I loved this hotel! They are certainly the best deal in town. Their location is EXCEPTIONAL-literally ON the beach and attached to all the restaurants and shops you could want! Now, don't go expecting all modern and 4-star amenities-this is an old-fashioned, quirky little inn. The entrance looks like Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, and the rooms are cute and quaint. The skylights in the bathroom are really cool. Everything was clean and lovely. They give you huge beach towels and DVDs...but plan on buying breakfast, as the one that's included is literally coffee and a plastic container of mini muffins :P But overall I highly recommend this hotel for its convenient location and old-town feel. read more

We celebrated our honeymoon here and our second anniversary staying at this hotel. Good service, great location, & ocean front rooms are very nice. Highly recommend staying here read more

This was my second time staying here and I would definitely return. I spent the extra for the ocean view and it was perfect. The hotel has a very convenient location and a cute courtyard. It is pretty much a basic no frills room but it is clean and everyone is friendly. Cannot beat it for the money. read more

Just returned from a couple of days at Hotel Mac Rae. Quiet, peaceful, relaxing (we were there mid-week). I learned awhile ago that it is always worth paying extra for the ocean view room and to save on other things. This was so true at Mac Rae. The room was small, which doesn't bother me and was completely made up for the huge bay vista out the window. When inside, it felt like I was still on the beach. Perfect. The minute you step outside, you are a few seconds away from anywhere you might want to eat or shop or hang out at the beach. The room was clean and pleasant and staff was friendly. I chose the building because of the history of the family on the island. * It is located on second floor, so if you have trouble with stairs, now you know. read more

I was concerned about staying in this hotel after reading all the negative reviews. It is clear that someone is on a campaign to unfairly smear this property. I stayed in a bayfront king room. We arrived on the ferry at about 10:30. The hotel allowed us to check in immediately which was a nice surprise as the room was ready. The room was simple, clean and charming. The location was central on the boardwalk and the view of the bay was beautiful and tranquil. The interior courtyard provided us with a nice comfortable spot to relax after we checked out and waited for the ferry back to the mainland. read more

We were so excited to stay in a nice hotel with a beautiful Ocean View. This hotel was a major disappointment! There were two flights of stairs to climb even before we got to our room (no elevator) The room was very old and not updated and extremely small. The view was nice but I could have walked out front and seen it. The bathroom was so small and we could hardly shower in the small shower. They did not even provide lotion and only gave us very small soaps. There was not a flatscreen TV as listed on their ad. I paid $375/nt for this horrible room. It was difficult to sleep due to all of the noise outside when people walked by. I am not sure if there were double pane windows in our small room. The horrible breakfast consisted of two different pastries and horrible coffee. I cancelled my third night and happily went to another hotel which was considerably cheaper and much more comfortable, The office was closed at night so if you were in need of something there was no one working. read more

This is not a legitimate hotel. They lock the registration desk at 7. They have zero customer service and don't even attempt it. The registration agent looked like a homeless person and didn't seem very intelligent, certainly not interested in the slightest in being helpful. This does not make me feel like it is a safe location. Old rooms. This is a hostel-grade "hotel" yet they charged me over $200 a night. No wonder it was the only place on Catalina with rooms open when I booked! read more

We were very happy with the hotel. Loved the old bathroom, the old tile and the doors. I am so glad they did not renovate the bathroom. We love the old decor. The stairs took some getting used to, but that was fine. Loved the location. The beds were comfortable, but very short. I am only 5'5" and my feet hung over. My husband is 6'2" and his feet hung over the bottom of the bed by a foot. I laughed all night about that. Room was clean and comfortable. I do wish there was a small frig and a coffee maker. The staff was very friendly. We would highly recommend this hotel. read more

We have been to Avalon many, many times but have never stayed at the Hotel Mac Rae. The room was clean but the room was old and dingy. The bathroom was teeny-tiny - smaller than a bathroom in an RV! UG! Wi-Fi was intermittent; off and on for two days. The continental breakfast was limited and not appealing.This hotel room was not worth $165/night. That's outrageous. We'll take this off our list. read more

Nice room, great view, easy check in, central location. We'd love to visit again.

