This little hotel on the boardwalk right in the middle of all the action. Great location. Room was small but clean. A bit old and outdated but as to be expected. No complaints really, enjoyed the stay and would stay here again read more

I hope this hotel usually charges $70.00 and not $150.00 a night and we just got slammed because it's Thanksgiving. Three inches of standing water in shower, poor internet access and terrible coffee served on a ledge outside that is called continental breakfast. read more

The bed was comfortable, the bathroom light was good for getting ready, the staff was friendly, and it was very centrally located. Other than that, it was pretty sad. The shower had decent pressure and hot water, but the drain backed up and you're standing in 3 inches of old nasty drain water. The room itself was pretty tiny and sometimes hard to get around with two people. The "continental breakfast" was basically just urn coffee and pastries, so they shouldn't advertise it as such. The wifi connection was really weak, which in this day and age is not acceptable. For such a high price, I was expecting a lot more from Mac Rae. You can find better, or pay a little more and go elsewhere. read more

A good value, a pleasant experience, a great location, and over all a nice place. Clean room, comfortable, a little on the small side, but completely sufficient, no problems, friendly staff. Wifi and a small continental breakfast -- amenities were good. Had a great overnight stay here in Avalon with my wife. We plan to stay here again. Posted a few photos of the hotel along with this review. read more

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When I read the reviews I was a little worried upon arrival. There was nothing to worry about! We had a "double King size" room. It was a normal sized room and it was clean. The location was perfect. The only complaint wasn't with the hotel. Even though the island says they are 90% open they are not. It's only about 40% open. So beware if you are planning a trip. read more

Hotel Mac Rae was the most terrible experience we ever had with hotels. First of all, rooms were very small, old, and the shower room smelled bad, like mold. We booked 3 nights and when we arrived, our room had a terrible smoke smell so we asked for a different room. All other rooms were booked but after discussing all possibilities nothing was confirmed with us. But they gave us another room. The next day, THEY MOVED OUR THINGS TO ANOTHER ROOM while we were out hiking. This was absolutely not ok! They could have told us when they first gave us a different room, or even the morning they saw us. All I got was 2 voicemails saying that they needed to move us into a different room and that they will move it for us if we don't show up in half an hour. We were so upset how they touched and packed our stuff and transferred them. We asked for some kind of compensation but the owner Karen refused to give us anything. How rude and unprofessional is that? As an owner, she could have apologized and given us a free night or something, but we got nothing. We didn't want to spend another dollar at this hotel so we checked out and stayed at a different hotel for the next 2 days. I've since read other reviews and several mentioned how rude and mean Karen, the owner was. She's the 4th generation owner of this building and she definitely doesn't know anything about customer service. I do not recommend this hotel, and if you do, you will regret it once you get there. The rooms are super small and bathroom stinks and most of all, very poor management. read more

In my ventures in search of accommodation in Catalina, I stumbled upon Hotel Mac Rae. Located on the beachfront of Catalina, Hotel Mac Rae is a great and affordable location that will allow you to have a great stay in Catalina. The room isn't big but you get what you paid for.I had a great experience staying at Hotel Mac Rae, the only issues we had was that the toilet took a while to refill with water so flushing took a while. We also had issues with the WiFi not would but other than that we had a great experience. I'd definitely recommend Hotel Mac Rae to my friends for a wonderful stay in Catalina. read more

My wife and I needed a place to stay last minute for our anniversary and we found Hotel Mac Rae had a room available. We were concerned that the room may be too small and we would not have a view, but we were happy to have a room! We were right, the room was a bit small and we did not have a view. But we absolutely were very happy to stay there. The room was spotless and very clean. The staff was friendly and helpful. We loved the location because we could just come downstairs and be right in the thick of things. We were kinda glad we didn't get a room with a view, it kept us outdoors more! We would just go up for a change of cloths and take a quick break before going out and having more fun! I would recommend Hotel Mac Rae to my friends and family. read more

