Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Diego SeaWorld
Spacious, comfortable rooms with complimentary breakfast and shuttle service near San Diego attractions.
The verdict
Pick a traveller type to re-weight the scores and re-rank the rooms around what you actually care about.
This hotel offers spacious rooms, comfortable beds, and helpful amenities like complimentary breakfast and airport shuttles. Guests consistently appreciate the friendly service and lack of hidden resort fees. However, noise from nearby train tracks and lack of bathtubs in the walk-in shower bathrooms can be drawbacks. 6489
Every line below traces back to something a traveler actually wrote — open a line to read the original sentence and follow it to the source.
What travelers noticed
- Guests appreciate the spacious rooms that come with comfortable beds, microwaves, and fresh, stylish decor. 74
- The staff receives praise for quick and easy check-in alongside diligent breakfast service. 11
- Many reviewers enjoy the complimentary breakfast served in the lobby every day, noting cooked food options and timely restocking. 1011
The catch
Who it's for
- — Cruise passengers needing shuttles to the pier
- — Travelers seeking spacious rooms with no hidden resort fees
Skip it if
- — Light sleepers sensitive to nearby train tracks
- — Families who need a bathtub for small children
Seen on camera
24 moments · 5 videos · Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Diego SeaWorld
Each moment is pulled at the second a cited reviewer said the words. Play it here, or open the original video at that timestamp.
“the room size is fantastically big it's crazy”
youtube.com2:09“okay so like i said this hotel is nine tenths of a mile from aquatica and sea world which is obviously super super close…”
youtube.com3:00“i just want to know right up front what my hotel is going to be is it 100 bucks or 160 bucks just tell me where we're at…”
youtube.com9:44“The room only cost 113 bucks so i don't know where you're going to get much better value than that so value-wise this is…”
youtube.com14:07“and during covid they're still serving a hot breakfast which is something that we haven't found at most hotels even the…”
youtube.com14:16“there are some great common spaces down in the lobby area and this hanging architecture was so cool”
youtube.com0:07“this room was perfect for productivity and relaxation”
youtube.com0:16“the beds here were so comfortable I slept so well my whole trip”
youtube.com0:19“the 0% brand toiler trees were great too the quality was amazing and they smelled so good”
youtube.com0:22“it has a pretty good location it's pretty close to Mission Hills Park 1 km Pioneer Park 1 km Heritage Park 1.1 km and al…”
youtube.com0:37“rooms were very clean and breakfast was varied with good selection”
youtube.com1:02“the room had a hair dryer in it but in room 323 the hairdryer smoked really bad and it started smoking smelled like it w…”
youtube.com5:44“because of the price point like i said at a hundred bucks i mean that's really really cheap here in orlando and to find…”
youtube.com0:14“It has a pretty good location. It's pretty close to Heritage Park 1.1 km, Silver Terrace Park 1.1 km, Mission Hills Park…”
youtube.com0:37“Great hotel located about 10 minutes from SDSU. Spacious rooms with separate living room and kitchen area.”
youtube.com1:02“Great breakfast included daily and happy hour 4 nights per week also included.”
youtube.com1:09“The staff here is beyond awesome and the rooms are really nice.”
youtube.com1:50“The breakfast is complimentary and a great start to a day.”
youtube.com1:54“we're on the third floor so not much of a view basically just the rest of the building and that's pretty much our room t…”
youtube.com6:53“it's a okay size tv it's like probably a 40 inch definitely not the biggest tv we've ever seen in a resort but definitel…”
youtube.com6:27“During this time, this was the only one that you could tell actually cooked their own food. It was a nice spin on things…”
youtube.com1:35“down here where the ice machine is there's like m m's and pieces of candy which are still there because they haven't cle…”
youtube.com8:19“all in all location wise this hotel can't be beat for downtown san diego”
youtube.com11:08“While all had a very nice staff, this one stood out.”
youtube.com1:32Frames are citations: each one links to its second in the source video, attributed to the creator who filmed it. Nothing here is supplied by the hotel. Creators who want a moment removed can ask and we take it down.