3 stars for the prime location. Mac Rae is in the perfect location on Catalina and the hotel itself is quite charming. Unfortunately, the rooms are in desperate need of an upgrade. The beds are hard as a rock and the carpeting was sticky and dirty. The shower didn't drain so I was standing in a pool of dirty water and I was bathing in a light drizzle of water because the water pressure was so low. read more

I ran the Catalina Marathon and stayed at Hotel Mac Rae. The location was perfect, right by the finish line and across the walkway is the beach. The room was clean, bed comfortable, A/C worked great which I was happy about since it was a very hot weekend. Hotel staff were very friendly. Room was next to a nice patio area with comfortable seating. Despite checking for everything (charging plugs and other things that are easy to overlook), it turned out I did unknowingly leave my IPhone armband and a set of Ironman Yurbuds (each $40 to replace). The hotel office clerk called to let me know the cleaning crew had found them when cleaning the room after I had checked out. I had already left the island so I could not retrieve them. The clerk asked for my address and she mailed the items to me. I will be staying at this hotel again. read more

Had an ocean view room with terrific view. Clean (although small) room, friendly staff, cozy courtyard (but without a view to outside/ocean). For the price, it was a great value. We were there during an unusually hot and humid week....the air conditioner was great and had a thermostat to set for desired temp. Bed was comfortable. Only drawback was the stairs....no elevator (and the hotel was on an equivalent to the 3rd story), but what do you expect for an older building? (All of the close location hotels have stairs.) It was in a perfect location to walk the town. I'd stay there again. read more

I've enjoyed this place for almost twenty years. The location is convenient for divers with heavy gear (yes there are stairs!). The ouside courtyard is inviting, rooms comfortable (small) and clean. The ocean view rooms are a treat, but can be noisy. My friends sometimes take up almost all of the courtyard room for a few days. We go out for breakfast, but they have coffee (weak tea, juice and pastries. I would love a toaster and healthier bread or hard boiled eggs, but there are many places to find food. They provide beach towels and have a place to store your stuff after you check out if you are still enjoying the island (even a bathroom complete with shower to wash off the salt water). I'll be back! read more

Nice for a lesser price. No plates at the breakfast. Need a counter for toiletries. Have other juices available at breakfast. Doors don't close securly. Sorry, that's my opinion. Alex read more

Excelente close to the beach .excellent Service. Staff very helpful and nice.Room was clean.

Great location, right on the waterfront with an easy to walk to anything in Avalon. The rooms are clean, but very basic. The continental breakfast was coffee, juice, muffins and danish. For some the 2 flights of stairs to the hotel may be a problem especially with luggage. read more

Hotel Mac Rae was clean and convenient- perfect for a quick getaway to Catalina. The staff was friendly and helpful with any of our questions through out our stay. read more

Date: 8/21/2017 Day of the Eclipse in USA I live in Venice Beach; decided to go and stay a night to get away. I have been to Catalina six ( 6) times in my life. I am 62. I paid $$257.03 including all charges and fees for a room in the very front, upper level of the hotel, with a full on ocean view, on the boardwalk. Pros: Charming old hotel. 4th generational family run. Has great old photos. Bed was somewhat comfortable. It was very clean and the sheets and bedding /linens nice, clean and in good condition. Staff kind and accommodating. Have about 5-6 rooms only, with full on ocean view and of course you pay about $100. more for that. Secure. They close and lock their front door at 9 P but give you a key for a deposit. Wi-fi: Yes and free, but you must use your device next to the office on the main level to get it to work. My room had two lovely and comfortable chairs to sit on and furnishings were very nice. Has sheers curtains and full black-out drapes with pulls that work. Has a small TV with DVD player and they loan you DVD's. They also loan you a beach towel. The A/C worked great on a remote and was very quiet. B'fast ok for a snack until you can get out to get a good breakfast. Cons: About 27 stairs to climb to get to lobby. My room #204 was very small. And very noisy. The hotel is next to a bar that starts Karaoke at 9P. After the bar closed around midnight; or 1 am, folks hang around outside under your window, and talk very loudly because they are drunk. I am sure I would not have heard it if I had stayed on the opposite side of that bar and in the back of the hotel.The DVD never worked so I did not watch Miss Congeniality 2. (Even the staff checked it and tried to get it going for me. )The toilet is not bolted down so be careful. If you open the windows to let the ocean breeze air in, there are no screens except in the bathroom. But I did not have a problem with bugs flying in. Water pressure good, but because of water shortage, I only sponge bathed. Prepare to buy water in a big jug at Vons. There are two Vons very close to hotel. (Can walk there in 2 minutes) No restaurant on the island will give you drinking water even if you are ordering. You must buy a bottle. I wonder what they do with all those plastic bottles? Continental breakfast is pastry, coffee and tea, and powered orange drink. No refrigerator and no microwave. But Good A/C!! Wi-fi: Yes and free, but you must use your device next to the office on the main level to get it to work. I only got 6 hours sleep at tops; because I don't drink, and I was tired, so I didn't join the karaoke, I was awakened at 7 am by people out on the boardwalk. I would not stay in the rooms in the front of this hotel again. I thought I might stay another nite, tonight, but when I inquired they told me a room in the rear of the hotel would be $199 + for a Monday night. I just saw the same room advertised for $129.00 on Hotels.com. But probably not all rooms cost the same every night. Today is Monday and I came back home on my scheduled return boat to San Pedro, CA. read more

