My wife and I stayed here for a week and had a very good experience. Based on some of the other reviews about the noise level at the pool, we requested a "quiet room" and were placed on the top floor(10th) on the opposite side of the building. We spent several days and evenings at the pool but avoided the weekend and the wild scene on those days. This worked out perfectly.

The room and hotel itself were very clean and had a nice decor. The staff was friendly and helpful.

The best part is the location. The hotel is within walking distance of many, many attractions, restaurants, bars, shops and galleries. Even the walk to the zoo and back was manageable. We also went to two Padres games at Petco Park, which is literally one block from the hotel.

We would definitely stay here again on a return trip to San Diego. Just request a quiet room and avoid the pool on the weekend if you're not into the party scene.

My wife and i booked our stay here through hotwire at a great price (well, i think so) of $139 per night. I had already been warned by previous reviews about the parking costs and as expected it was $32 (plus tips) to park here. Therefore, i completely ignored the car park and parked at the enclosed multi story car park about 100 metres along the road. There were a choice of two car parks and i parked from approx 6pm to 10am the following days and it cost me $8 per night - a much better deal!

The reception staff were very friendly and they offer complimentary tea/coffee in an hour slot in the morning and wine between 5-6pm in the evening.

The rooms were very clean and funky. They weren't huge in size but the decor was pretty fun and the tiger skin print dressing gowns a nice touch! Our room overlooked the pool/bar area and couldn't really hear any noise when inside the room and we enjoyed an evening drinking by the fire in this area.

The massive plus to this hotel is the location. The gaslamp is full of bars and restaurants and the hotel is in the heart of this area.

Overall - an excellent choice for a young couple but not the ideal choice for a family.

Hotel Solamar is located in the Party district of San Diego (Gas Lamp district). The Hotel is very clean and the staff and service there are excellent. The rooms are nice but a tad small. There is not much drawer or closet space for your clothes especially if there is more than 2 people staying in one room. The beds are very comfortable. The Pool is very small, you won't be swimming in this pool its there just to cool off . This Hotel is not a small kid family hotel, due to its location and the parties that go on there Thursday to Sunday.... Overall I like this hotel but if I come back I think I will check the other hotels out. The biggest gottcha at the Hotel is that if you want to park at the hotel there is a charge of $32.00 a day! (ouch). Parking in the Gas Lamp Distirct is pretty tough but there are paid parking lots.

This lovely hotel is destroyed by the most bizarre pool scene I have ever come across in all my years of travelling. Im in my early 30's and my girlfriend in her late twenties and we found it way too much. At the weekend they bring in a local DJ from about 11am who plays unbelievably loud dance music right throughout the day, you cannot hear yourself think nevermind talking. The pool has hardly any beds but at the weekend when it fills up with obnoxious drunk people that the DJ brings with him you cant get a spot in the pool nevermind a sun lounger. They also rent out the cabanas so you may arrive down at 9 in the morning to be greeted with reserved signs on all the beds which sit their idle for most of the day because even when the beautiful people who booked them arrive they only want to be seen drinking in the pool. The pool area itself can be rented out to businesses and during one night of our stay was completely shut off to guests. If your a party animal you will of course love this vibe at the weekends but this is certainly not the place you want to go to at the weekends if you have children or just want to relax. One other thing about this hotel is the car parking, between tipping the valet and the car park fee be prepared to pay at least $40 a day.