How to book
Score breakdown
How the 88/100 is built, category by category — each one with the strongest thing travelers actually said, and the source it came from.
Bathroom
90Food
82Location
86Noise
87- “Hope it works out for us. We stayed at this Hampton Inn in June & found it a lovely place to stay. I don't recall the train being a problem, but it definitely is close & you will hear it wherever you are.” 10
- “Only draw-back to these rooms (same with back rooms at Holiday Inn) is that you do hear the trains (tracks and station are between the 2 propoerties) but after a while I was able to ignore them.” 8
Room
88- “this room was perfect for productivity and relaxation” 40:16
- “Rooms include Frig., Coffee-maker, Microwave, Iron and Ironing Board and if you ask for a Bay facing room on floors 11 or 12, you'll get a great view of the ship entering the channel and docking, from our room on floor 11, it looked like the Spirit was going to run up and over Harbor drive and take out the Holiday Inn.” 8
Service
80- “The office let me into the office and let me have use of one of there computers to do Prior Check-in with the airline and print my boarding passes for free, there is a small internet terminal in the lobby, but it doesn't print anywhere ........... so I thought that was a cool thing for them to allow me to do. The staff is very nice and helpful.” 8
- “Check-in was quick and easy. I parked in front of the main entrance to check in. After a quick ID verification and card check I received my room keys.” 11
Bed & Sleep
90- “the beds here were so comfortable I slept so well my whole trip” 40:19
Value
84- “The room only cost 113 bucks so i don't know where you're going to get much better value than that so value-wise this is fantastic” 614:07
- “because of the price point like i said at a hundred bucks i mean that's really really cheap here in orlando and to find a hotel this nice this spacious with these amenities 400 bucks is fantastic” 60:14
Where it is, how to reach it
Details checked 2026-09-10
Where it sits
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Diego SeaWorld and the 39 other hotels we cover in San Diego. Hover a marker for the hotel; click to open it.
Stay value
How this property reads against the hotels we cover alongside it. Measured on review evidence, not on a nightly rate.
On par with what $$ usually buys
Scores 2 points above the mid-range median of 86, across 655 hotels in the same bracket. In San Diego it sits 4 points above the local median of 84.
- This hotel
- 88
- Bracket median
- 86
- Index median
- 86
Based on 655 comparable hotels.
Which room to ask for
What reviewers say about where to sleep inside this building — by room number where one is named, and otherwise by floor, wing, aspect and position. Every line opens onto the quotes behind it.
- 1 mention
- 1 mention
Where travelers agree — and don’t
The topics reviewers split on most. A wide bar means your experience depends on which room you get — or whose opinion you trust.
View the 71 things travelers said behind this verdict▾
Quotes run exactly as travelers wrote them — spelling and all. We trim for length, never for tidiness.