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! My husband is in the military and was called away on a no-notice mission and the owner refused to allow me to rebook for an alternate date and refused to refund my stay. Not even Expedia customer service could assist in the matter as the owner stated that she "didn't believe there was a military issue at hand." Thank you so much, Hotel Mac Rae, for your lack of patriotism and understanding of the life of military families, I'm ashamed of you! read more

Hotel is great. Clean and very friendly staff. I highly recommend this hotel! Close location to all activities.

Very, very nice hotel! The view from our room was beautiful! The hotel was located conveniently near the beach, restaurants and other shops! My only complaint was with the wifi. It didn't work at all for me. I would definitely stay again! read more

Like reviewer Linda L., when I was booked for one night too many, the mean-spirited hotel management refused to observe their moral obligation to refund that night's stay. Also, like Lisa F., I noticed a urine-like owner in the room on the one night I did stay. I suggest the traveling public give this one a pass. read more

This hotel is absolutely amazing! We stayed in room 205 for our anniversary and I could not be more happy with the room! They had plenty of free amenities and the staff at the front desk was so adorable and sweet! It was too young blonde ladies who had the biggest smile welcoming us! I definitely would recommend this place! :) read more

I have stayed at the Hotel Mac Rae every summer for many years (10+) only because it was a convenient spot for an annual family/friend vacation and I wasn't the one booking the reservation. Somehow I have tolerated it's outdated decor, horribly lumpy beds and pillows, flimsy gym towels, small rooms, clueless staff, disgusting continental breakfast and unsafe/outdated cribs for my two babies...until now. The owner, Karen, is extremely rude and lacks any sense of customer service (this fact has been backed up by local restaurant owners from other reviews I've read online) so don't patronize her business. She gave away the two pack-n-plays (cribs) we reserved and then when I asked if we could have our room a little late on check-out day so my baby could take a nap, one staff member told me it was okay because they had vacancies, but the next day the owner said it was not okay and if I didn't leave the premises she would call the police to have me escorted away. Yep, she's that crazy. Even after all these years of giving her our continued business. Her staff member even commented to me..."as you can see Karen is a special person." Even though this place is cheap and on the beach, it is not worth the money. Go elsewhere. Karen needs a lesson in customer service and so does her staff. But, even then, the hotel itself still sucks. read more

I can not compare this hotel to the others on the island but in regards to customer service at other hotels, the staff here was uninterested in giving us a comfortable stay. The hotel is on the second floor with no elevator. The check-in experience was a struggle and although they offer to "store" your luggage, it's at your own risk by leaving down a hall on some shelves. Don't worry, after waiting several hours for our room in a hotel that was half empty, they got their revenge - we got one of the two rooms next to the vending and ice machines. We got a 7am wake up call when they use the ice machine to set up the breakfast across from our room. The front desk staff leaves at 8pm so any issues you may have needs to be reported through their emergency hotline. The room was (no surprise) outlet challenged and the hangers in the closet were permanently attached to the bar so no way to steam your clothes. There was no full length mirror nor a recycling bin in the room. Can you guess that I wouldnt recommend this place? read more

1/2 Star for historical background of hotel, 1/2 Star for location. DONT stay here if you want you to relax...the rooms are way too small, there is nothing comfortable about the hotel-not worth the price. My family and I couldn't wait to go home...where dishes, laundry and work awaited...anything but another second at this claustrophobic, loud, obnoxious hotel. read more

