Hotel Aqua Mar

Tokyo on my mind… what do I love about this little gem of a place? Why am I telling y’all about one of my fave places so that I’ll never be able to get a room here again come summer?!?
Well, first of all, there’s the PRICE $…actually LOWER than Motel 6, even off-​season (if there is such a thing in San Diego (!) If I can pay between $ 60 and $ 90 a night for accomodation this nice in this awesome town, then I am one happy girl.)
I don“t mind traffic nouse, which is good since Hotel Aqua Mar is located on a busy corner of Rosecranz in Point Loma, ready for the 6 am motorcyclw races on the main drag, but surprisingly quiet at night. I had always overlooked Point Loma when I lived here, but now with Liberty Station flowering nicely, it’s a fun part of SD to explore… a great counterpoint to downtown.
OK, back to the hotel.
Your room will be about 10’x12’ (hence the Tokyo reference) with an elevated bed platform (a Motel 6 reinvention to make the cleaning crew’s job easier, but it actually makes the room look really Euro/​Asian, which obviously attracts the younger well-​travelled crowd, whose backpacks are all over the reception area… free Keurig coffee, by the way, nice touch.
Next plus… the bathroom is great. Check out thise retro fixtures! Feels like a quick mini-​vacay inside a celeb LA home. Big shower head, trippy backlit glamour mirror, funky square chrome faucet with water running thru the middle of it. Cool’! Spent a minute or two gazing at it and imagining being in some edgy pop star’s home for a brief moment!
The night manager, Donald Babb, is a kick in the head. Donald is seriously Old School and probably was a butler at Downrown Abbey in a previous incarnation. He is a stickler for detail and will make sure that everything is done as the owners would want, by the book. He also has all the guests’ best interests at heart and will work tirelessly to ensure you are comfortable. Should you have any of thise on-​the-​road technology hiccups, there are some under –30 tech-​in-​the-​DNA types here to consult with to get your Pandora working (thanks, Marco!)
Only negative: had to redo the bed when I got there because there were single sheets on my queen bed (where DID they come from?) and I can’t stand that wrinkly, bumpy bedsheet-​mattress thingy.
Chic white and silver grey décor soothes the soul (take note, Motel 6!) and the room is full of lovely touches, like the great big 60’s light fixture that I love to decirate with scarves (OK, well that’s ‘MY creative outlet since I am not watching the ubiquitous election year hoohah on TV right now)…
So…here’s the dish… if you want cool, clean privacy, a pretty hip, fun room with just what you need to continue your journey on down the road, this little Point Loma gem is a place you will be glad you have discovered.
And I hope I can still get a room here by the summer…

I only give them 2 stars for Ismael (front desk attendant). Very nice guy! Just my luck the night i stayed there the citi was fixing the street too :(They were fixing the street til 12ish at night. I got no sleep!!! I had to be up at 5am the following day. All guests were upset!
They don’t have a hair dryer, nor a phone available (i needed a wake up call), no setting available in the room. It is literally just a bed and small fridge. Nice tv though.

This is my second stay at this hotel, and unfortunately this has been a confirmation that the typical expectations of travelers will be lacking when they enter their room. There is no phone in the room, no iron or ironing board to touch up your clothing, no closet, no chair or desk, no coffee maker, no full mirror, limited parking (some hotel patrons actually have their vehicles trapped in place because of double parking!)…
Redeeming qualities? There is a Keurig machine in the office for coffee (though still no muffins), and the bed was comfortable.

I really wanted to like this hotel, we have passed it plenty of times on our way to our attorneys office. We finally decided to stay on a night when we had a deposition the next morning… When I drove by I never noticed how tiny the parking spaces were it’s really cramped! We have a Honda pilot so not a huge car but definitely too big for those spaces. The room itself was on the small side which would have been OK but it was room 109 which is right on the other side of the laundry area and there was laundry being done at 10 PM and again at 7 AM so it was a little noisy. The girl who checked us in was a total space cadet– she butted into our conversations and took forever to give us our room key. The towels in our room had some areas that were so worn out that a hole will happen on the next wash. Would I stay again? No.

I moved to this hotel from their sister hotel (point loma inn). The front desk employee was friendly and very approachable. Right away we got a room. When we got there, we noticed the fridge was not working properly so I do told her about it
and she came right away. It turned out the housekeeper unplugged it while she was cleaning I guess she forgot to plug it back in? No clue. But after that, the fridge was working fine. The room was very small compared to point loma but it was very clean the bed was so comfortable and the bathroom was very nice. This was my 1^st pick but decided to go with point loma. Big mistake. Next I come to SD, I’ll be staying here.

Great place to stay on a budget or if you are just looking for somewhere to put your head down while traveling. The hotel was recently renovated and has modern interior. The room was clean and bug free unlike the Consulate across the street!
It is no Ritz Cartlon, but for less than $ 75 a night you can’t go wrong. Free internet and large flat screen TV with a selection of cable channels.
5 minutes drive from the airport.

