Name: Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego
Address: 1047 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101, USA, Civic Core, San Diego, California, United States of America, San Diego, California, US
Price range: $204–$976 per night
Rating: 6.3

What guests think

At Alma San Diego Downtown, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, travelers often highlight welcoming staff, clean, stylish rooms, and handy amenities like a rooftop pool, bar/café, and gym, plus a walkable location near Gaslamp nightlife and Petco Park.

Many reviewers note the immediate area has numerous unhoused people, dirty sidewalks, and frequent trolley noise, which can affect comfort, especially at night. Expect valet only parking and extra daily fees (amenity and incidentals), and some report slow check in or delays. Rooms are generally comfortable, but several mention dim lighting, sliding bathroom doors with limited privacy, and occasional maintenance or tech issues. A good pick if you want downtown convenience and amenities and can accept an urban environment and added costs.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Rooftop pool and the bar/café are popular, and there’s a gym; several guests liked the vibe. Parking is valet only and costly, and a few noted the pool can be chilly or busy during events.

Related guest reviews

10

Garrett

Jul 6, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Clean rooms. Great coffee and tea in the morning. Nice pool and gym. Friendly staff!

10

Vanessa

Oct 6, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The staff was outstanding. Loved the pool.

10

Jovan

Dec 27, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The lobby was stylish and intimate, with a bar, lounge, great lighting and hip decor. The entire staff was friendly and we received great service. With a restaurant, pool, and rooftop lounge this place was perfect!

10

Gregory

Mar 31, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great hotel in the Gas Lamp district. Lots of dining, and amenities nearby. The room was comfortable with great style and decor. I will say the lights had a short and several of them did not work properly. The fridge also did not stay cold. Pool is great and lots of great seating. Food and drinks were great and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. Affordable parking is a challenge, but it is downtown San Diego.

10

Dana

Jun 28, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Staff was great upon check in. Greeted me when returning to the hotel throughout the day. Clean and well decorated. Would return when back in the area. Didn’t really use any of the amenities because I was out and about all day exploring the city but loved the options. Multiple restaurants, pool, fitness area, bar.

8

Cynthia

Aug 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The little extra charges. Valet only no self park. 65.00 valet plus 35.00 amenities. That's an additional 100.00 plus taxes and other fees.

8

Ryan

Jan 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Pool was chilly

8

Matthew

Jul 4, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The hotel reception was wonderful. There is a pool and a fitness center. The room was spacious, but probably needs to be refreshed to a common/uniform style. There is no business center but there is a flexible space if you need to work. The hotel is the gem in the downtown area. Thank you!

10

Aleksandra

Feb 15, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

The stay was great, only thing it lacked is parking. You can only valet for $60 per day

10

Danielle

Jul 7, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Cute hotel, close to Gaslamp and Little Italy. Great rooftop pool and bar area.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Rooms and public areas are generally very clean, with many guests praising housekeeping. A minority reported issues like dusty surfaces, hair in bathrooms, or dirty windows.

Related guest reviews

10

Daniel

Jun 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Though I only stayed a single night it meet my expectations. Room was very clean and didnt have carpet which was a plus for me. Water pressure was good. The room was overall comfortable. I will stay again in the future.

2

Cynthia

Feb 19, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

Overall the hotel was dirty. The floors weren’t cleaned, the faucet was dirty, and we had bed stains. Wouldn’t recommend.

10

Velanda

Jul 28, 2025

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Stayed 5 nights

Such a nice hotel. The room was spacious and clean. I really liked it. The only downside was that it was rather dark as only two bedside type side lights were available. The service was wonderful. Trey at the desk was w fantastic and quite helpful. Juan who worked at the Valet was also extremely helpful.

10

Frank

Aug 13, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

It felt safe and clean. Security at the door 247

10

Monica

Aug 18, 2025

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Stayed 2 nights

New and clean hotel

6

Mark

Aug 18, 2024

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Stayed 4 nights

Staff was helpful. The room was not as clean as it should have been.