This is a cute little family owned hotel right off the beach! The room we had was just the perfect size for my boyfriend and I. We couldn't have been happier with our patio view room. We were traveling for his birthday and they offer a 10% discount off the price of the room. We arrived a little early and they had our room ready right away! They have DVD's you can borrow (not rent) , beach towels, free continental breakfast, a security door that they close at night (which you get a key too)and a nice patio to sit and relax, take a break and read or plan your day. They also have an area where you can leave your luggage. At check out, we weren't leaving until about 7 and they let us leave our stuff while we went out and got lost in the town. I've read that the rooms are renovated and I 100% loved them because I'm into that vintage style look. It definitely transported me to another time and that I really appreciate. If you are looking for a very modern renovation then this may not be the place for you but you would missing out on this charming little place. There was one thing in the room that we were curious about but I'm not picky enough to let it ruin my stay. When we arrived, it looked like someone had just used the toilet and didn't flush. I didn't think anything of it but we left and came back and the same thing happened. We thought that maybe someone had come in and used the toilet. It was a little strange but what I am thinking is that it is some kind of water conservation? I wouldn't let that keep you from this great place though. Just flush it. I really can't wait for another birthday to come by and have the chance to stay here again. It's wondering and beautifully placed. Also, the customer service was just fine, most reviewers are just too picky and should look at all of the amenities before booking. I mentioned the birthday discount and they had no problem whatsoever in adjusting my rate. Oh and FREE WIFI! Not too strong but why are you on an island to use WIFI? GO TO THE BEACH read more

Bruh. These fools be trippin. Hotel is fine. Location is great. But staff sucks. Showed up at 1:30pm and they told us our room wasn't ready yet which was totally chill, we knew check in is no guaranteed till 2. The dude says our room will be ready in 10 minutes but we decide to just go walk around for a bit. Come back at 2:15 and the room still isn't ready. I ask why not because they say guaranteed check in by 2 and they say they only have one maid. AIGHT THEN PLAN BETTER BRUH. So he says the room will be ready in 5. We wait in the little outdoor lobby, check in and this muthafucka STILL WRONG. Didn't get to the room till 2:45, which honestly woulda been fine if the dude had just told me the first time we got there they're running a little late and the room won't be ready until 2:45, I don't care, but the fool had me wait around and kept telling me it'd be done. YOU RUN A HOTEL ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS NOT BE STUPID AND BE GOOD TO PEOPLE. Ain't that hard damn bruh read more

Five stars for the location and two stars for the hotel itself. Loved the view we had facing the ocean, we slept with our windows open both nights to hear the waves crashing. Nothing better than that! The queen size bed was comfortable, but the carpet was disgustingly dirty and the bathroom very outdated. If you are visiting for rest and relaxation and don't like karaoke, the hotel (room 203) for you. The bar next door, which is so much fun has karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights and you can clearly hear it from the room. Also late night partiers who talk under your window late night seem to be right in your room with you. We didn't mind this party as we were there for a good time and wanted to enjoy the ocean sounds, which came with some other "fun" sounds as well. read more

This place has a good price and an ocean front view. Those are about the only good things I can say about it though. The rooms are very small (much smaller than appears in the pictures on the website). We stayed in the Ocean View Queen and there's about enough room for the bed and that's it. Also, the Wifi did not work in our room. We were informed that it was because we were too far from the front office (only about fifty feet). Even trying to connect about twenty feet away was difficult with the connection dropping repeatedly. Seems like the router had trouble managing the number of connections. I spoke with the front desk and she told me someone would take a look at it but nothing changed. Finally, the most annoying thing is that the hotel is right on the boardwalk so every night there's a bunch of drunk people standing right below the window arguing with each other and trying to sing. And there's a club right down the street with some terrible cover band (or karaoke, can't tell the difference) playing loud music late into the evening. read more

Our stay was perfect. Centrally located amongst restaurants, shopping and grocery stores. We walked every where very easily. Hotel was quiet and coffee was very good in the morning! read more

