La Pensione Hotel

The hotel was not too hard to find but parking spots were a tad small. Not to mention that they were having construction at the hotel, which was not mentioned. The room was average but no hairdryer, clock or mirror other than the one above the sink and you would have had to been six feet tall to use that for makeup! Our room was over the street which made it rather noisy as well as the music the downstairs check in area was playing all night. Oh yes, forgot to mention no coffee makers or coffee available only in cafe for sale with the newspapers too. Not what we are used to but it was in walking distance from my meeting. Lots of restaurants and nothing in the room about the hotel and where things were!

In the middle of Little Italy with excellent restaurants just steps away, a great Saturday morning market literally at your doorstep and easy walking to most sights, this hotel really worked for us. In addition, the staff were very helpful, and the cafe next door had the best coffee for the mornings.

The location in Little Italy is great and close to the airport. Easy to catch light rail. The rooms are somewhat small and tight, but OK if you don't have big suitcases. European feel, everything is there but space. Many rooms are undergoing renovation until March 2013. There is a refrigerator in the room, too, in case you have leftovers from those Italian meals in nearby restaurants!

La Pensione would have been passable if it were not for one huge problem--the air conditioning made a VERY loud buzzing sound every five to ten minutes, making it impossible to get a good night's sleep. When we complained to the receptionist, she was not helpful, attributing the problem to the humidity and saying there was nothing she could do. What's more, the sound continued a full hour after turning the air conditioner off, so the problem couldn't even be easily solved by going without the A/C. We asked other guests if they were experiencing the same problem, and they emphatically agreed. This is the kind of low budget hotel you choose as a mere resting place when not out and about in the city (it has no resort-like qualities). When the hotel doesn't even allow for rest and comfort, it becomes absolutely worthless! I had read good reviews for this hotel prior to choosing it, but I had a very disappointing experience. I would not stay at this hotel again.

This was pretty much the only affordable hotel we could find on a busy summer weekend, and for what we were looking for (just a place to lay our heads for one night), it was a good value. The exterior of the hotel and the lobby are very pretty and well done. They also have a friendly, gentle dog that hangs out around the reception and the lobby--as someone who was missing my own pet, I enjoyed him being there. The rooms themselves are european-style: small. This is not the place to stay if you are planning on spending a lot of time in your room. The bathroom only had soap and shampoo--no conditioner to be found. The hotel's convenient location in Little Italy is a metaphoric 2-way street: it's close to a lot of great restos, but it's also going to be a little noisy. Overall we were happy with our experience.

Staff was very nice and helpful. Small room but sufficient. No clock radio was unusual. Computer access only through hard wire in room, but they provided wire and it was free!

Took my wife to celebrate her birthday in Little Italy and do the Gran Fondo ride. We had a fantastic view of the harbor and were located right in the heart of Little Italy. The room was clean but small. However, we were in walking distance to great restaurants, the harbor, and museums. We will book this place again the next time we go to Little Italy.

I stayed at La Pensione Hotel because of the great value. This was part of the package that had been offered, but I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem, particularly with the location. It is a small place, but if you do not intend to spend all your time in the room, which I don't, it works. It's in the heart of Little Italy and is surrounded by some nice restaurants. The other plus was that public transportation was very accessible.

I recommend this hotel for those who, like me, are attending a convention held at the San Diego Convention Center, who want to keep hotel expenses low and who enjoy a walk at the beginning and end of the day. The room was small but fine for one person (it would have been a bit cramped for two) and very quiet; I slept very well. The TV was old and somewhat out of focus, but at least it wasn't one of those HDTVs playing fattened standard def TV shows that seem to proliferate at hotels these days. The last day I had breakfast and dinner at restaurants near the hotel - the two I chose were enjoyable and there are quite a few choices within a block or two within the Little Italy district. The 30 minute walk to the Convention Center was pleasant and seemed relatively safe (there were people out and about even fairly late in the evening); on the last day I cut my "commute" time in half by walking six blocks down India Street and catching the Orange Line to the Convention Center. Taxis are another option, but at least most times of day it seems to be quicker to go out to India Street or Kettner Boulevard and hail a cab rather than calling for a cab.

Nicely redecorated. Checked in at 3:00 p.m. and there underground parking was full. Parking on street was impossible, had to use a parking lot 2 blocks away. Great Italian resturant attached to the hotel was out of business. What was once a great area in Little Italy is now being over run with young people. We won't return again. Mr. and Mrs. Woodman