If I could give this place zero stars, I would. Unfortunately, our experience was extremely disappointing from start to finish. To begin with, we did not encounter any of the "super friendly" staff mentioned in other reviews. In fact, the only interactions we had were overhearing staff laughing and chatting loudly while guests were trying to sleep. It felt unprofessional and inconsiderate. The walls were incredibly thin--we could hear everything, including conversations and people walking through the hallways. There was absolutely no sense of privacy. On top of that, the mattress was very uncomfortable, making it difficult to get any proper rest. The shower also had visible mold, which was surprising given how highly the property is reviewed for cleanliness. Overall, I would never stay here again. If it hadn't been Valentine's weekend and difficult to find alternative accommodations, we would have left and booked somewhere else. read more

Sea Harbor Hotel - Mold in the shower - Hotels Near Me - San Diego, California

Perfect hide-a way spot with comfort and an amazing view from the room I occupied. Everything required is right there for you.

Small quiet Harbor front Hotel nothing camber very homely place to stay comfy beds close to everything. Prices very good. Good security. Nice little get away read more

So first off this was a spur of the moment trip. The price was amazing for whats around and for a quick place. We decided to get this hotel because it super close to Shelter Island. Great place to see all the ships. There is amazing coffee shops all walking distance. The beds a comfy. They do have kitchenettes but we decided on a basic 2 queen bed. There was a mini fridge but no microwave. This isn't luxury but it was a perfect quick cheap stay. They have shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion. Also, coffee and snacks. A nice small pool. What I mean by perfect for my trip is clean and cozy. The young lady at the front desk was also super sweet! read more

My husband and I stayed at this hotel since we were attending a wedding nearby.  When I checked in, I asked the nice girl at the front desk if it would be possible to check in early since I had to get ready for the wedding.  She said our room wasn't ready, but she'd call me if a room was ready early.  Sure enough, she gave me a call about 10 minutes later.  We happily checked in early.  The room was sparsely furnished.  There was a nice, large mini fridge and a Keurig coffee maker with K-cups.  The sink in the bathroom was the tiniest sink I've ever had in a hotel room.  Water splashed everywhere, which was annoying.  They provide shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel.  There are drinks and snacks in the room available for purchase.  They have additional beverages and snacks available for purchase in the lobby.  There is a nice pool on the property.  Parking was bad! When we got back to the hotel after the wedding, not a single spot was available! We had to park on the street! I feel that the price we paid for this room was too much! read more

See all

This hotel is a beachy redone old Motel it is a motel just to be clear and the vibe is really cute but the room I stayed in smelled so horribly and strongly of mold and mildew I cough so violently I was throwing up and unfortunately it was too late for me to get another room or hotel so I was basically up most of the night just trying not to breathe deeply. I couldn't really open the windows because it wasn't safe they just had screens and someone who could have just stepped over the threshold into my room. The neighborhood is great it's super convenient to everything. But if they would get the horrible smell out of the room by mitigating mold and mildew this would be a really great place to stay. By the way I stayed in a king suite on the ground floor with the kitchenette read more

Very nice hotel in San Diego, great location and parking available. Check in was quick and easy. Check out was quick and easy as well. I highly recommend to come here when you're in the SD area! read more

See all

Location was everything. The hotel is conveniently located about a block from the bay front near the water. Stayed here so we could Walk to our Fishing Boat the next morning. There's a pool and a brightly lit parking lot. The staff is nice. Will definitely stay here next time we go Deep Sea Fishing out of Fisherman's Landing. read more

Sea Harbor Hotel - Night views of the harbor - Hotels Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Great location! Very conveniently located, and was sat right next to a great restaurant and an easily walkable outdoor area that had more restaurants and convenience stores. Right on the harbor for some cool views! Nice, clean, and friendly staff. read more

This hotel is new and updated, very clean and quiet. The staff is awesome. Great rates too. I will definitely stay here again. read more

