Ramada St. James/Gaslamp Reviews

Cozy little room in the center of it all, if your purpose in coming here is to experience the gas lamp stay here. If you want the hotel experience Ramada offers other hotels here in the gas lamp that still beat their competitors

Nice stay. Small rooms, but it's right in the middle of all the action

I think there are people who would enjoy staying in a very old hotel in the heart of downtown San Diego. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. My room was very small. I had to lie across the bed in order to use the room coffee maker. The desk and chair was small and very uncomfortable. The window air conditioner was noisy (although it at least blocked out the street noise outside). I was looking forward to working and having a drink at their rooftop lounge but when I reached the top floor there was a sign stating that the lounge was closed for repairs. A sign stating this in the lobby would have been more helpful. The guys working the desk were helpful. If you love the "charm" of staying in an old building you might want to give this a try. If you are traveling on business and looking for a comfortable place to work, sleep, and relax before a flight or meeting then I suggest you keep looking.

Hotel very old, a bit disorganized. Fitness room consists of old crosstrainer and treadmill

This place is OK. Probably appropriately priced. The people working there will get you what you need, but weren't as good at giving advice on a cool place to eat or drink.

Not a bad experience, not as good as some of the other hotels in the area, but the location is nice.

Good atmosphere and good food, close to the Convention Center of San Diego for Comic Con or any event

Rooms are like college dorm rooms. Fitness center is a treadmill in the closet. Spend the extra money for a nicer place.

This hotel is a diamond in the rough!! Haha it is a well done replica of a hotel from the 50's. The elevator is definitely what makes it worth the stay! The rooms were a bit small but it gets the job done.

It is a cheap hotel with some shortcomings, especially elevators that are not from the beginning of the last century

Great price /location. Older hotel, not much more than that. Great staff, very helpful and friendly. Nice rooftop area. The connected restaurant is the best.

Not the nicest place you'll ever stay @ but for the $ its the best value in the gaslamp district

No wifi Does not come with breakfast!! That was one of the reasons we stay at ramadas, was a very big letdown calling in the morning and finding out we payed over $100 for a small ass room with no breakfast available.

Historical hotel! Nice room. Friendly staff.
Best location and tenth floor roof top! 5stars

When checking in with my bag the big black security guy at the front door says we can't unload our stuff in front of the 10 min loading zone. He was very rude to my wife and said he's calling the cops if we don't move! My wife is from South Africa and is also black. This guy is rude every time we go back to our room. He has no customer service skills and need to be replaced! ASAP

The elevator: The elevator is probably 60 years old, you have to manually open the door yourself, and you can see the inside of the elevator shaft. This could be cool and kitschy, but when you have suitcases it is really frustrating to have to hold the door open while your load them into the elevator. I would rather take the stairs 7 flights up. The gym: There isn't a gym. There is a treadmill, technically. When I first got to the gym, there were two dudes looking at the treadmill, who probably charged the hotel to fix it, and told me they had fixed it, but when I got on to this (probably 20 year old) machine, it wobbled under my weight and yanked me off my feet every 10 seconds. Seriously dangerous. The other machine, a antique elliptical, was so jankey and made so much noise that I thought the might be a family of racoons being eviscerated inside it. I'm not a huge fan of racoons, but I'm also not a cold blooded killer. The room is fine, my cable didn't work, but what are you gonna do...

For all of you that are rating the cheapest hotel in the gas lamp district poorly, please understand, you get what you pay for. The reviews are laughable and pathetic. $160/night in down town proper is why you are staying here not because the customer service is on point or because the rooms are large and spacious. It's also next to the only 24hr restaurant in down town which I might add you do get a 10% discount with your room key.

Booked this spot cause it's next to Brains 24 and I can get all the drunk munchies I want at the convince of also being in my hotel (not paying for room service is a bonus) HOWEVER..... I almost puked when I saw there was BED BUGS in my bed!! Ewwww!!!!! I immediately called for this and all they did was bring me fresh sheets.... are you serious? No discount or anything. Actually now that I think about it (I was a little tipsy) there wasn't even a manager on site! So obviously they do not care about the customers needs and cleanliness of staying in their hotel. They referred me to call someone named Brandon, but he never picked up my calls or returned any of my messages. Poor customer service and even more poor beds eeek!!

