Priceline Hotel: 2.5* San Diego (Downtown-Harbor Island) Holday Inn Downtown

[Colfax]

On my acceptance page Priceline calls this "Holiday Inn Harborview". On HI's website it's "Holiday Inn Downtown". By any name I'm happy to win something Downtown for $52 on a summer weekend, bid the day before. Regular price is $168. Self parking $12/night and internet free.

Holiday Inn Downtown

1617 First Avenue

San Diego, CA 92101

I saw that HOTWIRE had a 2.5* Downtown for $69, which looked like the Holiday Inn. Since PRICELINE is usually less than Hotwire I started bidding at $44 for 2.5* and went up in $2 increments. $50 was my last rejected bid.

[thereuare]

Congratulations on your win!

Not sure why they do it, but the Holiday Inn properties constantly change their names (which is why it's good to include the address in your post as you did... that always stays the same :) )

Thanks for sharing your win with the board... have a great stay.

[Colfax]

Nicer place than I expected. Rooms and lobby recently renovated.

This is one of those tubular shaped hotels that Holiday Inn built in the 1970's. It looks like a roll of paper towels standing on end. Hotel is 16 stories with 16 rooms per floor, arranged in a circle around elevator shafts in the central core. Because of the architecture the rooms have an unusual wedge shape, like slices of pie, narrow at the door and wider at the windows facing out.

Some people wouldn't call this location Downtown. If it's Downtown it's the far north end of Downtown, almost Banker's Hill. It's only a ten minute walk to Little Italy and I ate there both nights. Hotel has a shuttle that will take you within two mile radius, which includes, Airport, Downtown, and Hillcrest.

No Priceline attitude. Desk clerk asked me if I wanted one bed or two. I was on sixth floor facing west. An I-5 exit ramp was right under my window but practiacally no road noise. Looking out instead of down I had a good view of Little Italy, San Diego Bay, and Point Loma in the distance. Too bad the room didn't have a balcony. I think sixth floor where I was would be the lowest with bay views.

I had a connecting room and I don't like those. I considered asking for another nonconnecting room but I didn't in order to keep my good view. Either the room next to me was vacant both nights or somebody quiet was there as I never heard a peep.

Self parking was $12/night, less than at hotels near Gaslamp and Petco. Parking for free on adjacent side streets looked feasible but I opted for the better security and lighting in the hotel's garage. West of the hotel is good, but to the east it's a little desolate at night and I saw a few homeless walking around with shopping carts. It didn't feel like a bad area though. I saw homeless near the 4* hotels Downtown too.

Hotel doesn't have a regular restaurant but there's a staffed snack and sandwich stand in the lobby and they deliver hot breakfast via room service. 24 hour gas station/convenience store across the street. Starbucks and etc within a couple blocks, towards Little Italy.

I have no complaints. For $52 this was a good bargain and I'd be happy to stay there again.