My children, part of a cross country team that takes an annual team building trip to Catalina, usually stay here. The experience is often life changing for young student athletes who get to learn and work together with their teammates to not only learn about themselves but how to become better people. A key part of any trip is an adequate living space- that provides a safe, accessible, and ideally comfortable area. During a global pandemic, cleanliness is of the essence and is an absolute necessity for the safety of guests. Although I have never worked in hotel management, I have worked in smaller scale retail jobs as well as the food industry. When being trained for these small minimum wage jobs, one of the first things you are taught is the importance of providing good customer service. The previous manager of the hotel had set up a deal with the head coach of the team over 15 years ago for a certain price range for an extensive stay and continued loyal business with our team. Under previous management, we had access to clean, safe rooms and an extremely kind staff. Working with the athletes on their trip, the hotel allowed us to use their lobby space, to occupy several rooms, and was a key aspect of the wonderful Catalina experience the coaches work so hard to provide for athletes who rarely experience such opportunity. Each year for around a week, the team stays in the hotel for a reasonable price and was provided excellent customer service for the past 15 years. However, under new management, (manager Ian) our deal was no longer honored after 15 years of loyalty and the team was left to scramble to find new plans. Because of the extremely late notice, we had to scramble to find a new hotel that would accommodate the team. This cost the coaches were forced to pay for this new deal meant that the price for each of the athletes was changed, meaning that many of the student athletes will no longer be able to experience this wonderful opportunity to learn with their teammates and team build with them. During COVID 19, their opportunities were already limited- they cannot go to school in person, their races are canceled, those aspiring to be college bound are limited, and one of the few things they have to look forward to is the wonderful stay at this hotel on an island with friends and enriching learning experiences. If the previous deal with old management was something that was COVID - related, the manager could have explained so on the phone politely and helped us work out a new deal for our continued loyalty and business. However the manager was rude, unprofessional, and did not have the guest as his priority in his mannerisms or in his speech or tone. This was horribly shocking in contrast to the previous management's high quality customer service and genuine care for the well being of their guests. Under Ian's management, this is quite the opposite. Because if his inability to even talk about negotiating a new agreement with the team and his incapability to meet expectations of a basic customer service industry employee, this hotel lost 15 years of not only the team's business ($8000 every October for 15 years) but also my personal business and that of my family and friends. Several children will now miss out on this opportunity to experience Catalina life changing team building opportunities because of the new management's incompetence and inability to communicate and do their job. If loyal customers of 15 years are treated this way, I cannot imagine the abhorrent behavior first time customers must experience from this management. Based off of a few other reviews I have read from recent customers, I feel that we are not the only ones with concern about this new management and their policies. I am very disappointed and aspire to raise my children to be better people than Ian and this new management, who are kind, respectful, and professional in their workplaces one day- so we will happily take our business elsewhere where the management reflects these values and can do the most basic part of customer service and hospitality industry related professions. This is no longer the hotel to stay at if you look for good customer service, clean rooms with adecuate towels, sheets, and living spaces (see other reviews) and I will also say that the pictures do not reflect the actual appearance of the hotel whatsoever. Please consider taking your business elsewhere especially if you value those close to you so they are not mistreated and screwed over by this new management. read more

FOUR STARS PEOPLE? FOUR STARS?????? What gets three stars? Visible moist spots on the coverlet and some ripped out weave on the pillow? For those of you who don't feel like reading my rant I'll sum up the gist here: Don't stay here it's a dump. For those of you who feel like reading my rant, read on..... 1. The room minuscule, which would have been fine if it were appointed well and pristine, but in this instance it made the room feel like a jail cell. I felt like I was being punished. 2. I found a "nether region" hair on the pillow when I pulled back the sheets. And found even more miscellaneous hair from other parts of people and pets all over all the other sheets and blankets. The first thing I said when I saw the bed was: don't hit that with a black light. 3. The shower was about 1 foot x 1 foot squared and DINGY AS ALL GET OUT. Even more hair to be had there. 4. The bathroom had mold growing on the walls. 5. The interior of the room had chips and pieces of the ceiling and walls missing. 6. IT WAS FREEZING COLD!!! There was no means of heating the room at all and I wore 3 pairs of socks, a hoodie, pants, 2 shirts and a tank top and failed to warm up. 7. The room smelled. It smelled of dank, cheap, rent-by-the-hour motel. 8. The towels had hair on them, after a while I wondered if the office dog was moonlighting as a housekeeper. 9. The entire building was decrepit, it looked like it might be condemned at any moment. 10. I was getting bit all night long!! I shudder just thinking about it. 11. The mattress was hard as hell and you could feel and hear every single spring. I think this is enough to convince you that this place is not worth your time and money. I bought a Groupon to stay here and needless to say they're going to be getting an angry letter from me. We were supposed to stay another night but we high tailed it out of town and cut our losses. NEVER AGAIN!! RUINED MY WEEKEND!!!! read more