We booked a room at Sea Harbor Hotel for a one-nighter mini staycation. A friend's band was playing Humphrey's Backstage and Sea Harbor was just a 10-15 minute walk to the venue. In fact, the hotel was within walking distance of a slew of restaurants, shops and bars including all of Shelter Island, Eppig Brewing and one of our favorites, Miguel's Cocina. Also a cheap Uber ride to Liberty Station. When we first drove up we were a bit skeptical. Half of the hotel was under construction and looked pretty sketchy. When we rounded the corner to the front where the facelift had already been completed our minds were put at ease. It looks as though they are taking a once shabby hotel and transforming it into a nice little boutique get-away destination. They've got a ways to go yet, but so far so good. We were fortunate that the gentleman at the counter let us check in an hour early. The room was nice, but it did have somewhat of a musty smell to it. That is something they'll have to address. We opened up the windows and let it air out and it was fine. The air conditioner was loud and clunky and part of it was being held together with duct tape. Another issue for them to address. I'm pretty handy and was able to fix it so it ran quietly. The rest of the room was pretty good. The bed was comfy and the bedding was clean and comfy too. The TV worked great. They have Direct TV so it took a minute of self instruction to get that dialed in. They have all of the HBO channels which was cool, but they did not receive Bally Sports so I could not watch the Padres, which was not cool. Also the TV was set to Spanish audio with English closed caption subtitles. It took a few minutes for me to get that squared away. We needed English audio and no subtitles. In room coffee and a mini fridge were both amenities that we loved. The fridge was brand new. The room and bathroom were spotlessly clean and everything worked. The shower was nice and had a great showerhead. Our "view" was of the Point Loma Seafood parking lot so the curtains were pretty much closed for our entire stay. Not a lot the hotel can do about the view though. The pool area was really nice and the tables with umbrellas and lounge chairs were all new. We really liked the little tables between the lounge chairs. They did provide towels in pool area, but they were tiny. We brought our own beach towels and were glad we did. They do need a trash can in the pool area. We were disappointed with the lack of a hot tub, but it wasn't a deal breaker, although it might be for us during cooler months. There is a parking lot on site and it is free parking. The spots are really small, but again, it's free! Becky and I agreed that the good outweighed the bad and we would definitely stay at Sea Harbor Hotel again. read more

See all

This is super clean and comfy despite its old age. The staff is friendly, attentive, and happy to help. The bed is comfortable with soft, cotton sheets. The bathroom is SO clean with good products. read more

After staying for 5 days at Island Palms, we were a bit worried about the 2 nights we'd be finishing our trip here. We were happily surprised at the stay! We'd stayed years ago when it was Vagabond and this is a HUGE improvement over that place!! Cute deco, very modern, bed was super comfy. Walls were thin, we could hear the next room's alarm clock at 5am, but great location to walk to coffee and eats. Walked the marina, too, ate at Mitch's which was great, walked down to the bay, too. Staff was nice, clean room. Bummer that windows don't open, so left the front door open for a breeze at times. Less expensive than the resorts in Shelter Island but of course, no views either! We'd stay for a 2-night trip for sure. read more

This a great little hotel to stay in San Diego. The location is AMAZING!!! It's close to everything that you could want to do. It's been remodeled and the decor is super cute. It's like a little beach cottage. It has everything you need for a comfortable stay. The price of hotels in San Diego is outrageous and then they hit you with the "parking fee" of $40. Not here. Parking is included FOR FREE!!! It's not a huge lot but any parking spot is close to your room. The only reason that I didn't give it five stars is that you can hear the people outside and the noise level can be a little bit of a problem. We were on the ground floor so we probably had more noise than on the 2nd floor. However, the value so was good that we would stay here again the next time that we are in town. The front desk service was also great. I highly recommend this little hotel for a comfortable stay and a good value. read more

Both pros and cons to this place. Pros, it's clean, accessible and nicely kept up with nice modern on theme sea decor inside. Area is not ghetto at all, for the most part it's nice. What is ghetto is the fact that its right off the main street so you can hear cars and trash trucks through the thin windows in the morning. Also, THIS IS NOT A HOTEL! This is well maintained MOTEL. I can't stress this enough. What you're paying for is the renovated clean room decor and the safe location with 24 hour front desk and onsite parking. The photos are deceiving to what you actually get. The beds are not firm, I think it's memory foam but they are clean. Some of the people who stay at these places are still shitty, despite it's high price tag. Sound proofing could be a lot better, just pray you don't have one of those people who need the TV on as they sleep. It's not a bad place at all it's the photos that trick you into thinking you're getting an enclosed building like a Holiday Inn or something with automatic sliding glass doors. It's also over priced for what it is, especially during ComicCon, can you say price gouging? Every facility in the city does it during that time and it's BS! It'd be to your advantage to check out the place before arriving. Oh, the shower, so many nobs and hoses it's a bit of a puzzle just to turn it on. 3.8 / 5 stars. A few changes to the things I mentioned, especially the price during ComicCon and you'd have a score of 4.5. A solid 5 would be given if the front desk staff were a lot more friendly and personable with a smile and present when you walk in. As a last resort, it's great, otherwise, I say keep looking. Show less read more

