The room I rented was a 10' x 9' space with a ceiling height of 6', divided in half by a partition cobbled together of corrugated steel roofing panels and bare two-by-fours. This partition was built directly against the bed, thereby requiring one person to crawl over the other in order to get to the toilet. The door to that toilet is a sliding piece of sharp-edged sheet metal, which cannot be opened or closed quietly. There is no window in the room, and obtaining any outside air required leaving the door open. However, there's no security- or screen door, so that's not an option. Besides, the dryer from the utility room vents right next to the entry to the room I rented; thus, the room's air was either filled with dryer fumes if the entry door was open, or a stale mix of unfinished drywall and bare lumber odors if it was shut. The overall effect was that of staying in a cramped, dank corner of someone's badly converted garage. My wife was simply unable to breath, and although I paid for a stay of four nights, we left after one. I requested a refund on our unused nights' lodging, which the property owner declined to provide. He also said he'd take legal action if I posted a negative review of my stay, so I've limited my comments to those whose veracity may be unquestionably confirmed. And of course I'll delete this posting if the owner provides a copy of the building permit for the conversion of the room I rented. I've posted a few photos of that room. Take a look for yourself, and see if you'd pay 74 bucks for a night's stay. I certainly wouldn't have, if the owner's photos advertising this room had been as revealing as the photos I've shared here. read more

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In my line of work I travel so much I'm practically homeless. I end up staying in so many hotels that they all start looking alike, to the point where if they shift a couch location on me I pull a Dick Van Dyke and fall over it every morning for a while. That being said, if you're a frequent traveler you know it's the little things like having a proper kitchen and living room that makes the difference between a home away from home and an art-deco furnished solitary confinement cell. Even if you don't travel that much it's still nicer to stay at a comfortable and more social place in my opinion and upfront San Diego fits the bill. Just check the site for pictures and that should be enough; the house is basically soundproof from the outside noise so no worries about being disturbed, the beds are extremely comfortable and the outside deck areas are extremely relaxing. All in all it's as close as you'll get to home on the road and for a lot less than any comparable hotel you'll find in the area. read more

I should give a 5 review, but no one is perfect. Michael is by far the most humorous person in the B&B business, always a good guy. The home is just beautiful. We were in awe of the history, the location, and our quarters. Of course I would live in the house, who wouldn't!! Very private and respectful of myself and my wife. Thank you for the outlet to pass the word!! Believe me, I have no problem with a negative review!! Don't EVEN need a negative word for this place read more

This lodging serves a particular niche of traveler. The house is an 1890's Victorian in an ok neighborhood. It is very clean and nicely furnished. Outside there is a beautiful courtyard with waterfall, live bamboo surrounded fish pond and ornate iron gate. It looks much better from the front than from the side where it sort of looks "urban". Inside there has been extensive refurbishing/updating, but the original look and feel of the building has been maintained. We stayed in the "Green" room upstairs which had a private outside shower...which was interesting. You can shower with an unobstructed view of the bay and downtown...pretty neat. The neighbors in the surrounding houses are friendly and wave. The hot/cold water selector is a bit tricky, but with some patience you can find hot water. Toilets and additional showers and baths are shared with other guests and are located down the hall and also downstairs. If you like to cook your own meals there is a first rate kitchen available, along with a nice dining room and a living room with very comfortable sofa and chairs. Parking is on the street, we ended up parking on the north side of the house. Now this is where it gets "different". This house is located directly under the glide path of the San Diego airport. During regular flight times the modest tranquility of the entire neighborhood is disrupted almost every three minutes by about 200,000 pounds of aircraft roaring by 100 feet overhead at 150-160 miles an hour. The owner of the house has done extensive insulating (roof, walls, ceiling) and has installed triple pane windows which does eliminate about 80% of the noise. I think it is a hilarious contrast to a very quaint setting. Because of the hilly nature of the area, the aircraft and jet engine/props noise suddenly appears and almost as quickly goes away. You can actually look right up into the wheel wells of the planes as they pass over. At night, the blinking marker lights of the planes reflect off the surrounding houses as they pass overhead. Also to be fair, the landing is safer than the takeoff so the risk of mishap is not as great for the neighborhood as it seems. On final approach the engines are almost at idle, but the sudden noise overhead is a bit unsettling. If the house was in the take off path of the airport the engines would be blowing the shingles off the roof. We found this peculiarity a big help in navigating around town, we could always find our way back to the hotel by following the landing planes. So, to sum up, if you are looking for a clean place to stay with character, a great price, like airplanes and are a sound sleeper this might be an interesting experience for you. read more

I stayed here a few weekends ago. These reviews don't do it justice. Hit up airbnb for the most accurate reviews and updates photos. This place is awesome and Michael is easily the most accommodating person I've met! read more

