Just outside the heart of San Diego’s downtown, the Doubletree Hilton at Hotel Circle has a convenient location, high level of service and fantastic facilities. Located just minutes from some of the city’s best attractions, this place is perfect for anyone looking for luxury accommodation that allows you to roll out of bed and right into the thick of things.
The outdoor heated pool
Highlights
Amazing location just outside the heart of San Diego
Modern facilities
Excellent breakfast
State of the art gym and pool area
Attention to detail is crucial if a hotel wants to stand out. We had this great gift bag waiting for us in our family suite, and Teo loved the penguin! In fact he's still playing with it these days!
Teo chilling out on the couch. The separate living and sleeping areas make suites like this absolutely perfect when traveling with a small kid.
Rooms
The recently renovated Doubletree now has two standard room types: the guest rooms and suites. The guest rooms are tastefully decorated in a breezy style that will make you feel cool even in while the Californian sun beats down outside. Each room comes decked out with Hilton’s signature Sweet Dreams mattress sets, which are a reason in themselves for staying. Along with wifi and HBO on demand, the rooms also come equipped with a decadent Wolfgang Puck coffee maker. Plus, a personal favorite were the black out curtains, which are a must if you’re arriving in San Diego at an unusual hour and need to get some sleep during the day. Overall, the guest rooms represent the high value of service you’d expect from a Hilton, though they do have one downside: they’re a bit on the cramped side.
Our suite was great for a small family. The bedroom wall allwoed us to work and watch TV at night while our little one slept, without bothering him.
For families, the suites are a better pick, and are significantly more spacious than the guest rooms, and this is what we had. They come with all the same facilities, plus whirlpool jet tub and walk-in closet. Some of the rooms also have balconies with decent views, so be sure to inquire while booking to avoid missing out. In the past, some guests have complained of patchy wifi, though we didn’t experience this during our stay.
Accessible rooms are also available, though be sure to inform staff of any special accessibility requirements while booking.
Other Facilities
The Doubletree has all the standard facilities and services you’d expect out of a Hilton, including business facilities and a good mix of on-site entertainment options. Along with a meeting center and conference services, they also have an excellent fitness room, packed with modern gear. The pool area is equally good, but can get a little busy. This is especially true during peak season.
Teo's grin is an exact copy of mine when I find so much to eat for breakfast. Wahoo!
One service that has to be mentioned is the complimentary airport shuttle, which is a real bonus for anyone who’d rather avoid the fuss of car hire.
Finally, the on-site restaurant is arguably one of the best of any hotel of this price range anywhere in San Diego. The breakfasts are particularly good, and will be enough to keep you fueled up throughout the day. The only downside is they are pretty expensive, unless you’re a Hilton member. Luckily, the Doubletree is within walking distance of some of San Diego’s best restaurants, so you won’t be going hungry.
Location
The Doubletree’s best asset has to be its location. Just outside the city center, many of the city’s best attractions are right at your fingertips. Not quite as centrally located as the Doubletree Downtown, this option at Hotel Circle has a good spot just between the center and the airport. The good thing about this is that the hotel is less than 15 minutes to any of the attractions in San Diego we wanted to visit. The Westfield Mission Valley shopping mall is just 4 minutes away, and in it you'll find a Target, Marshall's and dozens of other shops, plus a few restaurants. The airport itself is just 10 minutes away, while the downtown is easily reached by public transport. Little Italy, Balboa Park, the USS Midway and both the zoo and safari park are just minutes away, not to mention the restaurants, bars and museums of the downtown area.
My Thoughts
The Hilton DoubleTree at Hotel Circle is a fantastic choice for families that are visiting San Diego. I must admit that before arriving to the city I thought that staying closer to downtown would be a better option, but if you're visiting San Diego as a tourist I highly recommend you stay at Hotel Circle: everything will be much closer. The Doubletree has spacious suites, a fantastic buffet breakfast, covered parking, and staff is very friendly and helpful.
