Alma San Diego, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

I would not recommend Alma San Diego based on my August 13–17 stay. Within the first couple of hours of arrival, I found blood-stained bedding in the room and had to call Guest Services to have it replaced. We also experienced ongoing hot-water issues, and maintenance came to the room. The air conditioning was also not functioning properly during the stay and had to be addressed. On top of that, one of the feather pillows came apart and left feathers throughout the room, and there was significant noise from a neighboring room while I was attending a professional conference that required early mornings. What was especially frustrating was the follow-up afterward. The Guest Services Manager contradicted herself in writing: she first acknowledged that maintenance had responded regarding the hot-water concern, then later stated that she could not locate records, service requests, or call logs related to the hot-water or air-conditioning issues. When I pointed this out, she then clarified that the hot-water issue had in fact been documented. I was also surprised by how little internal documentation the hotel appeared able to produce. Despite multiple issues being reported by phone and in person, including staff physically coming to the room, management stated that it could not locate relevant call logs, service requests, or records for several of the concerns. I was given no indication that they were able to verify staff entry into the room through security footage, access logs, or other internal documentation. If a guest reports an issue in person, it is apparently very difficult to later establish a paper trail unless the hotel itself creates one. The hotel ultimately refunded the destination fees, but declined further compensation for the room because the reservation was booked through a third party. They also cited the fact that I used the $20-per-day food credit associated with the destination fee, which I found irrelevant to the underlying cleanliness, maintenance, and service failures. The surrounding area was also a major negative for me. There were visibly unhoused individuals immediately around the hotel, and I did not feel comfortable walking around the area, particularly at night. For a property marketed at this level, the combination of blood-stained bedding, maintenance problems, noise, location concerns, inconsistent follow-up, and the apparent lack of reliable internal documentation was unacceptable. The way the complaint was handled afterward only made the experience worse.

This boutique hotel is a hidden gem. It is in walking distance to the Convention Center and the shoreline. One of the most pleasant portfolio rooms in which I have ever stayed. The breakfast was amazing and included as part of my Marriott status. Any asssitance needed was just a minute away.

What can we say about our stay at The Alma, except that is was exceptional! Upon arriving, we were met with a lovely charcuterie plate and treats in our room set up by Ana & Lena, who had also upgraded us to a suite (with a Nespresso machine??? Yesss!). The front desk staff were always friendly, including Jorge, Tre, Axel, and, we’re not biased, but Grace is the best (haha, she’s our daughter). Kudos to Ericka for the fabulous coffee and thrift store recs (that we ran out of time for sadly). Miriam did an amazing job keeping our room fresh, she even folded my son’s pj bottoms. 😂 All in all, y’all made our stay memorable in the best way. We can’t wait to book a return!

The staff here were nothing short of superb. Grace welcomed me, remembered it was my birthday and sent me to my room with a snack bag and some wine! I was blown away at the level of friendliness and service at the Alma.

Our group travels on a baseball trip every year. This hotel experience has been the best. The room and views were extraordinary. The room (and hotel) were extremely cleanly and the hospitality of all employees were second to none, friendly and accommodating. As an example, we asked the front desk for some extra towels on our way up to the room. The attendant was at our room before we got there. Everything was nearby and easily accessible by walking. Breakfast in the cafe was sogood we ate there twice. And usually we choose to eat local when our trips. The Avocado toast and french toast were a big hit. I have never written a review before on tripadvisory and felt it necessary for this hotel on this occasion.