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Balboa Park Hotel

2.0 star property

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Photo gallery for Balboa Park Hotel

Hair dryer, towels
Fridge, coffee/tea maker
Executive Studio Suite | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets
Front of property
Executive Studio Suite | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Reviews

8.0 out of 10
Very good

Popular amenities

  • Laundry
  • Housekeeping
  • Free WiFi

Explore the area

Map
410 Elm St, San Diego, CA, 92101
  • Port of San Diego
    ‪19 min walk‬
  • San Diego Convention Center
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • San Diego Zoo
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • San Diego, CA (SAN-San Diego Intl.)
    ‪4 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Deluxe Studio Suite

Deluxe Studio Suite | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Deluxe Studio Suite

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bunk Bed

View all photos for Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed

Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed

8.6 out of 10
Excellent
(34 reviews)
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Comfort Single Room, 1 Double Bed

Comfort Single Room, 1 Double Bed | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Comfort Single Room, 1 Double Bed

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Standard Twin Room, 1 Single Bed

Standard Twin Room, 1 Single Bed | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Twin Room, 1 Single Bed

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bed

View all photos for Executive Studio Suite

Executive Studio Suite | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Executive Studio Suite

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Murphy Bed

View all photos for Deluxe Double Room

Deluxe Double Room | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Deluxe Double Room

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(2 reviews)
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Standard Room

Standard Room | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Standard Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Luxury Studio Suite

1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Luxury Studio Suite

  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Family Studio Suite

Family Studio Suite | 1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Family Studio Suite

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

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4.4 out of 5, Excellent, (3280)
The price is CHF 205
for 1 room
includes taxes & fees
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About this property

Balboa Park Hotel

Hotel in San Diego, near Port of San Diego
Laundry facilities and express check-out are available at this smoke-free hotel.
Balboa Park Hotel offers 50 accommodations with a hairdryer. This San Diego hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access, with a speed of 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices). Fridges and coffee/tea makers are provided. Housekeeping is provided on a daily basis.
Our customers tell us that they can't get enough of the helpful staff at Balboa Park Hotel. During your stay, you're just a quick walk from San Diego Civic Theatre. You'll find features such as laundry facilities.
  • Free Wi-Fi (speed: 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices))
  • Amenities include laundry facilities
  • Guests have great things to say about the clean guestrooms and the helpful staff
  • Just a 2-minute drive from Port of San Diego and a few minutes from Seaport Village
As a guest of Balboa Park Hotel, you'll find laundry facilities and express check-out. The front desk is open around the clock.

This San Diego hotel is smoke free.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • In-room WiFi speed: 100+ Mbps (good for 1–2 people or up to 6 devices)

Parking and transport

  • No on-site parking available

Family friendly

  • In-room refrigerator
  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • 6 steps to reach entrance
  • Front entrance ramp
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only
  • Well-lit path to entrance

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Refrigerator

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; check-in end time: 2:00 AM
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Late check-out subject to availability
Late check-out fee: USD 75
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 12:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Guests planning to arrive outside normal check-in hours will receive an email within 24 hours before arrival with check-in instructions and smart lock details; front desk staffed during limited hours
Prior to arrival, you must complete online registration via a secure link
You will be asked to provide the property with a copy of your government-issued photo ID after booking
The credit card used to book the reservation must be presented by the cardholder at check-in along with matching photo identification, and other arrangements must be coordinated with the property prior to arrival

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours), smart lock

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
  • Cots (infant beds) are not available.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • Deposit: USD 100 per accommodation, per stay

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Late check-out fee: USD 75 (subject to availability)

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation
This property accepts credit cards and debit cards; cash is not accepted
This property reserves the right to pre-authorise the guest's credit card prior to arrival.
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room
The front desk at this property is open daily from 12:30 PM - 9:00 PM.
Prior to arrival, guests must complete online registration with the property via a secure link. Guests will be asked to provide the property with a copy of their government-issued photo ID before arrival. Guests planning to arrive outside of normal check-in hours will receive an email with special check-in information and smart lock details. Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival at the property. The credit card used when booking the reservation must be presented by the cardholder at check-in along with matching photo ID. Other arrangements must be coordinated with the property prior to arrival.

We should mention

  • This property welcomes guests of all sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+ friendly).

Property is also known as

Hotel Occidental
Balboa Park Hotel Hotel
Balboa Park Hotel San Diego
Balboa Park Hotel Hotel San Diego
Hotel Occidental Balboa Park Downtown

Balboa Park Hotel Reviews

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 179 out of 383 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 84 out of 383 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 57 out of 383 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 31 out of 383 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 32 out of 383 reviews

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

7.2/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

7.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Hong Joon

Liked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good location walkable distance to park or downtown but you will see some homeless throughout. Not so great service or clean. Expedia stated that check-in was at 3 PM, but I was only allowed to enter at 4 PM sharp. The first entry code didn’t work, so I had to wait. Some of the towels had makeup stains, and during my five-day stay, there was no cleaning service until checkout. There were no hotel-level services. The bed felt like a bunk bed with a plastic cover, and the sheets weren’t very clean. The paper towels in the attached kitchen were almost used up, but I gave up on asking for a new roll.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

joseph

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
You need to really pay atention to the fact that you need to do a digital check-in before arriving, because if you don't when you arrive you will not be abke to check in. The front desk is only staffed for a limited time and the phone number for after hours doesn't work. If you are expecting a true hotel this is not where you want to be. I would say this is closer to an AirBnB of a room with and ensuite than a hotel based on the fact that there is basically no staff on site. The room is tiny, the bed is okay and if you end up like one of the other people we met in the lobby who locked herself out of her room with her phone in it, you are going to have to wait until 12:30pm to get help. On that note, as long as you know what you are getting into it is a place to sleep at a really low rate for San Diego.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Thea

