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Hotel overview
Location
Shelter IslandProperty information
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Hotel details
Hotel advisories
General policies & fine print
Check-in Policy - Hotel requires a credit/debit card authorization or cash deposit upon check-in for incidentals; this will place a hold on your funds.
Convention Policy - Individuals attending a convention cannot book this property for their stay. If found attending a convention, guests may be subject to higher room rates upon arrival.
General Information - Room taxes are included in vacation price. Minimum night stay restrictions may apply. Reservation changes may not be permitted unless authorized by the hotel.
Ratings & reviews
TripAdvisor traveler rating
5006 reviews
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Apr 21, 2025Tropical Vibes
This hotel exceeded our expectations. If you’re looking for a real vacation vibe and a wonderful on-site restaurant without breaking the bank, this is the hotel for you. We only had two nights in San Diego and we were on a tight budget. Our room slept six and unlike some other hotels the pullout bed was actually extremely comfortable. The two pools were lovely and the area around the hotel is absolutely stunning. We loved walking to get coffee at a cute little café along the harbor.
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Apr 19, 2025Your experience will vary
I booked this hotel in large part based on its reviews. But traveler beware - there is a huge difference between the quality of your experience depending on what room you get. The difference in room price doesn't begin to reflect the actual difference. Do yourself a favor and pay the extra few bucks for a "marina view" - or at least call ahead to understand what you're getting. We booked a "superior" double queen room. I'd hate to see their non-superior rooms. What we got was a room on the ground floor whose door was right off the fumes in the parking lot, with a noisy AC unit by the door - like in the cheapest motels you've seen in movies. The room size was minuscule - two queen beds barely fit. For our last night of our stay we booked a room closer to the airport at a Motel 6 and it felt like a luxurious upgrade (space-wise). Now I should also mention the things we enjoyed about this hotel: its location in a park-like setting on Shelter Island, cleanliness, the amenities (pool, restaurant on site), and the high quality of the fixtures (bathroom, TV). They had a ridiculously large TV in the room, which was nice but further underscored how crammed the room was. I wish there was more transparency in advertising the various rooms this hotel offers. The broom closet we stayed in should not be priced on par with a quiet room on the other side of the building.
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Apr 17, 2025
Beware of the type of room you book
Traveler beware - there is a huge difference between the quality of your experience depending where your room is located. The price of the room doesn't begin to reflect these differences. Do yourself a favor and pay the extra few bucks for a "marina view" - or at least call ahead to understand what you're getting. We booked a "superior" double queen room. I'd hate to see their non-superior rooms. What we got was a room on the ground floor whose door was right off the fumes in the parking lot, with a noisy AC unit right by the door - like the cheap motels you've seen in movies. The room size was minuscule - two queen beds barely fit. For our last night we booked a room closer to the airport at a Motel 6 and it felt like a luxurious upgrade (space-wise). Now I should also mention the good things about this hotel: its location in a park-like setting on Shelter Island, the amenities (pool, restaurant on site), and the quality of the fixtures (bathroom, TV). They had a ridiculously large TV in the room, which was nice but unfortunately further underscored how crammed the room was. I wish there was more transparency in advertising the various rooms this hotel offers. The broom closet we stayed in should not be priced on par with a quiet room on the other side of the building.
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Apr 15, 2025
Hidden Gem lunch spot
We have stayed at the Island Palms in the past and have been very pleased with the experience. This time, we came to dine at their restaurant, that sits up on a deck, overlooking the marina, the pool, and the hills of Point Loma. It was a 5 Star experience. Our waitress Stacy was so welcoming, and had great customer service and recommendations. Their lunch menu had so many wonderful options and the quality was outstanding! Their $20 Burger and Brew special was amazing…a thick burger, cooked to perfection and a choice of several beers. They also feature the best Pineapple Dole Whip, this side of Hawaii. Can’t say enough about this place! We will be back! And hope to do a stay cation here soon!
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Apr 13, 2025Good Location & Property but Confusing Room Selection
When looking for a place to stay in San Diego we had stayed near Shelter Island in the past but not on Shelter Island. This hotel had good reviews and the prices were OK and we liked this location. One problem is there are so many types of rooms when looking online and it is unclear on really what view you are going to get. Once there I understood the issue - this place is cobbled together from what must have been two or three different hotels over the years. Some rooms face the parking lot and I can see those being called rooms with a "view" since you might be able to see downtown. There are also rooms that face inner walkways and even a loading dock... So beware when booking. Anyway we opted for a marina view room which was in the main building but with a first floor obstructed view of the marina. It was good enough. The room was a good size with a frig, microwave and coffee maker. The bathroom was large and with the best water pressure of our entire trip in the west. Impressive for California. There are two pools but we used neither. They also have pickleball courts - we didn't use those either. Unlike most Best Westerns breakfast is not included. If you want to save the $25/day parking fee you can park across the street in the beach parking lot. There are no restrictions and the lot is as close as most hotel parking lots. You can unload your luggage and then zip across the street. Easy. Overall a nice place to stay if you can figure out the room selection!