The good thing about the Pickwick Hotel is that it is right in the middle of everything. The bad thing about the Pickwick is also that it is right in the middle of everything. Located steps from the Horton Plaza and the Gaslamp district, it is very easy to get to everything. While this area is rather pleasant in the daytime, it gets a little rough at night. There were a lot of interesting characters hanging around the hotel lobby and outside. Not interesting in a good way. We woke up in the morning to the screams of fire trucks and emergency vehicles. To my great dismay, they pulled up right outside of our room window. Not really sure what was going on, but I'm guessing it wasn't good. I've been to San Diego on several different occasions and like the city a lot. I would not recommend staying in this immediate area if you're going. There are many more hotels close to the Seaport Village that are in a safer, more tourist friendly area. The Seaport area is well within walking distance of Horton Plaza if you want to check out this interesting mall.
The room was normally sized, but had a very small bathroom. It was not very clean, and the lighting and plumbing appeared to be pretty old. There was parking below the building, but we found it to be full often and had to park downtown for a high fee. I would not call this hotel worth the expense. If you're going to stay downtown spend a little extra and stay by the convention center or Seaport Village.