This was a better experience than we expected. It’s exactly what we were looking for when we wanted to stay for a few days and see some sights. Great for a weekend getaway or a short stay for a good price. We (newly married couple) chose this hotel because it is extremely light on the wallet, and very close to all of the things in SD we wanted to see. Everything we did wasn’t more than a 15 minute drive.
Hotel itself was very clean and updated pretty well. You can definitely tell upon pulling up that it’s an older hotel, but they did such a great job remodeling it you don’t notice when you’re in the rooms. We stayed in #108, and it was walking distance to a lot of places nearby.
PROS: For less than $ 300 for 3 nights, it’s definitely a steal and ideal for a couple who don’t plan to spend MOST of their time in the hotel room. Minutes away from the beaches and friendly staff!
CONS:
Towels are very worn and thin, bring your own. Room is small, if you’re looking for a lot of room/​wide open space, or have more than 2 people in your group, it may be frustrating. If you plan to come back to the hotel late at night, there won’t be parking, lot is small.
We’ll definitely come back if we plan on staying in the Balboa Park area of SD!

Milka is PHENOMENAL!!! I forgot it was Valentine’s Day weekend and didn’t make a reservation for Saturday night (²⁄₁₃) and flew out of San Diego at 9am on Sunday (²⁄₁₄). I stopped by this property hoping they’d have a room, but alas, were sold out… just like everyone else in town. Milka took the time to call around to other properties to secure me a room. SHE IS EXCEPTIONAL!!! Thank you Milka!!!

I’m only putting one star because of the specific room I received. If you decide to stay here DO NOT accept room 112. It’s connected to the front office and you can hear anything. You can hear the employee at the front desk breathing and they can hear you.
The girl at the front desk, Jenna, was extremely nice and even made recommendations for nearby food. Room is extremely small, but it’s very clean and the TV is large. Honestly, decent place other than this specific room. Do not accept room 112. This room sucks.

The good: price per night is very affordable and when you couple that with free wifi and parking it makes a short getaway to SD realistic. The bed was comfortable, the lack of that usual hotel funky carpet smell (no carpet). The unique and local artist provided artwork in the room. The neutral tones to the room. The guy that checked us in was super nice.
The so-​so: the water pressure. I don’t need the water pressure of a fire hose but it would be nice to rinse the shampoo out of my hair before my fingers prune from being in the water so long lol. Plus hope you shower before everyone. I can’t imagine with how Luke warm the water was that the water heater is large enough to support the rooms.
The bad: the lack of any noise cancelling Windows or walls. I’m pretty sure I heard the person in the next rooms everywhere bodily function. The conversation of the guy outside ok his cellphone was clear as if it was me he was talking too face to face. The tiny… I mean tiny, as in don’t have a suv without holding your breath that your doors don’t get dinged, small parking spots. If you drive a smart car or go cart your good to go. The tv is nice but you have a choice of weather channels and a bunch of home shopping network channels. The only movie channel I could locate was the bravo channel…
The terrible. The wash cloths and towels were about the same quality as the bar clothes they use to wipe down tables. They were rough, threaded, stained and in one of our towels in the room there was a wad of hair that looked like someone cleaned out their hairbrush into the towel then rolled it up. I’m sure it just came from the dryer but housekeeping should have caught it before rolling the towel.
After looking again at the pictures the company posted there are major differences. The robes and colorful towels they have hanging in the background of the one shot of the nice staged room are not really in your room. In addition the nice accent throw on the duvet at the end of the bed… Also just for the staged picture.
Not related to room but helpful:
There is a neat coffee shop right next door that has amazing coffee and great breakfast sandwiches. It’s called buzz brews

Clean, nice, newly remodeled rooms. Pretty small. Hot water didn’t get very hot. We needed help from the desk in the middle of the night and no one has there or answering the phone number. The next day they took care of us, but it was a bummer in the moment.

Rooms are tiny! So don’t pack a lot! And the parking is tight.
Rooms are nice though. Modern and very clean. Perfect location and price.

My mother stayed here for a long weekend, but that was only after having to rescue her from her previous accommodations at a different hotel. I’ll spare you the details about that place since this review isn’t about them, but we were relieved to find Hotel Aqua Mar in such a pinch!
The rooms are small and modest, but very clean and comfortable! It seems as though they’ve been recently updated too, very modern! The staff was exceptional, engaging, friendly, and very accommodating.
The only fault were the lights. Our room was on a sensor, so the lights are supposed to turn on/​off once activity is (or isn’t) sensed. The problem was, that even with the switch off, the lights would come on all night if you barely tossed or turned! The hotel was aware of this issue and asked for feedback, and they were very courteous. Although, we didn’t mention the issue during our stay (only at check out) because we just flipped the curtain over the door handle which blocked the sensor and prevented the disturbance, but I could definitely understand how one would be upset with having to «rig» their room. They informed us that they’re working to fix this though.
Overall it’s a great place for a great price, and Better Buzz coffee is right next door, which if you’re not local to San Diego, you’re in for a real treat!