Great location for walking to restaurants, bars, etc. It's an old historic hotel so don't expect modern. Beautiful rooftop area to byo food, etc. Posting photos of rooftop view.

Nothing fancy, but it was affordable and comfortable with good rooftop views and friendly staff.

Room was tiny. Air conditioner didn't work. Table lamp had a short. Dirty spoon left on desk.

Very friendly front desk. Kind of a spooky old place with morbid welfare check notices in the rooms. Great price for the location.

I stayed here four nights for a conference. The hotel is old, but my room was cleaned and bed made up every day. The room was a bit small, totally comfortable for one person but two might be challenging. The old elevator can be slow and challenging to get into with lots in your hands, but is a talking point with everyone you meet. The bed was SO COMFORTABLE, better than a friend's who was at the Marriott. The location is great, close to everything, short walk to the convention center. The roof was really cool, and the staff were very helpful. The only downside was the spotty internet service. Sometimes could not get the wifi to work, no matter who I called or what I tried. So if you don't critically need the internet its great!

Friendly staff, but poorly maintained rooms. Extremely old building.

The gaslam district is the best for dinner and drinks, not to mention all.tbe poke stops! Team Instinct!

Very expensive you have to pay to park your car aswell

1st impression, this place is old. Its clean though which is a plus. We head to the room and decide to take the elevator. This thing is old, you open the door to it, slide back a gate and enter, 4 person max, it's very cramped with 5. We get to the room and discover that it's a two suite room, excellent. The rooms are pretty small but they are clean and quiet. The only thing I can explain about is the A/C it's a window unit and it's very loud, and the air blows on your face. All in all not a bad place to stay.

This was a smoke free building but I smelled it the whole time I was there. Room cleaning was adequate . The restaurant also doubles as room service. Food, service and wait staff awful. Don't go there! I wont

Staff are super friendly but the hotel needs work asap. Very noisy around Gaslamp and hotel needs double glazed windows. Theres a gap on the window for the AC so you hear everything outside.

Nice overall hotel. However the rooms definitely need a modern update grossly for the price. Very comfortable bed and pillows. Very kind and helpful front desk (Ian)

Horrible hotel.
First we asked for 5 people and accommodation was only for 4 people.
Bathroom leaking water, dirty, dawn phone rings.
Very bad

A little too old fashion for me. They should be updating more of their rooms. Also the elevators are hella scary.

My stay was excellent. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, Darian in particular. I will come back here my next time in San Diego!

Large hotel conveniently placed in down town. Staff were as kind as any motel or hotel. There is no parking and Valet is expensive per day. There is a nice terrace on the roof with a great view, tables and chairs. There are 2 elevators but only one was working for our stay. They are "vintage" sliding grate door elevators that hold 4 people max at a time and move slowly. With only one working this made for long waits and many walks up and down the stairs, with luggage at times. The TV didn't work in our room and when we called the front desk they sent up a security personnel to fix it. He was nice but clearly knew nothing about the working of their Direct TV system or the TVs and remotes themselves as he just kept unplugging different things and plugging them back in. We were in town to see a show that was in town. Getting ready for the show we realized our hair dryer didn't work, called the desk and they said they'd send an Engineer. 15min later no one showed up and we called again they said they'd call again and send some one right away. 15 more minutes and we had to leave wet hair and all to barely make the show in time. All in all it seemed like a larg, more expensive, chain motel stay.

Nice older hotel. Rooms are small but well kept. Enjoyed my stay. Great location as well.

Stayed 2 nights for the marathon. The food at the restaurant was ehh. The elevator holds 3 people and only 1 was working so I had to climb the stairs to the 3rd floor every time and parking is expensive and far. You pull up and they take your car....I dont know where but it takes 15 to 20 minutes to bring your car back to you. So I did miss out on driving to some places i wanted to visit because it was such a hassle to get my car. It's a perfect place for the younger crowd to stay. Staff was very nice. Rooms clean and charming. Bed comfy.

Great hotel! Very nostalgic! It's 105 years old! I loved how they renovated it and kept old stuff in it at the same time. Super clean awesome customer service. They even have an elevator attendant. Cool place!