I was taking my daughters here and had booked this hotel before reading yelp reviews. After I booked I was reading them and wow was very concerned I might of made a mistake - but I can tell you I am so pleasantly surprised- it's awesome!! Right now sitting on the patio drinking coffee from the complimentary continental breakfast. AC was great last night - noise what noise if u don't like party people than don't come to Catalina. The room was clean - yes it's not the ritz but geez it's a 4th generation hotel and has character right on the boardwalk. Absolutely will recommend this place!!! Oh yah come for your birthday 10% discount on the rooms - and discounts throughout the island!! read more

We stayed here from 9/10 thru 9/12/20 for our 50th wedding anniversary. At first I was disappointed that I hadn't gone more luxurious for the big 5 0, but I didn't reserve early enough for the more swanky rooms. After the first night in room 203, we were very happy with our selection. They let you check in early if the room is available, and if not there is an area to store your luggage and they will call you when you can check in. There is a very nice 3rd floor deck area with chairs and tables to dine or relax while you wait, or shops just downstairs. A little note, there are a lot of honey bees around looking for food. We were told this was a short year for pollen and they were looking for nourishment. I have a bee phobia, but they were very gentle, non-threatening, and maybe just hungry. I wanted to give them back some of the island honey we purchased. My husband said two words, "functional obsolescence," and yes this was the smallest hotel room we've ever stayed in. But, for Catalina the price was very reasonable and the room was extremely clean, smelled wonderful, freshly painted with a matching accent wall and draperies. Nice flat screen TV, although the audio was a little low. The best view was through the bathroom window which my husband used to take videos of the beach and pedestrian traffic. We also enjoyed people watching from the two windows in the bedroom. When I woke up at my usual 3:00 am, I was quickly lulled back to sleep by the lapping surf. The location to the beachfront was awesome! We watched the local restaurants set up for dinner, went down and partook, and had a very short walk back to the room. We will definitely stay here again. read more

Great place right on the beach. Cute tropical decor, comfy beds, nice people, little brekkie in the morning. And it is pretty much in the center of the main boardwalk. read more

I stay here every November for a few days. It's literally fifty feet from the water. Crack the window open at night and sleep well. It's small, quaint and comfortable.It has the true feel of something that's been around for a while. read more

This is a quaint old hotel right in the center of the waterfront. Situated above the shops and restaurants and just across from the pleasure pier. Our room was clean and had a nice flat screen TV, the windows faced the harbor and we enjoyed the view, watching people on the beach and boats coming and going in the harbor. The hotel is on the second floor and there is no elevator, so if a few stairs don't bother you, it is a great place. Staff was friendly and attentive. I would suggest this to anyone. I will go back to the Hotel Mac Rae. read more

Decent accommodations, don't-need-to-say-too-much staff, roomy shower, homey little courtyard, and a free DVD rental list that would put your Netflix queue to shame. Just kidding on the last one. I didn't look at the DVD list, but it seemed lengthy, and a shame that anyone would want to waste away their Catalina days/nights by lounging in a dated room watching a cinematic adventure when they could be partaking in real life adventures on the sea or land! However, in case that's you, they've got what you're looking for. The rate was reasonable and the package that includes the to/fro Catalina Express trip made for an easy/convenient booking. I called instead of booking online since I couldn't easily figure out how to get the "special" rate they were touting, so not sure if I was just wearing a dunce cap on that day or their website is as outdated as their digs (and I say that the most respectful, don't fix it if ain't broke kind of way). It was right smack dab in the middle of the main street, which was a nice feature, though, this part of the island is maybe a mile stretch, at most, so it's not like you really won the jack pot there! If you want somewhere to rest at night, store your stuff, and wash yourself after your day/evening activities without paying a baller price for opulence or ambiance or a staff in uniform, then this will do just fine. A bountiful spread of a Continental breakfast is not their specialty, either. You'll grab a cup of coffee or OJ (maybe a mini muffin) as a little amuse bouche to your real morning meal destination. read more