I came to SD over night with friend and we stayed at this place. Parking was a bit difficult but none the less we enjoyed our stay. The rooms were very clean and was pretty aesthetically pleasing. I’d definitely recommend this place to my friends.

This place was adequate. Booked a room via the Hotel Tonight app. Paid $ 222 for one night. Mind you, it was Saturday night on Memorial Day weekend.
First thing I noticed when I walked in the room was how small it was. Incredibly small. Yet, it was clean and the bed was nice. An adjoining bathroom, also small but clean. The television was large and had a good picture.
The front desk people were very friendly. The guy even moved his car so I could park.
Good location in Point Loma near the harbor. Right off the main street though, so you might hear some noise.
Overall I say this place is just like the rating says, A-​OK. I didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. If you need a place to crash and you want a clean, comfortable bed to sleep in then come here. But if you expect to get a nicely furnished room with hotel amenities, you aren’t going to find it here. For $ 222 a night I might’ve expected more, but considering the weekend I am not surprised. The room was clean and comfortable, and that’s all that matters. 3.5÷5 is exactly right.

This place and the people that work here are absolutely amazing! Seriously would give this place 10 stars.
We had originally booked for La Quinta Suite in Mission Bay and that totally went down hill.
Anyway, we came to San Diego for my sister’s wedding and after La Quinta TRIED to rip us off, we called this hotel because my mom was staying here. They only had one room available which was a Suite. But for $ 260 for Saturday and Sunday night and a $ 50 deposit it was so much better than La Quinta which asked for $ 240 and a $ 200 deposit in a terrible area.
My sister’s wedding started at 6PM. And when we got to La Quinta it was 4:30. By the time we figured out that we were not staying there, the guy at Hotel Aqua Mar checked us in fast and easy. We ended up being 45 mins late to my sister’s wedding but she was just happy that we even showed up and we were so happy we were staying at Hotel Aqua Mar.
It was close to everything! 10 mins to my sister’s wedding which was at Rose Creek Cottage and 10 mins to The Gaslamp District. It was so much nicer! Super clean and spacious. Bed was very comfortable, there was a pull out couch in case needed, a fridge, a microwave and the bathroom was really nice! Despite there was construction in the next 3 rooms from us, that didn’t bother us. We were gone during the day. By the time we got back to our hotel it was late so there was no construction going on. And when it started up again in the morning, we were already awake and about to leave.
Checking in was a piece of cake and checking out went smooth as well.
Definitely recommend this place! We will stay here every time we come to San Diego for a getaway.

Clean, well appointed rooms. Recently renovated.
The room I was in was incredibly small.
Flat screens, microwave, refrigerator in room.
The bed was very comfortable.
Friendly staff.
Plenty of food options within walking distance, this is a good thing as parking is limited and you wouldn’t want to lose your spot.
No peep hole in the door…
All the lodging in the area is horribly overpriced, in comparison this was affordable (in comparison)

We visited the hotel Aqua Mar on July 21 – 24 2015, small family of 4 … Note that this is more of a motel than a hotel … Small rooms and tiny parking lot. The room we stayed in, 2 queen beds was recently remolded. Which was nice and clean. But the room and bathroom are tiny.
The hotel staff neglected to inform us the the remodeling is a continuos project. They seem to be renovating a couple of room at a time. Including the room next to ours #203. They are renovating a couple of rooms at a time … In random fashion … not a collection of rooms connected or a wing of rooms … But 1 here and 1 there on different floors, so it will effect many patrons. We didn’t notice the construction the first day since we were at the beach but we did the first night … As the construction demolition continued until 8:30 pm!
When we complained to the front desk about the lack of maid duties to our room that day … No fresh linens, towels, room cleaning or beds re made and that construct crews were pounded on the adjacent room. The front desk apologized and brought us new towels and said that the construction would stop soon??? Soon??? It was 8:30pm!!!
No one ever told us construction was on going when we booked the room and to top it off … The parking lot is tiny about 20 combined spaces on both sides of the motel … Yet the construction crew left their pickup trucks in 3 of the parking spaces and a shipping container occupying 4 + spaces … Which was a problem when we came back that evening at 11 pm and had to park out on the street. Totally unprofessional !

This is the flyest lil hotel ever. I was eyeing it on Unilocal for a while, and when I finally made a trip to SD… it was love at first sight. It’s beautifully decorated, and really clean.

We arrived late at night and it was easy to find this place. The employee was very friendly and helpful. The room was small but they do a great job of letting you know that before. Very clean and the artwork in the room is beautiful! Check out was an easy process. I would stay again.