Lafayette Hotel

Stopped into the Lafayette for a drink or 2 with my wife about a month ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since! The pool bar has one of the best views I've ever seen, and all the the bartenders and servers I met were just wonderful! I was particularly enamored by the lobby bar. It feels like a genuine 30s/40s bar, classy but not pretentious. It felt like the perfect place to order a martini, so I asked my bartender, Claire, for a Gibson--and it was PERFECT, the balance I'd been looking for. So good I asked her to tell me how she made it so I could replicate it at home, and she was happy to oblige! I make it twice a week at least. Can't wait to come back and check out the jazz bar on our next trip to San Diego!

I love this hotel, but keep in mind that it’s a locals favorite so even if you’re paying to stay there, there’s a chance you won’t get to eat in the restaurant, the diner, or use any games or bowl, or get a cocktail (literally nothing) because it’s so busy. I love that for them, I just wish they prioritized hotel guests first for the amenities and f&b. I ended up grabbing drinks from the liquor store and order d DoorDash because the wait for my first cocktail was 45 mins, diner was 2 hours and Quixote was fully booked two nights in a row. I’ve stayed here 3 x and each time the same, but we still come back in hopes each time it will have gotten better on that front. Love the holiday decor, the thoughtfulness and nice staff. It’s a super fun place, lively and one of the best designed hotels in SD.

We had an absolutely amazing stay at the Lafayette! This is a truly unique property that has been thoroughly planned in every nook and cranny. It is especially convenient that Lou Lou’s and Quixote are on the property. Even though the hotel is on a Main Street, the area is still fairly walkable - North Park is nearby. We walked to get food multiple times. The pool and lobby are fantastic and there were always loads of people taking Instagram photos. However, the real stars were the staff! I found them to be helpful and energetic the entire time, despite a packed hotel. This is one of THE places to stay in San Diego and I recommend it for couples and friend groups alike!

My best friend and I stayed here for my 40th bday. The rooms and property are so beautiful. The staff were so friendly and helpful and we enjoyed the restaurants on site. A must for the ambiance alone! Only set back was the noise levels but we were told when we checked in and there are earplugs for each guest. We hope to return soon!

Casey and Roberto at the front desk were the absolute sweetest! Such a beautiful and accommodating place to stay. The young man at the diner was also a delight but we missed his name. And we certainly can’t forget Todd! We couldn’t have been more pleased with every engagement at this lovely place. Will be staying again!

Hands down the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in—and that includes five-star properties across Asia, Europe, and the U.S. The Lafayette isn’t about predictable luxury; it’s about personality. Every detail feels intentional, from the wallpaper to the lighting to the small touches in the rooms. It’s stylish without trying too hard, and genuinely one-of-a-kind. The property has everything you could want in one place: a stunning lobby with a circular bar, a European-style pool, a 1950s diner, an upscale restaurant, and a jazz bar with real atmosphere. You don’t need to Uber anywhere—San Diego comes to you. And surprisingly, it’s not priced like the luxury hotels it easily outperforms. For what you get, it’s incredibly reasonable. The staff is young, fun, and genuinely helpful. Locals line up just to get into the lobby bar, and the level of care they show hotel guests goes even further. I don’t write many reviews, and I’m not easily impressed, but The Lafayette blew me away. If you’re coming to San Diego and can only pick one place to stay, make it this one. I’ll be back every chance I get.

The wife and I drove to the Lafayette Hotel from Poway for a lunch date, our first visit, and it definitely made an impression. The hotel is beautifully decorated for Christmas, and the whole place has this “back-in-time” vibe. Not Old West. More like classy 60s vintage. I actually felt a little underdressed walking in! We grabbed two seats at the large circular bar in the center of the hotel. The bartenders were attentive, the bar backs were constantly polishing glasses, and the whole scene kind of reminded me of my own days bartending at a steakhouse. I honestly miss it sometimes. Our bartender greeted us immediately and handed over the drink menus, though it was hard to focus because we were still looking around at all the holiday decorations. My wife ordered the “Chrismapolitan. Vodka, cranberry, pine, cassis, aperitivo, lemon, bitters, egg white… definitely a sophisticated holiday drink, and she loved it. I ordered a Rationale NA Hazy IPA since I don’t drink anymore, and it was surprisingly good for a non-alcoholic option. We eventually headed toward the poolside restaurant for lunch. The hotel was packed by this point, and I found myself weaving through crowds and vintage décor, passing by a 50s-style diner on the way. Pretty cool detail. Once seated poolside, we ordered another round and took more photos. There’s Christmas décor everywhere throughout the property. From our table we had a great view of the large pool surrounded by lounge chairs and hotel rooms facing inward. I can only imagine how lively this place gets at night. For lunch, I ordered the Reuben with curly fries and my wife had the Tuna Melt, also with curly fries. Both were delicious, crispy fries and generous portions. We each took half a sandwich home. If I had one critique, our server was pretty absent after taking the order, so we ended up tracking down someone else for utensils and napkins. Not a huge deal, but worth mentioning. Overall, this was a really fun lunch date spot, especially with the holiday decorations and unique atmosphere. We’re already planning to come back, maybe even stay a night sometime.

Beautiful hotel with incredible theming throughout! So many options for food and drinks and they are all worth trying. The coffee bar had incredible lattes and cortados. A hot vanilla latte was my go to each morning. The pool area was equally stunning but the water was a bit too chilly for swimming. Definitely check out Quixote even if you don’t choose to have a meal. It is absolutely stunning. Only complaint was the beds in the rooms aren’t great. Will definitely be back again.

This place was on my bucket list so my bestie and I decided to stay for a long weekend as a birthday trip for me. The aesthetics and attention to detail are incredible, from the stationery, the decor, the menu and drink options; all of it is a masterpiece of branding. The major cons are that this place truly is a night club and it gets packed on the weekend with locals (and the hotel doesn’t really clean up after them well, there were cups, plates and dirty tables everywhere we turned). The lobby is essentially a bar so getting to and from the front of the hotel/concierge to our room was a fight of elbowing through the crowd and screaming “excuse me”. Because of the crowds many items on the menu were sold out, wait times for a table were long and there is no room service so ordering to go was our only option, surrounded by drunk people no less. The rooms were cute but needed a full length mirror, a dedicated table or shelf for bags or a dresser instead of 4 hangers in the closet. The wallpaper was peeling in some areas and the rug was unfinished in certain areas and for how much the room cost I was surprised at the state of it. The bathroom was well decorated but could’ve used more lighting and a hook for bathing suits and (just a suggestion) hair towels for the girlies. There is a $100 incidental fee for each night you stay that is held on your card until check out btw. All in all it’s a great place to stay for a night or two to get some cute pics, spend some time drinking/eating/partying and then stumbling back to your room but if you’re coming to vacation/relax this isn’t really the spot. I would also say it’s not the most kid friendly given the club vibe. I wish more was for guests only or reservation only instead of just being open to the public. There is also a texting line that I found to be super helpful; Ashlee and Lynnea were very kind and helpful!

Most if not all who are complaining here are in my opinion just not getting it. This place is absolutely amazing, completely as advertised (do your research please), and deserves al least a 4.8 rating. We had a wonderful weekend. I do understand that hotel guests want to get priority on busy days/times and I think the team is well aware of this, it's just very hard to get exactly right.