WOW! "Come for the view, stay for the experience" is one of the mottos for this GORGEOUS retreat…read more Another, more simple motto for this property: "BREATHE". Established in 1953, the Beachcomber in is quintessential California bungalow motor hotel. It's unique placement on a San Clemente bluff, with panoramic views of the pier and coast are nothing short of stunning. The rooms have full kitchens, king beds, sofa beds and patios with Adirondack chairs, in case being inside, staring through an enormous picture window just doesn't cut it. The staff obviously knows what a special property this is and there is great pride in the presentation and up keep of the grounds. Friendly, welcoming faces morning, noon and night. Because this is a vintage property, maintaining its original build and charm, it does not conform to modern accessibility requirements. Some may find the rooms small compared to modern, chain hotels, but I found everything cozy, comfortable and - dare I say - sumptuous! Given the hospitality of the staff, I'm sure they would do all they could to accommodate any guest. In addition to the amazing evening sunset views of the Pacific, a plus for me, was the Amtrak Surfliner passing through, down below the bluff. Paul Simon may sing, 'Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance', but I love the sound of a train close by! I find it very soothing and romantic. After the sun has set, it's time to gather around the large fire pit for easy conversations with fellow guests, maybe while you wait for your steaks to grill on one of their guest use BBQs. A lovely, relaxing way to ease into the night. We forced ourselves to leave the property and stretch our legs, walk the pier and roam the shops of nearby Avenida Victoria. But for REAL shopping in San Clemente, we took advantage of the free hop on/hop off trolley that runs seasonally and weekends(see separate review) that picks up just below the Beachcomber, at the San Clemente train stop. Weleft our car parked in our allotted parking space (1 parking space for those staying in Villas #1-12). Really, Beachcomber had everything we needed to settle in for a few nights and, yes, just "BREATHE". Cheers! "CC"

I have not had the opportunity to stay here yet but know enough from my experience with Tina that…read morewhen I do, it will be nothing short of amazing. I tried booking this place 2 weeks ago for a short staycation with the bf and called the office based on Yelp reviews. Tina told me they were booked but recommended another inn across the street to try. She also told me to stop by so she could show me the property when I was in town for a future visit with them. I thanked her and under normal circumstances that would've been it, but her personality over the phone was just so pleasant that even though the place she recommended was booked before I ultimately found a place to stay in San Clemente, my mind was already made up that I wanted to see the place when we got to San Clemente. So glad we did. We had drinks at Fisherman's by the beach before walking up to meet Tina. She showed us one of the vacant rooms and I'm in love. Planning a future visit to stay at Beachcomber Inn the next chance I can. The room she showed us was sanitized, and you could smell the citrus in the room. The gorgeous window view from the was like a painting. And the convenience of being steps of the beach speaks for itself. Looking forward to making our way back here again, hopefully soon

This little place is amazing: Frida the owner is a phenomenal chef. She made us a Spanish: Spanish…read moreby the sea breakfast, brunch .so much food ,so amazing the rooms are very comfortable. They have to have just about everything you need. she's got really good coffee which is always a plus and she is very attentive. she's travel the world, and she loves to explain it in detail about the food that she makes for you, and her adventures. She can book restaurants for you ,and knows a lot of the owners as my wife and I do too. We love coming out to San Clemente 3 to 4 times a year..this was our first time staying here and will definitely not be our last .. Thank you again Freda for everything. You're amazing host. The food was phenomenal. Everything was fantastic. Freda wanted to show you I smoked my tomahawk and it came out the best I've ever done We picked up truffle butter from the meat and fish shop up the street from you. Absolutely fantastic.

Freda is a top class entrepreneur who goes out of her way to make a stay excellent at the Always…read moreInn. She is resourceful, kind, and a generous chef who serves delicious breakfasts on her special dishware. It's rare that an inn owner goes to the extent she does to make a guest comfortable!

