They only have 3 parking spots. The bed squeak a lot in room 5 We couldnt get the TV to work. Area was nice calm and quiet. Everything was available in the office which we love and so convenient. AC worked ! It could use an upgrade but if you will be in and out. It works. Overall for the area and the price, would book again. Just keep in mind if you plan to rent during a Holiday, parking will be a pain. read more

This was an amazing experience. No human interaction necessary! The room was affordable and absolutely darling!! Pink retro appliances, clean!, bathroom is nicely functional. I wish I had found this place sooner!! read more

We stayed at El Rancho for the 1st time. What an adorable little motel. Kathy helped us with our change in needs for our reservation which was very much appreciated. She made our trip! We have driven by that location for years, and always thought it looked so clean and cute. So glad we finally stayed there on our trip from Phoenix to Coronado Island. We will be back! Thank you Kathy! The Bridgford's read more

This treasure is an affordable way to enjoy Coronado. I was impressed by the attentive communication from owners/staff and the cozy space with a cool mural on the wall whose colors matched the compact retro refrigerator and microwave! My stay was easy and effortless. Thank you Kathy and Fred for your jewel in the midst of an expensive region. I only wish I could have [had the time to] enjoyed the outdoor patio and garden you have made so inviting! read more

El Rancho Motel - Cute retro microwave and mini fridge! - Hotels Near Me - Coronado, California

See all

The TV should be working in every room. After we enjoyed the Coronado Concert in the park, we walked back to our room with no TV service. The owners knew the TV was not working, but rented us the room anyways. We also were looking at a blackened shower pan that either of us wanted to walk into. The shower door had to be pulled shut due to its worn out condition. read more

El Rancho Motel - No TV service. They knew it was not working. The other photo showed the blackened shower pan which was hideous. - Hotels Near Me - Coronado, California

See all

What a gem of a find! We hadn't spent time on Coronado in a few years and decided to book a little getaway for Labor Day weekend. Was able to score a room for two nights at El Rancho and was very pleasantly surprised! All of your communication with the hotel will likely be done via text; I never actually saw anyone in the office. If you are very "hands on," that approach might not work for you -- but for us, absolutely fine. I appreciated the fact that we were able to check into our room early. It was very nice to get an earlier start to our vacation than we planned. They do have two parking spots on site, but there is ample street parking on Orange, too. I adore the little outdoor area with chairs and tables at the front of the property. Each evening we would sit out there and people watch/read/talk. Quiet hours are from 9pm - 9am to be respectful of the rooms right there (and likely the neighhours). Perfect deck area with comfy seats! There is also a filtered water station on the deck. I love the flamingo them throughout the property, from the flamingo decor in the garden, to the accent pillow in the room to the pink and white striped towels. Very cute! Room was comfortable and served its purpose. Clean and tidy -- and that is what matters to me. Would definitely stay here again and highly recommend. The location is fantastic. We did not move our car from when we arrived on Saturday to when we left on Monday; we walked everywhere. What I enjoyed is that you're about a mile from one part of town (e.g. the Del and the shops/restaurants in that direction) but are less than 10 minutes' walk to Centennial Park and the ferry landing shops, etc. Very close to dining (Shore Duty, Coronado Brewing, etc.) Thanks for a wonderful stay! 2024: 50/100 read more

There's no one working there while you stay. Therefore if you need anything, you're on your own. As far as quality of furniture and deco. All old, dirty and cheap cheap cheap!!! Anywhere in Coronado has to be a more pleasant stay, including Motel 6 if there is one. read more