10

Andrea

Jul 24, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

Nice clean rooms, very spacious. Clean hotel all around.

10

Michelle

Jan 26, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

The hotel was impeccably clean, as was our room. It has a very chill vibe, which was perfect for our trip to the San Diego Zoo...however I would DEFINITELY stay as a business traveler as well. Check in was easy and the VIP perks were really a wonderful addition! We weren't impressed with The Cafe's food. It was mediocre at best and was incredibly expensive. There were amazing restaurants nearby and walkable. I will ABSOLUTELY return to this hotel again! The staff are just fantastic!

10

Anthony

Jul 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was great but there was hair all over the couch and in The shower. Other than that, place was clean and service Was friendly. A lot of unsavory types hanging around the outside of the hotel but as long as you got in and out Of your car or ride no one bothered you.

4

Greg

Jun 1, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room was small, not the cleanest. Valley attended was professional and courteous

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms are stylish and often spacious with comfortable beds and city views. Some guests mentioned dim lighting, sliding bathroom doors with limited privacy, street or trolley noise, and occasional maintenance or tech problems.

Related guest reviews

8

Katherine

Aug 27, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Need a towel hook closer to the shower and better lighting in bedroom of the suite

8

Lori

Aug 5, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

I like luxury on a budget and was a bit disappointed with the Alma San Diego. Staff were amazing as was the bed. I would call the room minimalist. It was little more than a square. The tv remote didn't work, neither did the electrical outlets next to the bed for phone charging. Also the overhead light didn’t work. There were 2 small drawers for clothes and a very small closet. The trolley ran next to the hotel, thus there was a continual ringing about every 5 minutes. The property did provide a white noise machine that we used when in the room. Food choices were limited but it was very good. For the price, I won't return to this property.

10

Mona

Mar 24, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

We had a wonderful stay and the staff was great!

10

Gregory

Mar 31, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great hotel in the Gas Lamp district. Lots of dining, and amenities nearby. The room was comfortable with great style and decor. I will say the lights had a short and several of them did not work properly. The fridge also did not stay cold. Pool is great and lots of great seating. Food and drinks were great and the staff is very friendly and accommodating. Affordable parking is a challenge, but it is downtown San Diego.

6

Kevin

Jul 27, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

It WAS convenient to the trolley line but as a result is surrounded by homeless and panhandlers. The room was dimly lit without opening all the curtains. No real door to the bathroom, just a sliding glass door. No fan in the bathroom so the mirror fogs easily from the shower (no tub) The room DOES have USB charging ports but no real night stand - just a mini shelf big enough for a phone. There is a digital safe in the closet and a mini fridge

8

Emily

Aug 15, 2025

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Stayed 1 night

All the staff we interacted with were extremely friendly, welcoming and helpful. The room was quite spacious with a large washroom as well.

6

Glenn

Jun 20, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Nice view

8

Marko

May 5, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

Room on 18 th floor with a nice view and quite spacious.Bed was good

10

Randi

Jul 28, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

Cute chic hotel- they offered free filter water and free morning hot coffee. The hotel cafe was convenient and good. Hotel staff were very friendly. My only complaint was hearing the bus track noise every a couple of minutes. We were on the 20th floor which was nice but on the city view side.

10

Laura

Jun 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Surprisingly quiet room despite location.

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Service

Service is frequently highlighted as friendly, welcoming, and helpful across front desk, valet, and bar teams. A few guests experienced slow check in or inconsistent bar/café service.

Related guest reviews

2

Jeffrey

Jun 23, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Check in was at 4PM, room wasn’t ready until 5:30 and then it took 45 minutes to get an iron. We requested towels when we came back to the hotel and they never brought them. Terrible terrible service.

