Carte Hotel San Diego Downtown, Curio Collection By Hilton

Staff, Gym

Great hotel, very clean and comfortable. Would recommend.

This Curio property lives up to the standard in some important ways, but also falls short in others. Overall, I found it to be a very average stay...a hotel that wasn't unpleasant to stay at, but one in which I wouldn't go out of my way to stay at again. I'll try to be level headed in my review, in order to be of maximum usefulness to future travelers.

Let's get the obvious out of the way, and the complaint that seems to come up the most in previous reviews. Parking is, in fact, valet only, and very expensive ($70/night). If you look around at other downtown hotels, you'll find very similar parking rates per night. That's the San Diego market. That can be easily mitigated by using an app like SpotHero. We found a rate, within 2 blocks, for the entire week at about the same cost as one night of valet at the hotel. Our first night we were arriving late, and I used the valet to ease the check in process, so having the option is nice.

The other big online complaint is the price of the food at the restaurant. I tend to agree with the assessment here. Food is very high for the quality ($7 black coffee, $18 stack of pancakes) and seems to be management's attempt to turn a profit despite the $15 destination credit everyone gets (which can ONLY be used at the restaurant) and the up to $30 Gold and Diamond member credits ($15/ per person, up to 2 people, that can be used at the restaurant or the snack shop). I'll only mention this one, because it's been discussed at length and more eloquently elsewhere, that I find it endlessly frustrating that some of these hotels join a loyalty system in order to benefit from the consumers who are loyal to that hotel system, but have no intention of offering any real value to those consumers. This hotel is the epitome of that philosophy.

The property itself is nice. The lobby is open and inviting. There are some nice features that add interest, like the leaves from Balboa Park that are imprinted in the patio outside the front doors. The restaurant space, also on the first floor, is bright from the numerous windows that look out onto the street. I used points to stay on an upper floor, 2 queens. Despite there being a slightly larger corner room available for our entire stay at the time of check in, this upgrade was not offered (again, don't expect much in the way of status benefits here, that's not the vibe). I was traveling with my two 11 year olds for five nights, and the room was plenty comfortable for us. It's wasn't particularly large, but the space was used well, with coffee maker (KCups), refrigerator, and safe. There were a few signs of wear and tear, but nothing that was egregious. And the bathroom was fantastic.... definitely larger than many downtown hotel rooms, with a glass enclosed shower that felt high end. It was great to have extra space in the bathroom, especially with an 11 year old girl that brought her entire skin care regimen!

The hotel is also in a great location, only a few blocks from Little Italy and the Embarcadero. It was great to be able to leave in the morning and be within a few minutes walk of numerous restaurants and the waterfront. There is also a gym attached to the hotel, and a full sized, class-providing one at that. It's a major selling point, and for good reason. If you want to maintain a workout on your trip, this hotel delivers. Unfortunately, I was traveling with little ones, and the gym only allowes adults 18 and older to work out, which makes sense considering the membership clientele, but something to take note of.

There is also a pool on the fourth floor, although this was closed most of the week we were there. This was not posted on the website, and so was disappointing to discover upon arriving. I informed the manager who reached out via text midweek, Jordan, that it felt like a bit of a scam to sell rooms without notifying potential customers of a significant closure. After some initial corporate speak (Anything we can do to Make It Right at this moment?), he responded back in a very human and friendly way, explaining way it had not been posted on the website. I appreciated that bit of real connection, especially since so many of my other interactions felt like I was nothing but a dollar.
The pool actually opened the last day we were there, and it was very nice. My kids and I had fun splashing around and playing Marco Polo, which was easy because the entire pool is fairly shallow. There is also a very large hot tub, as well.

I loved the fact the housekeeping showed up daily, and did a really nice job of cleaning our room. The counter to that, though, was the overall cheap feel of many of the in room amenities, like the toilet paper and bath towels, both of which are most accurately described as rough and thin.

Upon checkout, the very neutral front desk young lady asked if she should send the bill via email. She seemed slightly perturbed when I asked to have it printed, and more so when I pointed out that I was charged the destination fee despite having paid for our stay with points (one of the last true Hilton Diamond benefits left is not having to pay the resort/destination fee when using points). She argued for a minute, then finally concurred that the charge should be removed. There was not even the faintest hint of an apology to be given, which is fine.... just disappointing. I don't need a hotel to kiss my feet as a loyalty member, but the small niceties go a long way to make a member feel special. Whether that's acknowledging a customer's loyalty to the brand at check-in (which also wasn't done here) or apologizing for an inconvenience, those are the small details that can change a guests experience and star rating.

To sum up, Carte Hotel San Diego Downtown is entirely average. The structure is nice, the location great, and the gym fantastic. The obvious attempts at gaining Hilton business without providing any real value and the lack of a strong customer centric culture set it back considerably. The name Carte, I believe, is meant to convey the sense of having a passport to explore the surrounding neighborhood, and I would suggest that's the best way to use this hotel.... as a place to spend minimal time, with minimal expectations.

