I recently stayed here in memory of my sweet fur baby, Walter (my orange cat) who passed away a year ago to honor him. I waited for a while at check in before being "greeted" by a homely blonde, tight lipped woman with glasses, slightly resembling Angela from "the office" who was very short with me, and seemed to be in a terrible mood and taking it out on a customer. I wasn't going to let her get to me so I avoided her my entire weekend there. Life is too short to argue with people who are seemingly miserable. I did however, have a very wonderful dinner at the restaurant downstairs even though I had no reservations they sat me and the food was absolutely delicious and the service was great. Although I will say, they do seem to be understaffed and overworked. Luckily the rest of my visit was nice. Room was pretty clean and pool was nice and not too crowded. Would be willing to give her another chance if somebody else, would greet you with a smile at the front and that's all I have to say! read more

Came here for my anniversary with my partner. Didn't really know what to expect, but what a pleasant surprise. This place is a gem. Confused why the rating is so low. If you want something next to the beach and peaceful, this is the place! The rooms are just fine. Clean and all you really need for a place to rest. Staff at the hotel and restaurant are lovely. The view and lounge chairs over looking the ocean makes this stay 10000% worth it. The restaurant is cute as well. The food is decent and truly nothing beats watching the moon rise over the mountains and ocean while you dine. If you want a fancy beach hotel, go stay at the ritz. This inn is cute, quaint and cozy. Can't wait to come back! read more

See all

This was really high end at one time. The beautiful view and comfortable seating is the biggest plus. The service was slow. The clams were fabulous! The broth was a bit salty but the vegatables at the bottom where so delicious. The bread didn't hit the table until the clams did, though it was offered earlier. We didn't even leave a drop of the clam broth. I had a Cheese Burger, my go to. I needed a steak knife, it took awhile to get one. The mustard was served in tiny packets, like fast food or a diner! Hubby had salmon, his go to. The salmon itself was good, the salad ( or whatever) that it was served on was lackluster and didn't really have a dressing or sauce to bring it together. We were there on Sunday at 1:30, only the brunch menu was available. I thought it was not many choices. read more

I love this hotel! It's been my go to for a few years now. Ocean front views, ocean front dinner and rooms for an amazing price of around $218 a night. Continental breakfast included and don't forget to book your dinner reservations at the onsite restaurant. It's August and although there's a nice breeze, I was surprised our Room#6 had no AC. We had a small fan in the room which helped at times. Free hotel parking as well. This hotel is about 5miles from downtown Carpinteria but only accessible by car. There are no stores walking distance so if you need something bring it with you or take a ride into town. read more

See all

Honesty I don't understand the bad reviews! This is a beautiful little place! Pool is nice the views and the food is excellent! read more

Cliff House Inn - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

This is my second time staying here. The first time we got the deluxe room with the HUGE window-- definitely recommend this room! There is a table right at the window so you can enjoy dining/reading/sitting with an incredible and private VIEW! This time we got the only accommodation that has TWO rooms-- so it felt like a small apartment without a kitchen! It's extra spacious and allowed everyone to have their privacy. The rooms are SUPER cute! Yes, the furniture is old. Yes, it looks like grandma's house. But from someone who has stayed in luxury resorts most of the time, these charming and timeless rooms have a special place in my heart. I'm not even sure if this makes sense, but the ambiance welcomes you with open arms and makes you feel right at home. It truly feels like I came to grandmas house. It feels so familiar and I know for a fact, staying here is healing my inner child each time. We all know the views are absolutely incredible-- I mean... breakfast buffet overlooking the cliffs AND you can watch surfers and dolphins in the distance while you enjoy your food? Can't get better than that. You can go visit the shore during low tide or walk over to the pier that leads to an island! This hotel is tucked away from the city and I absolutely love the seclusion. Although it's right next to the highway, staying here feels like stepping into a peaceful parallel universe-- the world still moves on the other side of the wall, but you're suspended in your own quiet, dreamlike bubble until it's time to return to reality. The service is too notch! She has gone out of her way to accommodate us and never made any request feel like it was too much or an inconvenience. If you thought this place couldn't get any better, it DOES-- they have a Restaurant that serves lunch and dinner!!! Let me stop before I write a novel. This has literally become my favorite hotel. read more

See all

Another wonderful stay at this oceanfront hotel, complete with dolphins and warm sunshine. Do close to Ventura, it is easy to pack a picnic and spend Monday night when the restaurant is closed, so overnighters have a private pool and lounge chairs to enjoy the view without the bustle. The restaurant is also a good one every other lunch and dinner every other night. We were happy to see new solid doors and electronic locks along with new windows that cut the freeway noise. We opened our window to hear the waves crashing in all night, as if you are sleeping on the beach. October and November have lower prices, and the weather is fine. read more

