Editor’s Note: The following is a review of American Express’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program as utilized at The US Grant, A Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego. This post is not a complete review of the US Grant Hotel.
Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – The US Grant, A Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego (CA)
Image: marriott.com
About The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program:
First, a quick refresher on the Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program.
Click here to read more on Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts Program
Click here for reviews on Chase’s Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
How To Use It:
You’ll need a premium American Express Platinum credit card to gain access to the FHR program.
Both the American Express Platinum card and the American Express Business Platinum card will grant access to FHR.
The Benefits Of The Fine Hotels & Resorts Program:
American Express’s FHR program is an under-utilized benefit for many Platinum users, but it provides tremendous value when used at the right hotels at the right time.
Click here to read about the American Express Platinum card adding a new $200 FHR annual perk
The standard perks of the FHR program include the following 6 benefits:
The Benefits Vary By Property:
The “unique amenity” at the The US Grant is a $100 food and beverage credit.
Additionally, the “daily breakfast for two people” benefit is a $75 credit [total] at the Grant Grill.
About The US Grant
As you can imagine, the US Grant has a long and storied history.
Built on land purchased by the wife of President Ulysses S Grant’s son, the US Grant opened in 1910 and instantly became known as one of the most luxurious hotels in the United States.
Since then, guests of the hotel have included 13 Presidents of the United States and notable historical figures such as Albert Einstein and Charles Lindbergh.
The US Grant fell on hard times in the 1970s and was refurbished several times until it recently became affiliated with Marriott Hotels and Resort’s Luxury Collection Hotel brand.
The US Grant is also considered by some to be one of the most haunted buildings in California (but that’s a story for another time).
Image: marriott.com
Location & Parking
The US grant only has one official option for parking: valet parking.
The cost for valet service is $52 per day.
Turn here when you see this sign
The valet area
FHOP Tip: If you want to avoid the hefty parking fees, you can try your luck at finding street meter parking near the hotel (where parking is at your own risk). That’s what I did, and it was fine.
Booking Through FHR
I booked a “Superior Room, 1 Queen Bed, Non Smoking” room through FHR for the nightly rate of $303.36 [total].
Entrance & Lobby
President Grant himself
Classy!
Image: marriott.com
Image: marriott.com
The Check-In: The Invited Guest Line:
I did not see a dedicated Marriott Bonvoy line at the front desk, but it turned out a dedicated line was not necessary as there was no one in line in front of me.
I was warmly welcomed, recognized for my Bonvoy Platinum status, thanked for booking through the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, and handed the FHR welcome letter (below) and an in room dining menu.
The FHR Welcome Letter
Room Key
The Check-In: FHR Room Upgrade
I was informed I had been upgraded to a “Chaffee Suite”, but I was unsure exactly what that was.
Nevertheless, I thanked the host, grabbed our room keys, and headed upstairs to check out our room.
As it turned out, the Chaffee Suite went for $528.90 on the night of our stay, which meant the upgrade had a value of $225.54.
Image: marriott.com
Elevator Area
Image: marriott.com
The word “plush” comes to mind
Hallway
Chaffee Suite Entrance (FHR Room Upgrade)
You never exactly know what you’re going to get in terms of a room upgrade. In this case what lay behind that door (below) exceeded all our expectations.
Bedroom
The room was very large, well-lit and clean.
Likewise, the room condition overall seemed excellent as there were no signs of stains, rips, or scratches anywhere.
The room’s king bed was among the most comfortable we’ve ever slept in and was autographed by the artist himself, Yves Clement.
Artwork by Yves Clement
Yves Clement’s signature
Living Room Area
The suite’s living area came well-it with a comfortable couch and a large flat-screen TV.
We ended up utilizing this space as the place we ate our dinner, courtesy of the in room dining room service.
Room Hallway Area
Room Amenities
For the most part the room came with high-quality amenities, with the exception of the off-brand “Mixspresso” machine which took the decidedly non-luxurious Keurig pods.
Closet
Bathroom
The bathroom was cleaned to a shine and gave off a strong whiff of Clorox (which we found comforting during these times).
Le Chemin by Byredo was The US Grant’s toiletry brand of choice.
Although I was unfamiliar with the brand, my plus-one was more than happy to take these home.
Image: marriott.com
What do you see here? My take: “If you love something, set it free”.
Using The $100 FHR Food & Beverage Credit: In-Room Dining
For dinner, we opted to use our $100 FHR food and beverage credit on the in room dining service.
We went with the Avocado and Citrus Salad for the appetizer, the Grant Grill All Natural Beef Burger and the Barramundi for the main courses, and chocolate chip cookies and the blackberry cobbler for dessert.
Overall, we found the in room dining meal to be very good, although not stand-out great.
Still, we felt it was easily a great usage of the $100 food and beverage credit.
In Room Dining Menu
Dinner is served
Avocado and Citrus Salad ($16)
The Grant Grill All Natural Beef Burger ($22)
The Barramundi ($38)
Chocolate Chip Cookies ($10)
Blackberry Cobbler ($12)
Using The $75 FHR Breakfast Credit: The Grant Grill
For breakfast, we headed down to the Grant Grill, which appeared so elegant that it was almost strange eating breakfast there.
My plus-one actually asked if we were underdressed, to which I replied, “this is San Diego, we’re fine”.
Breakfast at the grill was again very good (but not stand-out great). Even still, we were very pleased with the Grant Grill, the service we received, and the obviously high-quality food.
Image: marriott.com
Image: marriott.com
The Grant Breakfast ($28)
Quiche ($18)
Pancakes ($16)
Only a “buck-81” over! Not too shabby!
Making History At The Grant Grill
Historic Equal Rights Heroines
Morning Coffee Station
The Property Interior
Artwork
Fitness Center
Image: marriott.com
The Check-Out: Guaranteed 4:00 pm Check-Out
We were offered a 4:00 PM checkout, but we waived it because we had an early drive out.
The Check-Out: The Final Invoice
A check-out, I asked to see a copy of the final folio and was informed that I had no extra charges. I double-checked that the Grant Grill breakfast had been included – and it had – so we were good to go.
Turns out they comped that “buck-81” and they got the final folio correct the first time around (which, if you read this blog, you’ll know doesn’t always happen with FHR stays).
The Bottom-Line Review: Fine Hotels & Resorts – The US Grant, A Luxury Collection Hotel, San Diego (CA)
Well, I think we found our new favorite hotel in San Diego, assuming the price is right for a Fine Hotels & Resorts stay.
We were quite impressed with the seamless way that The US Grant handled the FHR program. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the Fine Hotels & Resorts program, the room upgrade was an awesome and excellent surprise, and our in room dining and Grant Grill breakfast experiences were both delicious and a great value.
Hotel-wise, the service was just straight-up excellent, and the hotel was spotless, upscale, and luxurious.
During our stay the total price was $303.36. When factoring in the $100 food and beverage credit, the $75 breakfast credit at the grant grill, and the $225.54 room upgrade, the total net cost of our stay was a money-making net positive $97.18.
Another amazing stay courtesy of FHR!
Final Rating: 9.5 out of 10. Awesome stay!
