The bed is so comfortable! The air is ice cold. The hot water is instant. The shower is perfect…read more Everything is clean. The coffee is delicious. Most importantly...the staff is AMAZING! So friendly and helpful. You can tell they truly care about the guests and want us to have a fantastic stay. My friend Debbie that is with me, she travels for a living and her company puts her in the big "chain" hotels. She says this is in her top 5 places she has ever stayed.

This is the worst hotel experience I've ever had. I do not recommend this hotel. It's a crap shoot…read moreif you'll get a decent room. DO NOT STAY IN ROOM 40. There are two windows 15 feet high covered with blinds. There are no black out curtains so the room never gets dark. The room borders an alley with a light directly above the window. It flooded the room with light the whole night. I couldn't sleep. I got maybe 2-3 hours. I booked this room on Expedia based on these Yelp reviews. Never again. The concrete floors were sticky. One of the hand towels was dirty, it had a brown speck and the fitted sheet on the bed had a red spot. Another sheet had a hole. After my first sleepless night, I went to the front desk clerk and showed him the window. He showed me a room that was available down the hall with black out screens covering the entire window. He told me to come back after it was cleaned and I could get the room. Three hours later I returned, and the new front clerk said I couldn't have the room because he couldn't reach the guy who said I could have it even though the guy was still technically working. I was forced to take a room that was sub par on the 2nd floor or get stuck in the same room. These people will lie to your face. I will never come back. My reservation was non refundable through Expedia so they can screw you over and there's nothing you can do about it. It seems odd that most of these 5 star reviews are from elite 26 members. Is there some kickback? I thought these 5 star reviews out weighed the bad but I was wrong. Buyer beware.

Our stay at Beachrunners Inn was exquisite. The property is beautiful, clean and well managed. The…read morehost/innkeeper was friendly, inviting, and made sure we had everything we needed. We were very comfortable and satisfied. The breakfast, too, was amazing. We will definitely be back!

I've always heard of bed and breakfast establishments and decided this would be the perfect…read moreopportunity for my boyfriend and I. We were welcomed by the mother and daughter duo who made sure our stay was met to the Tea! Pat and Courtney offered us their generous hospitality. The home had such a homey feel to it that both my boyfriend and I immediately felt so relaxed when we stepped in. It is located in the heart of Long Beach so we were able to do so much during our short trip. The best part is that it was super close to one of my favorite views of the 3 major cities in SoCal (Hilltop Park). If you are traveling to SoCal and need a place to stay, I highly recommend this place if you are looking to relax during your vacation.

A pleasant surprise!…read more A friend and I booked this hotel for the nearby Day Trip Festival for a single night. It is just a quick 10-15 minute drive to the Queen Mary Waterfront where the festival was held. The outside of this hotel looks a bit sketchy to be quite frank. It is a motel-style hotel, with outside-facing doors and only two floors. Don't let this scare you though. The interior was actually very nice and left me impressed. When we went to check in, we noticed a good amount of parking spots available at the front. There was also a cute little seating area surrounded by bamboo. The lobby was super clean and bright. There is a lot of seating available and a nice view of the pool. The pool is quite large and has some lounge area around it too. The workers at the front desk were super friendly. Check-in was a breeze and very quick. We retrieved our parking slip and left it in the car for overnight parking. We walked up the stairs and were very surprised when we got to our room. The room was huge. There was a ton of walking space around the bed which was fantastic. I was also not expecting there to be a balcony so that was a fun touch. There wasn't any furniture on the balcony but it was nice to stand on and get some fresh air. The decor and bedding was super cute. I'm glad there was a little mini fridge available too. The bathroom was also very spacious with a large shower. I liked the little stool in there and the attention to detail they paid with folding the towels and tissues. The AC blasted super cold which was great for the SoCal heat. Some of the amenities were dated like the AC unit itself and the TV, but is super understandable considering the type of hotel it is. The next morning, we called and were granted a courtesy late check-out! However, at 11:00am sharp, housekeeping knocked on the door to clean. We had to let them know that we had a late check-out. It was not a big deal but just a little annoying because we were expecting to sleep in a little longer. Overall, this was a very satisfying stay. The first impression was a little rough but it ended up being a great stay that exceeded my expectations.

We didn't feel a warm welcome by the staff when we entered the front office Memorial Day weekend…read more'26. The room was nice. We did have a view to the ocean and a balcony with two chairs. It would've been nice to have bigger shampoo and conditioner, and soap. We were only provided 1 ounce of each and a small Motel 6 budget type soap bar. We had to ask for more toiletries. Walking distance to restaurants and gourmet market. The clerk working the morning we left was warm and kind. Overall okay stay.