This place is gross. We arrived for 3 nights of stay, and checked in to room 10. The self check in process was nice but the second we entered the room we were overpowered by this unbearable smell of sewage and cleaning supplies that definitely originated from the toilet. It honestly smelled like a porta-potty. It was obvious something was wrong with the room and there was an attempt to cover it up with chemicals. The more time we spent in the room, the more gross things we noticed. It was almost like this room was in the middle of a renovation. There was a gaping hole in the ceiling. There was what seemed like mold in the caulking of the sink. There was 3M sticky tape on the inside of the bathroom door with the adhesive backing not even peeled off yet like they wanted to install a towel hook as quick as possible but forgot or something. Since we got in late there was nothing we could really do about any of this. So we managed to get to sleep and wake up but the smell was still bad. The only reason this place is getting any stars is because they let us switch rooms. They were apologetic about the situation and happily gave us a new room which felt like an upgrade. No smell. It was kind of cleaner, but it honestly still not great. The AC unit in the new place was full of black gunk so who knows what kind of biohazard we would disperse in the air if we turned it on. Also the towels had grease stains or some sort of black gunk on them. The only complaint I have that's not about the lack of cleanliness is that the bed in the second room we got was a Queen but the sheets they put on it weren't remotely big enough so we couldn't comfortably fit the sheets to the mattress. Let's just say you get what you pay for. PS there's like 12 rooms and 2 parking spots so be ready to find a free space on the street of Orange Avenue. read more

See all

Stood for 1 night for our Anniversary a nice little spot in Coronado for a little getaway! Close walking distance to restaurants and the Ferry for those who want to go to downtown! Downside was no employees on grounds? read more

El Rancho Motel - Perfect day in Coronado! - Hotels Near Me - Coronado, California

The price was competitive for the area and in a nice neighborhood. All check in details were sent via text. Upon arrival I unlocked a door to the lobby, retrieved my keys and went to the room! The lobby had extra items such as soap, towels etc if you needed more than what was provided in your room. If I had a question I could text the property and received either an immediate call or text back. The rooms were clean, the beds were comfortable. I will definitely be back! read more

Didn't like the remote passive off-site check-in process. No personnel on-site to address problems or issues. Cleanliness of room was questionable and housekeeping didn't even make up the bed during our 2 nite stay. We noticed housekeeper rinsing out cups used in the room with the garden house which raises doubts with the cleaning and upkeep of the room. Overall property felt like a Motel-6 like accomodations. The room was extremely narrow and small unlike what is protrayed in the website photos. Very disappointed in the stay. Going to post this dissatisfaction on Yelp and Google. read more

comfortable, quiet motel in excellent location, about a half mile to the bay and 1.5 miles to the coast. plenty of shopping and restaurants nearby. the motel provides beach towels and chairs to borrow, which is such a great perk. motel has patios both in front and back of the property with plenty of comfortable seating. buildings and rooms are charming and in good repair. highly recommend the El Rancho is you are looking for a low-key place to relax! I wish they would sell their adorable branded pillows! read more

Adorable on the outside, sad on the inside. I read the reviews, and understood this motel was a bit dated (not surprising for the price). What I didn't know was how poorly this place was being maintained/cleaned. Bathroom mirrors were dirty, hair was on the floor, tile grout was dirty, fixtures were pitted/corroded, and you could see the grime around the doorknobs from other hands. The heater/AC was so noisy that I had to turn it off to sleep. Parts of the popcorn ceiling were stained and had fallen off. On the positive side, the bed was quite good and there were enough covers to keep me warm because I couldn't use the heater. As you may guess, I would never stay here again. read more

See all

Very clean and mildly updated for an older Bldg. Has 2 patio's , both decorated with a very cool vibe perfect for relaxing, people watching. Nicely decorated as well. Really enjoyed my stay. read more

The rooms are small which is expected. But they come with a micro wave and fridge. The hotel also offers beach towels and chairs you can borrow. Location is great as well. I really enjoyed our stay here. Clean, cozy and awesome location. read more

Good location, walking distance to several restaurants, bars and stores. Short drive to the beach and other dining and shopping. Cute from the outside but run down and not the cleanest inside. Our socks were black after walking around an hour. Felt gross not wearing socks. The towels and sheets however, seemed to be very clean. We found 3 spiders the 2 nights we stayed, 2 on the floor 1 on the bathroom wall. If they had just vacuumed well and mopped it would have been a different story. They said the maids cleaned but they still offered a small partial refund so that was nice. Customer service was great, check in was easy and straightforward, and we never had an issue with parking (there are only 5 spots and I think 11 or 12 rooms). A good stay they just need a paint job and to fix up some things and clean better!! read more

