Horton Grand Hotel

San Diego, United States

3.4

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

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Telephone:
+1 619-544-1886
Website:
www.hortongrand.com
Address:
311 Island Ave, San Diego, CA, 92101
b/t 4th Ave & 3rd Ave
Gaslamp
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
780 ftConvention Center
0.2 miGaslamp Quarter
0.4 miSeaport Village
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Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Wi-Fi
Free
Dogs Allowed
No

Today

Today –
Local time (San Diego) 14:43 Thursday, 28 November 2024

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Discover an enchanting blend of style, class and charm with a warm, intuitive service when you stay at the Horton Grand Hotel, a historic retreat set in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter District.

Step inside our hotel and re-​discover the timeless charm of the 1880s. Each room is adorned with hand-​crafted antique furniture and marble-​framed gas fireplaces, yet feature their own distinctive décor. Enjoy modern amenities, such as complimentary wireless Internet access, coffee/​tea maker and flat-​screen TVs, as you relax in these historic accommodations.

Stop by The Palace Bar for a drink with friends or colleagues before having dinner at one of the fantastic nearby restaurants. The Palace Bar is open daily from 5:00pm to late. Entertainment on the weekends.

You are only moments away from San Diego’s Convention Center, Horton Plaza shopping mall, Petco Park, Light rail trolley and some of the area’s best restaurants, bars and other attractions when you stay at the Horton Grand Hotel.

History

Established in 1886.

History abounds at the Horton Grand Hotel, which is a restoration of two separate historic hotels: The Grand Horton Hotel and the Brooklyn-​Kahle Saddlery Hotel.

The two hotels were built in the mid-​1880s and were originally located where Horton Plaza mall now stands.

1886 — the Elegant Grand Horton Hotel is born

Opened in 1886, the Grand Horton Hotel was an elegant, ornate Italianate Victorian structure built by German immigrant Peter Mayerhofer in his desire to replicate the Innsbruck Hotel in Austria.

It was constructed by prominent San Diego architects Comstock and Trotsche.

The Hotel was one of 300 structures built during the Boom of the 1880s to accommodate the influx of people to the little seacoast town of 5,000. Over, 26,000 visitors flocked to the town after the arrival of San Diego’s first transcontinental railroad in 1885.

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Nearby

Near this location:
1
ft
The Cheese Shop Deli
311 Island Ave
1
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Palace Bar
311 Island Ave
30
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New View Window Cleaners
311 Island Ave
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Tonight In San Diego
444 4th Ave
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miXtape
Horton Grand Theater 444 4th Ave
130
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Horton Grand Theatre
444 4th Ave

