Bars & Clubs, Nightclubs, Bars & Pubs, Hotel Bars, Lounges, Taverns
21 & Over, After Work, DJ, Late-Night Scene, Outdoor Seating, Romantic Nightlife, Dance Floor, Happy Hour
Crowned by the locals as the Best Downtown Bar, ALTITUDE Sky Lounge is the place to be seen in San Diego. At 22 stories high, ALTITUDE is the region's tallest open-air bar and boasts one of the city's best panoramic views of Coronado Island and the glittering downtown skyline, overlooking PETCO Park. New must-see upgrades include the addition of a cozy fire pit and all-night entertainment via projection screens that add to the already magnificent ambiance. Guests can lounge on swanky couches underneath a beautiful wrought-iron garden trellis, or gather around the fire pit to the sounds of a live DJ spinning the latest hits. ALTITUDE Sky Lounge is San Diego's hottest rooftop bar, and was named to Conde Nast Traveler's 10th annual Hot List of nightclubs worldwide.
It started out as a nice evening. The waitress was pretty good, the beer on tap, although warm was OK. The view was nice, but you need to stand or sit at bar stools on the edge to appreciate it. Then it went downhill when the bouncers started to kick people off the sofas. No warning, no nothing - just leave. I'm to old to be treated like a child. Watching the other people react was priceless as they did what they were told. So if you're a sheep and like to be treated as such, its a great place. And to top it off, the bill came and I was shocked at how much a few beers cost. Not recommended to hang out at this place.
Posted 12/26/08 | Report Abuse
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Started out as a great evening until we showed up to altitude bar. The security are a bunch of boneheads needing to flex their incompetence. These aging mall cops like to treat people like children and I think are just itching for a fight. Also, slow service, unfriendly staff, and bill was higher then we thought it would be. If this bar didn't have a view, no one would ever go here.
Posted 11/12/08 | Report Abuse
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We got overcharged a mere $20 and I spent a few weeks going threw the phone tree of the management over there. In the end, the management (Jim Durbin) of the hotel said the beverage manager was right and we were wrong. Just amazing. So do I waste more time or write a bad review. I choose to do the later. Beware of the staff and check your bill. Once they got your money, they don't care.
Posted 08/27/08 | Report Abuse
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Altitude is a lounge located at the top of the Marriott hotel in Downtown San Diego, CA. The place has no entrance fee, so there is always a big crowd there. You are guaranteed to have to wait in line to get on the elevator for the lounge. But it's all worth it. Since the lounge is up at a higher level, you get a great view of downtown San Diego. They place pretty good music as well, so I would recommend checking the place out.
Posted 06/04/08 | Report Abuse
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I went to this bar before going to see a padres game. The place was beautifully decorated in a very chic and hip style. The bar is outdoors so it can be a bit chilly, but it has an amazing view of Petco Park, downtown San Diego, and the waterfront. It has a very mellow atmosphere and the music isn't too loud, so conversation is very audible. Drinks are a bit pricey but are also pretty strong and delicious. I would recommend a long island ice tea. Overall, this is a great bar.
Posted 06/02/08 | Report Abuse
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Altitute is a fun bar to go to and there is no cover charge which makes it even better. It has a great view since it is so high up and they have music for dancing. It is outside which makes it fun and you can see into Petco Park from up there. The only drawback is that the drinks are rather expensive.
Posted 02/27/08 | Report Abuse
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Go with friends
by brandis
Nice bar with beautiful views. But seriously, there are so many d-bags don't even think about trying to meet anyone here. But a nice place to chill with some friends when downtown.
Posted 06/11/09
AMAZING views
by kjpb
we came here randomly on a wednesday night and I was pleasantly surpirsed. I've been living in San Diego for a little over a year, so I'm still exploring bars and cool spots. This is my favorite bar downtown. The crowd is great- good mix of people and not overly pretentious. You can wear a dress of you can wear jeans and a casual T. There were older people there who I believe were in town for a convention, and it looked as though they were enjoying themselves too. Music was great.
Pros: best view of coronado island, point loma, and downtown
Cons: mojitos are a little pricey
Posted 05/30/09
Great View
by eastvillage08
Great place to take out-of-town guests since the city view is amazing and you look down into PETCO park. They tend to keep 90% of the seating "reserved" for bottle service customers and these seats remain unused most nights. The bar closes slightly after 1 and they usher all patrons out very soon after that so be mindful of the time and NEVER get a last call drink or you will be most likely leaving it.
Pros: Great city view, open air bar, ambiance
Cons: Early last call, overpriced drinks, limited seating
Posted 03/25/09
Great Atmosphere
by CSMobileUser2
Great place with amazing view of the city and a fun atmosphere. DJ music to dance or listen to - depending on the mood - great drinks with prices comparable to the rest of the gaslamp district. Try it!!!
Posted 03/03/09
The best bar for expensive drinks, no food, and terrible service
by bugmenot12
For a trendy bar, it definitely has the attitude. This bar will need to change its tune if it wants to survive in the trendy downtown area. It does have the view, but that's about it. The staff was unfriendly, the security was just shuffling people around like cattle, and you need to pay extra if you want to sit in the good seats. I never saw a drink menu so I guess you need to know what you want. And if you want food, forget it, you need to order room service. Once we left, it was like a weight off our shoulders.