DO NOT STAY HERE The only reason we booked this hotel was because it was the only hotel available for memorial day weekend. We had such a horrible experience at this hotel and I highly do not recommend staying here. -First, the shower was labeled wrong. Hot is cold- cold is hot. - The lamp was broken on the side of the bed- it kept flickering and not staying on & YES it was plugged in. -WIFI does not work even after being on the phone with tech support for over 10 min. yes, they even give you a tech support # in the rooms because they know the wifi is that bad. The desk closes at 7pm so you would have to call an "emergency" phone #... and after the "reboot" the wifi still didn't work. we tried on 4 different devices. - There was a dark small spot on my pillow case- like a coffee stain or something... - After 7pm the security gates get locked and no one can get in the building unless you are staying at the hotel and have a key.. - At 1030pm kids (more like college kids) were running around ding-dong ditching our door. How did they get in? -At 11pm-2am there were weird knockings around our walls (we staying in 306 i believe) like there was rats or something? - The hotel is right over a bar/restaurant so it gets really loud! lastly, my back is so messed up and my boyfriends back from the hard small bed. (he is 5'11 and didn't even fit on it as his legs were hanging off) NEVER AGAIN! read more

My daughter and I stayed at Hotel Mac Rae in February 2022 for a week in one of their ocean view rooms. We had SUCH a great time, and would choose to stay at Hotel Mac Rae again in a heartbeat. Firstly, the VIEW from their ocean view rooms is unreal. We often brought back food from restaurants to eat at our table by our window just because the view from any restaurant couldn't compre to our room. The staff went over and above to make our stay most enjoyable - like giving me a call when our room was ready the day we arrived (hours before official check in time), and allowing us to have our things stay in our room hours past check-out time until it was time for us to board the boat. I'm recommending Hotel Mac Rae to all of my friends and family. AND NOTE: it's worth every penny to have the ocean view room. read more

For the first time in a while I was actually surprised that the room was better than I thought it would be. My family and I got a package deal that included an ocean view room plus the cost of the ferry to get over. I was relieved to see that the building is just a few feet from the beach and a short walk from the ferry (but I walk fast). It's an older building, not to flashy, but enough charm. The staff was very nice and hospitable. It's not too big, and not too small, but a quaint, community type feel to it. The room, was the surprise. It was clean, no crazy colors or designs. Nice comfy bed and pillows also. Simple blue and white. The bathroom was decent with skylight so you don't have to use electricity during the day time. And the room was an ocean view, you can imagine the fresh air and good sleep. The continental breakfast was okay but hey, it's continental, it's free. Another good thing about this hotel is the location. It's right in the middle of everything so there is no long walk from the middle of no where to town. Shops, restaurants, and access to festivities is right at the door. I like security, so at 10 pm the door is locked so any nut just can't come stumbling in to the hotel on you. I highly recommend it. I will gladly go back there again. read more

Ok. Our two night stay on catalina at the hotel Mac Rae was perfect. We got the ocean view queen. It was so small but just right for a stay on catalina. So much to do. Room was clean, staff was awesome. And just walk downstairs, and you're right there. The beach, pier, shops and restaurants. We left windows open at night.....Wow. Never slept so good. The sounds of the small waves on the beach and a bell out there on a buey dinging to the surf was magical. One more thing. My wife left her necklace our daughters gave her in the room. Uhh!!!. We called them and they found and sent it to us priority mail. When i ask to send them $ for shipping, they declined and said "we got it. Its just how we treat our guests. " IM GOIN BACK! read more

We have never stayed on Catalina island before so my hubby and I are here for a 2 day adult getaway this hotel location is awesome really can't beat it right in the center of Avalon beach front to everything ,that being said ! The air conditioner is sub par , the bed is comfortable , no elevators I don't mind the stairs but not for older people , the continental breakfast is laughable it's a joke . The rooms are small and in MAJOR need of a renovation they are musty and dated from the 80's Decor to the silk flowers , They have black mold in the showers i gave it 2 stars for the location and bed . We won't stay here again not impressed! Now that I've been here I know where to stay . Catalina is definitely a beautiful island great snorkeling ,food and beautiful water . The descanso beach club is very nice !! read more