See all

Ohh what a nice stay! I had a long conversation with the owner on the phone prior to the stay and she was so nice and helpful. I had mentioned that my sister was getting married and we arrived to chocolates and balloons. You can tell that she went out of her way for them.  The rooms are very comfortable and clean and the shower was absolutely delicious. There are two very comfortable patios and the hotel perfectly located for a straight shot into downtown San Diego. If you stay here walk a few blocks to see the amazing San Diego skyline. I went on a spectacular morning run and my mother enjoyed her coffee by the bay.  I want to thank the owner and her family for our lovely stay! read more

Found this place on Yelp and decided to book a room here as we were only staying in town for the night and were on a budget. The motel is located on popular/busy Orange Avenue but was easy to find. Lupe was very friendly and showed us to our room. Cute, quaint, clean and cozy is how I would sum up the El Rancho Motel. Room was small but it sufficed as we only stayed one night. Sheets were nice and soft. Toilet paper wasn't cheap, but nice and plush. While it's a budget place, they did put some care into certain things which is very nice. Some of the furniture, (small end table from Ikea- the surface was warped, but whatever), and the small chair (also Ikea) was stained. But other than that, it was mostly clean and I was comfortable. Would I stay here again? Yes! NOTE: There are only 2 assigned parking spaces in front of the motel. Everything else is street parking. They didn't have an actual parking lot. We had no problem finding parking on the street very close/in front of the motel. read more

See all

Very relaxed, cute, comfy atmosphere. As mentioned in other reviews, the rooms could use a little updating. It was a very chill vibe though and very clean. I enjoyed sitting out front and people watching with cup of coffee in the mornings. read more

This motel is adorable! Very cute and cozy, comfortable and very affordable. Location is great. They even provide beach chairs and towels that you can borrow, so cool! Only complaint is that there was no ice maker, which seems silly but when you want a nice cold drink ice is a must:) read more

We had a great time and loved our stay at El Rancho Motel ! It was very clean and making reservations was super easy ! Irene was a delight to work with ! read more

Super cute comfy, and affordable motel! When I arrived there was an envelope on the office door with my name on it with instructions. I never met the owners but that was perfectly ok. They leave contact numbers so if you need them outside their business hours they are available. I didn't need for anything, and housekeeping kept everything nice and tidy. We had the two bedroom and it was nice for my husband and our two sons. The small space didn't bother us for our 3 night stay, especially for the price. I would recommend this quaint and lovely little motel! read more

Facilities-towels looked worn out and could use an overhaul. The mirrors were stained with brass. Otherwise, room is as clean as can be for a motel. Service-front desk wasn't there when I checked in and have limited hours. I was greeted by an envelope with my name and instructions. However, they do have a phone number that you can call if you need anything and when I did interact with them, they were friendly and helpful. Room service-getting my room cleaned varied day by day. They would come at noon to clean my room, then other times, they'll come in the afternoon. Besides their random cleaning schedule, they do a good job to make the beds and change out the towels. They even folded my clothes that I had laying out which was unexpected. WiFi-getting any kind of signal is like pulling teeth. Coming from another country, I had a hard time using the WiFi. It was slow and gave me a big headache. Location-the motel is situated perfectly on between the beaches and other tourist attractions. A short walk on either side of orange street will take you to one of Coronado's famous locations. read more

Kind and caring staff myself and my two daughters called this home for awhile very attentive staff anytime if we needed something someone got back to us in a flash clean and quiet atmosphere great patio to lounge right on orange have your coffee or my favorite very cold clean drinking water provided day and night rates are great I would highly recommend a stay at El rancho it's a hidden gem I felt very safe and welcomed hope this review helps blessings! read more

Lupe the owner is a wonder lady... We booked our 2 rooms a year ago(7/2012) when we last stayed at this quaint lil hotel. We checked in on June 30,2013. One room had a faulty A/C unit. We told Lupe the next morning, she said she would have it repaired. We return after our day and the room is broiling hot. A/C not working. same story July 1st and July 2nd. Remember, there is no other room in all of Coronado Island available this week. To top it all off, both rooms are flooded. Apparently the bath tubs in both rooms decided at the same time to back up. Well so much for private little wayside motels. Excuses after Excuses on the A/C. Now the flood. We are sitting outside our rooms. They did not even get towels to dry the floors and carpet. Unbelievable! There are ways to take care of these issues besides making up lies and excuses. Perhaps it's time to sell the property and build a proper B&B on this prime Real Estate! --------------- Just an add on its July 3. The rooms are dried out but still no air in room number 6. Lupe did not feel the need to fix the air or give any compensation for the inconvenience of 80 plus degree heat in the room. We found another room in LA for the rest of our stay. read more

