InterContinental San Diego by IHG

TL;DR: DO NOT STAY HERE. Two month expired food provided in room service. Security used to intimidate as part of their process to collect complaint information handled via their insurance.

1/ FOOD SAFETY + SERVICE
We stayed two nights at the InterContinental San Diego because the InterContinental is a refined hotel chain around the world that we have enjoyed because of its high standards. Not at this location. They served us condiments like this ketchup jar with 2 month expired date (we stayed early June 2026) with our breakfast room service order. When contacted on the in room phone, they did not take any action to address the issue nor apologize. Instead, they promised the good and beverage manager would arrive to our room to discuss in 5 minutes, but he never showed up. I walked down to the front desk and brought the expired condiment jars, and asked to see the food and beverage manager. He showed up in minutes, and stated he never got a call or email from the in room phone team to follow up with me. He was apologetic and stated he never saw this ketchup jar before, only the Heinz ketchup which we actually received the day before for room service. I assume he debugged this with his staff. He was clearly taking this seriously.

My experience with front desk and security was far worse and the reason why I am writing this review. Noah (sp) the front desk manager echoed apology, but also initiated their procedure to use their security staff to collect information from me because food borne illness claims are an insurance issue. It wasn’t clear to me that this was the case. And when security showed up, they made sure to treat me with the same aggressive, transactional, harsh manner they would treat someone they need to escort out of the bar for drinking too much. When I asked why I had to give her the info rather than start, she said, “I cannot tell you that.” This immediately escalated an already unpleasant situation. When I asked the security person to understand the next steps, she folded her arms, stood up straight, and said we will contact you when we are ready to. I clearly saw this sequence of events as intimidation and retribution for reporting a health safety issue. Noah was apologetic for this experience, handled the situation OK, but the security person never apologized or acknowledged how they escalated the situation.

All in all, I wouldn’t have left this review if it wasn’t for this uncalled for and intimidating encounter with security. I do not feel safe staying at this hotel… not only because of the food, but because how the hotel uses security to intimidate guests as part of their process for food borne illness complaints.

We reported this to the local public health authority.

2/ROOM
The room was very mid for an InterContinental hotel. It had the high class toiletries, but they didn’t have bathrobes or slippers. When you call room service, they can bring bathrobes. They didn’t give us slippers because they said the slippers haven’t been ordered yet. The pillows were flat and lifeless. Very different from the full down pillows at other InterContinentals. Windows are thin. We could hear the trains and cars outside thru the late night. The AC white noise helped muffle this.

3/LOCATION
This is the main reason why to stay here. It’s 10 minutes drive from the airport, 5-10 minutes walk into Little Italy, and there’s even a small farmers market on Saturday morning just outside the hotel. You’re also about 10-15 minutes from all other locations you’d want to see around the city, like Balboa Park, Ocean Beach, and Gaslamp.

The view

I stayed here prior to my Disney cruise. I booked here because the location closer to port. The front desk was friendly and nice. The Harbor view room shows "partial" view of the harbor and I wasn’t even able to see the cruise from my room which is a disappointment. The room smells Clorox or like a model kind of smell when I walked in. The bedsheet and towel were cleaned. However, the shower pressure was very low and water either too hot or too cold. To me, this intercontinental does not meet its standard and require attention on maintenance.

the location is pefect, the food at tbe bar was great and the facility was great

Fabulous views, great bar. Room was clean, comfortable.

Great Location however the hotel is letting itself down.

I stay here a fair bit and each time recently there have been small annoyances in the room.
Over my last 4 stays, Air Conditioning not working, Shower leaver to turn on loose resulting in very hot water, Hair dryer defective, low water pressure.

The hotel in general is very nice however I feel maintenance is being overlooked and checks are not being made correctly either due to lack of care and schedule or maintenance staff / house keeping aren’t checking and reporting.

Great hotel, very clean and comfortable. Would recommend.

Die Lage.

Our stay was amazing. From start to finish you can tell the staff put their heart and soul into their jobs. The view was amazing, the food was very pricey but tasted good. Shoutout to the Manager Noah who was able to fix our small issue with a smile on his face. P.S—- I have never seen a hotel with such handsome/pretty people at the front desk. It was very welcoming and semi intimidating literally every person was easy to look at with great smiles! We hope to be back soon.

We had a very smooth stay here with consistent coordination and service detail across teams. Ambassador recognition was handled clearly, and check-in felt organized and efficient. That same alignment carried into the lounge and Vistal, where staff moved seamlessly across roles and maintained a steady level of service.

The Grand Suite was thoughtfully laid out, with strong natural light and a clear sense of function. Housekeeping kept everything in order, with the suite consistently refreshed and small, detailed touches from Angie adding a personal feel.

The rooftop pool and deck added a resort-like element. The water was clean and warm, the space well organized, and the waterfront views made it easy to spend time there, even though it could get busy.

Dining at Vistal and Garibaldi offered a nice balance. Vistal felt more energetic and attentive, while Garibaldi provided a quieter, more measured setting. Justin and Julie helped shape both experiences.

The “Incredible Occasion” package was completed while we were out and matched what was booked, which reflected a good level of coordination and initiative.

The location at Santa Fe Depot made it easy to access both the waterfront and nearby transit. Overall, a smooth and well-run stay that came together consistently across the board.

We had a wonderful stay last week at the InterContinental San Diego and were so impressed from start to finish. The hotel itself is absolutely beautiful — modern, elegant, and very well maintained, with a great atmosphere throughout. The location is also hard to beat. It is, in my opinion, one of the best locations in San Diego, right on the waterfront and so convenient to everything. It made it easy for us to enjoy the city and really added to the overall experience.

From the moment we arrived, the service truly stood out. Arianna, who checked us in, was simply amazing. She was so attentive, warm, and incredibly friendly to my 7-year-old son. She gave him so much genuine attention, and when we mentioned that we had just visited Legoland, she went to the back and brought out some Lego candies for him. That absolutely made his day and was such a thoughtful gesture that we will not forget.

The outstanding service continued throughout our stay. Everyone we encountered was fantastic! From the room attendants we met in the hallways to the restaurant staff. What impressed us most was how gracious and helpful the restaurant team remained even during a very busy Sunday morning breakfast service. Even with so many guests waiting for tables, they were still doing all they could to help everyone with kindness, patience, and professionalism.

This hotel offers not just a beautiful place to stay, but true hospitality. We left feeling genuinely cared for and would absolutely stay here again.

Bright