****Paranormal Tour Review Only****…read more My niece is very into spooky things so she wanted to check out the Paranormal Tour at the Queen Mary for her birthday and it was quite the experience. If you are not a hotel guest, and are only going for a tour, dining, or for the day, you have to park at the Pike Parking Garage, which at 65 Cedar Ave., Long Beach. The nice thing is that they have shuttles that will take you to the Queen Mary for free. We weren't sure where they picked us up, but there is a small parking office on the first floor of the structure, and they will direct you. This was my first time at the Queen Mary, and there is such a nice view of the downtown Long Beach, especially at nice. It's gorgeous for photos. Walking around the boat was such a cool experience too. We had to ask staff to help us find the meeting point for the tour, but they were prompt at 9 pm. The tour guide gives great instructions before hand and provides some insights for what the tour will look like. There is a lot of walking and stairs that you'll have to climb, but it's manageable. It may not be a good tour if you have mobility issues because some spaces are quite tight. She did a great job giving us warnings here and there where we could have the option to opt out of a particular area because of the change in operators or visibility. There are waiting areas before these spots, so if you're uncomfortable, there is an option to sit out for some rooms. There was definitely a creepy vibe in some spots, and the tour guide gave us some good history and background of the different areas of the boat. We did experience some spooky things. Lights flickered in some areas and there was one room where the file cabinet suddenly shut on its own with no one near it. It's a great tour, especially as we are approaching October. I definitely recommend and I will be back to check out the boat during the day.

I had a horrible experience booking a room with my points due to technical issues with United…read moreAirlines via phone, web and chat. It was so bad that United Airlines directed me to The Queen Mary to get the issue resolved. Now you may be wondering the same thing I was wondering, "why would I need to reach out to The Queen Mary for a United Airlines technical issue? I reached Tim Branagan who was awesome and he informed me that he would follow up. Not only did he follow up but he also included the Director regarding getting the issue resolved. United Airlines is still working on the issue but I will definitely be booking directly with The Queen Mary at a later date.

I am in awe of how misleading the description of this inn is. Especially the San Nicolas room!…read moreFrom the website re: the inn: "From the moment you arrive, the pace of the mainland slips away, replaced by sea air, harbor light and the quiet thrill of being somewhere truly special." What we experienced from the MOMENT we arrived - absolute CHAOS. We were greeted with a horrible rotten egg stench as soon as we opened the door, steep stairs with no one elevator (yes that's on their q&a but just another annoyance), violence and screaming in the streets after dark until 3 am, bass from surrounding bars shaking the building until 2 am, overpowering chemical smell in rooms, single pane glass that sounds like people on the street are in the room with you, gaslighting owners and managers (Melissa - not Jackie), unreliable communication, absolute ripoff for what you have to put up with. Melissa ultimately minimized my concerns by saying "nobody else complained". Okay, and? People have different tolerance levels, different health issues, even if it was someone's first time at the snug harbor inn maybe it wasn't their first time to the island. Maybe they didn't care. Maybe they didn't have the energy to complain. That shouldn't invalidate my experience and the lack of transparency. Can you honestly say you laid the framework for guests to make an informed decision? Did you provide transparency around potential barriers guests may experience during your busy season? No. This went beyond just a fun foam party during the daytime hours, there were literal violent fights and screaming in the streets BOTH nights until 3-4 AM. See videos below from Saturday night around 1:30 AM. I do acknowledge they can't control this behavior but they can and SHOULD add transparency for folks who are expecting a soft experience based on their own misleading advertising. The unprofessional manager, Melissa, also loves to blame-shift. She told us we could press 0 or call a number provided if we experienced issues again on the second night. I called 2-3 times throughout the night and it rang endlessly. By this point I was exhausted and didn't even think to get the physical number from the end of the hall and just assumed they weren't answering. When Melissa told me she never received a call the next day I was shocked but instead of being apologetic she said "if it was me, I would have walked down the hallway and got the number". I'm so sorry, in hindsight, if I wasn't running off of 4 hours of sleep collectively over 48 hours I would have gotten dressed at 3 am and gone to the end of the hall after pressing 0 didn't "work". Not sure how I was supposed to discern between it not "working" vs someone not answering. Funny how pressing 0 during business hours worked just fine. Either way, what a ridiculous process to shoulder the burden of breaking up riff raff to the guest and then blameshift when the thing you said would work didn't... While I would love a full refund, I firmly believe we are entitled to at least one night of a refund because of the misleading description on the website and we couldn't make a truly informed decision. I was told they would consider updating the website in the future but that benefits my husband and I in no way. The right thing to do is provide a refund for tainting our visit to Catalina with 0 reprieve from street violence and drunken debauchery.

