Carte Hotel San Diego: The Perfect Downtown Stay
As frequent travelers, we’ve stayed in our fair share of hotels. While some properties excel in some areas, they can be underwhelming in others.
It’s rare to find a hotel where you can say you had a nearly perfect stay, yet our recent visit to the Carte Hotel San Diego was just that. Aside from the fact that we both had to return to work, we could find no fault with this property.
We loved our room, overlooking the stunning San Diego Bay, the food and drinks at Above Ash Social were fantastic, and the amenities, including the hotel’s pool, and full-service gym, were top-notch.
If you’re planning a trip to San Diego and want to be downtown, this is the place to stay.
Here’s a recap of our experience at the Carte Hotel in San Diego.
Location
The Carte Hotel is in a part of downtown San Diego that is a convenient walk and Lyft ride to several popular attractions and neighborhoods.
Located in the Little Italy neighborhood, the city’s popular foodie destination, the hotel is about a 10–15-minute walk to the Star of India, the world's oldest active sailing ship, the Portside Pier, the USS Midway, Seaport Village, Petco Park, and more.
The hotel is also about a 5-minute walk to the Trolley and a 10-minute drive from San Diego International Airport (SAN), making it a convenient option if you want to be close to the airport and public transit.
Check-In
We drove to the hotel for our stay as we wanted the flexibility to drive as needed, and the Carte has a smooth valet check-in. Valet service is $56 per night, and at first glance, it seems pricey, but it is well worth the price since street parking is nearly impossible and limited, and public parking spaces are equally priced.
The property is impressive from the outside, as it features a modern façade with clean lines and walls of windows. It’s one of the newer buildings in the area, having opened in 2019.
We checked in around 4 PM and were happily greeted by several employees awaiting to serve guests. The extra staff presence was much appreciated and a relief given that the hospitality industry has been hit with staffing shortages.
After checking in at the desk, we were immediately struck by the clean design of the hotel lobby, which features high ceilings and lots of public space. Upon closer inspection, we noticed that the lobby décor and design reflect San Diego’s fishing heritage and proximity to the Bay. Look for wall art inspired by fishing boats and equipment and the San Diego beach life when you visit.
The elevators use a touchpad system that directs you to your elevator. Once inside the lift, there are no additional buttons to push, which, to be honest, took us a few times to get used to.
The Room
When we got to our room on the fourteenth floor, we immediately realized that our room faced San Diego Bay. We made a beeline straight for the window and fought over who would open it first. The view from the room offers a 180-degree view of the city’s modern skyline, the Bay, and Point Loma.
After we settled in, we could tell right away that we were in for a treat. The room was immaculately clean, with a comfortable king-size bed and four plush pillows, a wall-mounted large flat-screen TV, a mini-fridge, and a fun armchair near the floor-to-ceiling window.
The bathroom was equally clean, with a tall walk-in shower with excellent water pressure and the specialty soaps and lotions we’ve come to expect from a Curio Collection hotel.
Each room has a coffeemaker and uses smart technology for climate control. It doesn’t hurt to stay in a newer hotel, and we couldn’t have been happier with our room.
Amenities
We can’t say enough about the amenities at the Carte Hotel.
On the ground floor is the spacious Lobby Bar that offers a select list of red and white wine and local beer on tap.
Also on the ground floor is the hotel’s full-service restaurant, Watercolors, led by executive chef Cesar Oceguera. On the menu, you’ll find an array of dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, including fresh seafood, that pair well with any of the chardonnays, cabernet sauvignons, pinot noirs, and zinfandels offered.
And that’s just the start.
Anyone who follows California Date Night knows how much we love and value fitness, and one of the highlights of our stay was the fabulous Fit Athletic Club on the third and fourth floors. In our travels, we’ve worked out in everything from a storage unit called a “gym” to the more common fitness spaces that you commonly find at a chain hotel.