20 reviews of Horton Grand Hotel

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Temecula, CA
We stayed here for the first time celebrating our anniversary and everything was great. The staff, Steve and especially Nathan were so helpful. I miss seeing the suits that they all wear. Gave it that special classy feel for us. We’re were surprised when we saw a bottle of Champagne in our room from Heather in concierge. We’ll be back.
Place rating: 4
Newport Beach, CA
We stayed one night. Bar is great and the small plate selections were delicious! The front desk and bar staff were great. However valet did not even attempt to take our bags out of the car. Overnight parking for hotel is 36.00 a night. Rooms are ok, getting a balcony next time. Our windows were filthy, I mean filthy. The coffee at this hotel is horrible both in room and resturant. Tastes like brown water. Location of this hotel is stellar.
Place rating: 5
Temecula, CA
Since the new ownership/​management, this place is wonderful. I always choose this place in the past due to it location and price, however the hotel itself was shabby and the service bad. Not anymore, overall it is a great place to stay, hitting all points required to be a good hotel.
LOL, some clown said they were racist, some «hispanic», likely drunk. When I went here last with my «hispanic» lady they were having a giant asian wedding, I was the only white guy around. The staff is top notch, no problems with people relations. Great bar with food offerings.
Place rating: 1
Los Angeles, CA
Nicholas, bartender at hotel bar, is a racist!
— NYE at their bar
— DJ announces last call
— We head to bar for last drink
— Nicholas denies us a drink, lying last call was 10 min ago & denies us service, outright
— White lady walks up, asks for champagne, Nicholas gives it to her without hesitation
— Another white couple walks up, asks for drinks, Nicholas services them without hesitation
— Blatantly obvious he didn’t care to service the hispanic looking people
As for the hotel, the vintage charm and history is nice, but it is very noisy inside at all times, in addition to the bar and/​or outside noises. You can see they’ve tried to renovate and add on to the rooms, but they are still very small & had several cracks in the walls. The location for the 1 set of elevators is very inconvenient depending where your room is located or if you have alot of luggage. These facts, in addition to rates being a bit overpriced, as are the drinks in their Palace bar, and the racist incident above definitely make it not worth it to stay here. There are so many other better places to stay in San Diego.
Note to the clown who can’t read a review properly: «They» aren’t racist, the person who demonstrated this behavior is. Drunk? Would’ve been nice! Then we wouldn’t have remembered being treated this way.
Place rating: 4
Redding, CA
What a find! This place a hidden gem. We were able to check in early which was great after a very long drive. The restaurant was equally as nice with staff that had knowledge of the historical insight to the hotel. The bar… well they allow kids in the bar and during Christmas they were allowed to play the piano, run around unattended and without supervision. When asked why they would allow this they said because they are guests, which they were not. We found torn sheets, blankets and blood on the blanket. The staff was quick to replace and no other issues with housekeeping thereafter. While we may seem a bit disappointed, we loved the place and would stay again in a heartbeat. Our son-​in-​law is a police officer in that area of town and assured us it was save, which we found as well.
Place rating: 1
Anaheim, CA
We found Bed Bugs in our room !! A lot of them. It ruined our trip. I’m being courteous enough to give one star
Place rating: 4
Keller, TX
Staff was amazing! Great location. Room was nice and clean. Bathroom was a little small but for such a historic hotel I wasn’t expecting much more. I would definitely stay there again.
Place rating: 2
La Mesa, CA
Cute gorgeous Victorian hotel. Went for my anniversary and they upgraded us to a balcony room. That was really nice but the room wasn’t. Furniture was lackluster and the room was dusty and linty! My clothes, leggings and cardigans, were COVERED in lint! Inspected the bed looking for bed bugs, which I always do. No bugs but 2 huge pee stains on the mattress. Went to the Ida Bailey restaurant for breakfast. The food was 2 stars and service horrible! Was ignored by the server and not given the salad that was included with my meal. When I asked him about the salad he said, he doesn’t give it to people cause they don’t want it. Then why is it on the menu? And it’s wrong to say people don’t want it when I’m asking for it. Will not be back to the restaurant ever. And if I come back to stay I will be asking for a nice room…
Place rating: 4
Arcadia, CA
Great location. The details of the building are pretty amazing. Beautiful really. The room was on the smaller and older side. If you appreciate history, this should be a rather fun place to stay. The toilet was pretty fun. You’ll understand when you see it.
OVERNIGHT PARKING IS ADDITIONAL.
Place rating: 5
Hemet, CA
Such a charming and romantic hotel. I knew it was an older hotel upon arriving so I had my doubts but it was beautiful. So well kept up and full of history. It was more than I expected.
We arrived about 9am (check in is at 3pm) we were able to valet our car (yes totally expensive for overnight but well worth not having to hassle with where to park) and they held our bags until it was time to check in so we could walk around and enjoy the day.
We checked in before 3 which was really nice. The only thing I asked for was to be as far away from the «haunted» room as possible and they lady at the desk laughed and helped me out :) We got our room and it faced the street on the third floor. I walked in and loved it. It was a sweet room and by sweet I mean cute and comfortable. It had all the charm of a historic room but with newer features. (Gas fireplace and flat screen tv) the bed was comfortable and the free waters were a treat.
The the staff we felt with were really nice. As to the noise it’s to be expected. I mean, it’s in Gaslamp aka party central. Bring earplugs and you’ll be fine. I fell asleep with the tv on low and I wasn’t woken up at all. I will come back for sure.
Place rating: 5
Escondido, CA
I had an amazing experience at the hotel. It’s located in a great spot and is extremely easy to get around and do what you want. The staff here were nice and incredibly helpful. The rooms weren’t too bad and the size was decent for staying in for a weekend. The restaurant/​bar were both really great. The food is actually pretty good too. The valet wasn’t too bad but did cost a bit compared to other placed around the hotel. Overall though, I definitely recommend staying here. The location, staff and food were amazing.
Place rating: 4
San Diego, CA
The Horton Grand Hotel is a beautiful Victorian-​style boutique hotel. The entrance is located on Island Street, off of 4th street. It is a short walk to the beach, the mall, and all the nightlife that can be found in the Gaslamp Quarter. Smaller and with rooms that have more personality than the larger chain hotel options. The hotel itself is older and also well taken care of. The courtyard is quaint and relaxing with its running water fountain and live trees.