This was my first stay at Snug Harbor. I visit Catalina/Avalon annually and of course had seen the…read moreInn right on the corner of Crescent and Sumner above Leo's Drug Store, but it was not until my stay last year at nearby Hotel Vista Del Mar that my interest in Snug was piqued. Last year, Vista and Snug were under the same ownership, which is no longer the case. Snug now has closer affiliation with Hotel Aurora a bit up the hill. Snug is a cozy and charming 6-room inn. There is staff on duty during the day; welcome in-room wine and snacks are provided as well as daily continental breakfast. There is no staff on the premises at night, although someone is on-call. My stay was lovely and somewhat surreal. I visited during the February rains which caused the cancellation of all Catalina Express boats on 2 days during my Avalon visit. This forced guests here for the long Valentines/Presidents Day weekend to leave early or relocate. I ended up being the sole guest for my 2-night visit! And with minimal visitors on the island, evenings were also pretty quiet, despite being right above the main drag (Crescent). Snug does provide earplugs and eye masks if needed. I moved up my arrival date due to the weather and Snug was able to accommodate me, even offering the same room, which was the Santa Catalina room, the inn's "crown jewel" situated on the corner with two large bay windows, one facing Avalon Bay with Casino, Bay and pier views, the other with a built-in window seat facing Sumner and the hills above. All rooms have a fireplace and deep soaking jetted tub. The rooms are not particularly large but are full of charm, coziness and warmth. No robes or slippers, but there were 2 clock/music/alarm machines. Complimentary reusable water bottles are provided; there's a water/ice machine in the hall. The welcome snacks offered were olives, pretzels and high-end nuts (i.e., no peanuts). The continental breakfast was quite ample and includes a small loaf of warm banana bread, yogurt, fresh berries, granola, milk, juice and coffee or tea. You fill out an order slip as to what you want exactly and what time you want it delivered. There are 6 delivery times for the 6 rooms, which of course was not an issue for my stay. There is a common room with a sofa, fireplace and machine for coffee and tea. There is a closet for luggage storage, a public restroom and umbrellas. The front door is open 8-5, key access is needed in the off-hours. Shout-outs to the great staff I met--Jackie, Destiny and especially Johnny at the front desk and housekeeper/breakfast preparer Alicia. Overall a fabulous stay. I usually split my time on the island between Mt Ada and a property "downtown". Snug Harbor has moved to the top of my downtown list!

Absolutely the best accommodation on the island. Spectacular views, the house is gorgeous, the…read morestaff is impressive and attentive. Highly recommend!!! There are only six rooms so book early!

I'm a bit of a Mt Ada regular; this was my 6th stay and, due to the rainy/windy weather, the most…read moresurreal. I stayed just after the long Valentines/Presidents Day weekend. All boats to and from Catalina Island were cancelled on 2 days of my visit, forcing other guests to change their travel plans. I ended up being the sole guest for all 3 nights of my stay here! With some whispers of Mt Ada being haunted (but not as many as Banning House Lodge in Two Harbors), I was a bit concerned, but fortunately had no paranormal experiences. To briefly review Mt Ada's history, it was once the Catalina home of William Wrigley Jr. and family, of chewing gum and Chicago Cubs fame. He was instrumental in putting Catalina "on the map", and his descendants still own the Catalina Island Company, which runs Mt Ada, Hotel Atwater, Pavilion Hotel and Banning House Lodge, as well as other businesses. All my stays at Mt Ada have been with the Company, although it was previously run as a private B&B. Mt Ada still runs as a B&B, as opposed to a hotel. It's a pricey stay but has many many perks that justify the expense. These include transportation to and from the boat or helicopter terminals, use of a golf cart throughout your stay, daily made-to-order breakfast and lunch, pre-breakfast continental breakfast, afternoon wine/cheese/charcuterie, 24-hour butler's pantry with snacks like gelato, chips, cookies and popcorn plus alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, discounts on Island Company tours and activities. Currently there are about 4 main people interacting with guests at Mt Ada, plus "behind the scenes" kitchen and housekeeping staff. My past reviews have mentioned a stay here is more like a visit to a home, as opposed to a hotel. There will be times when you may not see any staff (especially at night). But Pierre, Liz, Tim and Yoli (Yollie?) work their hardest to accommodate guest needs--they are the chauffeurs, front desk, waiters, luggage handlers, concierges, etc. I applaud them all. One of Mt Ada's pluses is its location on the hill (Mt Ada) above Avalon Bay, even above the main Bay viewpoint that all the rental golfcarts stop at (traffic jams are common here). It's quite peaceful, although in busy times the noise from "downtown" does carry uphill. Mt Ada has 6 rooms. The room I booked was the Grand Suite, Mr. Wrigley's former bedroom. It's the largest room, with a separate living and bedroom, a bathroom with a separate shower and tub, and a large terrace above the first floor terrace. It has a fireplace, as do 3 other rooms, and a raised bed that requires stairs to access, as does one other room. The living room has an antique "radio" that is seen in photos with Mr. Wrigley. There are radio stations hand-written on it; I was appalled to see "graffiti" defacing this historic relic. The terrace is fabulous, but alas the weather prohibited much use; I feared the high winds would blow the cushions on the chaise lounges over the railing. Even the dining tables on the first floor terrace were stored; in more temperate weather it's the loveliest place to enjoy breakfast or lunch. The breakfast and lunch menus have some new items and some old faves. Once again a fabulous and peaceful stay. Thanks again to all the staff. With the Pavilion Hotel reopening soon, Mt Ada may be the next property to undergo renovations. I hope it does not lose its charm or homey character.