- “and during covid they're still serving a hot breakfast which is something that we haven't found at most hotels even the hilton garden inn that we did” On camera614:16
- “Room service was excellent. We only got hamburgers, but they were great.” 8
- “They have a nice complimentary breakfast served in the lobby every day. This is a nice feature since it means you don't have to go out looking for somewhere to eat the morning of your cruise.” 10
- “rooms were very clean and breakfast was varied with good selection” On camera21:02
- “I got to eat breakfast out on the balcony and watch people disembark from my ship. There is a very good resturant and bar in the hotel.” 8
- “The breakfast is complimentary and a great start to a day.” On camera121:54
- “During this time, this was the only one that you could tell actually cooked their own food. It was a nice spin on things versus warming up and setting food out.” On camera121:35
- “The Hampton Inn & Suites El Cajon San Diego offers a standard continental breakfast but with lots of choices I don't like. They have cereals but none of the standard cereals you would expect.” 11
- “Great breakfast included daily and happy hour 4 nights per week also included.” On camera121:09
- “yummy coffee available all day I especially liked it in the evening with a snack to relax” On camera21:37
- “Across the street and down a few steps. There is an "English" pub at the hotel that serves decent food.” 8
- “next I went down to the restaurant for a delicious breakfast before relaxing by the pool for a bit” On camera40:33
- “If it was medium size, manageable suitcase, you could. There is a restaurant and lounge at the hotel. Actually it is next door. Very good food and convienant.” 8
- “The office let me into the office and let me have use of one of there computers to do Prior Check-in with the airline and print my boarding passes for free, there is a small internet terminal in the lobby, but it doesn't print anywhere ........... so I thought that was a cool thing for them to allow me to do. The staff is very nice and helpful.” 8
- “Check-in was quick and easy. I parked in front of the main entrance to check in. After a quick ID verification and card check I received my room keys.” 11
- “The only hotel I've seen with a better complimentary breakfast is the Residence Inn (there's one near the Hampton Inn, but it's pricier). And they have a nice complimentary shuttle which we've used before.” 10
- “I recommend it, it's not luxury but it has been freshly painted and is clean ............. and with the shuttle service and being able to keep my car in their covered garage, it's all I need.” 8
- “I really enjoyed the spacious suite which was super nice to set up shop. Staff was great and I had no issues at all.” 11
- “The coffee and tea are served at a stand near the front desk. Coffee and tea are available 24/7, which is very nice. Unfortunately, they have rather small coffee cups.” 11
- “The staff here is beyond awesome and the rooms are really nice.” On camera121:50
- “While all had a very nice staff, this one stood out.” On camera121:32
- “The staff members on breakfast duty were always watching to make sure everything gets restocked timely.” 11
- “wonderful Hotel friendly staff clean and nicely kept” On camera21:33
- “being that it's an included breakfast and it's a hot breakfast even during coven which is amazing because we haven't found a lot of hotels that are doing hot breakfast so it's been kind of nice” On camera612:36
- “Help is always friendly, but very busy.” 8
- “okay so like i said this hotel is nine tenths of a mile from aquatica and sea world which is obviously super super close you guys could definitely walk to the park from here” On camera63:00
- “We stayed at the hilton on mission valley, being close to the highway wasn't a problem, but the dated and small rooms in the tower weren't the best.” 3
- “hilton on mission bay is very nice location.” 3
- “Stayed at the Hampton in November of 2005 before our Hawaii cruise. Friendly staff and great location and it's approximately two blocks from the cruise terminal and 2 miles form the airport.” 10
- “Previous poster mentioned how great the location is for dining - plenty of great restaurants in the nearby Little Italy & Seaport Village area.” 10
- “Hilton Garden Inn San Diego Old Town/Sea World Area is a mid-range chain hotel with a convenient location for tourists.” 7
- “If the hotel has an airport shuttle, they should be willing to give you a ride to the pier, but you'll have to call to find out. We've stayed at Best Western Bayside Inn numerous times. Last week as a matter of fact. YES, they have a shuttle.” 8
- “all in all location wise this hotel can't be beat for downtown san diego” On camera911:08
- “it has a pretty good location it's pretty close to Mission Hills Park 1 km Pioneer Park 1 km Heritage Park 1.1 km and also close to attractions like Silver Terrace Park 1.2 km precidio Park 1.2 km White Deer Park 1.2 km” On camera20:37
- “Of your preferred chains, I think that the Hilton at Mission Bay is your only option for being on water. It is in an attractive setting and is very convenient to Sea World and close to the zoo and Balboa Park.” 3
- “The Hilton Hampton Inn & Suites El Cajon San Diego is located inside the Parkway Plaza Mall in El Cajon. It's close to many shops and restaurants including an In-N-Our right next door. I love In-N-Out and this was an extra plus.” 11
- “It has a pretty good location. It's pretty close to Heritage Park 1.1 km, Silver Terrace Park 1.1 km, Mission Hills Park 1.1 km, and also close to attractions like Pioneer Park 1.1 km, Presidio Park 1.2 km, White Deer Park 1.2 km.” On camera120:37
