BACKGROUND:

I booked the Sheraton La Jolla for a one-night getaway and I honestly wasn’t expecting too much. I’ve always had a negative look towards Sheraton’s and this would be my first true Sheraton hotel stay (Minus Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas when it used to be a Sheraton branded hotel).

Sometimes it’s good to trust your gut, and yeah looking back I shouldn’t have stayed here. 🙂

SHERATON LA JOLLA SHORT REVIEW WITH SCORES (OUT OF 5, 5 BEING THE BEST)

MY OVERALL SCORE: 2

5: Excellent, Highly Recommend
4: Very Good, Solid Choice to Consider
3: Ok, Check Other Options Before Booking
2: Below Par, Try to Avoid
1: Terrible, Run Far Away

Rooms: 2/5
Service: 2/5
Location: 4/5
Cleanliness: 2/5
Sleep Quality: 2/5

QUICK SUMMARY: The Sheraton La Jolla is located in a prime spot only minutes away from UC San Diego. Despite its prized location, the hotel closely resembles a roadside motel, an embarrassment to even the sub-par Sheraton name. Lacking service, dingy rooms and an eyesore of a parking lot off the freeway attribute to the motel-like atmosphere.

Check-In:

The tiny motel-style lobby was small but adequate I suppose. I was quickly checked-in by a front desk agent that was clearly a rookie. His tone was very condescending, and not really a pleasant person to deal with.

Example:

Me: I’m here for a night and I was wondering if 4 PM late checkout is available tomorrow? (I have the SPG Credit Card so I have Preferred “Plus” which states “4 p.m. late checkout, subject to availability at resort and conference center hotels” which is why I asked.

Him: No!! You aren’t Gold or Platinum you’re only Preferred Plus!

Me: First off, there are so many ways you could have said that nicer (if that was actually true). I then stated what it says online, and then he refuted back with.

Him: Oh yea but only upon availability and we are very booked right now but call tomorrow morning.

Me (in my head): Whatever.

The Room:

The room was adequately sized, minus the tiny bathroom. Although it had interior hallways, it still seemed like a motel. The hotel has multiple 2 story buildings spread out. Of course, the guy at the front desk assigned me a room looking towards the parking lot and not the gardens. Note: there was no way the hotel was at full occupancy, the parking lot was so empty!

The only thing actually nice about the room was the beds and pillows. They were actually pretty comfortable!

Okay now the good thing being said, there were a TON of negatives in the room. First, the AC unit is so loud and it sounds like an airplane taking off when it randomly reboots every hour or so. It literally shakes the room. Ridiculous.

Next up we have the cleanliness. The armchair was disgusting and super stained. Additionally, the bathtub curtain was heavily stained.

Anddddd, the bathroom. It is so tiny that the door barely missed the toilet!

Amenities:

There’s a pool and a fitness center, both of which I didn’t try out.

Location:

La Jolla is great, and the location is right next to UCSD. The hotel is in not the most desirable spot as it is right off the freeway BUT I really enjoyed that it was connected to the shopping plaza next door with Whole Foods, Sprinkles Cupcakes and Philz Coffee.

Late Checkout:

SO of course to satisfy my curiosity, I called in the morning to ask for late check-out. It’s not that I needed it, because why would I want to even stay at this hotel for an extra 30 minutes? The lady on the phone said none was available! I then asked if it was because the hotel was a “resort” and she said “Yeah we don’t really ever give out 4 P.M. late checkout”. Okay then. At least her tone was more pleasant I suppose….?

Either SPG needs to step it up with their enforcing of “4 p.m. late checkout, subject to availability at resort and conference center hotels”, or reclassify this so called resort as a hotel (or motel would be adequate too).

The website describes the hotel as ” Set on 7.5 acres of lush tropical grounds, our resort-style hotel…” Great marketing Sheraton, bravo!

Parking:

Parking is literal crap at this hotel. They charge $20 a night and couldn’t bother to pave it better. Seriously? It’s so bumpy and looks like an abandoned parking lot.

To make matters worse, the welcome email said parking was $18 a night. I just love it when hotels try to nickle and dime you. I spoke to the manager and she refunded by parking as a goodwill gesture.

Verdict:

All in all, I most likely won’t stay here again. I normally wouldn’t be this nitpicky, but for over $140 a night, there are SO many better options in the area! I am just happy I was only here for a night.

Happy travels,

theresorttraveler