Hana T.
Yelp
We stayed at The Wayfarer San Diego in July 2023. There were 3 of us. We stayed 3 nights in a room with 2 queen beds.
Arriving at the hotel: The hotel lobby was difficult to find. There wasn't any large neon sign indicating where the lobby was. It's also confusing when entering the area. You're not sure which building is for what. There was a parking area next to the hotel, between the Wayfarer and another hotel, but it seemed like it was public parking, but it's really not clear, especially if you arrive at night time. Call the hotel to get information for how to enter the area and where the lobby is.
Parking: The parking is really squishy in the outdoor lot, as well as the locked garage parking. If you have passengers or bags inside the car (not in the trunk), you would need to take the passengers and bags out, before parking your car. I think parking costs like $30 per day. When you pull up to check-in, there isn't a nice area to park your car specifically for check-in. It's unclear which spaces are for this hotel. There seems to be some small bungalows which might have it's own reserved parking? When you check-in, ask the representative which spaces are for the hotel. She can give you a map. Your hotel key will give you access to the gated garage parking under the hotel. The hotel staff regularly open the gated access to bring their things in/out, so even though it's locked, the gate remains open for a time so people can still get in. Don't bring your beautiful big brand new SUV or pristine expensive sportscar to park at this hotel. You should call up to see if the parking on the street (?) between the Wayfarer and the hotel next door is public parking and how long a car can be parked there. We saw a red Tesla parked there for at least 3 days in one space. Was that free public parking for the Tesla? We are minus-ing half a star for this review partially because of the super squishy weird unclear parking situation and unmarked lobby which is not fun to deal with after traveling to get to San Diego and it's dark.
Room: Our room was with 2 queen beds, partial view of the pier, beach, and water. The room was clean. The bathroom was clean. The shower worked fine. Water pressure and temperature was good. The AC worked well. The bed was comfy. The balcony had a screen to allow fresh air inside without letting bugs inside. There were 2 towels in the bathroom that we could use at the pool. There room had a microwave and refrig, tv, nightstand, coffee pot. No dresser but there's a small closet. You'll have to put your clothes in the hanging closet or leave them in your suitcase. It was a bit squishy with the 2 queen beds. Every time we wanted to go to the balcony, we had to squish between the ends of the beds and the stand that had the microwave/refrig/coffee pot. Another half star was taken away because of the very squishy room. There was a balcony with 2 chairs. No lights on the balcony so it was dark. It actually looked like the whole building where our room was didn't have lights on the balconies on the side that overlooked what we think was public parking. I wonder why none of the balcony lights were on. The other Wayfarer building did have their balcony lights on though. We did have a partial view of the beach and water and pier.
Note that we saw a room with a King Bed and a foldaway bed/couch. There was more room to walk around in there and it wasn't as squishy. When the bed/couch unfolds into a bed, it partially blocked the doorway to the bathroom.
Staff: Two staff people helped us. Unfortunately we didn't get their names. Both were very pleasant and helpful. One even called us up to make sure our room was okay. The staff that we saw in the hallway and elevator seemed pleasant, too.
Jacuzzi: Large jacuzzi, pleasant atmosphere, jacuzzi worked well. No complaints.
Pool: We didn't go in it. I think the pool area closes at 10pm. It's nice you can see the beach from the pool. There are some cabana things and large cushy seats but it's unclear if those are for the guests whose rooms are right next to those things. There are other patio chairs there though.
Location: Literally right next to the walkway along the beach. A short drive to the San Diego Zoo. About a 45 minute drive to the Safari Park. Sea World is maybe 10-15 minutes away by car.
Restaurant Nearby that we recommend: Amplified Ale House is a nice place across the street. We tried the appetizer platter and it was delicious. Falafals, fried zucchini parmesan, and pita with 3 dips. They also have a children's menu. We went there twice.