Great location and walking distance to harbor boardwalk. Clean & comfortable room. Complimentary in-room coffee. Fridge. Cable TV. Definitely would stay again. read more

great stay! my boyfriend and i stayed for two nights and three days. check in is at 3 and check out is at 12. you do have to pay a $50 deposit when you check in but it does get refunded back to you when you check out. both were easy processes and people at the front desk were very nice. i'm not sure if the pool is heated but it was pretty warm when we went in. there are towels by the pool area so you do not have to bring your own. the bed is very comfortable and there are outlets for your chargers. the TV is strictly cable but there are plenty of channels that play movies. the bathroom has shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion and hand wash. nights were quiet and and peaceful. there are snacks and drinks that you can enjoy but you have to pay for them. they also have snacks by the front. overall, this was a very nice stay and i would definitely come back! read more

See all

I have only myself to blame for not researching properly. This is not a hotel, it's a motel. Super noisy at nights over the weekend and on weekdays. Noise coming from surrounding bars and terrible sound insulation from neighbouring units. Safety is very questionable. read more

Stayed here recently for few days during the Holidays and loved it. This place looked like newly remodeled with modern furnitures and decor. Very clean room and the housekeeper cleaned our room and changed the towels daily. Our room was facing the pier directly from the seafood market. Very convenient location, walk distance to the piers, restaurants and nail place. We loved everything about this hotel, but we wished there is microwave in the room. read more

See all

Absolutely recommend for those who appreciate quality, value and common sense!! Let get this out of the way first, the rooms are very clean and modernized. No bugs walking around, no cigarette burn marks all over the place, no shady electrical switches or outlets, no funky smells, no nasty stained linens or towels, no tweezers (zombies) walking around the property and no ridiculous price. What you will find is a courteous staff, great location for access to the world famous Fisherman's Landing and others with world class sport fishing boat options. Within 5 minutes of San Diego airport and 10 minutes to Sea World. Beautiful pool and secure parking too. This is a very safe area in my opinion with lots of great options for restaurants, bar and grills to get you through the evening and well within walking distances. read more

If you're seeing a concert at Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay, this is a great place to stay at! The hotel is located right by the marina. The venue is no more than a 10-15 minute walk. While staying here, you are in walking distance from great restaurant and brewery options. The hotel is modern and clean. It definitely has all the amenities you would need for your stay. There is some noise from the marina and the bar across the street. Yet, this did not interfere with our stay at all. If you are super picky, this might not be the place for you. The only slight disappointment is that they will not let you check in a minute before check in without a fee. Therefore, do not plan on arriving a minute before 3pm. read more

Sea Harbor Hotel - View from our harbor view room - Hotels Near Me - San Diego, California

The Sea Harbor Hotel on Scott St., Shelter Island, San Diego, CA, was originally a Vagabond Hotel, a California chain of budget hotels. About three years ago, it changed to Sea Harbor. It is still a budget hotel. Although the new owners promote the facility as a "boutique" hotel, there is no industry standard definition for such an identity. To the new owners, "boutique" meant putting a large screen TV on the wall, removing all drawers and replacing them with a couple of boxes, using soft mattresses with a bizarre arrangement of a bed linens, a bathroom sink so small its rim can barely support a tube of toothpaste, one small chair that looks like it was formerly in a doctor's waiting room, a tiny side table, a floor lamp that leaned at a 45 degree angle so that to use it one had to prop it up with the chair back, low wattage bedside lamps that were mounted mere inches above the small side table so that the lamp could not be used for any reading purpose, a mini-refrigerator, a small coffee maker, about 3 hangars in the clothing storage nook, and an overpriced, very small "snack" station in the lobby. For this, they charged $227 per night, which includes a $9 per night fee to park in their tight parking lot. For most of its existence, the Sea Harbor, nee Vagabond, served people taking overnight fishing excursions from the nearby commercial piers. These folks are still the primary clients; they just pay more now. The Sea Harbor backs up to the extremely popular Point Loma Seafood market and restaurant. Their customers park right up against the back wall of the hotel, mere feet from the downstairs room's beds, starting around 10:00 am and lasting until nearly 10:00 pm. They are very noisy. Don't be fooled by the new sobriquet. This is still a 1-star hotel that primarily serves those going on overnight fishing jaunts. If you are going fishing, or cannot afford any of the nicer hotels on nearby Harbor Island, this is your place. Just don't expect much. read more