Hotel Mac Rae - Hotels Near Me - Avalon, California

I was skeptical on booking this hotel online. But with only two available hotels left on the island for the weekend. I ended up going with Hotel Mac Rae because the reviews were decent. I made sure to read reviews and check out travelers photos because for $260 a night, I need to be impressed with something! Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed. First of all, the last ferry to the island arrived at 9pm. When we got to the hotel, we were shocked to see that office was closed. I called and it said that office closes at 8pm. Why would you close the office at 8pm if people might arrive to stay at your hotel an hour later? Luckily for them, they had an emergency bell to ring. If no one was there, my boyfriend would have probably raised hell.. Thinking we wouldn't have a place to stay for the night. Upon finally checking in, I told the guy we needed to check in. His response was, "really? No one told me anyone was going to check in today." Why would you say that? What an idiot. Then as he's checking his computer, he asked me, "what's your room number?" W T F ?! I replied with, "How would I have a room number if I'm just NOW checking in?" He said, "Oh, yeah." What the heck is wrong with you??? Finally checked in and the ONLY room available was the one right in front of the ice machine and vending machine. We were tired. We didn't care at that point. We go in the room and this place is NO WHERE near worth the $260 per night price. Absolutely nothing is updated and the rooms are extremely out of date. I don't mind the historical feel of the hotel and room, but come on. PROS: Bed is decent. There is a ceiling fan in the room and the bathroom has a fan too. CONS: "patio area" is inside the room (not like all the other rooms where it's located outside your door). TV is tiny and outdated. Electrical outlets are shitty and can't even hold my phone charger in place (when I move it just a tiny bit, the charger EASILY slides out). Built in drawer space is ridiculously ugly. The drawer space in the bathroom is even uglier. The floor tiles on the bathroom are all cracked. The window blinds in the bathroom were broken (doesn't go up or down). The shower had rusted soap holder. The tub is in extreme need of caulking all around. The shower doors were grossly molded at the bottom. Quiet time is between 10pm-8am but it's NEVER enforced, especially near the vending machine. My boyfriend kept waking up hearing people get ice either late at night or early in the morning. People at the vending machine were talking loudly with no respect for three rooms there trying to get sleep. Outside out window were other rooms with their patio chairs and tables. People were smoking and the smoke was coming into our bathroom. Windows are so thin you can hear everyone's conversation clearly, along with their annoying laughs. It's 7 or 8 in the morning. Wth? I would NEVER recommend this place to anyone, ever. This place should change their name to MOTEL Mac Rae. It has NO hotel feel to it whatsoever. The one star would be just for the location. But honestly, no matter where you stay EVERYTHING is a small walking distance away. Literally, less than a minute walk. So everyone should do themselves a favor and stay elsewhere, you'll still be right there at the beach (unless you rent a condo or vacation home). ALL the hotels are pretty much in front of the beach. Don't waste your precious money on this dump. PS. Check out my photos for proof of my review. Edit: one more thing, NO ONE ever comes to clean your room, empty trash or replenish your towels or toiletries (soap, shampoo, etc). read more

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The place isn't bad but it lacks BASICS, no microwave or fridge. Catalina is a place you'll need a microwave or a fridge to store what you might have had earlier in the day. Most everything as far as food closes by 8ish depending on foot traffic conditions, sometimes earlier. Having a microwave you could go to the local market and warm something up, can't hear. Motels have microwaves, at least one In a hallway somewhere. Other than that the place is nice, cozy tucked away. read more