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

Henry

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service

Medicore

The bed was flat and the person that was cleaning up the room just barged in and the check out time was 10 but my itenerary said 11..so
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anthony

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Close to downtown’ SD’s, Gaslamp as noted making all of San Diego’s exciting attractions accessible in the coolest way! And while close to the Highway it’s strikingly quiet!
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Namir

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
modern at the location and quiet!!
Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Jennifer

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Booked this last minute for my weekend in San Diego. Cool historic building with a funky vibe close to Balboa Park. Hotel and room was very clean with modern amenities. Check in was kind of weird as there are no front desk staff on property and the hotel is locked and no one answers the phone so you have to wait for a code to get sent to you to get in the front door and room door. My room was pretty quiet but I could hear a lot of noise coming from rooms by the lobby. My biggest complaint is that there is no assigned parking. It’s all street parking which can be hard to find. Also there are a lot of homeless people littering the streets all around it so as a female traveling solo I stayed in my room after dark. My room was super cold and there were no extra blankets or bedding. Despite not having any staff on premises, I was able to communicate with them via Expedia and they quickly addressed my concerns and had someone bring me a space heater and blanket since there was no thermostat to adjust temperature in the room. Overall it was a decent value but I don’t tho k I’d stay there again due to the parking and unsafe space around the motel.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

2/10 Terrible

David

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I arrived at 6:15 pm. All the signs had a different name. The desk had a sign saying they were closed for the evening. One “employee ” was there but she couldn’t access the reservation/key system. She was surprised that I had not reserved through Air BnB. Since the desk was closed, I asked how I could get back in later in the evening . She said “they’ll send you a code”. After waiting a little while, I asked where their parking lot was. She said we don’t have parking. I walked out angrily and made a reservation at a normal, competent motel. I reserved and paid months in advance for a room in a normal hotel with parking. I deserve a full refund.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Yesenia

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very clean and aesthetically pleasing. Staff was great. Great location but still need to use some kind of transportation to get to places quicker. There’s some homeless nearby but then again this is downtown area. It’s typical. I would return.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

6/10 Okay

Tony

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The property looks nice from the outside, but there are homeless people on the sidewalk close to the entrance,asking for change and food. They hang around there all night long , shouting and squabbling. Our room was in the front so we heard that all night. Central air was on all the time, had to ask to have it turned down as it was too cold. No maid service, and when I went to find the maids, I was told that because I booked thru air bnb, there was no maid service. I DID NOT BOOK THRU AIR BNB. No one at desk, except the one time when I checked in. Nice room, smallish, we had 2 beds in room, No might table between beds, had too move the chair to act as a night table. A disgusting wad of hair covered the shower drain grate, made the mistake of touching it, YUCK! No one around to complain to, so left without seeing anyone, and no tip for maid. Looked like it could be a charming little boutique hotel, as rooms have been tastefully updated. Location sucks. Not recommended for women alone, and be very cautious at night. Close to freeway so getting around town was easy
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

8/10 Good

Johnny

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

4/10 Poor

Elizabeth

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Glen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room was quite small however only went there to sleep. For the price I thought great value and everything was within walking distance.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Balboa is lovely. The staff is very friendly and kind. Our unit was clean and comfortable. If in San Diego for a baseball game, the hotel is a safe and colourful 30 minute stroll from the stadium.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Calli

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

2/10 Terrible

Patrick

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

GOT CANCELLED DURING COMIC-CON

didn't event get a chance to stay there. I didn't listen to the reviews and arrived, and they had cancelled my reservation. I went for Comic-Con and they 1st day I arrived to check in they said since i booked on 3rd party they didn't receive the reservation. And that they couldn't honor it and they had no rooms! BEWARE!!! Worse than having a dirty room, is not having a room at all. 3 other guests that day were told the same thing. We all worked with hotels.com to find another place.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Veronica

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a very attractive property. Lovely light fixtures, art, and wallpapers make the environment both elegant and retro. My room was small but efficient, both modern and retro. It felt very clean, and staff was friendly, however they were not available most of the time I was around. They don't keep the air-conditioning on all the time, so if you like it cold, this may not be the place for you. We were a little too hot at night, but there is a fan that helps. Bring an extra mirror if you do makeup. My room only had a mirror above the toilet, so I had to strain to get close enough. There is a shelf at the base of the mirror that helps to hold items though. There is a code to get in the building and a code for your door so I felt very safe inside, but outside there are a lot of homeless or worrisome people walking around or loitering these streets. The homeless seem pretty bad around most of the city though, so I don't know if there is another area that would be much better. It was easy enough to catch an UBER, and the walk to the convention center is a little far, but if you are in good health, is very doable.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sarah

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anthony

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place in San Diego

Great location and nice room in San Diego. Easy check in process
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Andrea

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great find!

The Balboa Park Hotel was such a great find! Great location, walking distance to Gas Lamp, Little Italy, Balboa Park and the Zoo. Clean and comfortable room and friendly staff! I highly recommend!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

2/10 Terrible

Jong

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My room was right next to an external door that was left open all day and night on the ground floor. My room was tiny. No chair so you couldn’t rest except on the uncomfortable bed. The blinds didn’t close all the way for privacy. Overall extremely uncomfortable place to stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

2/10 Terrible

Alan

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Amber

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2024

10/10 Excellent

Karin

It was great
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024