We had an incredible experience at the new El Encanto Spa on Catalina Island! From the moment we…read morewalked in, the atmosphere was peaceful, beautiful, and the perfect place to unwind. Our massage therapists, Alison and Ramona, were absolutely outstanding. They were professional, attentive, and truly skilled at what they do. They took the time to make sure we were comfortable and customized the experience to our needs, leaving us feeling completely relaxed and refreshed. The spa itself is gorgeous, and it's such a wonderful addition to Catalina Island. If you're visiting Avalon and looking for a relaxing spa day, I can't recommend El Encanto Spa enough. Be sure to request Alison or Ramona--you'll be in amazing hands! Without a doubt, one of the highlights of our trip!

I had such an incredible experience at the Spa at El Encanto. The property is absolutely beautiful…read moreand I especially want to recognize my massage therapist, Ali (Allison) for making such a meaningful difference in how I felt. I booked a 60 minute massage, but this was definitely not your typical massage. From the moment the session began, Ali truly listened to my body and paid attention to what I needed. She went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable. I had been experiencing horrible lower back and knee pain 2 months prior to my appointment. About a month before my appointment, my back had gone out on me, and it took more than 3 weeks before I was able to move around comfortably again. Ali was very attentive to my limitations and needs and worked with me carefully and thoughtfully. When my 60 minute session was over, I was amazed that I could walk better and that so much of my back and knee discomfort had eased. I honestly felt like a completely different person walking out of the treatment room. Ali also worked on my abdomen area, which was something I had never experienced during a massage before. She explained that some of the discomfort I was experiencing in my back could be connected to my stomach, and she was right! Since my session, I have noticed that my digestion has been much better as well. I also feel mentally clearer and more relaxed. The benefits weren't just physical....I genuinely felt better emotionally as well. For reference I am a 52 year old female, and this experience made such a difference for me that I am already planning another trip out to the island and have already booked my appointment with Ali for a 90 minute session this time. In my opinion, Ali isn't just a wonderful massage therapist, she is truly a healer. I am incredibly grateful for the care and attention she gave me. After my massage, I decided to enjoy the spa a little longer and treated myself to lunch at the cafe. The food was delicious, healthy, and Mediterranean inspired. The staff at the cafe was also wonderful, the service was superb. It was the perfect way to end the day. I also want to mention how kind and welcoming everyone was. When I booked my service, Tina greeted me and was very accommodating and friendly. When I arrived the day of my service, I was greeted by Denise who showed me around the spa and answered any questions I had. Everyone including the employees at the gift shop on the property were all incredibly sweet, friendly, and helpful as well. The entire experience felt warm and special from beginning to end. I highly recommend the Spa at El Encanto, and if you have the opportunity to book with Ali, I absolutely recommend her. If not, I am pretty certain that all the therapists give 5 star treatments. I walked in feeling like my body needed help and walked out feeling lighter, more comfortable, and more clear minded. I am so grateful I found her.

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.