10

Bryan

May 30, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Fun bar area, very helpful valet, friendly front desk, very dog friendly. Very much enjoyed our stay. Alot of homeless around but other then that, enjoyed the proximity to gas lamp bars/dining, would definitely stay again.

10

Matthew

Apr 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Our stay at the Alma was absolutely incredible. After a horrific experience at an Airbnb, we made the reso at Alma, and Nina at the front desk could have not been more wonderful in accommodating us. Nina is literally a superstar who is kind, caring and offers top tier customer service. Our stay at Alma turned what could have been a ruined trip into an amazing weekend in San Diego! Thank you Nina!

10

Corey

Aug 19, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The exceptional staff, from the concierge Sophia, who provided amazing service, with a smile, to Gabriel, the bartender, who made the stay even more enjoyable, and everyone in between…the customer service was outstanding.

10

Paul

Jun 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

All staff interactions were great, from the front desk, bell staff, housekeeping, and lobby bar/cafe. Everyone was eager to serve and had great attitudes.

10

Pedro

Jan 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

First of all I want to thank the customer service rep Josh. He was brilliant and he made us feel greatly valued. Secondly the hotel was in great condition and my partner and I were satisfied.

10

Mark

Jul 8, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

Staff were amazing. Tyson from valet parking was incredible. Everyone so fruendly. Highly recommend.

10

Jake

Apr 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The service was great, room was lovely, and people genuinely seemed to care.

10

Alma

Jun 8, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Amazing customer service. Staff were attentive and helpful.

2

Aleksejs

Jan 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff don't want to help you at all

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Location

Central, walkable base near Gaslamp, Petco Park, and transit. Many note significant homelessness, dirty sidewalks, and trolley noise outside, which can feel uncomfortable at night.

Related guest reviews

10

cassandra

Aug 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel is great. Really nice. Easily can walk to all the bars and nightlife in Gaslamp. Great service!

10

Nakita

May 29, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

So close to everything downtown especially the night life. If you want to be close to night life and restaurants this is the hotel.

8

Katelyn

Jul 16, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

loved the atmosphere of the property. we were treated well upon arrival and our needs were tended too quickly. only downfall is the amount of homeless around this area

6

Kevin

Jul 27, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

It WAS convenient to the trolley line but as a result is surrounded by homeless and panhandlers. The room was dimly lit without opening all the curtains. No real door to the bathroom, just a sliding glass door. No fan in the bathroom so the mirror fogs easily from the shower (no tub) The room DOES have USB charging ports but no real night stand - just a mini shelf big enough for a phone. There is a digital safe in the closet and a mini fridge

10

Glen

Dec 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Good location despite riff Raff (17 transients on nearby corner at 1130pm Sunday). Everything else perfect except for frosted glass bathroom door

6

James

Feb 21, 2024

·

I read the other reviews about the homelessness in the area and honestly thought they were from scared person that hasn't been in a big city as there is normally homeless around. Boy was I wrong. The streets all around are filled with large groups homeless people. We had to keep switching what side of the street we walked on to avoid having to walk through them. At one point while walking to the front door, a group of homeless people started throwing glass bottles in to the street. I won't be staying in the gas lamp district again as almost half of all stores are shuttered and streets lined with homeless. Safer to stay in other parts, such as Little Italy.

8

Francis

Jul 17, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The hotel was clean, the location to the ball park was good. The room service was sufficient. No ice on the floor. The streets were dirty with lots of homeless people wandering.

6

Kayla

Dec 16, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The hotel is beautiful but the location is not ideal. You’re better off getting a hotel closer to little Italy if you still want a downtown vibe.

10

Melissa

Jul 21, 2025

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Stayed 5 nights

Love the location, walked to the seaport village, great location to food and entertainment, 7-11 next door attracts homeless people.

10

asuncion

Dec 31, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location, walkable to many restaurants, Petco Park and all downtown amenities

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Dining

On site café/restaurant and pool bar get good feedback for tasty food, breakfast, and coffee, with credits and wine vouchers appreciated. Some found options limited, pricey, or service inconsistent at times.