Such a cute motel! Checking in and out was easy. Room was perfect and CLEAN! I stayed in a standard 1 bed room and it was a great set up, definitely coming back :) read more

* WARNING * WARNING * WARNING * I don't even know where to begin... After reading all the recent 5-star reviews, I thought this place would be exactly as described, but I'm now convinced that the owner is telling all of her friends just to write 5-star reviews, because my experience was completely antithetical to the reviews. This whole "Under New Management" thing has to be a ploy. My family and I decided to stay here for my birthday weekend. There's only two pet-friendly places to stay on Coronado Island. The El Rancho and the Hotel Del Coronado. El Rancho is considerably cheaper, and for good reasons. We arrive, and notice there's two parking spots out front. We park in the open spot and go to check in. This motel is the size of a doll house. It's TINY. We check into our room, and the woman at the front desk gives us a key for room #5. The key doesn't work. So we have to go get a new key from her. Once we get in the room, we're completely disappointed. Two queen beds, on rollers. The room is the size of a lunch box. We set our stuff down and look over the room. The bathroom door doesn't shut properly. You have to jiggle the handle and press the latch bolt with your finger to get it to come out of the door so it will shut properly. The bathroom is tiny tiny. You can barely even turn around it's so small. I go to turn on the AC unit.. It turns on, but has no real power on the MAX COOL setting. It doesn't hardly blow out any air, and the air it did blow out definitely wasn't cold. Which sucks, because it's already in the 80's and it's humid. Next we notice there's no coffee. There's only tea? Weird. We ask the front desk for coffee, and she says the maid must have forgotten to stock it when she was cleaning, so she went to look for some. An hour later, we go back to the front desk after she never returned, and the same woman says "It's against our policy to serve coffee." Uh...okay? She's either lazy or an just stupid. I know it's illegal to smoke on the island, but coffee..really? We go to dinner and return. It's so hot and so humid. The AC has been on the entire day, and you couldn't even tell. The room was hot and moist. FUN! We all get ready for bed and try to turn on the over-head fan to get some air moving. To our surprise..there's one switch in the room, that controls everything.. I'm not too sure what kind of electrician wires everything to one switch, but they did. So, in order to have the fan on, you also have to have all the lights in the room on, which creates even more heat. We decided to just turn the fan and all the lights off and crack the window. All four of us didn't sleep at all. It was miserable. The pillows are paper thin. It had to have been 85 degrees in the room. No fan. No AC. After a night of no sleep and laying in puddles of sweat, we couldn't get out fast enough the next morning. We checked out and went to stay at the Hotel Del. Pricey, but SO worth it. If you like to waste your time and money, the El Rancho Motel is definitely the place for you! We will definitely never ever stay here again. This was the worst experience ever, and completely ruined the first day and a half of my birthday weekend. Thanks, El Rancho. read more

Let's call it for what it is. This is really ok. A Five Star Hotel, is one with Luxury Rooms, high end ammenities, spectacular grounds, a great view, and 24 hour service at your call. This is not that kind of place. This is a good value if you are staying in Coronado, and don't want to blow all your money on a name hotel, and spend your cash tipping the Parking Lot Attendants. The staff is very friendly and courteous. The rooms are very clean, the beds very comfortable, and contrary to Brad L, everything works just fine. If you are alone, or with your significant other on a budget, this place is just fine. If you are trying to impress a young lady with a romantic get away, I would not suggest this. You are in close proximity to good places to eat and shop. You are a long walk or short drive to the beach. Coronado is a very nice area, and you can feel safe here. Because of the value and comfort, I plan on staying here again, when I visit my son again, before he leaves the Navy. read more

