Thanks, Omar and Saul. Great service, drinks, views, and fun. TVs to watch sports too, and a short…read morewalk to the boat dock. I will try out the brunch next time!

This review is a looooong time coming! My husband and I got married on Catalina Island on February…read more22, 2020...2 weeks before the pandemic started shutting the world down. As we just celebrated our 1 year anniversary, I realized I didn't post a review and wanted to get to it! I believe that the ownership of Avalon Magical Weddings has changed so the negative reviews posted here do not match up to our experience. Our coordinator, Janeth, was AMAZING. My husband proposed on January 10, 2020 and we wanted to elope with just our kids on 02/22/20 (2 is my fav number) and it had to be on Catalina, where we had gone every year to celebrate our anniversary for the past 5 years. Janeth jumped into action, coordinated the flowers, the pastor, location, photography, marriage license and the dinner...mostly all over email! She asked detailed questions, I sent her numerous pics of what I had envisioned and she was patient through it all! We met her in person the day before our wedding, walked through how it would all go, met with the Pastor and had all of our last minute questions answered. The morning of our wedding it POURED! We had no Plan B really, as we were committed to getting married on the beach, but as luck (or some other Devine intervention) would have it, the rain stopped and the sun came out in time for the 3p ceremony! I hadn't seen the flowers or knew what to expect but my bouquet was stunning! Exactly what I wanted! All in all, it was a beautiful day and we were blown away with how great everything turned out. Absolutely zero regrets!

Gosh where do I begin. First of all if you are shopping for a wedding package in Catalina this is…read moreNOT the place to go. Let me repeat that to save you a possible wedding disaster...DO NOT again DO NOT hire Laurie to plan, officiate or have anything to do with your wedding. In her add right now it says the silver package (the one I signed up for) cost $975. I added 2 corsages and 3 boutonniere and had my bouquet upgraded (basically added 6 roses and 3 carnations) my total came up to $1525...thats $550 extra. Now as if that's not ridiculous enough, I asked to add a tulle in my arch and to change the venue from Cabana Beach to Beach platform. I was charged extra $300 for the platform (I guess I understand that) and extra $400 for the tulle (WTF!!!!). Laurie says that I have to pay for the time she spend away from work and her transportation. Then she told me that she did not charge me for the Tulle. Now just how much does she charge per hour, a roundtrip to Catalina express is $72.50 plus the taxi $100...I'm pretty sure she knows a vendor to go to, so should not be more than an hour to pick up a Tulle but I was charged $400 just for that. Then she had the nerve to tell me that I got the tulle for free...Bullshit!!! And the unlimited phone contact is a joke. First of all good luck on trying to contact this lady. If you get a hold of her she is always in a hurry. Then try and talk to her I dare you, thats a joke...one question will take you one hour and a half to get answered 'coz once she start talking you will never have a chance to talk, she can literally talk you to DEATH. She nevers listens to what you want and she will insist that her way is the ONLY way. Now if you want to just show up on your wedding and have no input of whatsoever, like a puppet on Laurie's show, then she will be your gal. The Background music and the ceremony itself is ridiculous. The boombox you will not hear, she does not wear a microphone of some kind so the guest will be surprise when she pronounce you as husband and wife. The wedding is over and none of the guest know that it even took place (sooo sad!!!). The minister (Laurie) dressed inappropriately, I will take a hooker in a heartbeat to officiate our wedding, a clown costume is better. I will post a picture later and you be the judge. She is also the photographer (professional, or at least she calls herself). How can you officiate and take the precious moment of the ceremony? She can't and she did not. No picture of my dad (who is sick by the way) walking me down the aisle. Our first kiss as husband and wife and so forth and so on. And the pictures which by the way she throw 50 extra (making it 150 total) had 102 pictures (no exaggeration here 'coz I counted) of the same pose...me and my husband kiss like picture. I asked to have a family photo as my dad can't be out on the sun for a long time due to chemotheraphy drugs that he is taking but Laurie said that she need to take the photos in order. In the end I have 4 group pictures in which at that point was incomplete guest due to dehydration and we had to pack our stuff from the rented hotel. The icing on the cake is this, not only did she give (paid for already) the garter but when she sent the expedited marriage license registration she sent it $3.00 short. So we had to come to our local county registrar to pay the $3.00 and pick our license ourselves. This whole experience with here was a NIGHTMARE. Do yourself a favor if you want a wedding bliss this is not the place. There is NOTHING MAGICAL in Laurie's business!!! P.S. Laurie don't deserve even a half star but yelp will not allow zero!!!!

