Handlery Hotel San Diego

Reviews

• RC

  Rubi Corral

  1 day ago
  1.0
  BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS HOTEL! My husband and I stayed here for two nights and had multiple issues with the charges. We were charged $25 for parking, deposits, and there were several inconsistencies with the restaurant bills. The worst part was that two days after we checked out, new charges started appearing on our account, and by the third day we saw additional transactions totaling around $300. We came back to the hotel in person to ask for an explanation and a refund, but so far they have not been able to clearly explain where these charges came from or resolve the issue. We feel completely ripped off. Please check your cards and bank statements very carefully after staying here. On top of that, the rooms are very outdated and the carpet was extremely dirty. I would not stay here again and I do not recommend this hotel. They charge coffee too
• SM

  sean mcdonald

  3 days ago
  1.0
  It’s a bit late, but I still feel the need to share my awful experience at this hotel. Short version: bugs in the room, rude/unhelpful staff, no working A/C, poor accessibility, no elevator access in many areas, and inconsistent information from management. I live only 5–6 miles from downtown San Diego and booked this hotel for an event in June. My girlfriend has a medical condition affecting her foot that significantly limits her ability to walk. Several months before our stay, I contacted the hotel to discuss accommodations and specifically requested a downstairs, pool-facing room as close as possible to the event hall. I was told by a hotel employee that this was guaranteed and that notes would be placed on my reservation. I also asked about early check-in and was told that if I called on the day of arrival, we could check in before noon. The day before arrival, I called to confirm everything. Suddenly, the requested room was unavailable. The employee acknowledged the notes on my reservation but said they were vague and apparently only indicated that the room was first-come, first-served. I was also told early check-in was unavailable because other guests had requested late checkouts. Since the cancellation deadline had passed, I had no choice but to keep the reservation. The next day, I arrived early to drop off our luggage. While there, another woman checking in told staff that she had reserved three downstairs rooms next to each other months in advance because she needed to transport event props and also had a disability. The hotel told her those rooms weren't available and that her rooms would be scattered throughout the hotel, none downstairs. Staff seemed completely uninterested in finding a reasonable solution. I was eventually assigned a second-floor room. At 4 p.m., when we checked in, I discovered there was no elevator access. I had to carry our luggage upstairs while trying to assist my girlfriend. A kind stranger saw us struggling and helped carry our bags. I genuinely appreciated that person's help, because the hotel did very little to accommodate us. The problems continued. The entire property was extremely hot because there was no functioning A/C, and the A/C in our room barely worked. Then we discovered the bugs. There was a dead bug on the floor, followed by ants throughout the bathroom, including around the sink and shower. I documented the problem with photos and video. The room also had a refrigerator that wasn't working because it had apparently iced over. This was especially concerning because my girlfriend had medication that needed refrigeration. To the hotel's credit, maintenance eventually fixed the refrigerator. We also asked that the room be cleaned while we attended the event. Although it was cleaned, there were still ants in the bathroom when we returned. The event itself was enjoyable, but the hotel made the overall experience miserable. At checkout, I asked about late checkout. I was then told that late checkout wasn't offered. This was incredibly frustrating because the hotel had previously told me that guests staying in our room had requested late checkout and that this was why we couldn't check in early. I received no reasonable explanation for the contradiction. Overall, this was the worst hotel experience I've ever had. The lack of accessibility, misleading information, rude and unhelpful service, lack of A/C, broken refrigerator, bugs, and inconsistent policies made the stay extremely disappointing. I booked months in advance specifically because I was trying to accommodate someone with limited mobility. I clearly communicated our needs, was assured they would be accommodated, and ultimately received almost none of what I was promised. I strongly recommend avoiding this hotel. There are plenty of places where you can spend your money and receive basic cleanliness, comfort, accessibility, and customer service. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of them.
• HJ

  Heather Jones

  Aug 10, 2026
  5.0
  I had a friend who was in the middle of moving who stopped by to pick up some belongings before the embarked on there journey to their new home. The security guard came up to me questioning my friends asking me if they stayed here if I stayed there what was going on what they were doing here and told me if I wanted their truck to be allowed in the parking lot that I would have to pay $100 despite the fact that we were already paying $24 for parking. Very upset and disappointed about my experience in that regard. On the other hand the rooms were great the front desk was very nice and I would definitely recommend this place to stay.
• RK

  Roxanne Krivak

  Aug 6, 2026
  3.0
  We recently stayed at the Handler Hotel while attending a concert. The room itself was comfortable, clean, and well-maintained. Unfortunately, the customer service did not match the quality of the accommodations. At check-in, the front desk staff seemed annoyed that they had to assist us, which made us feel unwelcome. Later, during the break between sightseeing and the concert, we spent a few hours at the pool and were impressed by the beautiful surroundings. We became interested in learning more about the property’s history, so we stopped by the famous Reef Lounge before leaving. Unfortunately, no one on staff could provide any background information or seemed interested in finding out—even though one employee mentioned being a generational employee. We also accidentally left some clothing in the closet. When we called, the lost-and-found department was closed, so we contacted the front desk instead. The employee who answered simply said she was unable to help us. Overall, while the hotel room and pool area were excellent, the lack of hospitality and helpfulness from several employees was disappointing. The hotel should invest in better staff training, particularly in customer service, communication, and assisting guests with basic requests.
• OZ

  Oriya Zecharia

  Aug 5, 2026
  4.0
  The hotel was great! We were 8 people, took two rooms and turns out we got connecting rooms which was pretty nice. The pools were very clean and they close at 10pm which was great since the kids loved going night swimming! The hotel rooms were good, a bit outdated but nonetheless good. For $97 a night (for each room), we got what we expected and what we needed. We wanted to add another night but they wanted $197 per room, which for us wasn’t worth it. The parking was $24 for each night which was little annoying. The hotel didn’t offer breakfast, they only had a restaurant. The hotel is located at a great spot not too far from the beach, a 10 minute drive to the bay, Sea World and a lot of other cool places! We were a bit skeptical after reading the reviews on Google but were very surprised when we had a very pleasant stay. We will definitely be coming back!!