Such a unique and personalized stay! Every little detail is covered from the fulfillment of a…read morepersonalized request during the pre-check text less than a week before to offering soothing bath salts to my wife for the large jacuzzi bath free of charge when we were asked how the room was shortly after check-in by the sweet front desk attendant Leslie while being handed complimentary champagne. Leslie also informed us of the complimentary bikes to use if we wanted to explore the town and how we were just in time to enjoy the complimentary wine and cheese from 4-5:30 in the common area. We grabbed our free bubbly, the vanilla bath salts for my wife to enjoy later, and proceeded to enjoy the cheese and assorted treats on the outdoor patio overlooking Dana Point. No better way to unwind! Pro tip: NEVER EVER SKIP THE FRESH BAKED COOKIES! The property is the perfect size to remain quaint like a bed and breakfast but big enough that you don't feel obligated to know each person coming and going. I would admit being in our mid 40's, we were on the younger side of guests during our stay, but this was a welcome surprise for us as we were looking for a quiet getaway for the evening for our 9 year wedding anniversary. The room was 212 which is an ADA accessible room but this I believe was provided at the special request of having a bathtub for my wife who values her baths on her getaways! The room faces the parking lot but this is a small sacrifice for what the true payoff was which was the special request... The giant jacuzzi tub which did not disappoint. It was large enough to fit two adults (not that we tried or anything *wink wink). The jets worked great and my wife raved about them. The room came with luxurious robes and slippers and all bath products were either local or unique brand. The room also came with a fireplace that was gas which started with the flip of a light switch. Another beautiful touch. It is always hard to find a bed that is comfortable enough while away from home as we are spoiled by our sleep number at home but this bed did the trick (which most chain or corporate hotels cannot accomplish!). The linens were soft and the room came with extra pillows and blankets on hand without having to ask for more. The complementary breakfast buffet in the morning was not your standard spread. It felt more refined and focused on the details. It was not your scrambled eggs from powder. It was two sunny side up eggs cooked to perfection. It wasn't generic underripe fruit, it was perfectly ripe fruit with an assortment of sides. My wife raved about the yogurt and toppings as did I about the oatmeal and toppings. Overall this could not have been a better short 1 night getaway for my wife and I to enjoy away from the hectic everyday life. It truly felt like we slowed down time and the blue lantern Inn accomplished all we needed in having a successful start to our anniversary celebrations.

Totally wonderful!!! Staff the grounds the room. The best. Can not wait to go back.read more

This is the second time we have stayed at the seahorse and both times were amazing…read more The rooms were clean and bright. Great location overlooking the pier, which was exactly what we were looking for. Staff were friendly, professional, and helpful. We got a great recommendation for pizza at Sonny's, which was amazing. We were celebrating our anniversary and the seahorse was the perfect place to do it. Thank you.

We had a nice overnight stay at The Sea Horse Resort. What a great find for this ocean front room…read morewith a large patio. Check in was easy. Staff were very nice. There are three different buildings. The one where we stayed was Villa Del Mar--ocean front, one bedroom, King suite. It was a very spacious room with a kitchenette, large shower, and a huge patio overlooking Avenida Victoria and across the street from the pier. On the ground floor of the Villa building is Frenchie's cafe to grab your morning coffee and breakfast, if you like. Each room gets one free parking space, a nice amenity considering limited parking in the area. We parked our car and took the trolley to get around. The free trolley stops across the street from the hotel. So convenient! In the morning we walked to The Fisherman for breakfast and then took a walk on the pier. The room was clean and well maintained. End tables in the bedroom had lamps with plug ins and magnetic charging. No TV in the bedroom area. And no phones either, which is fine. The room was much nicer than what the pictures look like on the hotels website, in my opinion. I was pleasantly pleased with everything. A couple things to know: 1. The Amtrak train starts passing through around 5:00-5:30am time frame. It stops in front of the pier for passenger loading/unloading. I didn't think it was noisy at all. 2. Also, there are a few steep steps to get to hotel lobby check in and to the rooms. No elevators. I would definitely stay here again. And I would choose the Villa building again over the other rooms. You can't beat the view and the size of that patio!