I too had the groupon deal. Hermosa Hotel/Cottages is NOT a 5 star hotel but my experience was wonderful. The hotel itself is ghetto- true! But it's cheap, that's the deal people! It was clean, everything worked fine, and the bed wasn't bad. The service was amazing, the staff really went out of their way to make our lives as easy as possible! I really enjoyed my stay here and if you aren't a prissy little bitch, you will too! :) read more

I signed up for the groupon that included 2 nights in the hotel plus 2 RT tickets on the Catalina Express. Making a reservation has never been easier. I emailed them the date I wanted to stay, and it was done. It was almost too simple. Once I arrived to the hotel, I was greeted by two very nice front desk people, and the check in was as easy as making the reservation was. In about 2 minutes we were in and out of the lobby and headed towards our own little cottage. Yes, the cottage is a tad older, but the whole hotel is EST 1896 so what do you expect? I would call the cottage rustic, and charming. I really like that there was a lot of space, and a kitchen with a mini fridge and the bathroom was also a decent size. The beds were comfy enough, albeit a little small for two tall adults but we still made it work. The TV is small but I have never had so many channels at a hotel before! This hotel is close to everything and right next to a grocery store so it's super convenient. The one thing that really stands out to me about this hotel is the people that work there. We were stranded over there due to canceled boats, and MIndy at the front desk was so helpful, and laid back about everything. They offered a "stranded" rate of $40 which is amazing! I didn't budget for a third night at the hotel, and this really helped. For that reason alone I would go back. This place is definitely not for hoity-toity's but rather for a more relaxed traveler like myself. I really enjoyed it and will recommend it to anyone who asks. And hopefully they will have another great deal some time and I will get a chance to go back. read more

I'd like to send a big FU to all you nut jobs who gave this place anything over 2 stars. Based on your glowing reviews I took my parents and my wife here for a weekend getaway. Unfortunately the place was so gross that we literally went home early even though we had paid for another night. In my opinion that's about as bad as it gets for a hotel. So why was this place such a dump? Here is a list of some of the amenities: -The room is about 80sq. feet! It barely fits a single queen bed. - The comforter was one of those thin gross felt blankets you find at cheap motels. It was covered with hair. the hair was either from a million guests pubes or (i hope) from pets. -the walls literally had paint peeling and cracking off. -the bathroom was so small i could barely use the toilet without opening the door. The shower also was at least 30 years old and the fiberglass was broken in multiple areas. -the room had no heat! they offered electric blankets but our room didn't have one. -the room had no phone or internet. -there were all sorts of bugs and spiders in the room. There were lots of other things wrong with the place as well. The small amount of interaction I had with the staff was OK but fuck people, this place is gross! Maybe if your a 19 year old frat boy it's okay but if you're an adult looking for a place to relax this is not the spot. We even met another guy that was staying there that said he'd rather sleep on a park bench. In conclusion i wouldn't stay here if they gave me the room for free! spend the extra hundred and go to a place where you'll get a decent nights sleep and will have a warm clean room. read more

Man I wish we were upgraded to a ocean view room with a flat screen TV like Inga F was on her stay at around the same time if not exact based on the date of her review as our stay was. We purchased the groupon deal too and I will preface my review by saying that we LOVE to budget travel, no kids, young-ish, just us that only spend time in the hotel room in the late hours of the night if you get my drift. So we are the adventure, non-complainer, ready for anything type of couple. We sucked it up and made the best of our Cottage C "upgraded" room. Here is a detailed tour of the room: 1. Door: did not close all the way unless you used the crazy chain lock. 2. Bed: itchy, thin and not enough blankets, inside out sheets, random weird hairs underneath the mattress, beside the wall and in between the mattress was never vacuumed and had old food, paint chips from the wall and who knows what else on the side. The headboard had a BOOGER on it, I am not even kidding, I know it was a booger because when I was 5 I totally picked my nose and put it on my headboard once and it looked exactly the same. 3. Windows: some opened and some didn't and don't even get us started on the mismatching blinds. The windows don't really help ventilate after a shower but they sure do let in the cold at night. 4. Kitchen: we were initially excited that our cottage would come with kitchen so that we could cook meals to save money but this kitchen was inoperable. It smelled of rotting death carcass meat. The dishes were disgusting. We just kept the door closed the whole time. We did let the front desk know about the stench wafting into our bedroom and they said they would take care of it. 5. The bathroom: Hot water worked ok and cold really really worked. In order to take a warm shower you had to have the hot water on full blast with no cold water. I am super duper short and the toilet and sink were even way too low for me. I could barely even shave my legs in the shower due to no room and if you are 6 ft tall like the Mr. the shower head will be at your neck. The window behind the toilet gives you a view of some weird foundation of the next cottage over where I am sure they could hear you dump and vice-versa. There was no electrical outlet in the bathroom so I had to blow dry my bangs while sitting on the bed near the nasty crevice between the wall and the mattress. After the shower your room will be musty for a full hour and it feels gross to walk on the carpet so wear sandals. 6. Extra guests: May I mention that you will find extra spiders and such staying with you in the middle of the night. Even a damn snail somehow made a trail over the Mr.'s shoe in the middle of the night. We never did find that little guy but when looking for the trail we found other random crap on the floor. We have pictures of our place posted on here so take a look. Would we come back? Only if they made it up to us and gave us a suite like the other yelper mentioned, if it really does exist. read more