Related guest reviews

10

Angie

Jul 6, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Bed was super comfy! View was amazing! Food at cafe and the pool bar was delicious! Prime location in the heart of San Diego!

10

Christopher

Jul 6, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

professional and courteous and attentive front desk, staff and weight staff. Nice selection and excellent food quality on the menu.

10

Amy

Jun 27, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

Clean, convenient, well-appointed hotel. We enjoyed dining at the hotel restaurant, found the reception staff very helpful and informative and the room was spacious and comfortable.

10

Theresa

Oct 3, 2023

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Stayed 4 nights

Very helpful staff. Loved the "happy hour" and the Leave of Absence bar.

10

johanna

Aug 4, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

Liked the food/beverage credit we received and the complimentary bottle of wine upon our check in

10

Dawn

Jun 25, 2025

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Stayed 3 nights

Absolutely perfect! Love our entire experience. Great atmosphere, food, pool, and cocktails. Central to everywhere we wanted to go!

8

Nicole

Jun 10, 2025

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Stayed 4 nights

Good hotel, bed was comfy and the room was clean. Limited dining options but the food at the cafe was good. Washrooms in their dining facilities were often out of order.

10

Harley

Jan 6, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This property was lovely! The staff was very kind and accommodating. I really liked the room. It was decorated well and felt comfy and chic. The one subpar thing we experienced while here, was we sat down at the cafe for dinner at 4pm. The dinner menu looked delicious! Dinner begins at 4pm and we ordered right away, after about 30 minutes the server checked in again. We waited for over 50 minutes and then checked in again with our server, who checked with the kitchen and let us know that our order was never placed!!! It was extremely disappointing because it seems like the server never gave them our order. We left because we had a concert to go. So unfortunately we did not get to have dinner. Aside from that, the staff was very kind, the room was nice, and the hotel it self was great!

10

Hisham

May 16, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The hotel was wonderful with a gym and outdoor pool. Conveniently located in downtown San Diego with easy access to everything! The room was spacious and very clean and the dining options were great, on the expensive side though like the rest of San Diego.

8

Susan M

Aug 17, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Friendly staff and a good breakfast.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$178
February	$275
March	$244
April	$263
May	$240
June	$300
July	$305
August	$279
September	$226
October	$222
November	$200
December	$176

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15 $751	16 $423	17 $335	18 $257	19 $321
20 $221	21 $231	22 $270	23 $271	24 $247	25 $329	26 $363
27 $209	28 $206	29 $206	30 $204

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $306	2 $498	3 $612
4 $425	5 $383	6 $518	7 $456	8 $425	9 $433	10 $593
11 $925	12 $926	13 $976	14 $311	15 $271	16 $451	17 $582
18 $373	19 $338	20 $322	21 $315	22 $303	23 $351	24 $380
25 $233	26 $231	27 $266	28 $312	29 $293	30 $312	31 $255

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Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Suite, 1 Bedroom

Studio Suite, 1 Bedroom, Balcony

Room, 1 King Bed

Room, 1 Queen Bed

Premium Room, 1 King Bed (Mobility Accessible, Tub)

Room, 1 King Bed (San Diego View)

Premium Room, 1 King Bed (Hearing Accessible)

Room, 2 Double Beds (Mobility Accessible, Tub)

Room, 1 King Bed, City View (Balcony)

Room, 2 Double Beds

Premium Room, 1 King Bed

Presidential Suite, 2 Bedrooms

Suite, 1 Bedroom (Mobility Hearing Access, Roll-In Shower)

Premium Room, 1 King Bed (Mobility Accessible, Roll-In Shower)

Suite, 1 Bedroom, Bay View (Balcony)

Room, 2 Double Beds (Hearing Accessible)

Guest reviews

Pleasant

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

FAQs about Kimpton Hotel Palomar San Diego

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