This time, my family took a trip to Dana Point over the 4th of July holiday weekend…read more
I heard that one of my brothers had booked our hotel in advance, and this was the place we stayed. He reserved a suite, so it had a separate living room and a very spacious bedroom. The bathroom also featured a whirlpool bathtub.
Lately, I've been completely hooked on the FIFA World Cup, so as soon as we arrived on Friday, July 3rd, I had a great time watching the Argentina vs. Cabo Verde match. The suite had two TVs--one in the living room and another in the bedroom--which made it very convenient and comfortable to watch the game.
Breakfast was included with our stay, so we enjoyed breakfast every morning on the first floor during our two-night stay. The breakfast selection was quite good, including waffles, bagels, donuts, sliced bread, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, yogurt, and a variety of coffee options such as mocha, latte, espresso, regular coffee, and decaf coffee.
While we were having breakfast, I noticed there wasn't any cream cheese for the bagels. I asked one of the staff members who was restocking the breakfast items, and both the male and female staff members were incredibly friendly and quickly brought some out for us. We really appreciated their excellent service, and my mom left them a tip afterward.
Those were the highlights of our stay, but there were also a few things that could have been better.
First, as soon as we checked into our room, there was a strange smell inside. Because of that, we kept the balcony door and the windows open most of the time to air the room out.
Second, after checking in on July 3rd, we naturally expected our room to be cleaned the following day. Before leaving in the morning to enjoy the recreational activities around Dana Point, my mom even left a $10 tip in the room for housekeeping.
However, when we returned that afternoon, the room hadn't been cleaned at all. My brother called the front desk, and they told us there was no housekeeping service on the 4th of July because it was a holiday.
We've stayed at many hotels while traveling over holiday weekends, but this was the first time we'd ever been told that there was no housekeeping because it was Independence Day.
Later that afternoon, before heading out again to ride the local trolley, I asked another front desk employee about the housekeeping service. Instead of saying there was no housekeeping because of the holiday, the employee asked for our room number and then asked whether we had requested housekeeping that morning. I explained that we hadn't requested it in the morning but had called about an hour earlier, and the room still hadn't been serviced. The employee told us they could at least replace our towels, so we thanked them.
As a result, we ended up sleeping for two nights on the same bed without the sheets ever being changed.
Another issue I noticed was that the bathroom exhaust fan vent was extremely dirty. Most guests probably wouldn't notice it unless they looked closely, but it stood out to me right away. I felt it was worth mentioning.
Those were the two main disappointments during our stay.
On the positive side, the hotel's location was absolutely fantastic. Dana Point Harbor Beach was only about a five-minute walk away, making it incredibly easy to get to the beach. Directly across the street, there were plenty of restaurants and shops, including Starbucks, McDonald's, pizza places, Thai restaurants, and many other dining options. The location truly couldn't have been better.
I later heard that my brother had considered booking a Marriott or another hotel, but he ultimately chose this one because it offered a spacious suite and was the closest hotel to the beach.
Last year in May, we stayed at Murrieta Hot Springs. Although it was quite expensive at around $1,000 per night, the hotel was exceptionally clean, housekeeping was provided even during the holiday, and both the views and overall atmosphere were outstanding.
This hotel's location was truly excellent, but I do wish the housekeeping and overall cleanliness had been better. That said, every staff member we encountered was friendly and welcoming, which definitely left us with a positive impression.
cf) Parking is $25 per night at this hotel.