Tower 23 Hotel - San Diego, USA 

Hip but Unassuming... if that seems weird
Posted: Wed, Jul 18 2007
Tower 23 was a very hip little hotel, but also felt very laid back. Not as though we couldn't walk in if we weren't feeling fancy. The location is right on the beach which is fantastic and there's a great, great breakfast place down the street (Kona's). We still remember that breakfast! There's a pier within a very short walk where you can watch the surfers and fishermen. It was perfect for soaking up the atmosphere of PB. The public deck facing the ocean is a great design feature in that it allows everyone to relax and just take in the ocean at sunset (not just those folks who paid big bucks for the ocean view rooms.) Only drawbacks might be that you do need a rental car if you want to go anywhere else in San Diego. At the time we booked the hotel's website wasn't working for reservations, and then when it was it suggested we could have gotten a better deal/room(?) going direct thru them. I wrote and complained but never got a reply. The bar and restaurant staff are very cool and friendly, although it's a little weird that there aren't any sports at all on the bar's TV's. It was a little surreal to be sitting at a bar on the beach and there was *figure skating* on tv.

Upset about Tower 23
Posted: Thu, Jul 12 2007
This hotel is very close to the beach, however my stay was just mediocre. The room was okay, but did have a nice view. My major problem came upon checkout. My bill had charges on it from the restaurant downstairs. I had never eaten at this restaurant, and the name signed on the check was not even close to mine. The people at the front desk acted like they were still going to charge me. I was very upset and will never stay at this hotel again.

Tower23: Nice property Which Needs New Managerial Staff
Posted: Wed, Jun 27 2007
This is an upscale boutique hotel in Pacific Beach which is not readily accesible unless you have a car. It is about $30 from the airport and about the same to downtown San Diego. I was attending a business meeting /convention and was happy to be staying at this smaller property a bit away from it all with good reviews. I had a rental car which costs $20 per nite to park at the property. The rates per nite are pricey so I was expecting an experience consistent with such a rate. I arrived at about 2:30 PM after two long flights ; i travel a great deal and this was the end of a busy travel season . It was a Saturday afternoon and the front desk person indicated that the room was not ready and that they guarantee the room for 4 PM. This is approaching the late side for check in as most hotels are for 3 PM check-in. She asked for my cell phone and said she would call me when the room was ready. She did not do this and I returned after 3:15 PM and asked about my room and another gentleman indicated that my room was ready. While waiting, I saw that there was a wedding party readying for a ceremony /reception apparently at a different venue; but people were milling about by the small courtyard looking out over the beach. When I returned from a dinner meeting at 11 PM , the wedding revelers were now congregated outside my bedroom on the courtyard having drinks and making huge noise which continued until nearly 2 AM despite several calls to the front desk. This is a charming , small property and simply is not designed for such a real time celebration at the expense of guests' sleep. The nite manager was thoroughly inept and the daytime manager with whom I reviewed the matter was very gracious and abated one nite's charge by 50%. But the experience fouled my sense of the place. The bar is hopping and I enjoyed being out for drinks with colleagues on one nite. The restaurant is simply outstanding with beautifully prepared food and staff who are professional across all domains. Rivalled any restaurant experience in great dining places around the country. But the management has to decide whether this is an upscale boutique hotel or whether it is a function hall . The manager made a decision to sell drinks through the nite on the private courtyard the remnants of which I captured on my cell phone camera in the early AM and to ruin the experience of others versus asking the party to move to the very large bar at the other end of the hotel.It was a bad decision on the manager's part and which he never addressed. While the other staff were truly gracious and helpful during my stay, this hotel needs a "top-down" managerial review .

Highly recommended!
Posted: Fri, Jun 01 2007
One of the best hotels I have stayed in quite sometime, everything was outstanding from the rooms, service and food! We had such a great time and would highly recommend Tower23 to friends, family and anyone looking for a truly exceptional hotel stay!

Great Choice For Pacific Beach
Posted: Wed, May 23 2007
Tower 23 is a chic, upscale hotel, located on the boardwalk, in the heart of Pacfic Beach. The hotel features 44 spacious, well-equipped rooms/suites and a restaurant with full bar. The Tower Deck, located on the 2nd floor and overlooking the boardwalk, is a great place to take in the ocean view and enjoy your favorite cocktail. Guest services/amenities include concierge, business services, in-room dining and movies, morning newspaper, valet parking, laundry service and complimentary "Wi-Fi" internet. Tower 23 does not have a swimming pool. We stayed in a "Surf Pad"; a very nice, ocean-front room with balcony. The spacious room featured a large Serenity bed, wall-mounted, flat screen HD-TV, X-Box entertainment center, cordless telephones, safe, iron and board. The bathroom featured a step-in shower (no bath tub), a hair dryer and quality bath robes. JRDN is the on-site restaurant, featuring steaks, seafood and sushi. JRDN offers inside and patio dining and is complimented by a full-service bar that gets quite lively at night. We dined at JRDN one evening; the food was very good, albeit expensive. I enjoyed one of the best steaks I ever had and my wife raved about the Ahi tuna. JRDN provides in-room dining for breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid-night snacks. We ordered in-room for breakfast each day of our stay; again finding the food to be very good. Service at Tower 23 was excellent and the friendliness of all staff members we had contact with was notable. Located just north of Crystal Pier, Tower 23 is within walking distance to countless restaurants, bars and shops. We are local San Diego County residents, who have stayed at many of the better hotels in Pacific Beach; including Pacific Terrace, Ocean Park Inn and Capri By The Sea. We thoroughly enjoyed our 4-night stay at Tower 23 and look forward to a return visit. If you have any questions or would like to view additional photos of the hotel, feel free to contact me through the Trip Advisor message system.