They are a bunch of scammers not worth the price they’ll charge you Random fees and have an excuse for them do not recommend staying here .

Su ubicación

Second stay, and happily so. The Carté is sorta-upscale within the Hilton family and doesn't disappoint the regular traveler. Expect open decor, quiet walls, and cheerful service... the downtown location is especially convenient for people who want to walk. Parking is expensive and may be a show stopper, but if one is cab/ride-sharing, it's great! However, the valet staff is awesome; they seem to like their jobs enough to treat all guests with a bit of old-world service (opening doors, greeting to the property, offering to help with bags...)

Food's... good. Cuisine? No. Good? Yes. But, I'd guess 90% of the guests aren't coming here for the food - more for the easy 'downtown' location, and/or Hilton loyalty. Still, breakfast is better than most business/sorta-upscale hotels. "Luke" the bartender is a hoot — he has the natural rapport and energy that makes you wonder if he's playing to a camera; he's awesome!

Apparently the rooftop lounge/restaurant will be remodeled soon - don't see why as it's pretty nice (but otherwise unremarkable in comparison to other similar properties). That the company is remodeling to improve shows a great attitude towards customer-attention and accouterment. Met the F&B manager and she seems on top of her game to do-well for guests.

BUT. Gee whiz, the GYM...

"This aint no Hilton gym." The hotel is attached to a club called "Fit" - it's a membership gym that caters to the San Diego downtown community. It's gotta be 20,000 sq ft... and clean, sharp, great kit + great steam/dry sauna rooms. Had I not used the Fit Gym, I'd have totally tried a different Hilton property in San Diego (I've been to three now). Now? I'll prolly stick with the Carté.

Great location and clean amenities

My stay at Cartè was magnificent. The staff were friendly and engaging. The rooms were nice and clean, the food was great, and the rooftop bar was the highlight. Isabel at the front desk was amazing. She was in-training but I couldn’t tell. I booked a room for training with my job and extra days for leisure. She made sure I had the same room for both check-in’s so I didn’t have to pack and unpack. Isabel bright smile and attention was awesome.
Isabel you rock 🤘.

Incredible hotel, food, and staff ! Hats off to Jordan who couldn’t have been kinder or more helpful!

Situación

Jordan and hospital staff were outstanding. True gems in the hospitality business! Thank you Jordan and all for an outstanding time and making our trip to San Diego so enjoyable.

So I've been here for two weeks. Here's my evaluation. I've had lack of hot water for showers for a number of mornings. I got refilled all decaf coffee multiple days. I had to ask for toilet paper, because there was as little on the roll and nothing refilled. The cafe and bar staff are disinterested. I have sat there for almost an hour with no service at all. At 655 am I asked for oj, simple request, they couldn't do it. Fridge failed, and food spoiled. Requested replacement never came. The app has to repeatedly reset so that I'm sitting outside my room with out access. Your staff has been great with my printing requests. That's about the best part I can say about my stay.

I think this is a great hotel, and I have probably stayed here around ten times, enough that I’ve gotten to know some of the wait staff and the reception team at the excellent gym that’s included. I really like the rooms, especially the beds. I’ve even come to appreciate the quirky globe desk lamp, though it’s not ideal for reading documents or working from the room. Overall, I sleep like a champ here and love the water dispensers on each floor. I’ve stayed here many times.

On a few occasions, however, when asking the front desk for anything, they have seemed disinterested and not particularly helpful. I’ve noticed the sly “phone tuck” move under the front desk counter so they can go back to scrolling on their phones rather than showing much interest or concern for customers. This has happened probably three times over the years when I was breaking bills to tip the valet.

During a recent stay, I was running late and had to check out quickly to make it to the airport. Unfortunately, there was a billing error on my folio. Since then, I’ve emailed three separate times and made several phone calls trying to get a corrected bill. At this point, I’ve likely spent 50x the value of the error when calculating my time, but I'm a stickler about auditing and accounting. I’m okay with the occasional billing mistake, those things happen let's fix it. It’s just unfortunate that these errors never seem to work out in the customer’s favor. What’s more frustrating is how difficult it has been to get the issue corrected. I’m hoping this review will be enough to get the attention of management and encourage the front desk staff to be a bit more responsive and attentive when guests need assistance.

I came along with a few friends for a little staycation at the Carte Hotel in Little Italy and it ended up being such a nice experience. The location is honestly perfect, there are so many great restaurants, coffee spots, and the waterfront all within walking distance, which made it really fun and easy for us to explore the area.

The hotel itself felt really clean, modern, and relaxing, and the rooftop views were such a nice touch. The staff were welcoming and helpful throughout the stay. When we were checking out, the valet team made everything really smooth and easy. Josue helped us with the car and was friendly and professional, which was a really nice way to end the trip!

Overall it was a great stay and I’d definitely recommend the Carte Hotel if you’re looking for a comfortable place right in the heart of Little Italy. Perfect for a little getaway with friends.

Overall amazing experience from the staff to the hotel!

Great hotel, very clean and comfortable. Would recommend.