This motel is super-cute and met or exceeded all of my expectations. Check-in was not til 3 which worked great for us and check out too was negotiable. The front desk lady was very accommodating. The decor in the room was very sleek and modern - it almost feels like you're in an actual mini-apartment rather than a motel room. The location is extremely convenient -- within walking distance to the bars/restaurants, Seaport, shopping, etc., and a short drive to Coronado, La Jolla, Mission Bay, Sea World, Balboa Park, and I'm sure tons of other places we didn't make it to. Definitely consider staying here when you visit San Diego. The only downside i could mention would be the lack of internet access and limited parking in the alley. read more

Staff was very friendly. The room was smaller than expected and my neighbors next door were quite the party! I did not sleep well and had to park a couple blocks away as there were not enough spaces. Not what I was expecting. read more

Great little jewel in the middle of town! This place is a hidden jewel in beautiful Coronado! After reading the reviews, some good, some not so much, decided to give it a go. Best decision ever! The rooms were newly renovated, clean and pretty! Apparently its under new management and they have done wonders! Great hospitality! I highly recommend it since its perfect for the weekend get away or for a longer vacation. read more

A first for me, we never saw anyone that worked at this motel. There was an envelope taped to the office door with our first and last name on it. A nice inviting letter on the inside, stating how to proceed with our stay. Needless to say our stay was nice and our room was clean. Great water pressure in the shower. Indeed it was smaller than most places but the convenience of the location and the best luck for finding the same parking spot was priceless. read more

So beautiful and reasonably priced. 1 star off for a dinky ice machine and no pool. Not deal breakers. The staff is super friendly too! Love this place! We had a Jr. Suite. 2 queen beds and kitchenette. Lovely. It IS walking distance to the beach (bring comfy shoes) and it's a nice walk. I want to go back and stay. read more

Simple. Quaint. Cozy. Essential. Such a perfect place to pop into on a beautiful island. $80 a night is a small price to pay for basic room on a gorgeous island. Stop by LeRoys for dinner. Buy some trinkets at the Attic. Far a touristy T at Bullshirt and get drinks at night at the Little bar. A perfect night and again simple accommodations. I would recommend it to any ine budget conconsciece. read more

El Rancho Motel - Fourth and Orange. - Hotels Near Me - Coronado, California

See all

Amazing cute, little hotel in Coronado. They have done some remodeling and it's fabulous!! Good service and clean :)) We'll be back soon........ read more

I've stayed here twice before and just recently stayed here July 2-5. Busy, busy, time for Coronado and love it! Small, no nonsense rooms with basic bed and bathroom. Within walking distance of everything, and a great price point for Coronado. I want to be OUT of my room when I'm on Coronado, so it's a perfect, clean, comfortable, place to sleep and shower. The service is friendly and the grounds are really cute. Had a primo spot to watch the 4th of July parade right next to my room, under a shady umbrella. Can't get much better than that! I also forgot my iPad and the hotel called to notify me and mailed it back to me. Honest staff that goes above and beyond. I definitely will be staying here again in the future! Thank you again El Rancho for a wonderful time!!! read more

Had an amazing experience! The staff was incredibly accommodating, flexible and communicative! I stayed during the madness of ComicCon and it was nice to return to a place of zen each day after hitting the Con hard:) Thank you, Irene, for everything!! I will be returning!! read more

One of my favorite hotels to ever stay at , the price isn't bad for staying at a hotel in Coronado! It's so cute and they have a nice little patio out front where you could just relax! The lady at the front desk is very nice and let me leave my luggage and backpack there while I go out to eat the day I was checking out! Very helpful and prepared ! read more

Last week Coronado was completley full, we ended up in El Rancho, wich I had previously stayed in the past, and promised never to come back... BUT for our surprise... New management was in the house... Everything was updated, tvs telephone, furniture, water fixtures... STAFF!!!! We paid $110 a night, location is unbeatable... Amazing surprise... Downside no Pool... But then again its coronado Island you have ocean everywhere.... You will not find something this price in the Island... Good job you guys! read more

Perfect little motel that is close to everything! Very beautiful and lovely service! I had a great experience here.