The Town and Country San Diego is perhaps best described as a swanky motel advertising itself to conference groups under the lure of a resort stay in an area of San Diego away from all the main attractions.

This stay occurred in February 2023

Booking

As regular readers know, I help volunteer in the healthcare industry. This trip to San Diego, CA was covered as part of my volunteering. While I did not pay for this trip, the opinions and views expressed in this article remain my own.

The rate for this stay was $219/night, with an additional $10/night resort fee. To be honest, the rate felt a bit high for a resort of this caliber, especially considering it was far too cold to use the pool and water slide. Perhaps the resort understands this as the resort fee is now up to $22.50/night for a stay in May. It’s difficult to determine exactly what is included in the resort fee but found a screen where they list proximity to a shopping mall as an amenity (but is that something should that be covered by a separate fee?).

One awkward thing I would like to point out is the resort advertises to conferences to use its facilities. However the process is very drawn out—we did not have confirmation everything was properly booked until shortly before the meeting date. Also, there were no reservation confirmations sent out to guests staying at the resort. Instead, we were instructed to provide basic information in a spreadsheet and just rely on rooms being made available for us. This process certainly didn’t seem modern.

Arrival and First Impressions

The resort itself is not located around where you want to be. If coming in from out of town, there could be a desire to stay in the Gaslamp district, but that is a good 10-15 drive away. If you’re here for theme parks, it’s also not conveniently located. The resort is located just off the freeway, next to a shopping mall and a light rail station—not too convenient if you don’t have a car. Thankfully I drove in, so I wasn’t held captive here.

I arrived at the front desk and found no one else in line aside from one other customer speaking with three staff members. Despite the staff members noticing me, I wasn’t acknowledged for a good 10 minutes and then it was just to let me know someone would be with me shortly. Another 5 minutes later, I was finally assisted with check in. Thankfully, they were able to find my reservation despite not sending me a confirmation of any kind. Unfortunately, that marquee board behind the front desk is rather blinding at night. It’s not so bad during the day but the brightness needs to be toned down at night.

The Room

I was assigned Room 1602 in the Palm Tower. This required a walk to the other side of the premises. The stroll seemed nice enough at first, but I have to admit that the Palm Tower felt a bit unsafe. The property bills itself as a resort, but honestly it felt more like a swanky motel. All rooms here at the Palm Tower were exterior-facing and while it seemed well-lit from afar, it felt a bit dim walking through the floors.

Access is controlled via a scanner that checks for a valid room key. Of course, I experienced a number of people who just showed up when I was taking the elevator and piggy-backed off my keycard swipe, so I’m not sure how secure the process truly is, especially with immediate access next to a parking lot and the adjacent mall and light rail station.

Upon reaching the sixth floor, I had to make my way around the corner. There were at least a few water refill stations scattered about. But I have to admit, I’m fortunate to be male as I told Jenn I wouldn’t feel safe walking here as an unaccompanied female.

Once inside the room, I was greeted by a small nook where a coffee machine and wet bar is located. Just beyond is an inviting bed, TV, and seating. I should point out the one difficulty with this room is the lighting. While my camera adjusted somewhat for the lack of lighting, it can perhaps best be seen in the first photo below–this is the brightest possible setting in the room, making it a bit difficult to work inside the room.

Just to the left of the entranceway is the bathroom, which was unmemorable. Toiletries are from Pure by Gloss, something I’ve never heard of before. Just across the way from the restroom is a giant mirror, which I have to say is not exactly a flattering location. When using the toilet, staring at myself is perhaps the last thing I’d want to be doing.

Outside, the view was at least decent. From this angle, the complex felt like a true resort and I had a decent view of the water slide on property.

Resort Amenities

Awaiting guests in the middle of the complex is a map outlining the property. There are some seats and tables scattered about, but it felt a bit overwhelming in certain spots.

The main feature making this resort a resort is the pool. There is a main pool located in the center of the complex. I didn’t have a chance to use it during my stay (and to be honest, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to using it in February).

Next to the pool is a nice area for small children. This pool is zero-entry and doesn’t go more than a foot deep, making it ideal for infants to get used to the water. I’m surprised the resort invested in a pool that would otherwise have very limited use given the lack of appeal for adults.

Just behind the zero-entry pool is a water slide. However, it wasn’t functional during my stay. It feels somewhat of a missed opportunity to have all the pools interconnected with perhaps a pedestrian bridge over the pool, but as it stands they are all separate pools.

Behind the restaurant where guests normally wouldn’t wander is where a couple of lawn games can be found. It felt just a tad odd to be playing resort games so close to the parking lot. Unless there were some other games hiding in other places around the resort, this is all I happened upon. I did see a sand volleyball court on property but did not get a chance to check it out.

Dinner at The Lapper

On my first night, I ate The Lapper, one of the on-site restaurants. Trying to be somewhat healthy, I ordered the ahi tuna with vegetables (just ignore the sweet potato fries and chocolate cake). The restaurant itself didn’t seem to be that popular on a Thursday night in February. The meal itself was just ok. The ahi was overcooked with an unnecessary sauce spread over the top of it. The quality of the fish could also be better (which might explain the heavy use of sauce). The chocolate cake at least was satisfying, though I probably shouldn’t have ordered after all the food during the main course.

Odds and Ends

I referenced earlier that the hallways were not protected from the elements. That turned out to be an important detail for my stay. My room’s door faced the west, which is exactly where the ocean breeze comes from. Unfortunately, there was a storm also visiting the city the same time I was there. In the middle of the night, the door frequently rattled, causing sleepless nights. It was also a challenge keeping the room adequately warm, as the cool night air easily penetrated the door and the in-room heater did not do an effective job. In the morning, the hallways had plenty of water and puddles from the rain. While I can’t fault the resort when it comes to the weather, I can fault them on the design of the hallways and wish they offered more protection from the weather.

I’m used to Wi-Fi connections that require some layer of security, such as a splash screen asking for room number and last name. But here there was zero added layer of security–just joining the network immediately connects you. Always remember to use a VPN to boost security especially when it’s otherwise lacking.

This is also the first hotel I’ve seen that seems to promote consuming marijuana. Both room keys I was provided referenced the same quote: “I lost all of my weed in a series of small fires”. For a resort promoting its property to conferences, it seems unprofessional to be also promoting weed. Call me a prude if you’d like, but I would feel the same way if they promoted getting drunk on their room keys.

Lastly, I did come down with a nasty stomach bug while on property. I feel pretty confident I got it while on property and truly made my life miserable on of the days here. I’ve attempted to not have it bias my review, but ultimately feel it’s fair to call it out as a warning as it’s something I experienced. I’d recommend eating off-property, perhaps at the Simon Mall nearby if you don’t have access to a car.

Recommendation: Only If You Like Motels

First off, I wouldn’t recommend conferences here. The resort seems to have a challenge with communication with conference groups, the venue itself doesn’t seem appropriate, and rooms don’t feel safe enough for conference participants. I can certainly envision a key demographic for this resort, but it almost feels like trying to capture the conference crowd was an afterthought or a quick money-grab without investing any resources other than setting up a few conference rooms which feel almost like converted guest rooms. The website didn’t do a good job of setting expectations.

So who would be interested in this resort? I’d say locals, perhaps those with infants or small children, who would otherwise stay in budget or value hotels and motels during the summer months. I think out-of-towners might be more swayed by a spot closer to the main attractions and warmer weather would mean the pools have value.

Where do you normally stay in San Diego? Is there any place you would recommend?