My friends and I stayed here for Warped Tour and we really enjoyed how friendly the staff was!…read moreFront desk (we didn't get their names) and Stephanie at the breakfast room went above and beyond with their customer service!! The rooms were nice and clean too. We enjoyed our stay overall!

Such a wonderful, quaint hotel. The staff is so very kind, friendly and supportive. Make sure to…read morebook guests for an event you are having. Our high school reunion group was so well taken care of ! Ty to Erin and staff for everything you did to make the guests experience so special!

The rooms and hotel itself were clean and nice, no complaints about the hotel but the only…read morecomplaint I have is with one staff member. The lady at the front for check in at 4pm was just rude off the bat. As someone who use to work in hospitality I understand the importance of treating all guests with respect and providing a welcoming environment. She did not exhibit any of that whatsoever. She gave no directions, details, or information about the hotel or our bill. She charged my card without letting us know about an additional deposit/fee above the originally stated price and then handed us the key. It wasn't until after we started heading in the wrong direction to find our room did she point out the elevators were not that direction. A minimal yet memorably negative interaction. However there was a gentleman who exhibited kind and very hospitable behavior.

This quaint hotel sits on a street that is very pedestrian friendly. You can walk to various…read morerestaurants, attractions, etc. I parked in the visitor lot for 16 a night and checked myself in. Room was nice and spacious. The mirror was dirty and couldn't be cleaned. I should've asked for another room or they should've offered. Bed was super comfy. The pool was tepid temp at best but I braved the cold and swam for about 45 minutes. We could also make out Venus as the night wore on. It was a beautiful night. Bar was closed, food they offer is just sandwiches and salads. We opted to stroll to a seafood restaurant. It was nice. I do not know if I would book there again. They need a hot tub.

beware! not all units are created equal. I believe that these are owned by separate individuals so…read moreI would try to find your room number in any reviews that you check. Our room was absolutely filthy. There was dust and grime buildup on all of the ledges, stains, crumbs, hair, dust, along the bed frame and in the crevices of the chair. just no attention to detail at all. we did contact the owner and opted to leave and were provided a full refund, but the kind of build up that was in that room was either from a long term stay that wasn't cleaned up properly or just terrible cleaning over and over. side note: wifi signal was not good, bedding was bare minimum and no hand towels or face cloths provided. I'm not looking to trash the owners, I just don't want anyone to be in the same situation we were, having to look for another place last minute after a long day of traveling, I was almost in tears, plus I had to pay way more to stay somewhere else because there weren't a lot of options.

I've been to Long Beach a few times this past year for conferences and events and usually am…read morestaying at the big box hotels that are immediately adjacent to the Convention Center (like the Hyatt Regency, The Renaissance, The Westin) but I was late to the game to reserve a room this time and missed getting the discounted conference block rate. So rather than pay an astronomical fee for the privilege of proximity, I did a quick search of the area. There are plenty of options, but many of them just seemed suspect. The I came across the Varden. Definitely a boutique hotel, but definitely worth checking out. The rooms are typically small with barely room for a bed, a partial desk and a small bathroom area. But the room was extremely clean, the fixtures and bed were new and cool and for one person, really perfect. Particularly since other than sleeping and checking emails, what else do you really need? Well, for starters you need to feel safe. And this place does a great job of securing the facility at night, but you don't feel you're in a bad neighborhood anyway. You also might like to enjoy a welcoming attitude, and the staff and place has plenty of that. The young staff were extremely friendly and accommodating. Being forewarned that the property has 3 levels and no elevator is important, but honestly, it's not a tough climb to floor 3. And as a testament at how great the staff are, they wouldn't take no, and they carried my bags to my 3rd floor room. Since I was there for meetings, I needed to press my clothes, so a call to the front desk resulted in a brand new Iron and Board appearing at my room within minutes. And being welcomed by a reception with snacks, wine and drinks between 5:00 - 7:00 everyday, is just super nice. They also do a continental breakfast from 6:00-9:00 daily. They have a hip space right behind the registration area for these treats so it's easy to walk through on your way in/out of the property. And best of all the price per night was less than 1/2 of what those big chain hotels were charging. And I was less than 4 blocks (and a very nice walk past lots of local stores/restaurants to give me a feel for the area) from the Convention Center. For all these reasons, if you're in Long Beach solo, I would highly recommend you check out the Varden.