See all

I have loved the Cliff House Inn for more than 40 years, since I stopped by when I saw it was being refurbished by it's new owner. It is a unique place on the California coast. Nowhere else can you be this close to the pounding surf and relax just feet above the breakers! The rooms all face the ocean, just 60 or 70 feet from the escarpment. I have watched dolphins, seals and even whales swimming offshore. Relaxing on the lounge chairs here, just feet from the cliffside, reading and enjoying a drink are one of my happy places. read more

See all

Being a motorcycle rider and checking in as a guest I wouldn't recommend this place after riding all day to get here then checking in to find out there is no complementary water or even coffee in your room is a little ridiculous had to walk downstairs to there restaurant and pay 5 dollars for a cup of coffee also rooms are really outdated no ac read more

Cliff House Inn - Pictures in front of cliff house inn - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

The ocean view set the perfect stage for one of the most enjoyable and relaxing brunches I've ever had! Food was quality in taste and product, staff was courteous and engaging, and the brunch cocktails well crafted and presented. Will definitely return! read more

Cliff House Inn - View of our poolside table against backdrop ocean view. - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

We really enjoyed our stay. Yea the rooms are a little out dated but clean. We stayed in room 9 we had a view of the beach and pool. We went down for breakfast every morning and ate breakfast while staring at the waves and the ocean. Really a beautiful place. Birds all over rabbits eating grass beautiful flowers everywhere it was really nice. They let us keep our bike locked up in the courtyard off to the side and I really appreciated that. Super friendly staff and we really enjoyed our stay. The restaurant was amazing too..my ONLY complaint was the pillows were hard.. just my opinion but they were hard.. lol. We will be back my wife loved it too. read more

The view is spectacular on the patio overlooking the Pacific. Beautiful palm trees and a sparkly pool add to the ambience. It was busy during my visit and service was slow. The burger and fries were delicious. The Cobb salad was good but not great. I'd go again for the view. read more

Cliff House Inn - Spectacular view with lunch - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

The room was beyond hot- no AC and one fan to try and circulate the air. Ants were all over the bathroom. The windows were cracked and the place is extremely run down. It was so bad we left and defiantly not worth the price they charge to stay. Extremely dissatisfied and disappointed read more

I come here a few times a year with my boyfriend, and we love It. The hotel is small and has some wear, but the environment is very relaxing and calm. The rooms are comfortable and quaint. The restaurant below is very good, and the option to sit outside with the ocean view is wonderful. read more

See all

5 stars for the location. Room 12 is the biggest with 1 bedroom. There are only 4 big room with large picture windows to the ocean. The rest are smaller, but one can hear the waves all night. This is like a tropical paradise with a pool and restaurant on the ocean, without the warm ocean and weather..;) read more

Rooms so small, bathroom even smaller 1 electrical plug available, no room to set anything down Stuffy in rooms, no ceiling fan Small counter top fridge on floor I knew hotel was old, but was thinking more on the quaint side. We only stayed one of our 2 nights read more

I write this with the understanding that no business today is as good as before. But, I have to leave this review to make you be aware that if there was a NO star I would leave one. This spot is owned by a careless, and cocky private ownership, with a below average office staff. We had been going to this place since we were newly married (40 years ago) The place was very average but, it was right by the rocky waters. It was quite, no children. just a place to lounge outside, read a book, and have a glass of wine and forget how the room looked or flt like. Then, to have lunch or dinner at their restaurant (the muscle shoals ) which is way above average and it also attracts lots of locals. Then, there it came time where price for the rooms kept going up, and the accommodations kept sliding downwards much faster. Until our last rip where the following occurred AT 2 AM- NO HOT WATER, THE ENTIRE BUILDING LOST ELECTRICITY, NO HOT COFFE, NO TOASTER, ICE MACHINE STOPPED, FRIG IN THE ROOM DEFROSTED MELTING THE ICE ALL OVER THE FLOOR, THE CEILING FAN STOPPED BLOWING WHERE IT WOKE US UP SWEATING. What did they do, you ask. Well, nothing till 11 am where they brought two tinny ,noisy and in efficient generators making an awful noise that was louder than the ocean, crashing against the rocks. This went on for the rest of the day. They wouldn't cancel our second night. They offered $27 credit for our. inconveniences. Its worth mentioning that my spouse invited 20 of our friends and family for my surprise 60th birthday 10 years ago for lunch. We packed and as we left to catch uber, we asked one more time for the full refund of the second night which they refused. In short, we waited for uber who was willing to drive 10 miles for us to take us the Carpinteria to catch the 4:30 pm train ride to LA . We waited 2 hours for the uber. und up wasting our entire day waiting for the train wondering the streets of Carpinteria on foot with our luggages in the August heat. Then there it came our AMEX people to our rescue who then fought for us to refund the entire stay.. AVOID this place at all cost. if you are planning on staying over night. Be aware of the fact that the county of Ventura building and safety is turning the blind eye on these people. They many physical and functional obsolescence that violates the building cods. It is also worth warning you that, if you read the history of this building it should not surprise you that this whole structure (the Inn) was lifted from another location and transported to this place. Hope this helps others avoiding this place. Its a shame to waste an ocean side. read more

