08/09/08

A few unexpected quirks

by justonegreatmeal

THE GOOD:

Fantastic location on the beach in Laguna Beach.

Almost all rooms have unobstructed ocean views.

The staff, even under high season conditions, was uniformly friendly and helpful. Every request was honored, and honored quickly.

The food is excellent.

THE BAD

No A/C!!! Big problem in July/August. Website doesn't make this clear at all.

The pool, the bar and the beach are far too small for the high season crowds: way too intense.

07/16/08

Never again

by gkpoynter

This is what we got:

1. Our room was not ready, so we decided to get some lunch down stairs and than we waited and waited still know room. Than when we inquired about our room, we were told that it would be ready in a few minutes, we continued to wait. Finally we were told that it would be ready in five minutes and we continued to wait.

2. When we finally got our room it was gross and unacceptable. The carpet was black, the room was dirty, the glasses in the room looked like they were rinsed out placed on the bar for our use with Coke still in them and there was mold growing in the shower. When we brought this to the attention of the manager on duty and she saw the condition of the room, she agreed.

3. So on the second day of our four days at your resort we had people cleaning our carpet all day and we had to deal with fans in our room and wet carpet while we were getting dressed. At this point of our stay there was nothing that anyone could do to make things better. We were miserable.

4. I have a brand new Mercedes parked with valet, My seats and mirrors were all adjusted by the valet and because the car is new I notice everything. Someone put at least 50 miles on my car during our stay. It wasn't us.

• Pros: beach
• Cons: dirty room

01/28/08

This Laguna Beach boutique hotel offers guests Mediterranean-style amenities, direct beach access and a little taste of history.

by Mar Yvette

In Short
A longtime favorite of well-to-do "beach bums," this 165-room hotel is literally right on the sand--at high tide the waves splash against the building. After a multimillion dollar facelift in 2007, the space has maintained its intimate setting, now resplendent in blonde woods and white and cream hues. Each guest room comes with an ocean view and private beachfront terrace with windproof candles. When not receiving pampering treatments at Aquaterra Spa, guests enjoy the California coastal cuisine at the newly remodeled Splashes Restaurant.

Hits: With waves breaking just 25 feet below, the casually elegant Splashes Restaurant offers oceanfront dining (both indoor and alfresco) and fresh fare like hamachi carpaccio and ahi tuna in citrus sauce.

Misses: The hotel is still undergoing some renovations until 2008, so there is the occasional instance of dust and noise.

06/07/05

travelodge with a view

by ceg1971

this hotel has no a/c. when you arrive tired from traveling and wanting to settle in, that room has been cooking in the sun and it is HOT. When you open the patio doors, the breeze does not come unless you open the hotel door. There aren't even ceiling fans! Even cheap mexican hotels have ceiling fans. The room does have one big, loud, old, cheap fan, the $9.99 type (not a nice quiet occilating one). This is simply not ok for a hotel that costs as much as it does. We paid $450 for the night. It also did not have a safe or a coffeemaker. That said, the closeness to the beach and surf, and the sunset views from your room while eating excellent room service food actually makes it worth the money, assuming that you can't find a better place for the money, which I don't know...

• Pros: sunset views, right on beach, food
• Cons: no a/c, no safe, no coffeemaker

06/13/02

Getaway from the Strife

by netter1

The Surf & Sand hotel is the only hotel in Laguna Beach that is actually ON the beach. It's a luxurious (and expensive) getaway for Angelenos who need to decompress. The rooms are comfortably furnished and large shutters allow you to leave your balcony doors open to hear the surf but "shut" out other guests from your view. The small gift shop stocks local artists and sells souvenirs for the well-dressed traveler. The high room rates will force you to save-up for this stay.

• Pros: luxury abounds, people pamperers
• Cons: room rates