Pros

  • Near San Diego State University campus
  • All rooms include flat-screen TVs and premium channels
  • Rooms come with DVD players and free loaner DVDs
  • Heated swimming pool with poolside barbecue
  • Free breakfast buffet with many Kosher items
  • Free Wi-Fi and parking
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Cons

  • On busy main road
  • Dated decor in common areas
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Bottom Line

The Best Western Lamplighter Inn & Suites provides simple motel-style lodgings and pleasant, well-maintained grounds in the Mid City area of San Diego. While its location means convenient access to the university campus, the immediate surroundings aren't particularly attractive and it's far from downtown San Diego and the beaches. Rooms are clean, with decent amenities, and both breakfast and the outdoor pool are a cut-above the average roadside motel. Overall, it's an excellent budget option for those with business nearby. 

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Amenities

  • Internet
  • Pets Allowed
  • Pool

Oyster Hotel Review

Best Western Lamplighter Inn & Suites at SDSU

Scene

Typical motel-style inn with pleasant grounds

The Best Western is a typical low-rise motel on pleasant grounds that are dotted with palm trees, sculpted shrubbery, and colorful flowers. Setting the tone for the rest of the hotel, the lobby is simple, clean, and unpretentious, with particularly friendly and attentive reception staff. While the inn is undeniably modest, with some mismatching furnishings, dated architecture, and limited facilities, the property is clean and well-maintained throughout and is a good choice for budget travelers needing close proximity to the nearby San Diego State University. 

See More Scene

Location

Set on busy El Cajon Boulevard, a few minutes' drive to San Diego State University

The hotel is located on El Cajon Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare lined with restaurants and other businesses.The San Diego State University campus is a three-minute drive or 20-minute walk away. There's certainly little in the way of tourist attractions nearby, and while the beaches are up to 30 minutes away, it's only a five minute drive from Mission Trails Regional Park and Lake Murray. Downtown San Diego is around 20 minutes away by road and the international airport is a few minutes' further. 

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Rooms

Standard motel rooms and suites with dated decor and good in-room entertainment options

The hotel's 60 rooms and suites deviate little from the typical budget-motel standard, with patterned carpets, simple wooden furnishings, and dated decor. In-room amenities are solid and include free Wi-Fi, coffeemakers, and 27-inch flat-screen TVs with DVD players, loaner DVDs, and premium channels including HBO. Some rooms also come with microwaves and mini-fridges. While bathrooms are starting to show their age, they are clean and well maintained, with wall-mounted hairdryers and free toiletries. 

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Features

Extensive free buffet breakfast, free Wi-Fi and parking, and heated pool with barbecue grill

The hotel provides a better breakfast buffet than one would expect from a budget chain hotel; the spread includes waffles, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and a number of Kosher items. On-site parking and Wi-Fi are also free. The hotel also has a pleasant outdoor swimming pool that's kept heated and there's an adjacent barbecue grill for guest use. The hotel also offers DVDs and games for guests to borrow, and there are coin-operated laundry facilities on-site. 

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Best Western Lamplighter Inn & Suites at SDSU

Scene

Typical motel-style inn with pleasant grounds

The Best Western is a typical low-rise motel on pleasant grounds that are dotted with palm trees, sculpted shrubbery, and colorful flowers. Setting the tone for the rest of the hotel, the lobby is simple, clean, and unpretentious, with particularly friendly and attentive reception staff. While the inn is undeniably modest, with some mismatching furnishings, dated architecture, and limited facilities, the property is clean and well-maintained throughout and is a good choice for budget travelers needing close proximity to the nearby San Diego State University. 

See More Scene

Location

Set on busy El Cajon Boulevard, a few minutes' drive to San Diego State University

The hotel is located on El Cajon Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare lined with restaurants and other businesses.The San Diego State University campus is a three-minute drive or 20-minute walk away. There's certainly little in the way of tourist attractions nearby, and while the beaches are up to 30 minutes away, it's only a five minute drive from Mission Trails Regional Park and Lake Murray. Downtown San Diego is around 20 minutes away by road and the international airport is a few minutes' further. 

See More Location

Rooms

Standard motel rooms and suites with dated decor and good in-room entertainment options

The hotel's 60 rooms and suites deviate little from the typical budget-motel standard, with patterned carpets, simple wooden furnishings, and dated decor. In-room amenities are solid and include free Wi-Fi, coffeemakers, and 27-inch flat-screen TVs with DVD players, loaner DVDs, and premium channels including HBO. Some rooms also come with microwaves and mini-fridges. While bathrooms are starting to show their age, they are clean and well maintained, with wall-mounted hairdryers and free toiletries. 

See More Rooms

Features

Extensive free buffet breakfast, free Wi-Fi and parking, and heated pool with barbecue grill

The hotel provides a better breakfast buffet than one would expect from a budget chain hotel; the spread includes waffles, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, and a number of Kosher items. On-site parking and Wi-Fi are also free. The hotel also has a pleasant outdoor swimming pool that's kept heated and there's an adjacent barbecue grill for guest use. The hotel also offers DVDs and games for guests to borrow, and there are coin-operated laundry facilities on-site. 

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Cable

  • Free Breakfast

  • Full Kitchen

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Pets Allowed

  • Pool

  • Rental Car Service Desk Onsite

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Swim-Up Bar

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.