OverviewLocated about a 6-minute drive from the San Diego International Airport (SAN) and a 4-minute drive from the nearest Interstate 4 on-ramp in downtown San Diego, the Best Western Plus Bayside Inn is geared towards travellers who prefer a well-priced and centrally located hotel with a free breakfast, easy highway access and a free airport shuttle.
Each of the hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms offers free Wi-Fi, cable TV, an in-room safe, a balcony, a microwave, a mini-fridge, a coffeemaker, a sitting area with a sofabed, a desk, a hair dryer and an iron and ironing board. Smoking and non-smoking rooms are available and the hotel is wheelchair accessible.
The hotel also offers a heated outdoor pool, a hot tub, laundry services, a business centre, a free breakfast and on-site dining at Bayside Bar and Grill, which is open for dinner Monday through Friday. Parking is an additional $14 per day and pets are not permitted.
A free round-trip shuttle is offered to the airport, Amtrak Station, local cruise ship terminal and the Greyhound bus terminal (from 7 am to 11 pm).
San Diego Bay is about a 7-minute walk from the hotel, while Westfield Horton Plaza can be found 5 minutes away by car. The San Diego Convention Center is roughly a 6-minute drive away and San Diego's city centre is a 7-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free Wi-Fi, parking $14/day, pets not permitted, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: October 25, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's location, rooms and value.
Numerous guests praised the hotel's location, and found it close to the waterfront, cruise port, restaurants, Amtrak Station, airport, Little Italy and public transit. One patron noted, "Great hotel in the perfect location for exploring San Diego without a car. Five minutes to Little Italy, Santa Fe Transit Centre, the harbour etc and 15 minutes walk to Seaport Village and the USS Midway. Petco Park a 20 minute journey, Sea World and Balboa Park both 30 minutes by public transport".
Many reviewers enjoyed the hotel's accommodations. They described their rooms as clean, well equipped and quiet, with comfortable beds and linens and great views of the San Diego Bay.
The hotel's value was complimented by several lodgers, describing the rates as excellent, reasonable and superb. Guests also cited the free breakfast and airport/area shuttle as adding to the hotel's overall worth. However, there were some complaints about the parking fee (see below).
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about noise transfer and the parking fee.
A few guests complained of noise transfer during their stay. They reported train and traffic noise from outside, noisy in-room air-conditioning units and doors slamming in the hallways.
Although the majority of reviewers were pleased with the hotel's value and rates, some lodgers were disappointed with the added parking fee ($14 daily), and felt it should have been included in the room rates.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #74 of 269 San Diego hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 458 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4 out of 5 with an 89% recommendation rate from 434 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.4 out of 10 from 367 reviews.
The author called the hotel on October 25, 2013 to verify some information.