Old hotel, but that's the point! See the sweet antique elevator and great rooftop view

Very old carpet and sheets were not fresh. Had no referigirator in the room and they charge $10 per night for the refrigerator. The only good thing about it was the location.

Old and outdated. They're were 6 of us. The pull out bed was hortible.horrible. and the chairs looked dirty. They only wanted to give us 3 washcloths everytime our room was cleaned. We've had so much nicer for less money!

Very classic , should improve interiors, n need to workout on elevators specially

Very clean and well presented hotel with friendly and helpful staff.

This is an old property with little charm and very musty. The sheets in my first room were so dirty I had to change rooms. The rooms are small with 1 tiny window and no views. The elevators are the original ones with the steel sliding gate inside the car and a door that needs to be manually opened on each floor. The elevators consistently missed the floors and didn't stop when they were supposed to. No coffee makers in the rooms and parking was $30/night. Too far from the beaches to walk. I would not recommend this property

Ramada Hotel at Gaslamp Historic District is located in downtown San Diego and the location is great. Check-in wasn't attentive front desk staff was multitasking, not welcoming at all. He was on the phone and working on the check-in. Other that that the hotel was good. The room was small but it has everything we needed. The roof top is great, the view was very nice. 5 starts because of the location.

There are no words that can explain how deeply I regret trying to book a stay at the Ramada inn at the gas lamp district in San Diego. I decided to book this room one day in advance to celebrate my wife s 30th birthday. It was going to be our first full night away from our toddler son and we NEEDED the alone time and were looking forward to the stay immensely. Well, as fate would have it the next day our son woke up with a nasty cold and we decided to cancel our stay. When I booked the reservations there was no indication by the Ramada employee that there would be any early cancelation fee. I do realize that many hotels have a policy that states the consequences of canceling in less than 24 hours but they usually state that while booking the reservation. I was informed that I would have to pay the entire amount of the room, and when I spoke with the general manager he spoke to me in one of the most pompous condescending tones I have ever experienced. He eluded to the fact that I lied about not knowing about the early cancelation fee, and that his star employee who is a supervisor would not have made the mistake of not mentioning the cancelation policy. I was dealt with in such a rude manor that I will NEVER stay at another RAMADA inn. I pride myself of the fact that I am pretty easy going and low maintenance. I never complain and try to treat everyone with the amount of respect that I wish to be treated with. The customer service I have experienced is inexcusable, and I warn others of patronizing an establishment that treats guests in this manor. I do realize there are rules and I am willing to accept that. There are no explanations or excuses for the way I was treated, by the GM none the less .

I stayed one night, the room was small but had everything I needed. It was conveniently located which is also a plus. I am giving the hotel only 1 star because of the poor customer service I received. I have a Jeep Commander and when I arrived at the hotel, I had it valet. When I got my car returned it was damaged. The roof rack was broken off, the top pieces to the rear grab bars got broken off and part of the tail gate was also damaged. I was obviously upset about that, I also understand that accidents happen. However, I was upset because the valet driver did not mention that he messed up my car. And when I reported it to the hotel, the manager Dennis Walton and the general manager, Mike Efron, decided that after 'investigating' the situation, the hotel valets were not at fault and that I was the one who had done the damage to my vehicle. I have no reason to lie about this and I was more than pleasant with the management and staff and just wanted to get this resolved in a timely manner. Their attitude towards me and not taking responsibility is completely insane and uncalled for! Bottom line, although its conveniently located and reasonably priced, pay a little more and stay somewhere else. DON'T GO HERE!

Okay location; good price and really spacious room; service was iffy

Love the history. A group of us meet in San Diego every January. We pick the Ramada for its historic significance. Plus the room layouts are perfect for groups staying together.

This place was great! The rooms were on the smaller side being that hotel is based in historical building (St.James Hotel) but they are perfectly fine if you are alone and/or with a gf or bf. The rooms have everything you need from ac, wi-fi, ceiling fan, lots of towels, a flat screen tv, bottled water.

I was used to the room size being from NYC and all, but they were genuine functional and clean. You don't need the earplugs they provide you because it doesn't get that loud and SD seems to shut down after 2 A.M. It is a courtesy.

