We stayed at Cambria Landing Inn for two nights and unfortunately left pretty disappointed…read more
Check-in is at FogCatcher Inn, where there was only one woman working the front desk for multiple properties. We did have to wait because she was constantly helping other guests and answering phone calls, but I want to make it clear that she was wonderful. She was incredibly kind, patient, and professional despite being pulled in every direction. It honestly seemed like she was doing the job of several people, and I felt bad for how overwhelmed she was.
When we got to our room, the first thing we noticed was the incredible ocean view. It was beautiful and definitely the best part of our stay. Unfortunately, the room itself was a different story. It had a very strong musty smell that made it feel old and unclean, and there were several stains on the carpet. To make things even more surprising, there was a live lizard in our room when we first walked in. We love animals, so we carefully caught it and let it back outside, but it's definitely not something you expect to find in your hotel room.
That evening, after taking a shower, the humidity caused what looked like a blood stain near the top of the shower curtain to become visible. Neither of us had been bleeding, and it was nowhere near where either of us would have touched, so it was pretty disturbing. By that point the front desk had already closed, and knowing how busy the woman at check-in had been all day, we decided to just avoid using that side of the curtain instead of bothering anyone.
We had dinner next door, which was excellent, and our server was fantastic. The location of the hotel really is hard to beat. After dinner we brought a few drinks back to our room, but when we opened the refrigerator we found someone else's leftover lemon bar along with drinks that had expired in November 2025. That was honestly the moment everything else clicked. It made us seriously question how well the rooms are cleaned between guests.
Later that night we wanted to make tea before bed, but the hot water station was empty. The next morning we mentioned it to the front desk and asked if someone could refill it later that evening before it ran out again. Instead, we were told that we'd just have to call once it was empty because it usually runs out by 7 p.m. That response was frustrating because we were trying to be proactive and avoid having to call later. For a hotel that's close to $300 a night, I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation.
The second evening we did end up calling because one of the fire pits wouldn't light. Maintenance came out within about 10 minutes, got it working right away, and was incredibly friendly and helpful. That was one of the better customer service experiences we had during our stay.
There were definitely some positives. The location is amazing, the ocean views are beautiful, the fire pits are a nice place to relax in the evening, and every member of the housekeeping staff we interacted with was incredibly kind. They were happy to chat, offered recommendations, and genuinely made us feel welcome. We also really appreciated being given a complimentary one-hour late checkout, which gave us time to enjoy one last walk along the coast before leaving.
Overall, the employees we interacted with were friendly and helpful, but the cleanliness and condition of the room simply didn't match the price. Between the musty smell, stained carpet, lizard, questionable shower curtain, leftover food and expired drinks in the refrigerator, and other small issues throughout our stay, we wouldn't choose to stay at Cambria Landing Inn again. It's a beautiful location, but the rooms need much more attention and better quality control.
