Located in a historic armed services building near downtown San Diego, The Guild Hotel offers a unique lodging experience for visitors. I stayed here while attending a conference at the San Diego convention center. The Marriott Marquis is right next door to the convention center but I had yet to stay at a Tribute Portfolio Hotel.
I walked to the waterfront each day and definitely got my steps in while taking in the sites. Fortunately, there were several good taco shops in the area.
Booking and Check-In
I booked The Guild Hotel with a cash and points rate while submitting a Suite Night Award request and hoped for the best. Since I was only staying one night it increased my odds of getting the SNA approved.
This hotel is a part of the Marriott Luminous program, if you are not booking with points then you should consider booking with an agent that can get you the additional VIP perks.
Check-in was smooth via the app and upon arrival, Jocelyn took care of me quickly and cheerfully. My room wasn’t ready so I dropped my luggage off and headed out to the convention I was in town for.
About an hour later I received a phone call and text message to let me know my Master, Junior Suite was ready for me. I couldn’t make it right away but I call this another early check-in.
The check-in area has some unique curved corner seats that I passed on for fear of getting stuck but everything went smoothly regardless.
Amenity and Destination Fee at The Guild Hotel
Destination and resort fees are a hot topic so I will try to grab that information from each hotel I stay from now on. Here is how the Guild Hotel broke down its $25 daily destination fee
· Daily $25 F&B credit which I used at the Guild Bar for dinner and drinks (drinks included in the credit if you want to go full liquid diet).
· Overnight Self-Parking , **In/Out privileges can be added for additional $15 per night
· Two tickets to San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park
· Bike rentals **Based on availability
· Coffee Service – Freshly brewed Intelligentsia drip coffee and tea
· Complimentary bottled water
· High Speed Wi-Fi internet
· 24/7 Finess center access
· Local & Domestic calls
I am seeing destination fees at more and more non-resort hotels and it will be interesting to see how they evolve over time.
Room
My suite night award was granted for the Master Junior Suite which I felt was more like a large deluxe room at most other hotels. For maximum value on your SNA I would save it for another hotel.
The room definitely had a unique look, industrial, with brass and black accents. I liked it a lot and felt it delivered what the hotel was branding itself as. I had a great view of downtown and while I could hear the traffic it didn’t bother me too much, it was quiet after 9 pm. Fyi you can request earplugs if you need them.
The bed was large king-sized and very firm, exactly how I like my bed. Comfy pillows and unique bedside lighting made the sleeping space nice and comfy.
Bathroom
I liked the white tile with black grout and black accents throughout, I could see how some may not but it seemed to fit the overall “theme” of the hotel. My window looked out towards the Westing San Diego pool so I lowered that on arrival, for me, not them.
Dining at The Guild Hotel, San Diego
The Guild Bar
The guild bar was packed when I arrived for dinner, no reservations are taken, from a wedding party so I came back 30 minutes later. The bar staff was clearly not in the mood to service customers. You know when you are ordering and they are leaning-walking away? Exactly. Maybe they needed a drink.
I ordered a margarita and it was excellent. Unfortunately, salt was all down the backside of the glass so I had to drink with 2 fingers. Bummer on the execution.
The bar was mostly empty and unfortunately, my drink was empty most of the time as well. The bartender spent most of her time talking with a guest who was standing at the end of the bar with his dog, not even drinking.
I ordered the Puerto del sol cocktail, it was fresh and delicious with a nice smokey aftertaste from the mezcal.
The soup was a fresh vegetable, the sauce was incredibly hearty and full of flavor, remove the broccoli and it would be a 10, a little bit of heat kept it spicy. One of the heartiest vegetable soups I have ever had. Pair with focaccia and it would be a healthy comfort meal to come back to time and time again.
The carbonara was not a hit, pecorino was hard and did not add to the dish. The pasta was perfectly done, the pancetta was cut too large and the saltiness overpowered every other bite.
The Guild Cafe
I took the free breakfast option instead of points and used it at The Guild Cafe, the same place as The Guild Bar just in the morning. I had a great continental breakfast with oatmeal, fresh fruits, a banana, coffee, and apple juice. I saw some other guest eating croissant sandwich and it too looked delicious.
The Guild Cafe was hoping from 7:30 am on and it was a perfect spot to start the day. The best part about breakfast was sitting in the wonderful interior courtyard. This is where the wedding reception from the night before was held and it really is a hidden gem in the middle of San Diego.
Fitness Center
A small but workable gym area at the Guild Hotel was clean and well-stocked with towels and a water station. This was the first gym I came across that had boxing gloves available, not sure if it was for decoration or fitness use but it was unique The peloton bike is always nice.
Final Thoughts
The industrial theme was unique and with a great front desk staff, the hotel was rescued from a poor bar experience. Even though this is not the style of a hotel I prefer I am glad I visited during this trip. If the price is right I would definitely come back and if I had to host an event I would try to grab that interior courtyard for the evening.
Have you stayed here or at another Tribute Portfolio hotel? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
