Background:

On our vacation to Southern California, we decided to spend a couple of days down in San Diego. While I had spent a great deal of time in the San Diego area from 1981 to 1987, the only other time I had been down there since was during a convention in 1988. So it was time to see all the changes.

We saw a room on Hotwire for $33.00 a night in the South Bay area. The only problem in booking with Hotwire is you don’t know the hotel until you pay for it. The problem here is that we wanted to find a motel near the Light Rail line so we would not have to drive since most of the places we where planning to go had relatively easy access to transit, either the light rail line itself or connecting bus service.

As it turned out the motel we ended up getting was close to the Light Rail line so it worked out, but what about the rest of the place?

The Hotel:

The motel is a standard two story affair in an “L” shape with parking in front of the lower rooms. The front desk and pool are in a separate building across the parking area. Near the front desk was the entrance to the restaurant that is no longer opened. The hotel was in the process of being refurbished.

Good Nite Inn San Diego South Bay
225 Bay Blvd
Chula Vista, CA 91910
(619) 425-8200

Advertised Amenities:
• Newly renovated rooms
• Free Premium Movie Channels, ESPN
• Data port phones
• Air conditioning
• Nonsmoking rooms available
• Guest laundry
• Fax and copy Services
• Outdoor pool
• Free parking
• Complimentary morning coffee
They also have a game room with three video games.

Check In:

Check in was fast although it was not extremely friendly which seems to be a running thing the last few motels we have stayed in.

The Room:

The room was pretty standard when it comes to motel rooms.

As you entered the room to your left was an armoire that contained a brand new 27” television which was manufactured in the last 7 months. To your right under the window was the HVAC unit (can’t tell you noise level since we did not use it once the two nights we stayed there). Along the right wall were the two queen beds that are separated by a desk and chair. The desk had two lamps and the telephone on it.

Past the main part of the room was the bathroom area. To the left was a metal rack to hang clothes plus a metal luggage rack to put your suitcase. Against the back wall was the vanity. To your right was the room with the toilet and the full sized bathtub.

There were two towel racks, one above the toilet and the other above the vanity on the wall that backs the room with the tub and toilet.

The motel offered 16 television stations.

Good Points:

-The motel had easy access to the Light Rail line. You could easily walk about a block across Interstate 5 and right into the Light Rail Station. The light rail station was also home to the visitor’s center.
-The room was clean
-Although the restaurant in the motel is closed there is a restaurant on each side of the motel so walking is no problem.
-Rooms where relatively quiet. Despite the back of motel facing a major freeway there was little traffic noise and the only other real noise was people going up and down the stairs which where near our room.
-Beds was comfortable being firm but not hard as a rock.

Bad Points:

-Maid service was poor. The first night we arrived we had no wash cloths and only one towel. The next day the maid did not empty any of the trash cans although it was no big deal for us since we didn’t fill them.
-The towel rack in the bathroom was loose and fell on us a couple of times during our two night stay.

Nearby:

-El Torito Mexican Restaurant, Next Door
-Anthony’s Fish House, Next Door
-San Diego Light Rail Line One Block
Next to Light Rail Station:
-McDonalds, Black Angus, AM/PM Mini mart, and Taco Bell
-Chula Vista Nature Center Close By
-Chula Vista Marina Close By

Some Other Area Attractions:

-Petco Field
-Convention Center
-Coronado Island
-Seaport Village
-SeaWorld
-Old Town San Diego
-Coors Amphitheater
-Balboa Park
-Knott’s Soak City
-Tijuana
-San Diego Zoo
-Qualcomm Stadium

Check Out:

Check out was quick and easy and we where on the road after just a couple of minutes.

Overall:

The motel did everything it was supposed to do. It provided clean rooms and was a good value for the dollar. You can walk to the Light Rail and not even need a car for most of your stay. The only downsides were the indifferent staff and one maintenance issue.



Recommended: Yes