- “the location really isn't close to anything within walking distance but the price was reasonable” On camera21:09
- “We stayed at the Holiday Inn Bayside pre and post cruise on our last cruise out of San Diego and will be there pre and post again in about a week. This hotel is nice, I agree with the above poster. It also is within walking distance to many fun things to do.” 8
- “They have 2 mini-van shuttles that do airport and pier runs, works great.” 8
- “the beds here were so comfortable I slept so well my whole trip” On camera40:19
- “i just want to know right up front what my hotel is going to be is it 100 bucks or 160 bucks just tell me where we're at and there were no hidden fees here no parking fees no resort fees” On camera69:44
- “The room only cost 113 bucks so i don't know where you're going to get much better value than that so value-wise this is fantastic” On camera614:07
- “because of the price point like i said at a hundred bucks i mean that's really really cheap here in orlando and to find a hotel this nice this spacious with these amenities 400 bucks is fantastic” On camera60:14
- “that just goes back to the whole good value right so i didn't i'm not overpaying i'm not paying a ton of money to stay here but i feel like i'm getting a lot in return for my money so that's what i really really like” 6
- “Best Western Bayside is a good choice, have stayed there twice pre-cruise (and twice on business), they have a Stay, Park & Cruise package which when you figure the cost of the package, versus cost of a room plus pier parking, it's a good deal.” 8
- “I've read that it's not as bad if you get a bay view room, as high as possible. We did get a bay view room up high. We booked in advance on the web and prepaid to get a discount so feel that we got a good deal.” 10
- “the location really isn't close to anything within walking distance but the price was reasonable” On camera21:09
- “the vanity is really nice it's not overly expensive feeling it's definitely kind of on the cheaper side but it looks really nice it performs well no issues as far as that goes” 6
- “something that this hotel does not have no resort fee no parking fee what you see is what you get on the bill you're not going to be charged for anything extra or anything weird which is fantastic” On camera617:22
- “obviously a big factor that is the price point i mean the price point on this hotel is fantastic for what you get and the hotel was super clean super nice we're very very happy we would definitely stay here again” On camera618:17
- “A work desk splits the living room space from the sleeping space. It's a well-sized desk with lots of shelves in the desk.” 11
- “this room was perfect for productivity and relaxation” On camera40:16
- “Rooms include Frig., Coffee-maker, Microwave, Iron and Ironing Board and if you ask for a Bay facing room on floors 11 or 12, you'll get a great view of the ship entering the channel and docking, from our room on floor 11, it looked like the Spirit was going to run up and over Harbor drive and take out the Holiday Inn.” 8
- “Overall it was good stay at the Hampton Inn & Suites El Cajon San Diego. I really enjoyed the spacious suite which was super nice to set up shop.” 11
- “the room size is fantastically big it's crazy” On camera62:09
- “Decor, while typical of a chain hotel, feels fresh and stylish.” 7
- “it's like a full walk-in closet bro so pack as much as you want we don't care yeah hampton and sweet says we'll take it we'll take all your stuff no problem it's a good-sized closet it really is” 6
- “we're on the third floor so not much of a view basically just the rest of the building and that's pretty much our room tour” On camera96:53
- “down here where the ice machine is there's like m m's and pieces of candy which are still there because they haven't cleaned the room at all while we've been here so definitely we felt like the room wasn't clean the way it should have been especially in these times” On camera98:19
- “Great hotel located about 10 minutes from SDSU. Spacious rooms with separate living room and kitchen area.” On camera121:02
- “typical Hilton property ....... we won a 2 nite stay at a charity silent auction so it was a no reason trip (we're locals) .... clean room.” 1
- “A room on the front will give you a great view of the pier, nice to see your ship come in.” 8
- “room overlooked a fenced in 'heath facility' ......” 1
- “I had a King bed and the room was very large and clean.” 8
- “An attractive stone terrace with a fountain leads to the front doors.” 7
- “the room had a hair dryer in it but in room 323 the hairdryer smoked really bad and it started smoking smelled like it was going to catch on fire so we weren't able to use that except for a minute or two” On camera95:44
- “bathroom's a good size it's got this really nice mirror as you walk in the vanity is really nice” On camera66:36
- “you've got a nice size walk-in shower with a glass door” On camera67:07
- “Hope it works out for us. We stayed at this Hampton Inn in June & found it a lovely place to stay. I don't recall the train being a problem, but it definitely is close & you will hear it wherever you are.” 10
- “Only draw-back to these rooms (same with back rooms at Holiday Inn) is that you do hear the trains (tracks and station are between the 2 propoerties) but after a while I was able to ignore them.” 8
What we still don't know
What we can’t tell you yet, said plainly. These close as we read more coverage of this hotel.
