hotel. Things I liked: Easy check-in by helpful front desk person Housekeeping happily helped me with access to wifi once checked in Décor was hip and bright Bed was incredibly comfy Tons of usb plug-ins for charger cables In-room tablets that help discover about the area, where to eat, what to do, etc... Things I didn't like: Teeny tiny rooms for the price Login to Wifi was way more difficult than it should have been for everyone in my party No pool or spa "Breakfast" was fruit, muffins, hard-boiled eggs, and box cereal Overnight parking for our SUV was $39 (but only $19 for hybrid vehicles?) From my experience I would say it's geared more for business visitors, and if you're looking for somewhere to stay while on vacation in San Diego, there are places better equipped for families. Having said all that, I feel like the good outweighs the bad and we had a nice time during our visit.
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Jeff C.

Yelp
Dear baby Jesus these dudes are unreal. Absolute worst hotel you could ever stay in! So the wom and I decided to venture to San Diego for a Padres game and decided to stay overnight to enjoy the downtown area afterwards. While searching the nearby hotels you begin to see a variety of prices but notice each begins to charge for parking as well. Due to The Bristol having reasonable prices for their rooms and overnight parking we reserved through them. While driving down we received a text message and email advising we can pay an additional fee to check in early (noon). Seeing as we were coming down for a day game (1p) we paid the additional fee for the early check in. On arrival we noticed a parking lot across from the hotel with multiple stalls available. While parking we were notified by a tenant that parking at that lot would cost $50 for overnight parking. Seeing as The Bristol quoted us $39 for overnight we moved across the street to the hotel valet and noticed no employees were standing by. As we waited to be greeted by hotel staff, we later were approached by a maintenance employee at approximately 11:50am and were asked about our presence. We informed the employee we were checking in with the early check in add on and needed to park our vehicle. The staff member replied by informing us that the hotel staff was out for lunch and noted he was the only employee staffing the hotel while other employees were on their lunch break. We asked if we were able to park or valet our vehicle while we waited for a reservationist to return from break and were then informed my Toyota Tundra was oversized and not able to be parked at their hotel parking. After being told by the maintenance employee that the hotel could not accommodate parking for my truck, and were also told we could not check in until staff returned from their break, we elected to stand by and wait in the lobby. At 12:05pm the employee assigned to the front desk returned from lunch and was welcomed with a line of guests waiting to check in/out, and report complaints from their stay. While checking in with the employee she also eventually noted my vehicle was too oversized to be parked in their parking structure. I then asked the employee if I parked across the street in the stalls for $50 overnight parking, would she be able to cover the $11 difference due to the inconvenience. The employee refused and stated the hotel did not handle requests and accommodations for parking issues. I then asked her if it was advertised and noted on their website that oversized vehicles could not be parked in their structure and she noted it did not. She also noted the structure was capable of parking oversized vehicles but she stated she was "not comfortable parking large vehicles." It was apparent she was not only in charge of the front desk but was tasked with the valet parking. The employee then gave us directions to other parking lots nearby but when asked what the pricing was for the other lots she stated she did not know. Her demeanor also suggested she did not care and felt the parking issue was not her problem. None the less, I parked in a private structure around the corner and was told by their staff the parking would cost $48. While parking the vehicle, the employee also noted the hotel was more than capable of accommodating my vehicle and also added the hotel frequently parks valet vehicles in the same structure they directed me to for a different price than quoted initially on their website. Turns out the hotels walls are paper thin and we were later kept awake to our neighboring guests playing music, and socializing in the early AM hours. After listening to our neighbors party past 2am, I attempted to call the front desk and guest services on the hotel room phone and of course was unable to contact any staff after three (3) separate phone calls. With zero assistance or resolution, we were able to sleep through the disturbance until being woken up to the neighbor's 6am alarm that they continued to sleep through. After 10 minutes of the on going alarm, I knocked and requested the alarm be turned off since we were oh so fortunate to have a door that provided adjoining room options. And of course my respectful, considerate, and classy neighbors were less than ecstatic to have me asking for their alarm to be turned off and I was greeted with the lovely option of my neighbor coming through the door and slapping me. Tight. So after dodging a 6am fist fight, my girlfriend asked me to close the blackout curtains due to sunlight coming through. Sure enough while closing the curtains I noticed a live cockroach on the curtains and working on it's summer tan. After noticing the roach problem, I decided it was time to leave. While attempting to shower and get ready, we noticed hair in the shower from prior guests. Strongly recommend staying elsewhere!

mekala s.

Yelp
there were hairs on the towels, we stayed for 3 nights and we didn't have any cleaning service, only towels change when you ask them to. They hold a big deposit that they don't tell you upfront worth the whole total of the stay, parking, and other fees, even tho we already paid through booking months prior and the hold doesn't get back to you until 3-5 business days after checking out. The hosts weren't very welcoming also.