Hermosa Hotel - The blinds in cottage C - Hotels Near Me - Avalon, California

Rick & Espie ..... My hubby and I were on our anniversary trip and enjoyed staying at the Hermosa, which had been recommended by my friend Angelica cause she's a diver and that's where she stayed and we totally enjoyed it!!! It's was local to everything and made the trip convenient!!! I highly recommend and we will be returning soon!!!! read more

Mouse droppings , hair, must of been cleaned by a blinded person. Disgusted!! Would never tell a friend to stay here read more

Hermosa Hotel - Mouse droppings - Hotels Near Me - Avalon, California

I appreciate the historic state of this hotel, and I appreciate that the staff was very friendly, however I would not recommend this hotel based on my experience in November. When we checked in, it was quite chilly, so we were moved to a cottage with a wall heater (which we never figured out how to work!) We asked for blankets, as there were NONE on the bed or in the room, and we were brought electric blankets minus the cords. The room itself was not clean! There was dust on every surface, and the shower actually had mold in it. It was very small, with two double beds, and the 3 of us literally had to shuffle around every time someone wanted to cross the room. I normally do not leave negative reviews as I'm not a super-picky person, but this was crazy, especially for the money! Sadly, I will definitely not return to this hotel. read more

This is the second year that I've stayed at the Hermosa Hotel because of the great Groupon deal they had. The hotel is pretty standard and the rooms are very adequate. This place has a kind of laid back homey feeling. The staff is very nice and friendly. Our boat didn't leave until 4:30pm and we had to checkout by 11:00am. Since we had a little gap between checkout time and when the boat left they allow you to store your luggage until you leave. They also have a separate shower / bathroom to freshen up before your departure. We checked out around 11:00am and spent a few hours at the beach, then had a late lunch and was able to come back the the Hermosa to take a shower and put some clean clothes on. That gives this place a really big bonus in my book. Hopefully they offer the Groupon again next year and hopefully I catch it because I can't wait to go back! Oh, quick tip: Last year we paid an extra $50 to upgrade to "The Beach House" which was a big fail because the place is not close to the beach at all. It's actually up a steep hill (REALLY STEEP HILL) and it's much further from the beach than the Hermosa Hotel. read more

My group of six divers made our reservations in early May 2015. I received an email a week before our departure (too late to move reservations somewhere else) that we had been moved to the Boat House. When we arrived we were greeted by a friendly staff member who showed us the dive lockers where we could store our gear. It turned out there was only room for three of our dive bags. We were then told the other three would be stored in the hallway of the hotel. After returning from our first dives we dropped off our gear inside the hotel as previously instructed. We were then told to take our gear to room 50. We followed the employee to room 50 and stored our gear. No sooner did we walk out of room 50 and we were told our gear was going to be stored in another location. The new location was a secured ally between two buildings. Now for the hotel...the walk up the hill is a huge pain in the ass. Once at the hotel four of the six in our group had to walk down the side of the hill to get to their rooms. I would estimate the elevation change from the top of the hotel to the lower level to be about 75'. One member of our team is 64 years old. Once checked in we found that two of the rooms were horrible. One had a roll-away bed and the other room had a mattress you could feel the springs in. The next day we complained about the entire process of getting our reservation moved from the Hermosa to the Boat House. The owner Mark said the Boat House was a "way better" hotel. Guess what, the Boat House is a piece of crap! Later on the second day four of our six members were offered two rooms at the Hermosa. Since this meant they no longer had to walk the "Hill from Hell" they took it. I found out that a group of about 100 divers wanted to stay at the Hermosa. They booked their reservations after we booked ours. Mark kicked our group out of the Hermosa to make room for the other group. We have been coming to Catalina for six years to dive. This is the worst experience we have ever had on the island. There is no way we will ever stay at either of the hotels owned by Mark. As a scuba instructor who brings classes to get certified in Catalina, I have recommended to the local dive shops they stop offering packages with the Hermosa/ Boat House and certainly will make sure none of my students ever stay at either of these establishments. Additionally I will reach out to the other dive professionals and let me know about my experience. Avoid this hotel at all costs. There are numerous other hotels on the island that treat the guests properly. read more

