Best Western Plus Island Palms Hotel & Marina

Avis

• XB

  Xär Blackthorn

  4 days ago
  5.0
  Not to be dramatic, but i’m from the Pacific Northwest and this is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. This was my third time in San Diego, but I didn’t realize you could stay on the marina like this for so cheap! I don’t think I really knew what a vacation was prior to my experience here last weekend. I had the pool to myself in the morning (open from 8am to 11pm), 15% off at the attached restaurant that boasts an amazing view of the marina and overlooks the pool, free parking across the street, easy room service breakfast (get the smoked salmon avocado toast!), plus it’s just a nice relaxing area to come “home” to after a stay of exploring the surrounding areas. My favorite was the market! I had gone to the restaurant at the other end of the island for lunch and was going to grab dessert from the hotel restaurant, but instead I purchased a lime mango cake from a punk at the market and ate it in bed like a goblin! Wonderful! My card key wouldn’t work from the outside door unfortunately, and they didn’t fix it by the time I left, but it seemed like something they were working on. Not a huge deal because I could just use the side door. I also found it odd that they didn’t line their garbage bins in the room, but that is a very mild complaint. Room service did a great job. I will be returning next year and hopefully bringing a friend or two. Everyone should experience this place!
• SS

  Sebastian

  Jun 7, 2026
  2.0
  We visited this hotel as we were considering staying there and asked to view a room. While the exterior looks very attractive and makes a great first impression, the interior tells a very different story — everything feels quite dated and worn. The price-to-quality ratio is simply not justified — the room had a noticeable musty smell and felt far from what you’d expect for the price. To make matters worse, no staff member bothered to show us to the room; we had to find it ourselves, which was anything but straightforward in such a large complex. We ended up not booking. Cannot recommend.
• TT

  Tanner

  Jun 7, 2026
  1.0
  We had human louse in our room, and based on the darkness and size they recently fed on our blood. The hotel refused to write an incident report, or compensate us for having to move hotels for the remainder of our stay. We now have to trash our luggage, sanitize what belongings we can, and go get blood work done to make sure we’re okay. We’ll have to call corporate, San Diego health and safety, etc. Incredibly dissatisfied and frankly surprised with how the hotel handled the situation. I’m confident after my interaction with the front desk they will not do the right thing by us, or other guests. Avoid at all costs.
• AS

  Al Strong

  May 29, 2026
  5.0
  My wife and I spent a couple of nights at the BW Island Palms to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary and it was wonderful. I called in advance to ensure I had booked the right room for the occassion and the staff was very helpful. Upon our arrival we found the room to be perfect - well furnished, spacious, clean, and had a great view. Upon check in, people wished us a happy anniversary and made the exprience very personal and special. The location on Shelter Island is beautiful. We are already looking for an opportunity to return.
• MS

  Marco De Santiago

  May 24, 2026
  1.0
  This hotel would be amazing if it wasn't for the fact that the rooms aren't being maintained. On my first stay I notified the Director of Guest Services of the issues that that room had: termite damage, non-functioning patio door handle, and a damaged toilet. He assured me that they would do better the next time. On our second stay we arrived to a room that must have been in the 90 degree temperature and the fan sounded like it was going to fall off. They "noted the damage" but the fan was never fixed during the 4 days that we stayed there. The room wasn't properly stocked with missing trash bags and only one towel. To top it off the remote didn't work. To compensate for the issue the director thanked me for "the time to share my thoughts."