We both enjoyed our stay at the Bellanca. Our reservation was for three nights and four days and…read morethey performed maintenance efficiently. They offer perks for paying guests: free bicycles and private sun deck for hotel lodgers. It's located to the left of the desk front but, feel free to inquire information from the clerk or hostess on shift

I loved this hotel so much! The staff were super friendly and helpful. It's super close to…read moreeverything and has a beautiful balcony for a beach view! I also loved that they have free bikes for a little cruise around the town :)

This venue is GORGEOUS and our wedding was beautiful. The low rating is due to the…read moreunprofessional/unorganized people who run the venue. This was the only venue we looked at so I'm not sure if this just a normal experience, but it's a pretty pricey venue and it seemed like what we paid for only got us the air to breathe and tables and chairs that looked like they belong in a retirement home. With $500 here, $400, here, $350 here, etc. we did turn it into a beautiful wedding space. After signing the contract and paying a deposit, there was a total lack of communication in regards to planning the wedding and what the venue needed/when. I was told I would be assigned an official event coordinator would work with our chosen wedding planner 3 months before the wedding date. Obviously a ton of planning needs to happen before then, and during that time I was just being bounced around between 3 or 4 girls who were all very nice, but none of them seemed to know what was going on. I'd have to do several follow up emails/calls to get an answer in the first place, and then the answer would completely vary depending on who was giving it to me. I asked several times about the tasting and how that works and got nothing, until I asked again and was told I needed to do it withing 2 weeks because then the high season starts and they won't hold a tasting then. Additionally, I could only do it on a Tuesday or Thursday between those 2 weeks. We scrambled and made one of those days work and confirmed (I have several emails saying I'm confirmed for that date, how many people would be with me, etc.) Then when I asked a couple questions closer to date about when to be there, I was told that we weren't confirmed for the tasting and they had another event running.... and that it wasn't confirmed because I didn't give them our tasting menu selections even though they never asked for it. I was furious as their catering contract is pretty high priced and it didn't seem fair to miss out on the tasting due to their lack of communication. The squeaky wheel gets the grease and we made it work. Moving forward, I dealt with a lot of the same thing. The only way to get answers or get anything done was to get pissed at them. We did a walk through with our planner (which again almost didn't happen for the same reason as the tasting), and the girl that did the walk through with us barely had any answers for our questions. We asked very normal questions regarding what speakers are provided with the venue, what's the deal with lighting, etc. "I don't know, I'll find out" was the common answer, but she didn't write a single thing down on her paper and I think you can guess whether or not I got those answers from her.... When we were just a week out, she asked me to fill out a template with table assignments. The template only had me provide the number of each type of meals - Example- Table 20: 4 chicken, 3 short rib, 3 fish, 2 veggie, etc. I specifically called my event coordinator and asked if I need to assign the specific seats at each table to my guests and associate the names/seat with their meal choice. She said no, they just need to know how many of each meal at each table and that's it. On my wedding day, I was getting my hair and makeup done and now she's calling me freaking out about not knowing which meal goes with what person and at what specific seat. So annoying! Those are just a few examples of how unorganized and unprofessional they are. As for the price - maybe all venues are like this. But I was just really surprised at how high we paid to just use the venue, but that we had to pay a few hundred dollars for everything else to turn it into a wedding space. $500 to remove lounge furniture that didn't actually need to be moved, $250 for bar tenders (even though the bar packages were expensive enough), first I was told $500, and then $400 to use the projector that lives on the ceiling there (which they didn't even know how to use and almost wasted our time with creating that slide show), $250 for the dance floor, etc etc etc. I wanted one of my best friends who's an excellent baker to bake us a cake. Then just a week before the wedding, they said they needed license/insurance from the baker and for me to sign a waiver (I realize that this may be standard, but why so last minute?) She didn't have license/insurance because the cake would come from her kitchen. So I had to scramble and figure something else out just days before. I was interested in their ice cream bar which they wanted to charge $20/person! On what planet have you seen ice cream that is $20/person? And it was only chocolate and vanilla, probably from Vons! Obviously my guests have no idea how much the whole event cost and how unorganized the venue was, so to them, the wedding was a blast and was beautiful. I had a great time. But I just want other people to know what you're getting yourself into if you do choose to have your wedding here.

My daughter just had her wedding here and it was beautiful. The venue overlooks the ocean creating…read morethe perfect backdrop for our event. She got married on the sand at Descanso Beach and had the reception in the new banquet hall. The place was perfect with its open floor plan for the wedding.

We love the Banning House. Its simple uncomplicated easy style is a refreshing contrast to most…read moreB&Bs. The Banning House an ideal way to unplug from the hustle of life, smooth your ruffled feathers and reset. We enjoy the beautiful views from the terrace. It's impossible not to spend time just relaxing there. The staff is thoughtful and very unobtrusive. Once you are settled the pace is slow and refreshing. Enjoy!

We recently enjoyed a one-night getaway to Two Harbors, and our stay at Banning House was…read morewonderful. Its location, overlooking both harbors at either end of the isthmus, was peaceful and quiet. The trip was a welcome break from fast-paced city life. Our room had a patio facing Cat Harbor, which made the stay even more relaxing. The staff was helpful and friendly, and we especially enjoyed the evening wine and cheese, breakfast, and fresh cookies. Plan to be back and for a longer stay.