Service was great. There is a valet service with a flat overnight rate set at $ 35 USD, as compared to surrounding garages and lots that have fluctuating costs. The valet garages are secure and no one but the hotel valets can enter.
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
3 stars for being close to the convention and affordability.
Otherwise expect poor service and noisy nights filled with the screamings of crazy people, drunk people, and scorned lovers.
You’ll yearn for the noise of ambulances and trains, which at least you can sleep through at other hotels.
Place rating: 4
College Park, MD
The Horton Grand is a small, old, boutiquey hotel right in the Gaslamp district. After reading some reviews I expected the older décor, and was actually pleasantly surprised. The room definitely felt older, but everything was very clean and there were free bottled waters, coffee, and tea laid out for us.
Upon our arrival we were greeted by a friendly valet, which wasn’t cheap but that’s what it takes to park downtown. The front desk person was friendly too, upgrading us to a king room with a corner balcony facing the street for free. If you’re a friendly and considerate guest, I don’t think you’d have the problems with rude employees that some people have complained about.
The only downside of the entire stay was that the live music being played in the downstairs restaurant was loud enough to be clearly heard in our room, even with the door closed. The person performing that night played piano man at least 4 times, and that got old quick!
At the price I got ($ 135 per night on Labor Day weekend) Horton Grand was a great value and provided us with a clean spot to sleep in a great location. I highly recommend it.
Place rating: 1
San Diego, CA
WOW, I have never stayed in a hotel where almost every person behind the front counter had an attitude problem. I called before my stay to ask about microwaves in the room and the guy I spoke with was very rude and hung up on me. Fantastic!
They charged my friend close to $ 400 on top of what we paid for the room, for no reason. There was no apology from the hotel or anything. Super!
The room itself, after we had to fight with the key and doorknob, wasn’t bad. There was a courtyard view, which was pretty nice. I get that they are going for the whole «authentic» look in the bathroom, but it makes me wonder if the porcelain cracks and mold in the area above the toilet were the selling points for Wyatt Earp.
Place rating: 1
King, WA
We stayed at the Horton Grand Hotel for two nights while we were in San Diego. I was excited when we first walked into the hotel because it was a super cute historic boutique hotel. Upon entering, the hotel looks really nice with lots of bright light and pretty chandeliers. You also get a glimpse into the courtyard with a lot of patio seating and it also lights up at night which creates a perfect spot to relax and have a glass of champagne. We booked the traditional fireplace room and it was very clean.
So why the one star? The room was small. Smaller than I had expected and it had no closet whatsoever. There was an armoire and a dresser. I’m glad we only stayed two nights because any longer and I would have felt claustrophobic. Additionally, the pillows were flabby and flacid (never a good descriptor) and completely uncomfortable. Okay, all this, I could possibly look over because the hotel room was really clean. However, what I could not look past was that the fact the walls and ceiling are PAPER THIN. I could barely get more than a few hours of sleep (and was kicking myself for not bringing prescription sleeping pills, an eye mask, ear plugs, and a soundproof helmet because seriously, I don’t know who can sleep in this hotel without this survival kit). I could hear every single noise from the person staying above us. This person must have had a really small bladder because they were up every 2 – 3 hours walking around and making a ruckus above us. How do I know this? Because I was literally up almost the entire night.
So thanks, but no thanks, Horton. I won’t be back.
Place rating: 3
Howell, UT
I intended on writing a great review. But it’s 9:40pm on a Thursday and the front desk just informed me the VERY loud music in the bar downstairs plays every Thursday and Friday until 11pm. Not cool.
Worse, from 1 – 4:30AM a slew of rap fans and their giant party bus sat outside and blared their music.
This is a great M-​W hotel. Otherwise plan on not sleeping much.
Place rating: 3
San Diego, CA
I came here for an event that was held in their courtyard. I liked the courtyard area. It has ample seating and trees throughout.
As far as the event, there was only one bar so that is always something that slows people down. They opened up a room adjacent to the courtyard to accommodate all of the people, but the décor was sparse and it was stuffy.
Place rating: 4
Redondo Beach, CA
This review is based upon the Horton Grand Hotel’s lunch buffet offered from July 23 — July 27, 2014 during the San Diego Comic Con International, which the City of San Diego hosts every year at the Convention Center and thousands occupy the Gaslamp area looking for food, shelter and entertainment.
The Horton Grand Hotel offered a Mexican Buffet. They had a guy at the street corner offering samples of the pork, and it was «drug dealer style» and I got hooked by the free sample… first one’s free… then you pay…
The price was good at $ 15 for AYCE self service buffet food, highlighted by the tender moist flavorful chunks of stewed pork in a savory sauce.
The service was good, and very friendly.
The selection was limited, but for me, all I needed was the pork.
They had: Pork, Enchiladas, Chicken, Rice Beans, and Salad. Plus, it came with Iced Tea too. No chips, No desert, No tortilla soup, No ground beef or taco bar as are sometimes standard with Mexican buffets (like they have at El Torito’s), but the quality of food here is very FRESH and DELICIOUS.
I didn’t stay at the hotel, so don’t know how the rooms are and this place is for lodging (‘tho I did enter a contest at their front desk for a free room). The architecture is nice and it seems like a good boutique hotel.
Place rating: 5
Lake Forest, CA
The charm. The location. The views from our balcony.
I don’t give out 5 stars lightly… but this is where they belong.
I was a little puzzled by my pre-​trip research on this hotel. Why all the «meh» reviews? My husband and I got a great deal on our stay but we would have paid double just for the beautiful experience we had at this hotel.
We checked in around 6pm and kindly asked for a room with a balcony. I love the front façade and people watching is one of my favorite hobbies so I requested one street-​facing. The agent warned us that the night club across the street can be quite lively until around 1am but since we’re the lively type, that didn’t bother us one bit!
We are SO glad we got our corner balcony room. The view of gaslamp and all the fun made our trip an adventure and our room was spacious with 18′ ceilings, a king size bed, a bay window with desk, waredrobe for hanging clothes and above all else, a flat screen mounted above the gas fireplace.
Definitely not haunted.
Definitely romantic in all ways.
Definitely the most charming hotel in Gaslamp.
Definitely coming back ASAP!