This hotel was so so great to stay in for a few days this past week. Very clean, updated and…read moreamazing view of the pier! plenty of towels and use of the outside area. It is very open though so people aren't very mindful of the always open curtains around them hah. Maybe install window tint for you cannot see into the windows. We will definitely stay again, it is getting 4 stars because they could us better blackout curtains, the room we had was right on the balcony with the bright lights on all night so it was so so bright. Other than that great stay at the San Clemente Pier. ** not sure why there are so many harsh reviews- if you're looking for Hyatt or Ritz standards- then book at those places. This is a tiny beach town with everything in walking distance- get outside and enjoy it!

This place was probably cute and quaint 20 years ago but for the price in 2025, it definitely NEEDS…read morea major facelift. Starting with the beds. Water beds may have been popular in the 70's but our bed absolutely felt like we were on a waterbed with super soft pillows to match-It would be nice to offer a little variety of pillows (soft, firm or somewhere in between) are great options. The tile in the bathroom was cracked (if you are not careful, you will your foot/toes). The housekeeping person did not bother to fill up the shower gel or refill the shampoo and conditioner. The mini fridge was leaking all over the floor. We used our towels to dry the floor and discovered the floors were not cleaned or mopped because the towels were instantly black where we cleaned the fridge leak. There was NO hot water all weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!! completely unacceptable The owners NEED to invest money to bring this place up and current and not just take peoples hard earned money for a "room with a view". The only thing we enjoyed for my husband's surprise birthday get away was the secured parking garage and the walk across the street to the beach. CASA TROPICANA would be an absolute gem once it is remodeled and upgraded.

The person checking us in was so pleasant. Both the room and the outside of the property were…read morespotless. We definitely recommend this inn and will certainly stay here again.

This little place is incredible! Quite frankly, simple as it gets and incredibly welcoming. The…read moreway that a beach town inn should be. Nothing flashy. Just the way I love it. The staff is top notch. The balconies are perfect for a morning read, a glass of juice and of course a donut from Surfside Donuts, located right across the street.

4 stars only because the pool was not heated and thin walls…read more We were in the Executive King - room 236 DAY ONE: The smell of fresh clean linens. I love it. Room was huge. Executive king. Room has a sofa bed. Staff is very nice. We had the pleasure of meeting Ricky. He is amazing. Very nice, helpful and informative. NIGHT ONE: First night was a drag for sleep. We asked for the top floor upon arrival but were told they were all full at the top floor. I don't know why any hotel would put kids on a top floor. We had littles running at 11pm-12am and then from 4-6:30am running again and an adult stomping back and forth. After 2 hours I couldn't handle it anymore and called downstairs to have them call the room to have them stop. We were in room 236. They stopped for a bit and started back up at 6:45am. That was unfortunate. NIGHT TWO... used earplugs so I didn't have to hear the upstairs people stomping and kids running at 5am this time. The walls and floor are very thin. You can hear talking upstairs and next door. The hallways have a cold draft when it's cold. Our room started to smell like a wet damp towel on day two after we came back from being out all day. I assume it was due to the non stop rain and possibly leaks within the walls. The Dove soap does make a difference and makes all of the rooms smell good. We had to open the balcony door to air out the room. It makes sense why we see all of the rooms open when they are being cleaned out. They are being aired out before being occupied. NIGHT THREE: used earplugs so we didn't hear the new occupiers upstairs. But they were pretty quiet from 11pm to 7am. NIGHT FOUR: Ear plugs for the win lol. Still, overall, a great place to stay. I know renovations are expensive so fixing these thin walls most likely won't happen anytime soon. I would def stay here again but will remember to wear my earplugs every night Lots of parking. Feels super safe. The place is otherwise quiet. Sad part is that I looked forward to a heated pool and the pool was not heated. It looked nice though. I'm still made about the pool.... Couldn't even use it once. The water was freezing. Hotel itself is extremely clean. Our sheets were so clean. They smelled sooooo good. Staff was very presentable. Breakfast was good. Free breakfast every morning. 6:20-9:30 Mon through Friday and 7-10am on weekends. Cereals, bagels, toast, jelly's, jams. Peanut butter, yogurt, butter, omelets with cheese or ham, Boiled eggs, turnkey sausage, pork sausage, orange juice, coffee, milk, tea, cinnamon rolls, oatmeal, apples, oatmeal, bacon on some days, oranges, bananas and pancakes. They supply Dove soap (Dove hand soap, shampoo and conditioner) which is amazing. We brought our own Dove soap just in case because most hotels use smelly soap lol. Inside the room is a microwave, fridge, ironing board, tv, clean remote in plastic, hair blow dryer and a coffee maker. TIPs: -Bring ear plugs -Air out your room daily (open that patio) -Turning the heater higher than 81 makes the room smell burnt -keep the room temp at 75 as the cold comes in from outside or keep your neck warm -if you're here for the pool, call before making reservations to see if it's heated