If you are high-maintenance then this might not be the place for you, and that's only because of your own personal expectations.

The wi-fi is great, the house keeping is efficient and respectful, and the place has a rooftop above the 10th floor with a great view of SD and where you can get a great tan and just chill.

And its connected to a great restaurant that is 24 hrs and just as mannerly and friendly as the hotel itself.
"Bryan's Restaurant" is a great place to meet people and talk and grab a bite after everything else has shutdown.

YES the place is not the Hilton or Marriot that charges likes $180-$250 a night but the Ramada Gas lamp is located in the middle of the Gas lamp within walking or crawling range of the bars, restaurants, banks, delis and car rental offices.

Not to mention how nice, friendly and accommodating the front desk and valet staff were.

Cydney, Ken, Ken, Hector, Freddy, Cezar, Steve and whoever I forgot to mention who worked from 930P.M. pst 8/3/15 to 8/6/15 12 noon pst were all simply amazing. They looked out for my loud orange 2015 convertible mustang rental, they told me where to go, what to do, look out for my safety, etc...

I would invite these people into my home for dinner that's how nice they were.

Give this place a chance as it is affordable whether you book it through them directly, or use Verizon smart rewards points like I did, or something like a booking site.

I'm going to finish off my post with what another reviewer said because I couldn't have said it better!

For all of you that are rating the cheapest hotel in the gas lamp district poorly, please understand, you get what you pay for. The reviews are laughable and pathetic. $160/night in down town proper is why you are staying here not because the customer service is on point or because the rooms are large and spacious. It's also next to the only 24hr restaurant in down town which I might add you do get a 10% discount with your room key.

One star less because of parking issues. Clean facility, clean rooms.

The furnishing were nice and room was great for a densely packed district like this. Price was good. Nightclub opposite is extremely noisy at night till the late 3am but they do give you earplugs. Restaurant on the first floor was very nice and 24 hours and is a good touch for late morning guests like me

The lift was horrendously slow and be prepared to wait for 3-8 minutes but the staircase was carpeted. Bad for people like me with heavy suitcases.

Staff are amazing but the venue looks it's age in a bit of a bad way... rooms are generally pretty grimey looking with the showers and toilets being caked in limescale and cracks in the walls/ceilings. The novelty of the 106 year old lifts wears off quite quickly but the view from the rooftop is pretty neat. The beds are comfortable but the overall image of the place needs a dire overhaul considering the rates they are charging.

Booked my stay here at the Ramada Hotel. Have to say very very good staff. Friendly as can be and very very helpful. Rodney especially is such an amazing man. It doesn t matter if u need help now or later, he is happy to help whenever. He is great!!! So far a happy stay.

We arrived very early due to a hotel/neighborhood switch and planned to just leave our bags until checkin. Instead, the friendly guys at the front desk found us a room right away and we were able to get right into our room. Love the elevators and the rooftop has some incredible views!

The stay it s self was fine. Nothing special. Why I m upset is because they over charged me $80 for valet parking that I never used and every time I have talked to them they keep telling me I will be refunded in 3-5 business days. I called 3 separate times and that was the response each time. I stayed at the end of December and it is now January 15th and I still haven t received my money. I ve had to contact my bank and file a claim.

Amazing location, friendly staff and clean rooms. The roof top has very good views of the city. Highly recommend this place when in San Diego.

Had a great stay here, POSH - grand old hotel clean quite and nice. If your looking for modern ikea boutique hotel look elsewhere - it s a grand old lady. Airport shuttle service is a great amenity. Skip the lobby coffee...

Beautiful boutique hotel. Great location, charming building.

Friendly people great service and killer rooms for cheap.

Dirty rooms tub wouldn't drain sink clogged. Stains on bed sheets. Gross place never coming back!!!! I would not recommend this place to anyone. The elevator is dangerous I opened the door and a man was stuck half way between floors and had to jump out and take the stairs.

The workers were very friendly and the hotel had a very rustic feel to it. The old styled elevators, the room layout... But be warned: the elevators are a hassle to open the door and gate so you can't have your hands occupied to function them. The room I was in happened to be pretty small with no microwave and no mini fridge but other rooms may vary. The rooftop is accessible and a great hangout spot and also great for taking pictures.