Pros: view
Cons: drink price, staff
Posted 11/17/08
Are you kdding me? - Most unfriendly bar there is.
by stever6819
This has got to be the most unfriendly bar in San Diego. I would rather eat glass then go back to this bar. I was with a group of 4 guys just drinking a few beers when this bouncer comes up and asks us to move to a different table. Really? They wanted the table for other guests. We argued and told them we were leaving in 10 minutes anyway. They told us to leave or we would be "arrested" for trespassing. We did leave, but I have the satisfaction of at least warning people about this. Its amazing this bar is in business.
Pros: nothing
Cons: unfriendly, staff, price, attitude
Posted 11/11/08
Great spot!
by gmusan
I am not sure what the other people on here are taling about. I was there two nights in a row and had a great time. The security was great and the bartenders top notch. The made a great martini. Of course the prices were a little high, it is ROOFTOP BAR, IN A HOTEL, DOWNTOWN. However, it was worth it. The view was great and we got some great pictures. I would definately recommend this place.
Pros: View
Posted 09/23/08
Altitude Bar, should be called Attitude Bar
by AMH2909
The most overrated bar in the US...really.
The 'superb' San Diego view is not even that good unless you are watching baseball or interested in looking into the surrounding apartments.
The obnoxious bouncers on the front door are jobsworths, who are constantly pushing through customers as though on government business, and the barmen are entirely disinterested in any form of hospitality...This supposedly 'top' bar, does not even offer a drinks menu, so customers are left to guess available drinks and their prices.
Furthermore there is insufficient seating, and the DJ could do with a little education beyond Jurassic 5's greatest hits. Not worth the two block walk. Tower 23, Pacific Beach - a much better bet!
Posted 09/04/08
Great view of Game - We Got overcharged.
by carl78bb
I went with a group of friends to have a few drinks. We all thought the bill was rather expensive giving what we ordered. After looking at the bill we found out we got overcharged $20. My friend called multiple times but they denied him a refund. He told me he spoke to Jeff Burges the dir of operations and the name of the manger is Jim Durbin. They told him they investigated and we were wrong. Investigated? How crazy is that. It's $20 out of hundreds spent. I guess the Marriot motto is 'the customer is always wrong". The place is way to expensive anyway. Not impressed.
Pros: waitress was cute
Cons: price, price, price. Not very friendly.
Posted 08/27/08
Not recommended in my opinion.
by re6578
For a high-end hotel there is little to like about this bar. Can't get food up there. Have to order room service. The beer was warm and expensive. The sitting area is for VIP only. You need to fight to get a table. If you want a nice view, go to the Hyatt. If you want a nice bar to relax and talk with friends do not go here. Just can't recommend.
Pros: view
Cons: Bring lots of cash. warm beer.
Posted 08/26/08
i loved altitude!
by SoCalRachel
I absolutely LOVED altitude and will be going back again very soon. It was my first time there and I was VERY impressed. I went 4th of july weekend and was expecting it to be way over packed. But it was perfect. The view is spectacular, the drinks were a little expensive but that is typical for down town. The music was awesome and the bartender was very friendly... even though he had a long line he still took time to introduce himself to myself and my date! 5 stars for altitude!!
Posted 07/07/08
Terrible. Pretentious. Expensive. Rude. (But the view is great)
by stinkymonkey
This is my first review and its not a good one. Obviously I did not like the place. I went with 3 other friends and we all found it very pricey, overrated and the staff was very rude. With so many choices in downtown San Diego, they really should care about their customers. To top it off, when my buddy checked his credit card a the next day, they added $20 to the bill. After calling them and bitching, they removed this charge. I bet they get away with that a lot of the time.
Pros: View
Cons: Pricey, rude workers, check your bill.
Posted 06/03/08
A great view!
by Bonita27
I have lived in San Diego for 5 years and just went there a couple weekends ago! The view is great, the drinks ARE NOT! Too expensive and the bartender didn't even make my drink right. If you don't know what is in something, ASK! Don't just throw whatever in it! Great view so I say go just order something easy for their bartenders!
Posted 04/17/08
Great time!
by mgarcia23
The first time I went to Altitude I was in town for the Dodgers/Padres series. It was alot of fun. We met so many people from LA and from San Diego. The drinks are a little pricey but if your staying at the hotel I suggest you drink before in your room and go after. Also if staying in the hotel you get to cut in front of everyone in line. The crowd was a little on the older side but still great fun.
Pros: The view, the music and atmosphere
Cons: pricey drinks
Posted 12/16/07
great view, expensive drinks
by akira101
i tried to go here last saturday but they open at 5pm. And when i tried to go there after Stingaree at 1am, they were closed too. I've been here before, maybe a year ago, and it's a great place to hangout. a little small, expensive drinks, but worth the trip because of the view.
Pros: view, view, view
Cons: expensive drinks
Posted 03/14/07
Great view
by brownmd
Drinks are, in fact, pricey, but the view is spectacular. We actually caught the final inning of a Padres game.
Posted 11/15/06
View Galore
by mrsmith619
Great views from the top of the Marriott in downtown. You can actually watch a baseball game from up here and be able to tell what is happening on the field. Drinks can be expensive but go for happy hour which lasts till 9 o'clock and has ketel, margarita and beer discounts.
Pros: Great Views
Cons: Expensive Drinks if not happy hour
Posted 10/29/06
