Holiday Inn Express & Suites Solana Beach-del Mar by IHG

Reviews

• AO

  Ajia Orozco

  Apr 20, 2026
  1.0
  Save Your Money and Book Somewhere Else. I recently stayed two nights at the Holiday Inn Express Solana Beach and paid $501 to attend a friend's wedding nearby as a bridesmaid. For that price, I expected at minimum a restful, functional stay. I got neither. First, I was never informed prior to booking or check-in that the hotel was under construction. The elevators and parts of the building were out of service, which was a major inconvenience, especially when we returned late from the wedding, exhausted and loaded down with bags, only to have to haul everything up the stairs. Had I known, I would have booked elsewhere. Transparency about construction should be a basic courtesy to guests. The room was located directly next to the hallway door on our floor, which slammed loudly every single time someone passed through, all night long. I needed to be up at 6 AM to prepare for the wedding and got almost no sleep either night because of the constant noise. This is a serious quality control issue that the hotel should be aware of and address. My boyfriend, who wasn't in the wedding and stayed at the hotel during the day, couldn't even watch TV because the cable wasn't working. He spent hours with nothing to do in a room we paid a premium for. To top it off, when we returned from the wedding late at night, our key card for the second-floor access wouldn't work. We were stuck waiting in the hallway, arms full, until another guest happened to come by and let us through. This is both a convenience and a security issue. When I raised these concerns with management, the only resolution offered was a $32 parking refund, a fraction of the $501 we spent, and frankly insulting given the number and severity of the issues. My calls to the general manager have gone unanswered. I chose this hotel specifically because it offered pay-on-the-day flexibility, as this wedding was already a significant expense. I wish I had spent that $501 somewhere that actually delivered on its promises. I will not be returning, and I strongly caution anyone traveling to Solana Beach to look elsewhere.
• CM

  Chris Morrison

  Apr 12, 2026
  1.0
  Don't let the nice pictures fool you, this place in in total DEMO mode - Lots of noise and dust during day and no elevator and the tiny lobby is now the breakfast restaurant. THey should have let us know prior to our arrival. Crazy.
• MK

  max kitty

  Apr 10, 2026
  1.0
  Booked a 7 night stay. After paying in full on booking.com, got a message saying no pool or hot tub. Ok, thats not at all what was advertised, but not a deal breaker for me. But when I landed I was informed there was NO HOT WATER. Just got off a 6 hr flight from NYC, looking forward to a hot shower. They offered to cancel my reservation, but my reservation was prepaid and I was not going to be able to find a last minute 7 night stay in the same area at comparable rates. In any case, they promised that the hot water would be back that day or the next. And they offered a discount on my stay. I literally shook hands with the front desk rep on this. There was no hot water for 4 days and one day there was NO WATER AT ALL. They offered no warning of the water shut off and I learned of it after using the toilet and trying to wash my hands. Mind you I have been spending the first 4 days of my vacation time trying to find places to shower! Now I can't even wash my hands? Then the elevator went out and they didn't have the courtesy to post signage, so you just wait at the elevator like an idiot. I did a lot of stair climbing with luggage that week. Hotel was a major construction zone with exits blocked or out of order. This was all planned and they took reservations anyway. Got a huge run around about contacting booking.com and have received no refund as promised. Don't do business at this hotel. There is a much nicer Marriott Courtyard right next door, which I'm sure is a bit costlier, but don't fall for this Holiday Inn trap house.
• SK

  Stephanie Klein

  Apr 9, 2026
  1.0
  Stayed here March 31–April 3. From April 1–3, the hotel had no hot water due to construction affecting the entire property. We were traveling with small children and at the beach daily, so not having hot water made it impossible to properly clean up. When we raised the issue, Daniel at the front desk was dismissive and repeatedly said “you had water,” and we were offered only a $25 fee removal. Attempts to reach the General Manager went unanswered, and voicemail was full. No hot water is a basic service failure, not a minor inconvenience. I would not have booked this property had this been disclosed.
• AA

  A A

  Apr 3, 2026
  1.0
  Had a reservation set 2 months out. While on our way, about 5 hours ahead of check in time, I get a call. Apparently the water heaters are all currently down and this was a known problem being they are under renovation. Why wouldn't they contact me prior to the day that I'm checking in?! I canceled my room and booked the hotel next door. Also, their breakfast area is still being renovated. No thanks, but Courtyard by Marriott is the way to go!

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