- Nothing reliable said about room types.
- Nothing reliable said about building or wing.
- Nothing reliable said about which side it faces.
- Nothing reliable said about view.
- Nothing reliable said about position on the floor.
- Bathroom rests on 1 source — too thin to rely on.
- Location rests on 1 source — too thin to rely on.
- Noise rests on 3 sources — too thin to rely on.
Ask about Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Diego SeaWorld
Answered only from the coverage cited on this page. If nobody has written about your question, it will say so rather than guess.
How much we read
Light coverage · 57/100We read 13 sources for this property, and pulled 94 traveler insights worth knowing. Last checked 2026-09-11.
Watch this hotel
We keep reading Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Diego SeaWorld. Tell us when you're staying and we'll follow it until then — you'll hear from us only when the verdict is rewritten, the score moves, or new reviews land. No daily mail, and the watch closes itself after your stay.
Sources
Everything quoted on this page, grouped by traveler insights, outlets, and video & podcast. Counts beside each group show everything we’ve read of that kind; no one kind can carry the score on its own.
5 of 5 summary lines above are traced to specific quotes. The rest summarise the read as a whole rather than any single document.
View all 13 cited sources▾
Everything quoted on this page.
- 5Sea world resort or aqua sol? : r/Hiltonreddit.comForum thread2026-07-03CurrentRead originalreddit.com
- 7Hilton Garden Inn San Diego Old Town / SeaWorld Areaoyster.comReview site2024-08-07Ageing4 quotes used
“Decor, while typical of a chain hotel, feels fresh and stylish.”
Read originaloyster.com - 11Hampton Inn & Suites El Cajon San Diego Reviewgatetoadventures.comReview site2024-05-02Ageing8 quotes used
“Check-in was quick and easy. I parked in front of the main entrance to check in. After a quick ID verification and card check I received my room keys.”
Read originalgatetoadventures.com - 1Hilton Garden Inn seaworld | Sea World / Discovery Covedisboards.comReview site2020-09-17Ageing2 quotes used
“typical Hilton property ....... we won a 2 nite stay at a charity silent auction so it was a no reason trip (we're locals) .... clean room.”
Read originaldisboards.com - 10Hampton Inn, San Diego - West Coast Departuresboards.cruisecritic.comReview site2007-08-21Ageing7 quotes used
“The only hotel I've seen with a better complimentary breakfast is the Residence Inn (there's one near the Hampton Inn, but it's pricier). And they have a nice complimentary shuttle which we've used before.”
Read originalboards.cruisecritic.com - 8San Diego Hotels - West Coast Departuresboards.cruisecritic.comReview site2006-10-05Ageing16 quotes used
“The office let me into the office and let me have use of one of there computers to do Prior Check-in with the airline and print my boarding passes for free, there is a small internet terminal in the lobby, but it doesn't…”
Read originalboards.cruisecritic.com
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