First, I don't look for fancy in a hotel room. Instead, it's about convenience, location and the service, and this place has all three in spades. The best aspect about staying here was Ameil at the front desk (BTW, he has a college degree in hospitality). Nearly every morning I would get a cup of coffee (local from SB Roasting Company!) and an apple (not gross red delicious but honey crisp), and sometimes a pastry (also local from up north), and I would chat with Amil about all kinds of topics. Whenever I made a request (like needing more toilet tissue), he responded immediately (as did the other hotel staff).
Convenience and location? Yes and Yes! You are yards away from East Beach and one street over from Cabrillo Boulevard. I walked nearly every day to the wharf (which is about a 25 min walk - at least for me), to the harbor and to the center of town. You can easily walk to Milpas street to get tacos and to the Trader Joe's. Of course, these days, people don't walk all that much so it may feel a bit much yet, again, everything is within 2-3 mile stretch.
The room was large and roomy with a fireplace (very nice for chilly CA evenings). And, yes, the room and the property does need a significant refresh (there were night tables with veneer peeling) but it made no difference in my experience. I mean, I was there for the weather, beach, great food, and meet up with former colleagues and friends.