Horton Grand Hotel

As San Diego’s oldest standing hotel, the Horton Grand is a destination hotel in the wildly popular Gaslamp Quarter. Its roots date from the 1880s, when two hotels were built on the site where the Horton Plaza mall now stands. The properties were eventually moved to their current location and meticulously reconstructed in the 1980s. Anyone with an appreciation of history or architecture will appreciate the attention to detail here. Polished marble floors, period antiques, and rich oak paneling help to make the hotel truly special. Vintage photographs of old San Diego enhance the sense of history, but modern touches, such as skylights, keep the hotel from feeling old and stuffy. The brick-lined, New Orleans-style interior courtyard and opulent Palace Bar with its majestic wood staircase and huge mural are standout features. This is a quiet and classy oasis in the midst of the sometimes raucous Gaslamp Quarter. Its attractive rates and convenient location make it popular with tourists, especially couples and solo travelers. While it welcomes families, the hotel doesn't have any specific kid-friendly amenities. Its meeting rooms and proximity to the convention center attract many business travelers too. 

The hotel is located on Island Avenue between Third and Fourth Avenues in the Gaslamp Quarter, about an eight-minute walk to the San Diego Convention Center and Petco Park. The historic Gaslamp Quarter is a hip, young neighborhood that’s home to some of downtown San Diego's most popular restaurants, nightlife, and shops. The trolley also stops in front of the hotel, making public transportation easy. The Gaslamp Quarter is also where some of the city’s most popular outdoor celebrations -- Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and the Street Scene music festival -- take place. 

• Eight-minute walk to the San Diego Convention Center
• Nine-minute drive to Seaport Village
• 12-minute walk to Petco Park (11 minutes by public transportation)
• 12-minute drive to San Diego Zoo/Balboa Park
• 15-minute drive to the San Diego International Airport (27 minutes by public transportation)
• 15-minute drive to Old Town
• 16-minute drive to SeaWorld
• 19-minute drive to Pacific Beach

The Horton Grand Hotel's 108 guest rooms are individually decorated in a traditional style that reflects the hotel's origins. Dark, carved-wood furnishings feature heavily in the decor, including headboards, nightstands, and cabriole-leg desks. Gas fireplaces framed by marble hearths and wood mantels add coziness, and soft, earth-toned textiles keep the spaces serene. Reproductions of classical paintings decorate the walls, and high ceilings topped with ceiling fans make the rooms seem spacious. But some may find the decor stuffy or old fashioned overall. Amenities include 37-inch flat screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, coffeemakers, and free bottled water. Bathrooms have beige tiling and shower/tub combos. While some have simple pedestal sinks, other vanities are marble. Some rooms have vintage-style toilet tanks with a pull-chain. 

Traditional (standard) Rooms, while a tad small, still offer ample room for comfort. They come with one king bed or two queen beds, and have city skyline views. Some have private balconies that overlook the courtyard or the cityscape. There are 24 roomy Grand Rooms (suites) as well, which have king beds, and queen sleeper sofas in their separate living rooms. They have kitchenettes with wet bars, mini-fridges, microwaves, and coffeemakers. Grand Room bathrooms are larger than the smallish bathrooms in Traditional Rooms. While rooms are generally quiet, some ambient noise from the lively Gaslamp Quarter streets below can get picked up.

This historic hotel perhaps lacks the big-punch amenities of a large chain hotel -- there's no fitness center or pool -- but it delivers on character and ambience. Open for breakfast and lunch, Ida Bailey’s restaurant serves contemporary California cuisine with an international twist, as seen in its sashimi and nigiri. The Palace Bar offers a lighter evening menu with some of Ida Bailey’s items included. It features happy hour specials and live music on weekends in a memorable setting. The 24/7 lobby convenience store sells snacks and drinks along with sundries and souvenirs. The beautiful interior courtyard is part of the hotel’s 23,000 square feet of event space, including a ballroom that can host groups of up to 240 people. The 24/7 business center has a computer station with internet access and a printer. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. Concierge services include valet dry cleaning and laundry, as well as ticket service to various attractions. On-site parking is valet only, and it can get expensive, but less-expensive self-parking is nearby. Free weekday newspapers and ice water are available in the lobby. A guest safe deposit box and ATM are also available for guests' convenience.