I was here last week and I fell in love with the hotel the location that I had to come back the…read moreprevious week to bring my son fishing and just hang out in San Clemente do some shopping some eating we went to Asada restaurant and it was delicious. We also went to the outlets and the pier for some food today we will go fishing. The management is the best here!! Ricky, Edwin and the young lady that checked us in are amazing!

Staff was wonderful and what food I had was decent. Pool (there is only one open currently while…read morethe other is being renovated) is beautiful. Rooms are very clean and nice. Overall a nice stay, definitely not luxury or anything but the grounds of the hotel are in a beautiful setting and once construction is over the pool should be amazing.

The resort is beautiful and the views of the ocean outstanding. We were staying here for a work…read morefunction and upgraded our room with a view. The room was pretty basic but spacious. Our big complaint was there seems to be the worlds thinnest walls and ceilings. It sounded like the people upstairs were rolling chairs around on the hardwood/laminate floors. I could hear our neighbor to the side where I'd imagine there sitting area was as well but we could hear their entire conversation. Had room service for breakfast, great portions and yummy food.

My family and I love this hotel! We have been staying here for over ten years and continue to…read morereturn for the great service, familiar faces, and amenities. Jacob has been working there for as long as we've been going to the hotel, always serving with a smile, knowledgeable, and reliable. Erin, in the front, is amazing! She has helped us for several years, attending to all things with the best attitude. Erin is friendly, professional, always welcoming, and kind. She has befriended our family, making our names part of her memory, and helped to create memories for my daughter and I , that we will never forget! They go above and beyond to make sure our stays are pleasant and enjoyable. The staff is something to look forward to every time we book our vacation.

Nice hotel about a mile from downtown San Clemente. My brother and I decided to walk instead of…read moretaking Uber and it wasn't bad. Rooms were clean and they do serve a breakfast for free. Waffles, egg sandwiches, fruit and a few other items. Prices are very reasonable compared to the hotels near the pier. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place to anyone.

Best hotel I've ever stayed at in my life. Gonna go to this hotel and only this hotel for now on…read morewhen I stay in Dana point. Gonna be racking up points lol! Rooms have a beautiful Tuscan feel to them and the beds are more comfortable than the one I've been sleeping on for 15 years.

This was a great stay, right on PCH, and a few minutes walk to the beach…read more The staff were amazing. Our room had a balcony that faced West towards the ocean... But with the balcony door open, the auto noise on PCH was pretty loud at times. A trade off for a partial ocean view. Free breakfast in the morning, and there are plenty of places to eat within walking nearby. $25 to park unless your Diamond or Platinum, then its complimentary.