I loved Staying here! Michael, the owner, is as kind and friendly as they get. Also the house is gorgeous and very relaxing. I 100% recommend this place and I honestly hope to return to San Diego one day just to stay here again and catch up with Michael and his sweet dog Cinnamon. read more

This is a B&B "with out the b" so that means the either dont have a bed or dont serve breakfast... so it is only really just a b. There was a dog there... the owners dog. He was cute liked to pee on the deck right where people eat. Airports not too far you find that out staying there because you could almost jump up and touch a landing plain at any time of the day. Lastly I did not see any food or service grading any where ... kind makes me think they are not even a business that pays taxes, but who knows. If i find out I will rewrite this review. UPDATE; Totaly read what the owners comments about my post. This is what you can expect while you are at this place. I guess our expectations where too high. Expecting to have a clean bath room and such. read more

Upfront San Diego is a gem in the rough. Truly. It is filled with amazing people and staff. I stayed there last year for 8 months (you can stay long periods of time or short) I renewed it every month and wanted to stay longer. I became homesick because my partner in crime moved home, so I booked a flight back East and it was very hard for me to leave Upfront - i had a family there! There is everything you could ever want there, hot tub, sun deck, fire pit, huge grill, top of the line kitchen with great cooking supplies. You have your own space to store food so it keeps the rate of staying or living there down. The owner is an exceptional person who is very laid back, funny, and interesting. He showed me around - its so close to the bay, and balboa park, and he knows everything and anything about san diego and its history. Its a huge resource at your disposal who is happy to help. Much better then asking random people on the street. Its nice because you can have people to chat with or you can spend time with yourself. If you are traveling by yourself, it is a great place to be, I could bet money that you will meet someone staying there who is very interesting and well cultured, of all ages. It is a wonderful place, definitely a good price for the location, amenities, and VIEW!! san diego is more expensive then you think. Best of luck! read more

Right in the flight path of the airport, the owners dogs pooping and peeing on the porch right where the outdoor dining tables are and where people walk through, no parking. There were cobwebs in all corners of the room, the bathroom was disgusting when I checked in, the rug in front of the toilet was sopping wet, and the owner argued with me about it saying he cleaned everything. His excuse was the previous guests were late checking out. I had to wipe up the previous guests hair myself. If you want cheapish accomodations and don't care about your room being clean and animal crap everywhere, this is your place. read more

I recently stayed at this quaint B&B on my recent extended stay in San Diego. I was looking for something different since I was in SD for about a month, and Up Front definitely fit the bill. The price was very reasonable, the location was awesome, and the house/property was beautiful. The rates are very reasonable because the owner does not the provide any food to the guests so if you're looking for a home-cooked meal every morning this is definitely not your place (his ad describes this as well). The house itself is beautiful ... it's an old Victorian house that has been restored, but not to the point where it loses its authentic feel of being an older, historic home. The house is clean, and my room was very comfortable ... it's never sleeping away from your own bed, but the mattresses were better than anything you'd get in any hotel anywhere. As a previous review mentioned, the house is in the flight path which is definitely not for some people. The house itself is soundproof - you can barely hear the airplanes while inside, and they never woke me up. Outside they're much louder, but I loved watching the planes land into the sunset from the deck... I remember my uncle taking me to airports to do that as a child so it brought back memories of the little quirky things in life we never take the time to do anymore. The location is great though - there is ample street parking and the house is very convenient to the 5 freeway, the 163, Balboa Park, the Zoo, and downtown. Although I was there for work and didn't get to enjoy the city as much as I would have liked, I loved hearing the owner (Michael) gives out tips and tricks for the city to other guests. He really took the time to not only be the owner of a beautiful house, but was also a concierge for guests that requested any information. The other guests were another reason I enjoyed my stay - they were so friendly, and a few of us went out to dinner one night ... it's just a very laid back, peaceful environment here which is exactly what I was looking for. The house is big enough that there is somewhere to sit and relax by yourself - the media room, living room, or any of the three levels of decking out back. I was there in the summer time so I never utilized the hot tub, but it looked very inviting... there is also a nice grill outside that you are encouraged to use. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting San Diego - whether for an extended stay or just for a long weekend. A word of caution to families: the rooms are rooms just like in your own home (except with amazing views of San Diego Bay and downtown!) so if you have a couple of kids it could get cramped in one room, but if you're visiting SD you're not spending much time in the house anyway, right? I think it's a perfect place for couples - especially for those on a budget. You definitely get your money's worth here... This place is definitely not for everyone - it all depends on what you're looking for so just be aware of that before you book. But if you want a "home away from home" type atmosphere with friendly people who make you feel welcome in any room in the house I think it's a perfect place. Some people prefer hotels, I prefer homes and real people. I would definitely stay here again if the Navy ever sends me back to San Diego! read more

i couldnt be happier with this place!!! the house owners are so nice and the house is so charming! amazing facilities and perfect location!! yes you hear the planes overhead but thats cool!! great rates and just overall really friendly place to stay!!! read more