This was my first stay at Snug Harbor. I visit Catalina/Avalon annually and of course had seen the…read moreInn right on the corner of Crescent and Sumner above Leo's Drug Store, but it was not until my stay last year at nearby Hotel Vista Del Mar that my interest in Snug was piqued. Last year, Vista and Snug were under the same ownership, which is no longer the case. Snug now has closer affiliation with Hotel Aurora a bit up the hill. Snug is a cozy and charming 6-room inn. There is staff on duty during the day; welcome in-room wine and snacks are provided as well as daily continental breakfast. There is no staff on the premises at night, although someone is on-call. My stay was lovely and somewhat surreal. I visited during the February rains which caused the cancellation of all Catalina Express boats on 2 days during my Avalon visit. This forced guests here for the long Valentines/Presidents Day weekend to leave early or relocate. I ended up being the sole guest for my 2-night visit! And with minimal visitors on the island, evenings were also pretty quiet, despite being right above the main drag (Crescent). Snug does provide earplugs and eye masks if needed. I moved up my arrival date due to the weather and Snug was able to accommodate me, even offering the same room, which was the Santa Catalina room, the inn's "crown jewel" situated on the corner with two large bay windows, one facing Avalon Bay with Casino, Bay and pier views, the other with a built-in window seat facing Sumner and the hills above. All rooms have a fireplace and deep soaking jetted tub. The rooms are not particularly large but are full of charm, coziness and warmth. No robes or slippers, but there were 2 clock/music/alarm machines. Complimentary reusable water bottles are provided; there's a water/ice machine in the hall. The welcome snacks offered were olives, pretzels and high-end nuts (i.e., no peanuts). The continental breakfast was quite ample and includes a small loaf of warm banana bread, yogurt, fresh berries, granola, milk, juice and coffee or tea. You fill out an order slip as to what you want exactly and what time you want it delivered. There are 6 delivery times for the 6 rooms, which of course was not an issue for my stay. There is a common room with a sofa, fireplace and machine for coffee and tea. There is a closet for luggage storage, a public restroom and umbrellas. The front door is open 8-5, key access is needed in the off-hours. Shout-outs to the great staff I met--Jackie, Destiny and especially Johnny at the front desk and housekeeper/breakfast preparer Alicia. Overall a fabulous stay. I usually split my time on the island between Mt Ada and a property "downtown". Snug Harbor has moved to the top of my downtown list!

I am in awe of how misleading the description of this inn is. Especially the San Nicolas room!…read moreFrom the website re: the inn: "From the moment you arrive, the pace of the mainland slips away, replaced by sea air, harbor light and the quiet thrill of being somewhere truly special." What we experienced from the MOMENT we arrived - absolute CHAOS. We were greeted with a horrible rotten egg stench as soon as we opened the door, steep stairs with no one elevator (yes that's on their q&a but just another annoyance), violence and screaming in the streets after dark until 3 am, bass from surrounding bars shaking the building until 2 am, overpowering chemical smell in rooms, single pane glass that sounds like people on the street are in the room with you, gaslighting owners and managers (Melissa - not Jackie), unreliable communication, absolute ripoff for what you have to put up with. Melissa ultimately minimized my concerns by saying "nobody else complained". Okay, and? People have different tolerance levels, different health issues, even if it was someone's first time at the snug harbor inn maybe it wasn't their first time to the island. Maybe they didn't care. Maybe they didn't have the energy to complain. That shouldn't invalidate my experience and the lack of transparency. Can you honestly say you laid the framework for guests to make an informed decision? Did you provide transparency around potential barriers guests may experience during your busy season? No. This went beyond just a fun foam party during the daytime hours, there were literal violent fights and screaming in the streets BOTH nights until 3-4 AM. See videos below from Saturday night around 1:30 AM. I do acknowledge they can't control this behavior but they can and SHOULD add transparency for folks who are expecting a soft experience based on their own misleading advertising. The unprofessional manager, Melissa, also loves to blame-shift. She told us we could press 0 or call a number provided if we experienced issues again on the second night. I called 2-3 times throughout the night and it rang endlessly. By this point I was exhausted and didn't even think to get the physical number from the end of the hall and just assumed they weren't answering. When Melissa told me she never received a call the next day I was shocked but instead of being apologetic she said "if it was me, I would have walked down the hallway and got the number". I'm so sorry, in hindsight, if I wasn't running off of 4 hours of sleep collectively over 48 hours I would have gotten dressed at 3 am and gone to the end of the hall after pressing 0 didn't "work". Not sure how I was supposed to discern between it not "working" vs someone not answering. Funny how pressing 0 during business hours worked just fine. Either way, what a ridiculous process to shoulder the burden of breaking up riff raff to the guest and then blameshift when the thing you said would work didn't... While I would love a full refund, I firmly believe we are entitled to at least one night of a refund because of the misleading description on the website and we couldn't make a truly informed decision. I was told they would consider updating the website in the future but that benefits my husband and I in no way. The right thing to do is provide a refund for tainting our visit to Catalina with 0 reprieve from street violence and drunken debauchery.