We have eaten at the restaurant several times now. And absolutely Love the Food, Service, and VIEW! We were determined to stay here next visit . So, we booked a 2 room Suite . Perfect for our adult son to have his own space ( Room 18) . The room was clean and cozy. Fridge and Fan . An older establishment- so don't expect ultra fancy . It's beautiful and hearing the waves crash is just pure bliss . Probably the best views we have had . Nice Staff . Next visit we will bring some beach towels and blanket . Love Love this Gem . read more

See all

The place is beautiful, great views. The room did not have AC, but did have a fan. The accommodations were great, the rooms were clean and they have a jacuzzi in the room. The pool was nice and clean. There is breakfast available in the morning, and the beach is accessible by foot. The restaurant has delicious food. The female waitress was nice, the male not so much, claimed to be full but there were tables available. The cleaning crew were very friendly and helpful as well as the front desk personnel. Not all guest are as polite as I would have hope, multiples times we greeted the guests (mainly old Caucasian men) without receiving a response. Then a group of female guests came up to us and pointed their flashlights without acknowledging us. Maybe they're not use to seeing Latinos as guests? Lol Otherwise we had a great experience. read more

See all

I can't say enough good things about this lovely Inn. It's a place I've driven by several times and always said I want to go there. It's tucked away off 101 in Ventura and secluded from everything. Sure it's old but that's the charm. The staff is so welcoming. They got us to check in early as soon as the room was ready. We were on the third floor with an incredible view of the ocean and courtyard but honestly any room had the view. Lounge chairs lined the cliffs for relaxing sunbathing and the roar of the ocean. We had a sunset dinner in the fabulous restaurant right there on the property. Service was spot on and friendly. I had the lamb chops which were cooked to perfection and my husband had the sea bass. I highly recommend both dishes. One thing I have to note is that the rooms don't have air conditioning but, you can leave your windows open to get the ocean air and there is very good ceiling fan in the middle of the room. Never have I ever stayed in a hotel, motel, AirBB or VRBRO that I felt perfectly safe leaving my windows open all night and day. Thank you to all at Cliff House for a perfect weekend. We will be back so read more

Cliff House Inn - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

The main appeal of this hotel is its amazing location over the beach with waves crashing below onto the sand. All rooms face a pool and then the sea, with lounge chairs on a lovely lawn. There is a popular and excellent restaurant that is open to the public. It's just over one hour to arrive there from my home in Los Angeles. However, the room itself is rather small and could use a renovation. There were no grab bars in the shower or by the toilet. The tiny refrigerator froze everything, including an injectable medication. But the magic of being on the water and hearing waves makes it worth the costs. read more

Since i was only in the hotel/restaurant for about 6 hours to beat the pre thanksgiving traffic, i will combine the restaurant and hotel. The hotel is a little gem midway between Montecito and Ventura. Literally right off the highway. Incredible views and part of it is Shoals restaurant that has the same views and wonderful food. Lovely service and equally fine menu of fish to steak to matching fantastic sauces. Wine list and small but all you need liquor selection. For me it was a nice Makers Mark, fresh pea soup with ham and the swordfish special. Ok and the crazy good cheesecake! A perfect weekend or vacation getaway!!! read more

See all

Three stars because their restaurant is amazing and is worth 5 stars, but actually staying there in the rooms is another story... My mom books our room through their website, actually their website. When we go to check out she asks for a printout of the incidentals as usual. She looks it over and informs the guy at the front desk that this was not her bill because she paid $100 more for the room and the credit card shown was not hers. She also did not book through Expedia. The guy looks it over and says it was her statement and that sometimes Expedia makes their website look like the hotel's (if this is true it sounds illegal and if it is legal wtf). He also said the lower amount that was on the statement is what Expedia pays them and that's the card Expedia uses. All very weird! In the end we paid $100 more for the room, not sure how to get this resolved. The guy at the front desk seemed knowledgeable about this, yet wasn't too interested in helping. Also, room 25 had lots and lots of fruit flies in it; like 20+ flying around everywhere. read more