Super old school decor with a touch of modern. Elevators are really from 1913...amazing and super dangerous

Although located in the very central area of San Diego in the historic Gaslamp district, this hotel is a pure reminder of days gone by (formerly the St. James Hotel). The whole structure and rooms could do with a massive renovation, especially the bathrooms. The additional beds (read sofa beds) are real war remnants: non-existent mattresses and springs on which it is impossible even to rest. Antique air conditioning. Mediocre cleaning.
Breakfast is not fully included in the price: you are entitled to a $ 7 voucher to spend in the adjacent Brian's 24.
Parking is only available with the car valet formula at a price of $ 40 a day.
Helpful staff.
From my personal experience I don't feel like recommending it.

Hotel is conveniently located in the Gas Lamp district and is very affordable for a downtown hotel. The elevators are old, slow, and small and the rooms are a bit small as well. However, the hotel is very clean and staff goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome. The rooftop deck -- where you can take your own food and beverages, including alcohol -- is awesome with great views of downtown. We arrived after a cross-country flight that left the east coast at 6am and arrived in San Diego at 8:20am. When we checked in just after 9:00am, I said I know it is way too early to check in, but we'd like to store our bags. The front desk manager immediately called housekeeping and asked them to clean our room first and said it would be ready by 9:45 -- and it was! Highly recommend this property. Two great places among many nearby: Coffee & Art and Hub Market and Deli (sandwiches are great and HUGE!). They also sell beer and wine.

Rooms are but small but good for the price. Staff is very friendly. Woukd stay here again.

Old functional hotel in Downtown San Diego. Busy at weekends. Expensive parking. Overall it's nice place.

Hotel staff took amazing care of my wife and I, our room was perfect the views from room and rooftop deck were outstanding! Close too lists of food and fun. Highly recommended Eli and the staff are amazing

If your interested in staying in a historic hotel from 1913 with the original elevators, this is the place. Place is clean, people are friendly and a bar & grill on the premises. St. James Hotel

I stayed here for Comic-Con 2016. The hotel is very dated, but I like how they've tried to put modem amenities in the rooms. There are plenty of electrical outlets which is crucial these days and the wifi is free for guests. The bed was clean and comfortable. But the down side is that the rooms are small and cramped and the sinks are in the room and not the bathroom.

During Comic-Con there is free water bottles and fruit in the lobby. That is a very nice gesture and proves to me that they are thinking of their guests.

There is an adjacent restaurant that is open 24/7, and that is a real plus for conventioneers coming back from late night events.

Apparently there is a problem with noise since there are entertainment clubs nearby. I did not experience any problem with this during my stay however. And again the staff are on top of it by actually providing complementary ear plugs in the rooms.

The reason I didn't rate this review any higher is because the rooms are so dated, small and cramped and I'm accustomed to more modern accommodations. The staff and the running of the hotel are great.

Rooms too small and crowded.
Ancient elevator with noisy hard to open metal safety gates.

Well situated, it was great for Halloween
Room had views, The rooms were small & dated but it adds to the atmosphere. Interesting lifts, and the roof top area is great for night drinks

Absolutely the worst hotel in Gaslamp District I have ever stayed in. Actually the worst hotel I have ever stayed in period. Front desk manager accused us with tampering with the headboard as we tried to get out of our reservation. Disgrace of a hotel!

Ok place. The lobby is nice and the staff were great. Rooms are a bit dated though and really need some upkeep. You can't cover old age with endless layers of paint... BUT!!! My room had a ceiling fan and that is one thing most hotels lack! It is so hard to sleep at night in most hotels that have NO moving air in the room. Im giving it an extra star for that, but I'm also taking one away because it is one of those where the shower head is so low you have to hunch over to wash your hair...

Good location, but hotel is over 100 years old and feels creepy inside. Tub was chipped and had rust and lime stains. Carpet was worn. Pipe insulation was deteriorated and exposed. Exterior window was totally covered in dust. Just felt haunted.

Try to find hotel on Travelocity. Amazing view from the top

Great historic hotel with original elevators. Make sure to check out the rooftop patio at night!