Homewood Suites by Hilton Carlsbad North San Diego County

Next to the airport, the Homewood Suites by Hilton Carlsbad has a  bright lobby with plants and a wood front desk. Lovely wood floors cover the lobby, and a large, two-sided stone fireplace adds coziness. The fireplace also serves the on-site restaurant, the Lodge. A TV hangs over the eating side of the fireplace, and large windows near the ceiling provide natural light. Gray-red-and-tan patterned carpeting runs throughout the restaurant, complementing the red-patterned chairs with beach artwork on the walls. Tan speckled granite countertops and hanging chandeliers dress up the room a bit.

In the same parking lot as the Hampton Inn and adjacent to the McClellan-Palomar Airport is the Homewood Suites by Hilton Carlsbad-North San Diego County. Although the location may be a plus for business travelers and those on layovers, tourists will need a car to get to most attractions, restaurants, and shops. Legoland, the Sea Life Aquarium, the Carlsbad Premium Outlets, and the Flower Fields of Carlsbad are all about a 10-minute drive from the hotel.

Nice wood floors cover the fully equipped kitchens at this Homewood Suites. Kitchens include full-size refrigerators, dishwashers, two-burner stoves, toasters, microwaves, coffeemakers, and black granite countertops. All suites have sofa beds in the living area, and 32-inch flat-screen TVs in both the bedrooms and living rooms. Striped area rugs complement pinkish couches with red pillows. Rooms are soundproofed, but some guests complain about exterior noise from the airport, and dim lighting. Bathrooms have the same black granite countertops as the kitchens, and are decorated in tan wallpaper that looks like bamboo. They have shower/tub combos, and Neutrogena toiletries. 

The Homewood Suites by Hilton Carlsbad-North San Diego County stands out for its many free services: a hot breakfast with waffles, fruit, eggs, and oatmeal, and a dinner buffet with beers during the week (this understandably gets crowded).

A free scheduled shuttle takes guests to destinations within a five-mile radius of the hotel, which also provides a free grocery shopping service. There's a small pool with a hot tub, a business center with meeting rooms, and a ping-pong table, along with free Wi-Fi and parking. There's also a 24-hour on-site convenience store.