Roaches. Little brown roaches. OH HELLLLLLL NO. I booked this place over the phone and they were pretty responsive. Got to Catalina, walked to the hotel, and they gave us keys to Cottage A. Beau and I walked over to the cottages and I opened the door. Turned on the lights and one of the little demon creatures from hell was SITTING ON THE BED. It scurried under the turned down part of the bed as I flipped out. "Oh my god there's a brown cockroach on the beddddddddddddddd!!!!!" Beau walks in because he didn't see the roach, picks up the cover and shakes. Out falls the little nasty demon creature. Disgusting. And here's where it got really bad: I then looked toward the kitchenette area... There were 6 or so more of our nasty little buddy's friends attempting to scurry away from the light. They were on the floor and counters. NOPE. Beau says "stay here, I'll be back." Stay here?!?! Eff a bunch of that. I walked my butt back outside the cottage. Beau comes back with a different set of keys and says "the girl says that they've never had this happen before and they gave us cottage I, which they said was just renovated and finished today." After a quick internal debate, I walked up the steps to see what Cottage I was about. 1. The light in the room didn't work so I couldn't even check for roaches in this one. 2. I'm not sure what they call renovations but from what I could see, it looked exactly like the other room. (But keep in mind, it was dark.) No lights? No walking in to check for tiny nasty bugs. Nope. Nope nope nope. At this point, I walked down to the office and spoke with the girl at the desk. She seemed mildly apologetic... Sort of. She said we could either move to their "suite" thing or to their other hotel. I discussed the fact that I didn't want to stay in the same place that was attached to the roaches... So I quickly said that we could maybe try the other place. Then I did a quick internet search. The other place looks as shitty, if not shittier than the Hermosa. Nope nope nope. I was done. My beau knew I was done. He told me to go outside and that he'd speak with the girl again. He got us a full refund and we found a different, roachless hotel that is beautiful and comfortable. Never coming back to this place. Not worth the money, hastle, or heebie jeebies from seeing disgusting little roaches. Buyer beware. read more

Long story short, they let my ex and her sister check into the room I reserved, using a printout of the reservation, even though their names were not on the reservation. They never called me to ask why two people who weren't me were checking into my room. All I asked of them after this was to remove me from their mailing list, which they haven't done. I've still never been to Catalina. For more details, read on: In 2011, I booked a room for my girlfriend and I to stay at this hotel. I believe the reservation cost me something like $600. Anyway, the night before we were supposed to leave, I found out she was seeing someone else behind my back. We lived together, so I left for the night to go stay with some family. The next day, I called the hotel to see if I could postpone the reservation. My recent ex had checked in already, with her sister. Although her name was not on the reservation, I had printed out the ferry tickets and reservation information, which she used to check in with. The hotel did not call to ask why people who weren't me, whose names were not on the reservation, were trying to check into the room I booked, they just let them do it. I didn't bother pitching too much of a fit at the time, I was too distraught with too many other things. I knew that I wouldn't be able to get into it with hotel staff without getting overly emotional. In the months that passed, I continually received emails from the hotel, and although I would unsubscribe, I kept getting them. It was annoying because it just reminded me of the incident. A few months after the fact, someone named Mark (I know because I just checked my sent emails) from the hotel sent out a bulk email specifically asking people to email back with any issues or constructive criticisms they may have had about the hotel. It was the perfect opportunity for me to respond. I responded to his email, calmly explaining the situation and all I asked from him is to make sure to remove me from their mailing list. I never received a response from Mark. I was hoping for, perhaps, an apology and written confirmation that he would be removing me from the mailing list. I got nothing from him, but I did keep receiving email solicitations from their hotel. Years have gone by now, and I'm well over the breakup. But, the email solicitations still make me mad because of the principal of the matter! The fact that their unsubscribe option has done nothing is enough to infuriate anyone. But, how does a person check into someone else's room with just a printout of a reservation that doesn't even have their name on it? I just got a slew of email solicitations from them recently, and since I'm stuck in bed with the flu, I decided to take the time to finally complain about it. It annoys me to no end when I get these emails. I feel like, given the situation, my request was extremely reasonable. All I wanted was an apology and to stop receiving emails from a hotel that gave my vacation to someone else. They didn't do it. read more