Reasonable rate for the area, but not sure I can recommend this hotel unless you are desperate for a place to stay. The room I stayed in had an older mattress and left a huge depression on one side. The room smells of urine when the AC is turned on. The tub has mold around the caulking/surround. The parking spaces are tiny and barley fit a compact car, meaning you can't get out as you'll ding the car next to you. Bathroom sink is tiny and bathroom has zero counter space. I was in a first floor room. ANY movement in upstairs rooms are heard. The hotel provides earplugs...guess that should have been my first clue. read more

50/50, if you want a really really relaxing hotel this is not the hotel for you. But a cute coffee shop and great walking pathway makes up for it. It is an older hotel with a makeover. Not a bad makeover just some pros and cons. I'll start with cons: The bathtub needed to be scrubbed. Popcorn ceiling. Window sealed needs cleaning. (Overall clean, just needs a deep clean) Now for the pros: Great walking path of harbor. You really can't see from window but it is right there to take a walk or run. Walking distance to coffee shops and restaurants. The people that work here were really nice all weekend long except for when I checked out. This guy was not professional and a little rough manner. I went with it and all fine. Just had to remember location is great over a 5star resort. read more

This could have been a five star rating. There were some things that could be improved during my May 5 - 7, 2022 stay. Positives: - Able to check in early due to there being a room available. (Note: there may be an early check in fee) - Location, location, location! Super walkable to Rosecrans Avenue, the harbor, and everything. I did not have a car with me May 5 - 6 and was able to do everything that I needed. (I did use a bird on May 6 to travel downtown.) - Rooms. They are exactly as they are presented on the website. - Bathroom amenities. Love the Beekman lotion, conditioner, shampoo and hand soap. Top quality. - Refrigerators in the room. Huge deal for me for needing to keep milk cold. - Great line up of TV channels. I rarely watched TV, but did scroll through and they had local channels, normal cable channels, as well as HBO. - There are snacks and beverages available for purchase in your room. (Gummy bears, M&Ms, Red Bull, soda, water, etc.) - Complimentary parking in an on-site lot. - Recently remodeled rooms. - There is a pool. Negatives: - If you are staying here with a need to go to sleep early, this may not be the hotel for you. I understand that the pool is open until 10:00 p.m. There is a border of respect though, I think. Granted, yes, it was Cinco de Mayo... but some of us do have to get up and work in the morning. At 9:00 p.m. there was a group of gentleman with alcohol handles at the pool. They were not quiet by any means. I mean -- I could clearly hear their entire conversation. At exactly 9:00, I called the front desk to ask if they could perhaps ask them to quiet down. The woman who answered said she would ask her manager. Obviously, nothing happened because at 10:03 p.m., I called the front desk again and said hey - I thought the pool closed at 10:00. The gentleman who answered said he would go ask the people to leave and be quiet. At 10:15 p.m., they were still drinking and getting louder. I had ear plugs in (that I brought from home) and eventually stuffed my head between pillows and tried to go to sleep. I suppose this is where I have a problem: when I got up at 5:00 a.m.... should I have gone out to the pool and caused a ruckus like they did? I'm sure if I did, sleeping guests wouldn't be appreciative of it. Funny how when it's them partying and staying up drinking, it's OK. - The windows in the rooms are not double paned. They should be. Especially with the pool ruckus. - The "harbor view" rooms are a little misleading. The hotel is not exactly on the harbor. There is a building (restaurant) between the harbor and the hotel, so don't expect to be able to reach out and touch a boat or something. If the management had enforced the "quiet hours" at the pool, this would have been a five star stay. I cannot stress how loud these gentlemen were. I was tempted to get up and film them. Actually, I was tempted to call the police and report a noise complaint.. they were that loud. I wish I did. 2022: 26/100 read more

Downstairs rooms are horrible and awfully noisy from people walking by, closing doors, and moreover, from rooms upstairs walking and jumping from kids! Moreover, last night around 11pm-12am, the Club Marina across the street had a big fight and the noise was way loud into these hotel rooms and plus cops cars came like a parade over there. There's no peace if you stay here! Based on my experience here, I do not, say again, I do not recommend anyone spend money here. My first time and it's definitely my last time. I'm miserable with my choice and this hotel has nothing good for me to compliment. I did called the receptionist to let her know and made a complaint, all she said was, "I can call them" with the cold voice. Not sure she's real might be programmed to say that! Prior to get here, I called a receptionist to ask some questions, I didn't get any good feeling or good answers and the general hospitality I looked for from that person over the phone. She sounded unprofessional and I couldn't help to feel like that person hated her job! read more