First time at Avalon and our stay was pretty decent. So it's a small walk to the hotel from the…read moredock. And you're rolling your suitcase along the textured walkway in town. There's a slight hill walking up to the hotel and then we asked for the ocean view room which was on the 3rd floor so stairs cuz there's no elevator. The room is small and ok. It's an older hotel so the bathroom was small too. The view was nice from our room but it had frequent traffic on the street. We got there in time for happy hour and found average cheese, crackers, grapes, pepperoni, red and white wine. We took our food and drinks to the balcony and enjoyed the warm sun and view of the ocean. The free breakfast was fine, it's nothing fancy. But there is warm egg patties, sausage links, potatoes, bagels and English muffins to toast, cold cereal, coffee, hot tea, and a water & ice dispenser. We used the ice and water a lot to hydrate and skipped buying bottled water. The room had a refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave but no hair dryer. Overall nice stay and would return.

We had such a wonderful stay at the Aurora Hotel while celebrating my partner's 40th birthday, and…read moreI can't say enough good things about the experience. Before we even arrived, Parker went above and beyond to arrange a champagne setup in our room to kick off the birthday weekend. Walking in to find that waiting for us -- along with lovely chocolates on the bed -- immediately made the stay feel special and thoughtful. The room itself was beautiful, clean, and scenic, with a charming partial ocean view. It felt cozy and adorable, but elevated enough that it didn't feel old-school at all. We also really appreciated having a refrigerator and microwave -- such a nice, practical touch. The Friday night happy hour wine and cheese was delicious and perfect to bring up to the rooftop deck. The views up there are spectacular and made for great photo opportunities. Breakfast was exactly what you want before a day of exploring the island -- eggs, pancakes, fresh coffee, mimosas, bagels with cream cheese, and cereal. Everything was yummy and hit the spot. We enjoyed it on Saturday morning, and it was the perfect start to the day. On departure day, Parker kindly held our bags so we could continue exploring and grab a meal at The Lobster Trap before heading out. That level of hospitality, flexibility, and kindness really stood out. From start to finish, the service, warmth, and helpful suggestions for exploring the island were truly above and beyond. With so many options on Catalina Island, I'm incredibly grateful we chose the Aurora Hotel. Huge thanks to Parker and the entire team for making this stay so memorable -- we would absolutely return.

This review is based on my honest experience after staying at this hotel for one night…read more When we arrived at Catalina Island, we called the hotel and they sent a golf cart to pick us up from the ferry terminal. The ride to the hotel took about 7-10 minutes. The hotel is located on a hillside, which gives it beautiful views of the island. One thing I really appreciated was the complimentary shuttle service. The hotel provides golf cart transportation between the hotel and downtown Avalon from morning until 10 PM. They have designated pick-up locations, making it very easy and convenient to get around. There is no charge for the service, although you can tip the drivers if you'd like. The hotel is definitely on the expensive side, but considering the views, atmosphere, and level of service, I think the price is reasonable. We stayed in the Historic Deluxe King room, which overlooked the mountains behind the hotel. However, the real highlight was the rooftop viewpoint. After walking across to the building opposite ours and heading up to the rooftop, we were rewarded with an absolutely incredible view. It was breathtaking and honestly much better than I expected. I couldn't believe a hotel could offer views like that. Cons: * I'm not sure whether the golf cart shuttle service would be enough during busy weekends when there are more visitors on the island. I visited on a weekday and had no issues at all. * If you choose to walk from downtown back to the hotel, be prepared for a fairly steep uphill climb. Pros: * Amazing views * Quiet and peaceful atmosphere * Friendly staff and excellent service * Very clean property Overall, I had a wonderful stay. If I ever return to Catalina Island, I would absolutely stay here again on my next