The Hermosa Hotel isn't a place you would take your starry-eyed lover for a romantic weekend getaway. It's more like the place you would take your spouse of twenty years because let's face it: neither of you are going anywhere anytime soon, and there's little incentive to impress, so why not save a little dough while you're at it? IT'S THE CHEAPEST 3 DAYS/2 NIGHTS YOU'LL SPEND ON THE ISLAND. PERIOD. A 2 bed w/ kitchen + 2 round trip ferry tickets? For $299? YES PLEASE. My unit came outfitted with 2 queensize-ish beds (slightly smaller), a tv (w/ cable), a kitchen area (4 gas burners, mini-fridge, sink, microwave, basic cooking and eating utensils..., i.e. pot, frying pan, spatula, can opener, knives for chopping, forks, spoons, knives, plates, cups). To me, the kitchen was a huge plus because there's a Vons right next door. We saved a lot of money by cooking for ourselves instead of eating out every meal. It wasn't the most glamorous way to do Catalina, but consider this: Catalina is one of Southern California's hidden gems. It's an oceanic oasis tucked 26 miles into the Pacific. It's full of nature-oriented activities such as Zipline Ecotours, kayaking, hiking, snorkeling, and scuba diving. Needless to say, these are not exactly the cheapest of outdoor activities. But, with the savings we gained from the Historic Hermosa, I'd say it was worth it. Bottom line: you don't go to Catalina to stay in your room. Suck it up, enjoy the savings, and get out and enjoy nature! read more

We stayed at the Hermosa Hotel on our anniversary trip to Avalon. We purchased this stay using an apparently very popular Groupon that included passage on the Catalina Flyer from Newport Beach and a bunch of freebies (tours, dinner discounts, rental discounts, etc). We stayed two nights and three days and loved every minute of it. This is a great place to stay while visiting Avalon. You'll hate the tiny bedrooms (likely decorated by Blanche Devereaux) and the mildewy bathrooms, which will make you stay out of your hotel and enjoy Catalina Island all the more. The staff is wonderful here. They made some great recommendations on places to eat, happy hours, and where to go on a bike ride. Also, we had a complimentary two hour bike rental that they extended to four hours just because they liked our faces. The complimentary coffee is terrible (watery Folgers): go one block east (pass Ralph's) and there is an espresso bar in the courtyard. read more

I've lived in Northern California for 6 years -- Finally, I got myself over to the Catalina Islands for a mini-vacation trip and so thrilled I chose Hermosa Hotel! First, with the basics: This hotel has a very down home personality, clean rooms, nice views of the residential neighborhood, close to everything (but still on a quiet block), very safe and your ferry reservations are taken care of along with your hotel reservation! What I would like to highlight most of all -- The hotel staff is top notch!! I was blown away by how friendly, professional, helpful and such a pleasure the hotel employees were. I'm a true believer that that the attitude of any hotel staff has somewhat of an influence on the quality of your overall vacation. The Hermosa Hotel Staff made my first visit to Avalon that much more amazing!! I was able to get tips on snorkeling locations, self guided tours and assistance with directions from the airport. Most of all, I was really moved by their exceptional helpfulness when I had to cancel my 1st travel dates because of getting sick at the last minute. This lovely staff let me keep my reservations and I was able to re-book my trip for the following week! I highly recommend this hotel and feel like it's "home away from home"! read more

The cottage we stayed in was super-tiny and super-cute; perfect for winding down and taking a nap after an afternoon of taking in the sights. We only stayed one night, but the kitchen came in handy. The town rolls up the sidewalks relatively early, but the only grocery store in town is two doors down, so we were able to pick up snacks and a deck of cards. The staff was very friendly, the cottage was clean, and the price could not be beat on the island. We're definitely staying here again! read more

Staff - was great earned the 1 star Toilet paper - was good Everything else was undesirable Bathroom size - small - ladies don't bother to shave your legs Towels - will take a layer of skin off Room Decorations - out dated and needs to be updated Worst - Bedding - NO Fitted Sheet Mattress - horrible with stains on the floppy mattress foam Blinds fell on the floor - missing blinds can not close them Construction - next to building - loud noise Bottom Line - pay the extra money and stay somewhere else.... read more

I knew there were no elevators prior to booking, but I had no idea I'd be walking up two flights about 60 steps up of stairs! My husband and I are 55 and 62 so we would call it a night around 8:30 or 9 pm well the two nights we were there our tv didn't work. We called the front desk and they used some lame excuse that it was a problem with the whole island and the broadband. My husband spoke to the front desk twice you would think they would come to your room and see if there was a different issue, which it was because I could clearly here the television in the room next door. They have no housekeeping through out your stay, no wash cloths, or hand towels, no closet or anything to hang clothes on, the second round of towels that we asked for were ugly rough and extremely worn out! There's no chair to sit on (no room)so you have to sit on the bed if you want to drink or eat something. The room was 16 feet by 16 there was no color on the walls all white there was a picture for hanging on the wall but it was just leaned up against the wall. There was no trash can in the bedroom we used a paper bag for trash. I will never come to this hotel ever, it was a nightmare and a dump. read more