When I go to Avalon, I always stay at the MacRae. The staff is always Very friendly, the rooms are suprisingly large, some of the decor is just plain fun (If you go back, try to stay in a different room!), yet each room's got a TV and DVD player. The location of the hotel just can NOT be beat- it's right on Crescent avenue, literally a hop, skip, and jump, from any activites you would like to partake in. I particularly liked it, because I could run back to the room, and use my own bathroom, or drop off all those trinkets I bought at the tourist shops. As mentioned by Jamie, they've got a "luggage shelf", for you to leave your luggage till its time to check in, or leave the island. And, they've got beach towels for you to use. One of the coolest hidden pleasures? Let's say you want a quieter time in the Avalon sun. The 'courtyard' between the rooms has great furniture to don your swim togs, lather up in SPF 50, and just bask in the quiet, non-sandy, pleasant environment. The staff simply stand out as pleasant, happy people, anxious to make each and every Mainlander have the best possible time while in Avalon. I'll be back, and I'll be smiling. read more

Avoid, avoid avoid!! Not worth it! Rooms dirty, management or owner very rude when we requested a different room. It's the cheapest for a reason. read more

DO NOT STAY HERE! I made the mistake of staying here a week ago, all I have to say is there was someone's BLOOD on our sheets! Management aka. KAREN is extremely rude used profanity and hung up on us when we were addressing the fact that we discovered BLOOD on our sheets. We literally slept on the foot of the bed. I'm not sure why they have someone like here representing ANYTHING, what a bad look for Catalina Island. Terrible customer service Karen. I don't recommend anyone stays here, great location but NOT WORTH IT. I will say the women who checked us in on Sunday was really nice, if she was the manager this place would have all 5 stars. I didn't catch her name but she had really pretty nails, she's too good for this place. read more

Great location, friendly staff. You can keep your luggage here before check-in and after check-out. Breakfast served at 7am, coffee and muffins. However, I won't stay here again because this hotel was the worst hotel I've ever stayed. Very dirty and even smells like swage odor from the drain in the shower room. read more

After so many bookings at this hotel for my clients due to the excellent location, my clients and I are finally done with this place. Need to cancel one room out of the 5 rooms, and the owner refused to give my client a refund or a credit for future travel. This is after my client has been there every other weekend, every summer for at least 3-8 rooms, for the last 5 years. And since my client booked so much over there, one day she just decided that she was not going to pay me my part of commission anymore. I never received my commission from that last trip. I have never seen a business owner that was so clueless about customer service. Too bad that they have the best location in town, this generation of owner put their past owner and history to shame. read more

The perfect spot. It's a great location, very central and right on the beach. We got a queen sized bed room, plenty of space with the bed. The bathroom space was a bit tight, but not a big deal for us. We received a voucher for breakfast, and the pastries were delicious. On top of that, the customer service was amazing. The cleaning staff were great, and the front desk person Frankie was a gem. He was kind, accommodating and welcoming. We had an emergency that caused us to have to leave a day early, and he helped us get everything sorted out. Thank you so much Frankie! read more

Visiting Catalina for the first time, and I lucked out with this choice of hotel. The open air patio is inviting and comfortable. Why eat in the room when the nice crisp air of Catalina can be soaked in at the same time? At this marvelous hotel i enjoyed every minute. The staff was nice. Rooms clean and beds comfortable. For the coffee drinking reviewers that read this -- i loved their free coffee!! Lastly, you can exit the hotel and you are right at the Catalina beach and seemingly in the middle of the Pier activities. It doesnt get much better than Hotel Mac Rae read more

Great little hotel literally right in the middle of the main street in Avalon. We had a nice, clean, ocean-view room where we watched the hula dancers by day and the drunks fighting by night. The view from the room looked like a postcard--gorgeous. The staff was nice and let us keep our luggage at the hotel even before we checked in at 2pm. Check-out was at 11am, but once again the hotel let us keep our luggage there until we caught the ferry at 5:15. Its not a five or 4 star hotel by any means but for the price and location--it is a gem. read more

I have stayed at this Hotel a few times now and is slowly becoming my regular lodging when I am Avalon. The prices are very reasonable especially in comparison with some of the other hotels on the island. They have incredible off season deals too. The rooms are clean and the staff is very friendly and helpful. This is not a fancy resort hotel so do not get your hopes up, but its par with the other hotel options in Avalon. read more