Total hidden gem just off the 101 in Ventura. Feels like a time warp in the best way--think '60s beach motel meets vintage Hawaii. Super peaceful, no road noise, just ocean waves right outside your window (which you can actually open!). Rooms are clean, vibe is chill, views are unreal. Great dinner spot downstairs and free continental breakfast. Only gripe: no in-room coffee and none available till 7:30am. Still, I'd come back in a heartbeat. read more

See all

We went for our Anniversary and this place is special to us! My husband and I have been five times counting this time. We Love the view and we ate at the restaurant there again. The food is always good. This time I noticed that the room looked old. Dresser was missing knobs, the bed headboard and dresser had stains on it.The heater on the wall looked like it was coming off the wall, looked old and had rust on it. It just looks like the room needs some renovation and painted. The tv signal kept going out on the tv, don't know what that was about? read more

See all

What a beautiful hotel the views are just amazing !!!! most definitely coming back soon :) the only downside the WiFi sucks and there's no A/C other than that great place to get away . read more

See all

This place is Beautiful, And what makes this place special is the people that works there. I spent a weekend there and l got to see them work their magic. From the moment we arrived Bryan from the front desk was really helpful and knowledgeable about the place. Our housekeeper Belkis was really accommodating in everything. If you walk around the property you can see how well is the landscape is thanks to Antonio who I got the pleasure to meet. And the restaurant what can I say It was great and the service as were I have three meats there Delicious. Reyno and Alejandro Great Cooks. Adriana always welcome us with a smile. And I want give a special Thanks to Kyle Amazing server. I'm so pleased with this resort that I'm going back to celebrate my birthday there. This Place is a truly hidden Gem! read more

I love this beautiful quaint little place. The view is breathtaking and the rooms are adorable. They are small but have everything you need for a nice quiet stay. Nice restaurant attached, but be sure and check their hours and times when open. I've stayed here four times and it's one of my most favorite places to stay when I'm in the area. Can't beat the view. read more

See all

Had a business partner coming in from out of town was super excited to have them stay at this hotel..called the day before spoke to the gentleman at the front desk, Explained what was going on, Explained that I wasn't gonna be able to be there during check-in and I needed to put my card on file. I wanted to do this so that my business partner would be able to show up stay the night, eat food, charge everything to the room and then just be charged to my card. He assured me that everything was taken care of and that they would have a wonderful stay. The following day upon check-in, the lady was completely rude.... would not check in my business partner without the card being present. She was saying that there was nothing that she could do trying to tell me that the reservation was booked through a third-party. I then showed her emails that were sent to me directly from the cliff confirming my booking from her employee. This was all sent the previous day with confirmation. total shady establishment, They don't stand behind their hotel unless you're a local community person. By the way, I had three kids with us that were crying and I was just begging her to check us into the room and get everybody in and I would go get my credit card and bring it back and she just looked at me flat out and told me no there's nothing she can do. Shitty establishment shitty employees crazy cause it's a great view...CUSTOMER SERVICE IS OUT YHE WINDOW THESE DAYS.. read more

If you need sterility, this isn't for you. It's older, shabby chic, awesome. The employees are stellar, accommodating, and welcoming. As you can see from the 5 million photos the view is bitchin!! The food in the restaurant is amazing. The coconut shrimp is delicious. The fish specials are killer! The goat cheese salad! The flourless chocolate cake OH MY GOD!! Pesto fettuccine, YUM!!! Servers are great! Tip them well. They work hard! Please, Cliff House stay the way you are! You're perfect! This is the only place we come and we love everything about it. read more

See all

Dinner is always a fabulous occasion and isn't our first time dining here and certainly not our last! Everything on the menu is delicious and prepared just the way we ordered it. Can't wait to go back for our next trip up the Coast read more

This place was literally magical. So peaceful and I felt more relaxed than I have in years. The ocean front views from the room gave not just great views of the ocean but the sounds were so amazing and calming. The entire staff were some of the nicest most welcoming people I've encountered. This was a trip for my birthday and I do not use the word perfect often, but this stay and entire experience was literally perfect! I couldn't recommend more and will be adding this as my go to for all vacations! read more

Cliff House Inn - The view from dinner - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

The parking is a little tight but it's worth it. Sure, the place is dated but you have the best view here. Beautiful stay, right on the water. We slept with the windows open and it was fabulous. We spent most of our time sight seeing so we didn't mind the small inconveniences. If you spend alot of time in the room you may not like it here. If you plan on sleeping here and heading out to explore, this place is perfect. You can eat breakfast, lunch, dinner right on water. The bed was comfortable and the room was quiet. I loved hearing the ocean from my room. The only downside was the beach access. You have to walk a few minutes to get to the beach. I would have preferred to have access from the hotel. However, it was a pleasant stay and I will be back. read more