"You get what you pay for," as the adage goes, so I was a bit concerned about staying at the Hermosa Hotel: what they were offering versus what I was giving was so lopsided that I expected something horrible to go wrong. What I got instead was a nice budget motel. When we arrived, they upgraded us for free to a room with a full kitchen instead of the kitchenette we had originally paid for. Our room had a living room area with two couches (each of which were fold-out beds), HDTV and generous closet space, a bedroom area with one queen and one double bed with a CRT TV, and the promised full kitchen, which included everything we needed to make and eat simple meals, as well as a four-burner stove, oven, refrigerator, and four-top table. The beds were comfortable, and the extra blankets in the closet came in handy because of the light December chill that even Catalina is not immune to. When we had any questions or concerns, the staff were courteous, responsive, and helpful. As an extra amenity, they hold your luggage after you check out as well as allowing you use of an impressive "I don't have a room any more" shower facility so that you can still go out and enjoy the beach before the ferry swings around to pick you up. While this place is definitely low-frill, complete with hilarious carpeting and dated furniture, it offered everything we needed to have an amazing vacation. I would stay here again in a heartbeat! read more

This place is a dump. The service is great but the rooms need major upgrading. The sofa in the living room stunk like vomit and overall just a dump even for the pricing. Best area in the room was the bathroom. It honestly was the only place I felt comfortable even sleeping in. Even for the cheap rate, there have to be quite a few better places than this. Ongoing issues: - 2 days later, sofa still had the vomit smell. Had to buy our own cleaning product to make it even decent. Simple Fabreze spray and a real wipe down of the sofa would have done the trick. - Our room lamp was broken. - Floors are disgusting, need to use real cleaning products. - Cleaning lady claimed to only speak Spanish so we could not even tell her the issue with the cleaning. - Not their fault but just made matters worse, toilets stopped flushing due to area water cut-off. - no phones in rooms to call front desk - the room in the back that holds luggage had wet floors, soaking wet. A few material bags got wet on the bottom. - Wifi is a complete disaster. Overall assessment is that we will never ever stay at this place again. Just that simple. read more

Not a bad deal all things considered. If you're picky about your hotel room in Avalon you'll pay dearly. Not all rooms have bathrooms. You have to go down or across the hall. Priced right, the affordable alternate. read more

OMG. Totally more than I could have hoped for after some ridiculous negative reviews. This place is: Quirky, Fun, Inexpensive (see, I didn't use a negative word like "cheap"), Service-Oriented, unique, and so cute! So maybe adjectives I needed the colon (:)! They have rentable SCUBA storage units! We hung our gear out to dry (after we used their cleaning station an rinse buckets (yay!) They have kitchens in the apartment-like rooms! They have views! They have the Safeway right next door so you can cook your own meals! The staff there was excellent- we had an early check in, and really late check out - we just HAD to go diving again - and it was no big deal! The staff there was soooooo amazing, and I was sooooo happy with everything, this broke chick right here left a tip for the front desk. If you think I know these people and I'm writing a good review for them, that's most certainly not the case. I just LOVED my experience. Sure, the place is old and not very quiet, but everything was clean and we had super friendly neighbors that we actually hung out with. Epic. And can't wait to come back!!!! read more

This was mine and my bf's first trip to Catalina and although I'm more of the "roll with the punches, make the most of it" one in the relationship, him not so much. He usually loses sleep if he's not in his own bed. Since I'm always the planner it's hard to book a decent hotel that's not going to break my bank. Baller on a budget, k! And trust me we've had horrific past experiences! (see my "heritage marina hotel" review...last years bday experience and the reason why i created a yelp account") Needless to say, this hotel is adorable. Customer service is ON POINT. I emailed back n forth a bit with Mindy months ago when I booked and she gave me all the details on the rooms, things to do, etc. and even upgraded us. Once we arrived, Amanda greeted us with a Happy Birthday (to my bf; It was sweet that they noted that). and Justin at the front desk allowed us a late check out and was so friendly and informative on the different rooms that they have for our future visits. Bottom line this hotel is older, but offers the Catalina, "island-y" feel. You can go to a Four Seasons anywhere in the world and its nice, upscale, and EXPENSIVE...and they all probably look the same on the inside. You don't get that native feel. At Hermosa Hotel you definitely get that, which I love it, totally recommend it and will 100% return. read more