Hotel was cute and simple, liked the location, not much tourists around the area compared to other places I've stayed in SD. Will definitely be staying here in the near future. read more

TLDR: This place has a great location but because of that they charge alot but don't offer much in return. This place is right on the water. The harbor is right behind it. It's also right across from a bar and several restaurants. It's right on a street so right off the bat you should know it can and will get very loud. When you get into the room it is very small and it's recently got a new coat of paint but is already show it's wear (Ex: cobwebs on the ac and cracking paint and old wallpaper). Bathroom is also very small but I did love their hand soap. They have blackout curtains but they don't close all the way and light comes out of the sides also there is no stopgap under the door so even when the ac is on cold air goes out the window and the light comes in in the morning. If this place where cheaper I wouldn't mind what I paid for but because of its location it gets to do what it wants. Also my wife got an attitude from the front desk when we asked for a receipt. Not a fan will not be returning. read more

I first walked in the rooms are a lot smaller then the photos at that they gave me an already used toilet paper and towels with stains I don't even know if they cleaned the restrooms, the lady in the front extremely rude I called to confirm my reservation really rude and then at the front it was worse I'm not sure if thats just her attitude but it was extremely rude I work in customer service and that was unprofessional. Although the young man in the front was very professional and super nice! the bed was super comfy parking was free great location so I rate it a three star read more

Sea Harbor Hotel - Used toilet paper - Hotels Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Great location. Clean rooms. The pool area is very nice. Maid service was very nice The gals were very accommodating.

Very clean cute little hotel! It's newly renovated and is a great little hotel for a vacation in San Diego. It's located near the airport, but you can't hear the planes when you're in the rooms. Lots of local businesses within walking distance, and right near the harbor but does not smell like fish. I used the pool twice during my four night stay and it was great as well as very clean. The staff was super kind and helpful, check in and checkout were smooth. Would definitely recommend! read more

I have been coming to this hotel since it was the Vagabond, X5yrs. Their re-branding has done nothing, and the service has taken a huge dive. There is no in-room furniture, not even a chair to sit in, let alone a desk to work at. One gas-station microwave for the entire hotel, and that's locked up at night so forget if you need to warm up a baby bottle or a cup of noodles. I won't be back, it's simply not even near industry standards for this area. On Govt travel/military orders week of 5/22/22. read more

Sea Harbor Hotel - Only microwave in the hotel, and no is is up to let you in to use it. - Hotels Near Me - San Diego, California

I was thinking about booking a room in this hotel when I realized it is simply a renovated and renamed version of the old trashy Vagabond Inn where I stayed a few years ago (and fled after a night). If you are looking for a restful sleep after a night out on the town or after a tiring fishing trip, look elsewhere. Sometime between 5 and 6 in the morning, large refrigerator trucks back into the street the hotel is on, wake you up with their loud beep-beep-beep-beep, then you can listen to the deep rumbling of their compressors a few yards away from your window, all morning. There is no way to escape the noise because the deep rumble goes thru all closed doors and windows. And ear plugs, to add. So - beware! read more

Ok motel, front desk is very friendly but the room itself smell musty because they don't open the windows and don't clean the AC. and also the AC makes loud noise throughout the night . Too loud to sleep. read more

For a cheap motel, it truly doesn't get any better than this. Sea Harbor is an old-school motor hotel from 1960s. The location is just steps from the Marina, providing walkable access to most of the prominent local attractions and restaurants. Our room was obviously recently remodeled, nicely but minimally furnished, and very clean. I would definitely stay here again, but unfortunately this place's days are numbered. A posted permit application suggests the owners have decided to demolish the current establishment and replace it with a larger, modern hotel. Disappointing! read more

This establishment has met all my expectations for a 2-star hotel. My family recently spent the night here prior to a fishing trip at the harbor. Both rooms were clean and ready prior to our check in time. I sometimes heard voices outside my room but it was for a short time and is expected when staying at any hotel. The front office staff and housekeeping staff were all very friendly. There are also lots of restaurants across the street. We will definitely stay here again and recommend to friends and family who need a room in the area. read more

Maids and front desk person very Friendly and Nice people. Beds very soft and comfortable. Pillows amazing. The area is very noisy. There are no Chairs in the rooms to sit Air conditioner smelled moldy made the room smell. When you open the window the Airport is so close you hears the jet's flying over so you couldn't leave the window open to get fresh air. read more