Hmmm... Where to start? The Zane Grey was really great. People seem to love it or hate it here on…read moreYelp. Mark me down for love it. This was one of the nicest hotels I've ever stayed in. Also one of the most expensive. But here's the thing, most of the other places on Catalina required a two night minimum. So technically more per night it worked out perfectly for us because we didn't have the time to commit to three days on the island. I've stayed in hotels all over the world, and the room didn't have physical problems like almost 100% of other stays. By "physical problems", I mean: something dirty, something broken/damaged, or in need of updating. I can attest to what other Yelpers are saying, the amenities are lacking. There is an unheated pool, and that's about it. If there was a hot tub overlooking the bay that would have been rad. I might have been disappointed in the amenities if we were just going to be be hotel-bodies. But Catalina beckons you to be outside. The golf cart shuttle was a great touch. We were picked up after getting off the Catalina Flier, and driven over to the Zane Grey. Our room was already available so we got to check in early. The the day we left the Flier wasn't leaving until 4:30pm, but they let us leave our bags at the hotel and then brought them to the pier for us. All the staff we encountered were super kind. Complementary breakfast was delicious! Made-to-order omelets & French toast, bacon, potatoes, etc. Nice way to start the day, instead of dropping cash in town for breakfast. I would totally stay here again.

Back to Edgewater again for another vacation in the tiny tiny town of Avalon. We booked the…read morestandard room with queen size bed. We always love the entrance: private door entrance walking up the stairway to the hotel. Hotel is on second floor. In this vintage and quaint 1930s building with no elevator. In fact many buildings on Catalina Island have no elevators. So be prepared to take the stairs. We always enjoyed staying here as it is small, modest, quiet, clean, and convenient. It has very comfortable bed with TV, ceiling fan, AC, and clean bathroom and towels. Simple and low key amenities for book lovers, introverts, and quiet ones. No loud party and drunken customers. No romantic thrill seekers- if you look for romance- please go to Dubai or Vegas or other hotels - as this one is perfect for us. Staff are always friendly. Management is always cordial and responsive. Summer is high season: high end hotels at Avalon range from $400 and up. We booked for about $260 -$300 a night as listed in Expedia. Downstairs are stores and restaurants. There is a coffee shop very close by plus other spots for breakfast. We would get coffee from local cafes in the morning, brisk walk, get some fresh air. Great way to start the day within walking distance to the beach, pier... Very relaxing air and place to be.

We paid approx $2000 for two nights, this hotel was not worth even half that. The room was okay…read more They refuse to hold your bags before or after check in/check out. The worst part came when we wanted coffee in the morning, they advertise the rooms having a Keurig and K cups... nobody is going to want to use that when the water compartment is full of mold. Don't recommend staying here.

Went here for my birthday. Catalina Island is a tourist spot through and through, but I am glad we…read moredecided to stay here for 2 nights. The room was perfectly centered in the spots we wanted to walk to. It was literally a 5 minute walk anywhere we need to go. The service was great and they compensated us anything we needed. If I were to ever stay in Catalina again, I would come back here to the Mermaid Suite.

The wife and I had a great stay here. This was one of the most affordable places to stay in Avalon…read moreand would totally recommend checking this spot out. When we arrived on Friday at 7:30, we initially booked the dolphin room (queen bed, pretty much most basic room) we were told they upgraded us to the Garden King bed Jacuzzi room for no additional cost. Service here was good and the room was comfortable. Our room came with a fridge, microwave and pretty much everything that we needed for our stay. Heater/AC worked well and the bed was pretty comfortable. No complaints + check in/check out was smooth. Location is perfect too, close to all the restaurants and tours!

Excellent view. Slept well. Very quiet location. Friendly owner. Would stay here again. Close to…read moreshops and restaurants. Use the same stairs as Avalon hotel.

Lovely stay at this hotel. Definitely outdated and need upgrades, but we knew this going in. If you…read morebring your own towels, you'll save $10/night. View was beautiful. Lots of storage in room and bathroom. Shower was tiny. Easy walking distance to Avalon. They were able to store our luggage after check out so we didn't have to lug it around town waiting for our boat. There's no AC, but there was a fan and a good breeze with windows open. TV has basic cable. Overall, would stay here again. Great deal for Avalon!!! Lots of stairs to get to the hotel as well, so keep that in mind.