I recently enjoyed a weekend getaway in San Diego at the US Grant, a Luxury Collection Hotel. I had a SPG Category 5 certificate to use and I’ve always wanted to try out the US Grant, so this was the perfect opportunity. The only downtown San Diego hotel I’ve stayed at previously was the Manchester Grand Hyatt, which I enjoyed very much, so I was excited to compare the two!
MY OVERALL SCORE: 4.5
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
Quick Summary: The US Grant is a beautiful 5 star property, a much appreciated luxury hotel option in San Diego. But unfortunately, the sub-par location hinders the excellence of the hotel.
Check-In:
Check in was really quick, and I was assigned to a Deluxe Room with 2 Queen Beds on the 5th floor.
On the way to The Room:
After entering the room, I noticed my room was a bit muggy at first, but the thermostat worked once we were in the room which was good.
Immediately after entering, there is a large cabinet that also has a Keurig + Hot Water Kettle. Tea Bags and Coffee capsules were provided, as well as two bottles of water.
In the closet, there was an ironing board, a robe and two sets of slippers.
In terms of the room, the two Queen beds were gorgeous and looked super plush! They were also very comfortable, definitely a 5 star bed!
The bathroom was nice, and it even had a window! Even though it was a standard 3 piece bathroom, it was very large with ample counter space.
One weird thing with the window is that it is immovable and it wasn’t fully closed so there was this gap in the window and you could hear everything outside from the bathroom. I think it may have just been a design flaw in this room?
Amenities:
A nice touch is the bagged ice in a cooler next to the elevators. Rather than going to your room, retrieving the ice bucket, and going to an ice machine, you can just grab a bag of ice on your way back to your room.
I noticed that the hotel said they have turndown service. I came back to my room at 9, and there wasn’t anything so I assume the service must be requested. Not like my stay at another Luxury Collection property, The Nines in Portland, where turndown service occurred every night without request.
There’s a fitness center on the lower level that was well equipped. I did not try a meal at the Grant Grill, but it looked festive when I passed by. On a plus note, I really appreciated the free coffee and tea in the lobby in the morning; that was a nice touch!!
History:
Fun fact 2: The hotel was built by Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., son of president Ulysses S. Grant, who named the hotel after his father.
Location:
The location is conveinent, in the more northern part of the Gaslamp District right across the Westfield Horton Plaza. Sadly, that mall has been deteriorating for years, and the Nordstrom left in 2016. The mall is now an utter ghost town, more so than it was before. For this reason, I do prefer the location of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in the Seaport District. More lively around the area, and closer to the Convention Center if you are looking to be around that.
The Verdict:
The US Grant is a beautiful 5 star property, a much appreciated luxury hotel option in San Diego. Unfortunately, the location leaves much to be desired. I will definitely consider the US Grant for my future visits to the city, but I may want to try out other properties closer to the action.
Happy travels,
theresorttraveler
The US Grant is by far the best hotel in San Diego…and likely the only proper 5* luxury hotel in the downtown environs. While it isn’t “as close” to the bay front/marina as some of the major convention hotels, it is merely a 10 min walk to the Gaslamp district or Little Italy, a 15 min walk to the marina/bayfront, and merely a 5-10 min Uber/taxi ride to any of those. None of those other areas have anything close to the US Grant’s level of luxury, service, and overall 5* accommodation.
Thanks for reading!