See all

I love the Cliff House and have stayed there many times as well as frequent the delicious restaurant. Terrible experience this time! Faulty toilet taking 2 1/2 hours to be able to access bathroom, therefore unable to use the pool. "Fixed" toilet still not working well. Endless flickering light in bathroom. End table drawer not working. Cold shower. Initial response from management was $25 refund in 5 days to which I balked. Up it to $50 which is still not acceptable. I am never a complainer but feel the need to share. I will be back but hope for a pleasant experience. Fingers crossed. read more

This is a cute hotel, right on the ocean situated between Ventura & Carpenteria. I stayed 2 night & it was very quiet & relaxing. The breakfast was good. Staff were nice & helpful. The room was clean & the bed was comfortable. There are lounge chairs & there were a pod of dolphins that swam by which was nice to see & also some seals. read more

Cliff House Inn - Picture of the ocean from the upstairs balcony - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

I've driven past this place for all the 20+ years that I've lived in SoCal but never stopped in. So on a whim, hubby and I made a reservation to celebrate our anniversary this weekend. Tyler helped us with check in, and he was wonderful! Very relational. Very welcoming. We were off to a good start. We settled our stuff into the room - basic room, smelled of soap so strongly that we had to open our windows to air it out. But not complaining about it being cleaned well at all! It had a working fridge which was a big plus since I had brought some cheese in a cooler and the freezer pac wasn't going to survive overnight. The shades on the windows facing the freeway (from bathroom) were paper. The window by the sink was jammed and refused to open for cross ventilation. We found our way down to the chairs by the pool with the extraordinary 180° view of the ocean. (It seems when you have that sort of view it dulls the sharp edges.) We sat and enjoyed the view till sunset and then once it started to get cold, head back to our room. We had a 6pm reservation for the restaurant...I'll review that separately. After a delicious dinner and leftovers in the fridge we settled in for the night -- unfortunately the walls are so thin that we could hear people talking (or TV) in the next room. We also discovered that the heat didn't work. Tyler to the rescue, he gave us extra blankets and a tiny (but powerful) space heater. Next morning, I go to turn on the shower-- no water. Not a trickle! Luckily we live only 30 min away and were planning to go straight home so it wasn't an issue, but if we'd been staying longer, it would have involved either room change or a maintenance call. This place is in sore need of TLC. Things are worn down and weary. But the view, oh wow the view. I'm glad we experienced it, but I don't need to go back. read more

Cliff House Inn - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

We had a wonderful time at the Cliff House Inn. A bit of a mix-up with our room (they tried to put us on the bottom floor), but the young man at the desk upgraded us to a wonderful SUITE on the top floor at no extra charge! Our view of the ocean was everything we'd hoped for. They even installed floodlights that make the beautiful waves visible at night! It was breathtaking! The restaurant on the ground floor (Shoals) is everything people claim. We had probably the best filet we've ever had in our lives, and all while sitting outside and watching the beautiful Pacific Ocean do her thing. Our server, Billy Rae, was a delight and made sure that everything was to our liking. We loved the place so much that we brought my husband's son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids (7 and 4 years) back the next night. They loved it, too! I'll say one thing that isn't glowing, and leave it at that. You CAN hear the traffic on the 101 when the wind is just right, or depending upon which side of the hotel you're on. So, try to get a room that's on the THIRD floor, and right in the middle of the hotel. That way, you're blocked on either side from the sound, and your bedroom door and front window open to the sea side. We'd definitely stay here again! read more

Cliff House Inn - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California

See all

Beautiful view, this place has so much potential. If you're looking to listen to music outside by the pool this is not the place. They want quiet guests. read more

Yes, the bedrooms are older, and only some windows work. But that's not the magic of The Cliff House. If you want to experience the Sea, this is the place for you. You can feel the ocean in every moment of staying here, open your windows, and you can hear the waves crashing. Walk outside during low ride and find a world of colors and life where the Sea used to be. It's uniquely glorious. I cannot recommend stopping here more; if you get the chance, do it!! read more

See all

October 2024: DH and I enjoyed a single night in ground floor end unit. Everything just as it should be. My husband actually went barefoot. It was the one relaxing, battery-charging night in the midst of family illness. Thank you so much!, Cliff House, for being my steady companion and beloved old friend. read more

Cliff House Inn - Cliff House private beach, rock jetty. - Hotels Near Me - Ventura, California