Another Stay at the Kimpton Hotel Solamar in San Diego

Any time a Kimpton property in San Diego falls within my price range, I try to stay there.  Though I prefer the Hotel Palomar San Diego due to the nice suite upgrades, I settled on the Hotel Solamar for my stay on September 9, 2014. I was able to book a AAA rate of $172, which included half price valet parking.  Since Kimpton is running their secret word ("Summer of Karma") campaign right now, I hoped that I could get free valet parking.

I truly love the service that I receive at Kimpton properties and the upgraded experience I receive due to my Inner Circle status.  I had heard of Kimpton in 2013 and thought that my wife would really like them - at least, she would like them above the normal Marriott property.  I received a status match to Inner Circle from my Marriott Platinum status.  I was definitely right about my wife liking them!

Kimpton's Hotel Solamar in San Diego, CA

I drove to the Hotel Solamar and valeted it at the door.  They were very quick and efficient.  I went to the front desk at around 2:20pm, hoping that my room might be ready.  As luck would have it, my room was available and I had been upgraded to one of their corner King rooms.  She had some trouble making my key, but after a short time they were ready.  With my keys she gave me my Raid The Bar card.  I said the secret word and they added a drink coupon, plus a free movie.  Not the free valet that I had hoped for, but at least it was something good.

When I entered the room, I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the room.  The room itself was huge and the bed was more like a California King than the normal sized king bed.  At the entrance of the room was a nice seat in front of a full length mirror.  The desk, though thin, had a power strip that gave me enough plugs to power my ipad, iphone and laptop.

Unlike my room at the Sheraton Mission Valley, my bathroom was huge!  There was a huge whirlpool tub and right next to it was a large, standalone shower.  The vanity and sink were equally large.

After getting settled into my room, I took my laptop down to the pool/LoungeSix to get some work done.  While there,  I used my free drink coupon I received for using the secret word.  The bartender made me a margarita from scratch without sour mix, which was quite delicious, especially since it was unseasonably warm in San Diego.  As payment, I gave him the the free drink coupon and a tip.

Wine Hour is from 5pm-6pm each night and the one at the Hotel Solamar was no different.  In their foyer area they served a plethora of alcoholic beverages.  They offered a beer on tap, Nut Brown, three wines - a red blend, pinot grigio and chardonnay, and then a rum, honey, bitters mixture that was quite tasty.  I met a nice couple from Virginia, who are originally from Texas, that were in town for a conference that ended that day.

When I returned to my room after the Wine Hour, I found that my "amenity" had been delivered.  The concierge had brought me two local brews, a bottle of water, a bowl of mini Reese's peanut butter cups and a bowl of cashews.  It was presented in a nice way with a great note from the concierge.

After having dinner at the San Diego Yacht Club, I returned to the Solamar and got a drink at the JSix restaurant.  The great bartender prepared me a wonderful Old Fashioned.  It was a great way to use my Raid the Bar credit.

In the morning I had run out of shaving cream, so I went down to the front desk and they gave me a trial size can of shaving cream - much better than the shaving cream in a packet that I have received at other hotels.

Check out was a breeze.  I had the $10 Raid The Bar coupon credited to my bill from JSix the night before and headed to the valet, who promptly got me my car and off to my luncheon appointment at the La Jolla Country Club.

The only thing missing from my stay was the Kimpton smell.  I did not get a whiff of the patented Kimpton fragrance anywhere in the hotel.  I hope they haven't done away with it - I love the smell!