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The US Grant San Diego Hotel Review

We got to San Diego a couple days before my mom’s procedure so we could do some sightseeing and spend some time enjoying the city. My mom gave me pretty much free reign to choose the hotel for the 4 nights before the procedure, so I obviously wanted to continue my loyalty to SPG and earn some valuable points while I was at it! The three SPG hotels in downtown San Diego were The Westin San Diego, The Westin Gaslamp Quarter (only about 5 blocks from the other Westin), and the US Grant-A Luxury Collection Hotel. They were all about the same price, but the US Grant had a suite that was more than 200 sq ft bigger than the suite at the Westin Gaslamp for the same price.

US Grant Hotel Check-In

Check in went smoothly, we arrived at the hotel at about 12:30 and our room was already ready. The lobby was large and open with plenty of seating. Off the lobby was the Grant Grill, and a banquet hall. I had a couple phone interviews during our stay and was disappointed in what the hotel called a business center. It was just a little space right off the lobby with two computers and a printer. There was no privacy and the noise from the lobby seemed to amplify into the space making it hard to hear and think. What made it even worse was the fact that there was little to no cell service in the business center. I don’t know if it was because it was near the center of this big, old, stone building or if it was a problem from my end, but the lack of cell service was frustrating.

The US Grant San Diego Signature Suite

I have to admit I was skeptical when the small elevator arrived on the third floor. There were padded silk walls, and it looked (and smelled) like we stepped back in time 100 years. We got to the room and were happier. The room had a nice entryway with wood floors.

The sleeping area had 2 king size beds and a ton of pillows. Unfortunately, the pillows were all much too soft and very uncomfortable. In the living space, there was a decent sized TV, although it wasn’t as new or as big as the other Luxury Collection properties I have stayed at. The couch was comfortable, and Matt made it his bed for the 4 nights we were there. I was also pretty disappointed in the view from our suite. You looked out the window and all you could see was roof and walls.

The bathroom and shower were the most impressive parts of the US Grant’s Signature suite. The bathroom had double sinks and plenty of room to move around. The shower was the biggest shower I have ever seen and the room descriptions lists it at 10 ft by 10 ft. There were 6 shower jets, 3 above and 3 on the wall and it was almost overwhelming when they were all on. I had to turn around to catch a breath at one point!

While the room was nice, the service was abysmal. We had to specifically call the front desk the 3rd day we were there because we needed new towels and the beds made. There was no effort given to making sure the room was made up. Pretty disappointing for a luxury collection hotel. Another thing I couldn’t believe is when they finally did come and make up the room only decaf coffee was given in the room and the housekeeping attendant had to get a supervisor’s sign-off to provide me with regular coffee.

Dining at the US Grant San Diego

The Grant Grill is the Hotel’s only restaurant. They offer Happy Hour every night from 4-7, but the specials are very limited. My brother and mom had dinner at the Grant Grill the second night we were there while I was golfing with my good friend Mickey. Matt called it the best meal he has ever eaten. That is until we ate at Juniper and Ivy the next night, which was then the best meal of his life. That changed again two nights later when we ate at Addison at the Fairmont San Diego where we had a delicious 10-course meal. There are a ton of dining options just steps from the US Grant, so if you don’t want to spend a fortune you may be better off walking the .5 mile over to little Italy, or across the street into the Gaslamp Quarter.

The in-room dining menu is pretty extensive, but the quality seemed to be lacking as the couple breakfasts my mom and brother had weren’t up to par.

Final Review of The US Grant Hotel San Diego

While it has a prime location and delicious, albeit expensive, food and drink options the normal quality of service that tends to make or break an experience at a hotel just wasn’t there. I would say you would be better off staying across the street at the Westin if you are using SPG points for your booking. I left the hotel feeling disappointed in the quality of service and wondering if we would have had a nicer stay at one of the many surrounding hotels.

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This was my first sub-par experience at a Luxury Collection Hotel. Have you stayed at any Luxury Collection hotels? How did you find the service to be?