My boyfriend and I stayed in Cottage H during our visit to Avalon. The one star in this review is for the convenient location of the hotel and the friendly front-desk attendants. We LOVED Catalina, and we will definitely be back, but we will never stay here again, nor will we recommend this hotel to anyone we love...perhaps people we hate, though. I understand the historic/rustic state of the hotel. We were prepared for that. Stairs, no problem. No central heat/AC, no problem. The window blinds missing panels sucked, but not really a problem. MOLD in the shower and on the shower curtain, problem. One functioning light bulb out of three light bulbs, problem. Horrifyingly lumpy bed with a huge crater on the left side, problem. Enough coffee for one brew for the entire stay, problem. We stayed here three days, two nights. In my opinion, the review above denotes Hermosa Hotel deserves about two stars, but I would have given it a hopeful three, because I hate giving negative reviews. Unfortunately, I had to pull my review down to one star, because the final morning of our stay, construction five feet away from our windows started promptly at 8AM...and not just a little hammering here and there, jackhammering. Extreme, endless, jackhammering. The entire room was shaking. Our belongings were falling off the dresser because the room was vibrating. I understand the construction was not on Hermosa Hotel, and they couldn't do anything about it. But damn, you need to, at the very least, inform your guests about nearby construction and loud noise like that before they pay $120+ a night to stay in your hotel. That was unacceptable. We felt robbed. read more

This place is AWESOME! As some other reviewers have said, the accommodations are pretty bare bones, and the hotel is old; but that's a huge part of its charm. If you review the website or check Yelp ahead of time, you'll know exactly what to expect, so I'm not sure why some of the previous reviewers were so disappointed. What I loved: 1) Customer service is top notch. Chris was amazing in helping me secure my reservation, ferry tickets, and activities while on the island 2) The front desk staff was always friendly and willing to help 3) The location cannot be beat...just one block from the beach/main street 4) Old world charm...one of the coolest things about Catalina is its history, and staying at the Hermosa Hotel definitely takes you back in time 5) The room was small, but more than comfortable. The bed was great, the bathroom was clean, and the flat screen TV was a nice touch. And really, why would anyone need to stay in their room very long while visiting Catalina? There's so much to do there! We just needed a comfortable place to sleep. :) What I didn't like: 1) Nothing! I could say I didn't like the size of my room, but I knew it would be small, so I didn't really care. Whatever the Hermosa Hotel lacks in amenities, it makes up for in charm and superb service. I would and will recommend the Hermosa to everyone I know and I will definitely be back! read more

Stayed here with a Groupon package that included a two night stay with roundtrip boat-fare on the Catalina Flyer, Botanical Garden Tickets, two hour bike rental, and Catalina Island Museum tickets for $300 (including the island tax). There's two shuttles that take guests to and from the main dock where the Flyer disembarks. I went with a college bestie and we were put into Cottage J which had a good-sized mini-fridge, kitchenette, bar seating, air conditioner with two-hour timer, flatscreen, and two queen beds. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone over the age of 35 and established, but for the younger crowd staying for more than a night who needs somewhere comfortable and affordable, this is THE PLACE. What really clinched me was the front desk workers, who were young folks, probably long-time residents of Catalina. Every piece of advice they gave my friend and I were on point. Best happy hour? Sand Trap margarita pitchers and dollar tacos. Best snorkel rental place? Catalina Scuba Luv, $15 for 24hr rental. Going to Lover's Cove? BUY A BAG OF FROZEN PEAS. Those peas had me trailing whole schools of fish. On top of letting me have a noon check-out, they gave me an additional fifteen minutes of grace when I came racing in right at noon, having miscalculated our morning kayaking adventure. So friendly, helpful, and accommodating. CONS: The bathroom was pretty small, had poor circulation, and was pretty worn down. The shower drained really slow, so by the time your shower was over, your feet were waterlogged. This is to be expected when the hotel is like a hundred years old and probably has a hundred years worth of beach sand in the drain. The kitchen had cheap linoleum that is vaguely unpleasant on bare feet, but was at least clean. Some of the ceiling paint is pealing. The WIFI is pretty weak. PROS: The beds were actually comfy. I've slept in way worse beds landside in comparably priced hotels that were built way more recently. The sheets didn't reek of cleaner, but were definitely fresh. The front desk staff are super awesome and always willing to give you extra conditioner, soap bars, and advice abou the island. Complementary shuttles to the main docks. 10% your meal at Steve's Steakhouse for guests. The airconditioner really kept the room from getting stuffy. You could fit a bunch of stuff in the fridge if you're trying to save on food and booze. There's a complementary business/Facebook computer in the lobby to use. read more

My daughter, bf and I stayed here just last week. It was convenient to everywhere we needed to go. Vons just down the street was awesome. The front desk was so helpful and nice. We didn't get checked-in until 3pm but we were able to store our luggage so we didn't have to haul it around. Even after our check out we weren't leaving back to main land until 4pm, my daughter and I were able to take a shower and get ready at hotel even after check out which was very nice! Con-The room was just right for us, but the bathroom was very small. The shower was so tight I thought I was going to hurt myself. The WiFi there didn't work well at all. We were warned about it not reaching the cottages from the front desk. It was horrible services in the room. read more