I've stayed here a handful of times and always pay the extra for ocean view as the location is nice and rooms are decent. I've always had a pleasurable experience at check in however this last time was awful. The guy who works the front in the morning easily ruined my birthday trip to the island this year. Having stayed in each ocean front room, I prefer room 202. Knowing it was too early to check in, When dropping our luggage off, I decided to kindly request, if possible, to get room 202 knowing it wasn't a guaranteed. His one job is customer service right? Being polite to the customers paying hundreds of dollars to stay at your establishment. I asked "I know there is no guaranteed but if possible, can I get room 202 if it's available when I check in?" He laughs condescendingly and says "Ha, no way. People pay for that. That's an ocean view, there's no way we'd just give you that room". Shocked, I kindly responded with "I did pay for that". To which he finally looked up my reservation. I think training your employees to look at a reservation before responding like a smug jerk would be beneficial to your future guests. Not me, as I will not settle for the mediocre rooms and partial ocean views blocked by mostly window panes after being treated like dirt by your employee. Better pay a little bit more and get a room with a balcony and people who hate their jobs less. read more

I have been coming here for several years and always enjoyed it until now. Room 303 is horrible. The bathroom smells moldy/musty, you cant sit on the toilet straight because the wall is so close in front of you and there is a mechanical equipment sound that comes on every 30 seconds to 2 minutes that sounds like you're in a factory. It's 4am and I got about three hours sleep. The location is great but I'd rather walk a little further for better conditions. read more

Pleasantly surprised. This isn't a 5 star resort and yes the decor is dated but you can't beat this location. Stumble out of the hotel entrance and you are smack in the middle of town. Restaurant/bar right next door and the beach is 10 feet in front of you. I liked that they held our luggage and lend beach towels to guests while waiting for a room and even after check out. Small courtyard area with picnic tables perfect for bringing back a quick lunch or just relaxing after a busy day. Grocery is right around the corner and has mainland prices which was unexpected. They have a decent size collection of DVD's that you can borrow free of charge. Bedding was clean and room was stocked with extra pillows. We did not request an ocean front room which was good because those are right on the main walkway of town and from what I read noise is a factor but we didn't hear a thing in our room's location. Internet special on their website had us staying for $69 and they allow a one night reservation. They do require a full payment at time of reservation but the amount was rather low anyway so that didn't bother me. read more

We had an Amazing stay in Avalon at the Hotel Mac Rae. Our room was beautiful with a fantastic view & perfect location. Can't wait to come back. read more

Perfect place to stay in Catalina right across from the beach and in the heart of town. So cute and nice staff! Also gives towels for the beach which is an automatic plus! read more

My family and I recently stayed here for Memorial Weekend. It is on the boardwalk just steps from the beach. The hotel is located on second floor with no elevator, so traveling up/down stairs with luggage/stroller was a challenge. We stayed in the patio area rooms, which was nice to hang out in when we were not touring the city of Avalon. We arrived early for check in at 9am and we were able to get our room right away since it was ready. The rooms were very well kept and clean. The hotel is locked at night, which I found comforting since only hotel guests are given the key for access. The maid walking around our area was friendly. I expected more from a continental breakfast (consisted of pastries, coffee, and orange juice), but it's good for those who are not used to large meals in the morning. No issues with noise from the bars below coming into our room. No pool available (in case you were wondering), but you do have the beach very close by. Front staff was accommodating with storing our luggage after our check out time since we would be leaving later in the day. I would consider staying here again in the future. A few cons during our stay: (1) One of the bed sheets became dirty after our first night (son peed on it), so I placed the sheets on the floor for replacement, but housekeeping placed the same dirty sheets on the bed. Might want to be more specific with housekeeping about requesting a replacement of dirty sheets. (2) WiFi did not work well from the room and we were not far from the front desk. Good thing we have data plans. read more

Great Hotel .. Its an older hotel but it was very clean and the staff was very nice . The hotel is right on the boardwalk and right across from the beach which made it very convenient , especially if you have kids. We will definitely be staying here again read more

I actually did not stay here yet, but went to check it out (No Vacancy) and was impressed by the cleanliness -- I am extremely 'fussy'! Brandon was a doll, very professional, informative, and sweet! (spoke to him by phone & in person). The girl on the other hand, who called me back after I left a message for Brandon, was very irritating to speak to--she was negative and unhelpful and I chose not to book a room@that time, because I did not care to talk to her any further. I just decided to pack a bag in case I chose to stay overnite. I went to see the hotel@ the end of a very long and fun Birthday--and they had no rooms. Brandon showed me one room for future reference and it was sooo clean & quaint looking! Next time I decide to spend the nite, I will stay there. read more