Nice enough guy, but he was slow to respond to emails, sometimes not responding at all, and I had…read moreto keep following-up with him while also planning my wedding. Because of the poor communication, he didn't make specifically requested corrections and updates to our marriage license, resulting in multiple errors on our marriage certificate. I've had to spend months trying to get corrections with LA County. Now for the rest of my life I have this ridiculous 2-page marriage certificate (one page for the original with errors and one with the corrections). If you use them, just make sure to quadruple check his work on your official marriage documents...

Everything was perfect! Thank you again Mark for being apart of our special day we will never…read moreforget! Brandy & Jorden

Finally took the time and additional funds to see the inside of the Catalina Casino in Avalon…read moreCalifornia during a shore stop aboard the Quantum of the Sea from Los Angeles. It was a great stop, well worth the money and time. My wife and I have been to Avalon before and the outline of the Catalina Casino dominates the view from the harbor when looking North. I made the obvious mistake of thinking it was a place of gambling and didn't bother going, but later learned that during the 19th and early 20th century, the term 'casino' was used to mean 'a gathering place'. That was the goal of the original owner (William Wrigley, founder of the gum company that bears his name), when he built it in 1929, right during the times when 'talkies' started taking over the movie industry. A massive restoration occurred in 1994. It's walkable from where we got dropped off by the cruise port tender, so I bought two adult tickets online for $21.51 each, for the self-guided tour. There is also a guided tour available that takes a group back behind the stage. We got there right when it opened and the ticket taker already had our names to let us in. The first stop was the main theater on the ground floor, and as we entered it, I couldn't help by saying a long 'Wowwww'. There are 1164 original seats (reupholstered) and we sat in the very back row, admiring the theater and watching a bit of the silent movie that was playing. Cell reception did not work inside, and the free WiFi didn't work well in here either. A little while later, the guided tour came in, and we were able to listen to the guide explain the theater. Some fun facts: -- this was the first theater designed for 'talkies'. However, because it wasn't a sure thing that they would replace the old style silent movies, a Page Theatre Pipe Organ was also installed (which is now one of only three still in its original location...the others being in Indiana). It was broken for a while, but has recently been fixed. -- entire ceiling was covered in silver leaf. -- the acoustics are incredible. As the guided group talked in normal loudness near the orchestral pit in front, I could hear each conversation from the back, just as if the person was right next to me. -- the wall murals was designed by the same artist who did the mural at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. -- architects responsible for the building of Radio City Music Hall in NYC, came for a visit to examine the acoustics, as it was that good. The guided tour ended up going backstage. We then took a winding ramp (there is no public elevator) up to the 2nd floor. Here there was one room where a TV show was on, explaining the history of the island. Another ramp took us to the top floor where the 20,000 square foot grand ballroom is. (The ramps reminded me of a ballparks, and later I learned that it was intentional: Wrigley had requested it based on something similar that he liked from his namesake ballpark). The ballroom has been beautifully restored, with wooden floors and a rotating chandelier. One can roller skate on the floor with rented skates, though nobody was doing it when we were there, thus the floor was empty. There is also a concession stand selling snacks. The height of the casino is equal to a 12-story building, and provides some really great views of Avalon, specifically the bay, from the Romance Promenade that surrounds the ballroom. My wife and I slowly circled it, admiring the views. We did notice the small cove where many snorkelers were admiring the plentiful orange-colored garibaldi. The entire stay lasted about 75 minutes which we felt was about the right amount of time. Would highly recommend if not been there before.

This image is the main thing you notice when you first dock here. The architecture is just…read moregorgeous. We were so looking forward to tour and see this historic spot. We didn't have any luck on Christmas Day as you would expect as most of the town was closed up. But on Friday we were able to get the self tour option. $20, the guided was $40. Wow they have really kept the place up in pristine condition. This place was purchased by the Wrigley/ Family Dynasty, actually they bought the entire island back in 1929. The reason it is called a casino is not because of gambling but for the Italian meaning for a gathering place. This location was one of the first theaters to have "talkie" films. I was very impressed with the way the caretakers have kept the original fixtures, seating, bars and even the restrooms are all kept in the 20's style. The seating on the first level has over 1800 seats. There is an original organ for when they hosted silent film festivals here. This was a place where all the rich and famous celebrities would gather for all sorts of festivals and events. This is a Must visit if you head over to the island. Impressive!

Les DJ'd our wedding on Catalina and did a spectacular job! I wanted high energy and he played…read moremusic that kept everyone in the dance floor all night long. we didn't have an empty dance floor from the beginning of dinner until the last song played. Thank you Les for making our wedding memorable!

DJ Les is the best! He Dj'd for my wedding in Catalina Island and everyone enjoyed him! He charged…read morea great price and played great music! He even danced with us. We loved his energy and made the whole experience so much better! 10/10!