1st of all thought we were getting a great deal. Close to the beach and affordable BUT then discovering how dirty the rooms were and how unprofessional the staff was i regret ever booking here and wish i spent the extra few bucks for a pleasent stay. Dont make this mistake, many other options that are so much nicer. read more

My husband and I just returned from Catalina celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary and stayed at the Hotel Mac Rae. It was absolutely amazing. We reserved the ocean view room and it did not disappoint. The hotel is in the best location, walking distance to everything. The room was very nice, clean and comfortable. The amenities were just right for us. I would absolutely recommend this place to everyone. We would stay there again. read more

Room was as old as my great grandmas house who's dead. hair on the bed sheets, hair in the bathroom, empty shampoo bottles, moldy showers, bathroom didn't lock and worker was stressed out as hell. A literal joke for over $300 a night. Upgrades people UPGRADES. read more

Prime location on the island - you are right in the center of town and on the beach the minute you step outside. Friendly and helpful staff!

Don't book unless you Love falling sleep to karaoke! The ocean view room is super loud with no privacy, so if your in Catalina for romance skip This place! Otherwise the location is super perfect! read more

The hotel is located conveniently across from the beach and near shops and restaurants. The room is clean. Internet was spotty and did not work well. My husband and I booked an Ocean view room for our anniversary. Unfortunately, right below our room, there was a bar, with blaring music, DJ and LOUD partiers. This went on very late til the bar closed. The sound proofing was nonexistent! If you want to sleep before 1AM, do NOT stay at this place! read more

One star is for the great location. It's right in the middle of town, walking distance to everything. The second star is for the people that work there. They were nice and friendly. Other than that, the hotel is a dump. Everything is really old and smelly. Our sheets had stains on them. The room is tiny. There was a disgusting vomit smell right outside our door. Our bathroom blinds just fell off in my husbands hands when he pulled the string to lower them. Next time up will be staying somewhere else. read more

I want to start by saying we having stayed here yet. We had reservations for tonight and tomorrow. My BF got food poisoning last night. So first thing this morning I called to let them know we would be arriving tomorrow instead of today.( We've already paid for the room) She was every accomodating and asked if we still wanted two night, fri is twice the price. We opted to only stay the one night. Surprisingly she then informed me that they would refund tonight's stay back to my card. What I called less than 12 hours before our check in time and your going to refund me! We are going tomorrow and I don't expect to have anything negative to stay. Plus we chose this place off of friend's recommendations. Do look at their internet rates, much cheaper. Oh yea, visit http://www.visitcalifornia.com/pages/funspots there are discounst for touristy things and the ferry. read more

I'm leaving 5 stars because I loved the location of our room! We had front row seats to the ocean and people watching. The location of the hotel is really perfect, you are in the middle of everything! The room itself was very clean and cute (a bit dated, think 90's pastels), nice hot showers, heater and AC. The only thing is the continental breakfast isn't really a breakfast at all, it's more like a snack (mini muffins, coffee, OJ). There is a really awesome breakfast place down the street though. All in all, very cute hotel, loved it! read more

I would give this a 3 1/2 star if I could. First of all I love the location of this hotel. It is in the heart with no golf carts able to drive by and make noise because of the blocked off road that is for pedestrian traffic only. My biggest thing about any hotel is the cleanliness and this hotel was very clean. It is dated but clean... The beds were OK along with the bathroom and it had a cool little patio that was shared in the courtyard to hang out which was really nice as well. What I didn't like was the rude little clerk who checked us in. We prepaid this hotel months ago and did not bring our credit card that we paid for it with us. I had my ID and I had other credit cards for incidentals but the comment was made to me "I will let it slide this time"! What kind of comment is that anyway when the room is already paid for? What was she going to do kick us out? It was rude and condescending and could have been said very differently. I would stay here again but found the workers in general on the island to be not very friendly or helpful. Kind of weird when the whole island is depending on tourism. read more