My husband and I had a wonderful stay at the Pearl and really enjoyed its quirkiness. It is noisy, no question, but if you are the kind of people who like to be in the action it is not a problem. Hotel staff were really helpful and friendly. Food is outstanding. We were able to find parking on the street as the spots available for the hotel guests are limited and are usually full. The neighbor hood is safe and residential, though so again it was not an issue to walk a block. The Pearl radio station with 24/7 groovy tunes was a nice touch.

Pros: resident fish "Jaws", clever decor, nice linens, comfortable bed, free wi-fi, nice TV, dive-in movie, great staff

Cons: a bit off the beaten track

I booked this hotel for a one night stay to celebrate my wife's birthday. What a beautiful way to cap a beautiful evening. We dined downtown in the Gaslamp Quarter with many friends and arrived by limo to the Pearl. Since this was a surprise for my wife, I met with the staff earlier in the day so that I could decorate the room with flowers, rose petals, champagne and treats. The staff was friendly and very helpful. We stayed in the large room at the front of the hotel with a private balcony overlooking the pool, restaurant and hotel grounds. My wife was surprised and elated. The room is very hip and modern. The furntiure and fixtures are very stylish and appealing. The bed was a dream - we didn't want to leave in the morning! The bathroom was new and very cool. The tilework and glass shower enclosure was great. We walked to a tasty bakery and came back to lounge by the pool all morning. I even played ping pong with some other guests on the poolside table. The restaurant/bar/lounge/pool areas are connected and create a beautiful ambience. There are lots of cozy places to hang out, relax and converse with friends. We invited two of our friends to visit us and hang out by the pool. My wife and I both look forward to our next overnight stay at the Pearl. We can't wait to check out some of the other rooms as they each have unique features. Although we live in San Diego, this was a welcome retreat in our own backyard. We will be back soon to visit our new friend "Bruce Lee" the in-room beta fish!

We stayed at THE PEARL for two nights before catching a cruise. If you are looking for some quiet R&R in the evening this is not the place for you. The rooms are groovy and modern with a bit of a retro/modern theme going on. No complaints whatsoever and they use H20 Spa products. Huge flatescreen as well.
The hotel is also a lounge/bar/restaurant which is pricey but delicious. The place gets packed and noisy at night hence the lack of silence in the evenings. I would not recommend this hotel for the traveler who has a low noise tolerance to the party scene atomostphere. The "scene" is sophiticated and trendy so it is not like a drunken bar scene. Just loud with groovy music playing.

We enjoyed our stay and would probably stay there again. Downtown is a bus ride away and if you don't have a car it may not be the place for you. It is good value for the price and worth checking out even just for a drink.

I am in complete agreement with the review from SEH7 about this hotel. They really need to decide if they are a hotel or a night club. The staff was very friendly and helpful. But my one additional complaint would be how bad our bathroom was. The bathtub was peeling and dirty and the mold on the shower curtain was horrible.