I’ve mentioned before that we decided to go with a condo this year instead of a hotel. We had a few reasons as to why but the number one reason was money. We were able to save a ton of money by going the condo route. Please keep in mind this isn’t always the case. It all depends on location, the size of the unit, and other details.
The unit we had was a studio which wasn’t a huge deal for us. It was pretty much like having a hotel room except we had a kitchen and washer/dryer. While we didn’t do that much cooking it was nice to have the option plus a full size fridge. We made use of the washer and dryer though! It was great to be able to throw in a load of clothes and know that it wasn’t going to cost us anything like it would at a hotel. Another nice aspect was that we were close enough to everything but far enough on the edge to not deal with too much of the after hours noise from parties. Well, except for the two nights that our neighbors were loud as hell at 3AM. Our unit had a nice patio area as well where we spent sometime going over plans and just relaxing in the fresh air. Even though we were on the edge, we still walked everywhere and were actually closer to a few places where we spent most of our time like Reading Gaslamp 15. The building we stayed at had a pool and hot tub as well. While we didn’t make that much use of it, it was nice to know it would never be closed for a party or event. The building was secure too and you didn’t a special key to get in. This was nice and made us feel a little safer. Granted, I’ve never felt unsafe in San Diego.
The only con we ran into was the key issue. When you have a hotel you can get a key for every person in your party. When you’re staying at a condo, you’re kind of stuck with whatever they have. In this case, there were two keys for the unit itself, but only one key for the front door of the building. This wasn’t a huge issue and we only had one night where one of us was stuck waiting for the other. If you have a larger group where everyone wants to split off, this could be a bit of a hassle. In most cases neither one of us were too busy where we couldn’t just text a meeting point but if your group is all over with cosplay, panels, and other events, I could see it becoming annoying quick.
All in all, we’d do it again and I’d even rent this condo a second time. Next year we might have an extra person or two which means this unit will be much too small for us. That’s probably the number one piece of advice I would give. Be sure you know how many people will possibly be in your group. Our place was perfect for two but a third person wouldn’t have worked at all. If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to the owner. The woman we dealt with was very nice and professional and had no issues answering our questions. If something doesn’t feel right, go with your gut. When looking for a condo, I’d suggest sticking with websites like VRBO or HomeAway. They offer insurance and you can pay directly through them. I’d stay away from Craigslist. Yes, you could probably find something that was legit and not a scam but I wouldn’t want to risk it. San Diego Comic-Con is stressful and expensive enough without being scammed out of your money.