The two-level fitness center at the Carte Hotel is on par with some of the best gym’s in the area, featuring new and modern workout equipment. They also have an outdoor workout area allowing guests to work up a sweat under the mild San Diego sun. The gym also offers fitness classes, a steam room, a sauna, and more.
Up until this point, our experience at the Carte Hotel had been a 5 out of 5. The gym took our experience and enjoyment beyond that!
The Pool
After our workout in the gym, we went back to our room for a quick rinse and then headed back to the third floor to check out the pool.
Did we say how much we love the pool?
Inspired by the famous Balboa Park Lily Pond, the heated saltwater pool with the gazebo offers the perfect environment to lay back and relax.
We made it to the pool around noontime and hung out until about 4 PM. We were surprised by the tranquility of the pool area – maybe because the hotel is downtown, and we expected a lot of noise – but it was quiet and a rather enjoyable experience.
To the south of the pool is the Lido Lounge, an intimate area that would be ideal for a weekend pool event. Plus, they have oversized Jenga and Connect Four, and who doesn’t love these games?
After our pool time, we headed upstairs to clean up for dinner.
Food and Drink
On the first night of our stay, we headed to the 16th floor to grab a drink and check out the scene at Above Ash Social.
The rooftop cocktail bar is open and airy, with ample seating for lounging and taking in the views of downtown San Diego and the San Diego Bay. While there is a large screen TV, Above Ash Social is just that – a place to be social and would be a perfect spot for a first date or for a couple looking to mix it up.
Pro Tip: If you’re looking to impress, make a reservation about an hour before sunset, and request a table on the west side of the rooftop (facing San Diego Bay). When that sunset glow hits, it doesn’t get more romantic than a drink in hand with that special someone. Trust us on this one.
We took advantage of their happy hour menu specials offered 4 – 6 PM daily and highly recommend the Brussels and tuna nachos.
We went back to Above Ash Social the second night and were equally impressed with their dinner menu.
First, we started with a cocktail – Ashley ordered the Sunset on Ash, made with Xicaru mezcal, lime, orange, aqua de Jamacia, jalapeno agave, and chili ash salt. Cheryl had the Sunday Flowers, made with You & Yours Sunday Gin, butterfly peaflower, lemon, and sparkling wine.
Sunset on Ash Cocktail at Above Ash Social
For an appetizer, we shared the beet salad, made with a strawberry-goal puree, mustard vinaigrette, goat fritters, fresh mixed greens, and roasted beets; and the Cured Yellowtail made with yellowtail octopus, blueberry and morita aguachile, green onion, and cherry tomatoes.
We also ordered the beer-braised short rib that comes with a horseradish jus, creamy sweet potato puree, and crispy shallots as the entree. This dish is rich and was our favorite of the night.
The Beer Braised Short Rib at Above Ash Social
During dinner, chef Cesar Oceguera came out to greet us and check on our experience, despite cooking for a large wedding party. It’s the little things that stand out, and it was refreshing to see the personal touch given by staff to all the guests at the hotel and restaurant.
While we skipped dessert, we witnessed several diners ordering the banana bread napoleon, a unique combination of mole and parsnip puree.
As we concluded dinner, we started looking at our calendars for an open evening to come back, grab a cocktail, enjoy a sunset view, and try more of the Above Ash Social menu.
We see a charcuterie board, a whole fish entrée, and the banana bread napoleon in our future.
Overall Impression
To say we loved our stay at the Carte Hotel would be an understatement. The building itself was sleek and modern, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the amenities were exceptional.
The gym, pool, and food and drinks at Above Ash Social exceeded our expectations, especially when on-site amenities are often hit or miss because of the pandemic.
You really can’t go wrong staying here, and we know we’ll be coming back, especially to take in those gorgeous sunset views.
More Information
To make a reservation at the Carte Hotel San Diego, click here.
To make a reservation at Above Ash Social, click here.
Follow the Carte Hotel on Facebook and Instagram.
Follow Above Ash Social on Instagram.