I had 6 friends with me heading to Catalina for one night in peak season. Boy was it pretty much impossible to find ANYTHING under around $100 a person/$200 a room!!!! FOR ONE FREAKIN' NIGHT! I found this place through Yelp (thanks guys for commenting!) and decided to call b/c of the cottage situation. The person who helped me was just terrific-so friendly! They were sold out of cottages, but then gave me a sweet deal ($42 a person) for actually Queen Bed hotel rooms!!! I was so elated! The rooms are pretty tiny and do not have AC plus they have shared bathrooms. This worked out totally fine for 4 of us as we knew each other, but my other friends were worried they were going to have to share a bathroom with strangers so I can see where that's not good. The doors lock, but I can see that being awkward. We checked out early and they have a great room to store bags as you continue to wander around the island. They also have these great shower/changing rooms to use even after you check out in case you go to the beach! Amazing. Overall this place is low budget, but totally works for those on a budget that would rather spend money on booze and snorkeling! read more

Ah yes...this place. I stayed in one of the cottages with a Groupon for two nights. This hotel is definitely beat down and old, but they don't proclaim to be anything other than a budget hotel with the bare essentials. That being said, it's still rather uncomfortable and gross being here. In the cottages, the doors don't shut properly, so there are large gaps between the door and its frame. Bugs, anyone? Slugs? Ew. Of course there is nothing the staff can do about this...except maybe put new doors in, which is quite the chore. The cottages are drafty and either super hot or super cold, depending on the weather outside. It's kind of like sleeping outside, actually. I can hear, feel, and experience everything that is happening outside. It was cold at night so we made use of the electric blanket, which actually worked really well. The cottages also have a ghetto kitchen, which we never used. The shower is teeny, but it gets the job done...and turns the entire cottage into a sticky hot sauna. The bed was alright...I've been in worse. BUT (and that's a big but)...this place is CHEAP, and you really only use it for sleeping (or trying to sleep) and showering. Other than that you are out and about exploring the island (or should be). This is essentially a locker to drop your things so they don't get stolen (though I'm sure a strong wind could break down the door). That being said, I'd rather pay slightly more for a much nicer place at anywhere else on the island. read more

Worst place I have ever paid to stay including a Motel 6. Pubic hair on the floor, blood on the comforter and a bugger stuck to the wall which I had to scrub off. I forgot there was mildew on two of the pillow cases. Tell management and they do nothing to correct it. They finally changed the comforter on the need but the two pillows with mildew were still in the room. Again went to the feint desk and I brought the pillowcases down.Jaime argued worth my wife that the pillows weren't in the room when he checked the room. The hair was still on the floor and I feel the management doesn't really care. Don't stay here it is not the most dive friendly place even though they advertise it. An expensive weekend I wish I had back. Would give zero stars if possible. read more

It seems that most people would stay only, because they thought that they were getting a really good deal out of this. The stay was disappointing--even for people with Groupons. The website fooled me. I thought were going to be able to have a kitchen in our standard cottage, but we didn't get one. The refrigerator was tiny and louder than the TV. The bed took up 90% of the room, which made it difficult to walk around the room. The bathroom was kind of danky. The shower automatically turned off every 2 minutes or so, so I had to constantly turn the knob to ensure I can wash off all my shampoo off my hair. I'm not sure if this was their method of forcing us to conserve water. We found what looked like to be blood stains on the bed and pillow :/ The room was super hot. Everything was run down and looked so old. It was extremely loud. The walls were very thin. Windows did not block any sound at all. The place was really small. Their flat screen TV is almost the size of my 17" monitor. The TV remote wasn't working too well. Luckily, I was prepared and brought a VGA and aux cable to watch some stuff off of my own laptop to connect to their TV--although it would have been no different if I had watched it off of my laptop screen anyway, since it's the same size... PROS: The lobby is opened 24 hours so that you can get decent wifi any time of the day. Even if you don't have your computer, you can borrow theirs for a few minutes, as long as there is someone at the counter. Located right next to VONS. I left one of my shirts in the room after I checked out. I contacted them and found it for me. They sent it over to my residence back home for $5 + postage. THANK YOU! I would give this 1 star, but they have pretty good customer service. read more

It's nothing fancy, it is rather old. They had a nice bed and T.V., and Bathroom. Pretty small room, but hey your not there to spend your whole time in the hotel. We did a Groupon which was nice, and yes if i went back i would stay. I just gave it 3 stars cause it was a place to rest my head and nothing stood out to me about it. I would suggest staying here better for your dollar, if your not big on the fancy things. read more