My wife and I stayed at the Winners Circle Resort in August 2024. The resort is well-maintained, close to the beach, and conveniently located near many restaurants and shops. It's also about 20–30 minutes from downtown San Diego. The accommodations were spacious, with a TV and appliances, and the staff I interacted with were great—except for my check-in experience. When I checked in, I was informed that I would have to check out and then check in again four days into my week-long stay. No reason was provided then, so I emailed the resort manager, who responded promptly. However, the explanation still made no sense. It felt like a complete waste of time and was an inconvenience, as I had to wait in line again to check in four days into my stay. If this was simply an administrative issue, I don't understand why my room keys couldn't have been programmed for the entire duration of my stay. Additionally, my handwritten parking pass could have been issued with an expiration date matching the end of my stay. I don't work in the hospitality industry, so maybe I'm missing something, but while this wasn't a major inconvenience, it affected my overall experience and left a negative first impression. First impressions matter, and this one set the tone for my stay at the resort.
The place was nice, we were surprised at the outside hallways, but I guess that’s just a Southern California thing. The room was large, clean and of course a comfortable Marriott mattress. The coffee maker, microwave and mini fridge were appreciated. They just got their liquor license and we spent some time with bartender Chrissy out in the little Bistro. She made me a delicious Old Fashioned then we spent time at the fireplace talked to a couple from Toronto. Don’t miss Bangkok Bay Thai restaurant right next door, it’s the real deal, get a reservation.
This hotel is actually really nice! I was completely surprised how nice for the price. Now I will say that you get the noise of the freeway depending on where you are in the hotel. I was blessed to be on the backside so maybe ask for a room not on the traffic side. It was a great spot for us to meander up the coast the next day before we headed up to Disneyland area.