⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Charming Gem in Downtown San Diego I had an incredible stay at The Sofia Hotel! From the moment I walked in, the mix of historic charm and modern elegance was apparent. The building’s 1920s character is beautifully preserved, yet everything—from the stylish rooms to the high-speed Wi-Fi—feels fresh and up-to-date. The location is unbeatable: just a short walk to the Gaslamp Quarter, great restaurants, and the waterfront. It was perfect for both exploring and relaxing. Staff were exceptionally friendly and professional—every interaction felt warm and genuine. I especially appreciated the little touches like complimentary yoga classes and bike rentals, which added so much value to the experience. My room was cozy but thoughtfully laid out, with plush bedding, a sleek bathroom, and all the essentials (mini-fridge, microwave, coffee). Yes, the rooms aren’t massive—but the comfort, cleanliness, and ambiance more than make up for that. Martha and Alex were super kind as front desk staff and accommodated me with late check out. If you’re looking for a boutique hotel with character, convenience, and stellar service, The Sofia is a standout choice. Highly recommend!

Excellent location in downtown, walking distance to the seafront, gaslamp area and the restaurants. Friendly and helpful staff. Room was cleaned daily, coffee maker in the room, fridge and a small microwave. Room was of good size bed comfortable.

Staff at check in was not very welcoming and helpful. We had an issue at check in as they took our credit card without telling us that the hotel was charging the entire amount of our stay plus holding on the card almost 30% deposit of the total cost. Regarding the issue of the deposit, we were told to refer back to Booking.com as nothing was mentioned on the booking about deposit. We advise to check when reserving as it's not the first time that the information on booking.com is incomplete.

Everything was exceptional.. From check in to check out. Just make sure you park in the public parking behind the hotel building, then go into the hotel to check in. They will give you a ticket to place on your dashboard of your vehicle and charge for parking when you check out. I paid through the parking meter and I did not realize that I should have gone through the hotel first. Rooms are a bit small, but it was very cozy and my friend and I did just fine. I loved the fact they had a refrigerator and microwave in the room. Walking distance to Petco Park and eateries in Little Italy 🇮🇹 I cannot wait to return in July for another baseball game. I have already reserved our room here at The Sofia Hotel

Room was a bit small, but we managed.

My stay at the Sofia Hotel was peaceful and restful. Even though the hotel is historically over 100 years old, the rooms are modern and clean. What I like is the walking proximity to nearby restaurants and the MTS trolley line.

Being a boutique hotel, one needs to bear in mind that overall size and spacing is very noticeable. Thus, my room with two double beds, was much more smaller, compared to identical rooms from non-boutique hotels. The elevators, while generally prompt and responsive, are narrow and can only accommodate four people at a time. If you're either a tall, wide or heavyset individual, staying at this hotel might be challenging for you. The parking lot ($40 per day for hotel guests) behind the Sofia is also small and sometimes will require cars being parked right behind each other in the same lane.

Bed / mattress was of good quality and comfortable. Room was a decent sq.ft. - Comparable to a room in a Westin in size. Bathroom / shower areas recently renovated. Location was excellent for our requirements as we were able to easily walk to most venues we want to see and bus transit system was very good.

Design of building, being of a 1920's era, only offered a street view to limited rooms. So basically no room view. Walls or vent system allowed for conversations to be heard from adjacent rooms quite clearly.

Staff was excellent. I had forgotten my phone on the bed. I realized it at the airport and called in a panic thinking they may take the sheets with the phone in them. I was put in touch with Amy who immediately ran to check the room before they stripped the bed. She only found my phone, she drove it out to the airport where I was able to meet her, retrieve it from her and still get on my flight. She was my personal hero that day!

All was good

The hotel was cute with the mix of a classic building and modern upgrades. The location was excellent and an easy walk to nightlife and other entertainment.

While obviously an old building it was a little worn and slightly 'rough around the edges.' However, that was understandable and to me, acceptable. The room and bathroom were quite small. I had no issues but I could see it being an issue for a large person or someone with mobility restraints.

The Staff was excellent and very helpful. The flavored water and candy at the front desk was a nice touch. Definitely grabbed a hand full of mints and smarties when coming and going. Water filling station on the floor helped since there was no bottled water in the room.

The slow speed of the internet. I tried both WiFi and ethernet, and both were the same speed as using my cell service if not worse. Also the ethernet cable was broken which made it difficult to plug in to my laptop.

The staff were all friendly and accommodating. I lost an item one night and they were very helpful in finding it. The location is right within downtown and a short walk from Gaslamp. There are free candies at reception which was a nice touch.

There was no lights in the main bedroom beyond the bedside lamps, which meant that the rooms were always very dark at night. The room also smelt badly of smoking despite being a non-smoking hotel.

I was attending a conference at the Westin Gaslamp. The Sofia is literally a 4 minute walk. The room was clean. Booking.com allowed them to upgrade my room to a suite. I stayed in room 601. End unit.

The ventilation system in 601 was crazy loud. Housekeeping still hadn't cleaned my room by 430pm... to the point I just told them not to bother for the day. They didn't have any water on the room but had water dispensers on alternate floors. I had to buy a water bottle elsewhere to fill up for the night.