I booked a 4-night stay here through Expedia and was very satisfied with my experience. Very reliable and accommodating staff. I believe it was Akshay who helped me check in. I told him I preferred a quieter room away from foot traffic. He assigned me Room 215 on the second floor, facing away from the busier street. It was very quiet and although I could hear voices and the tv from the room next door, the walls were thick enough that it wasn't a bother. I also appreciated that my fellow guests were considerate with their noise levels. The room and bathroom were very clean and tidy. You could tell they just sanitized the bathroom because it smelled of bleach when I came in. They also have a water refill station, an ice machine, and a washer and dryer in case you need to do laundry. Very convenient. My first day there, I noticed a draft from the door and you could actually see the gap. That day was particularly windy, so I was worried it'd be too cold to sleep at night. Surprisingly, the room stayed relatively warm throughout my stay, despite it being chilly outside. I highly suggest dressing in warm pajamas and socks like I did though, especially if you're coming during cooler months. At one point, I couldn't shut my door because the nail came loose in the door jamb. I also realized the turntable in my microwave didn't work, so I called front desk to address these issues. I can say that every time I called front desk for help, they answered quickly and attended to my concerns without any fuss. They came and fixed my door and replaced the broken microwave with a new one. All in all, this place was a great, affordable option despite some of the setbacks. I'll definitely book here again the next time I visit. Thank you guys for having me and making my first trip to Monterey a wonderful one! read more

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Multiple Safety Concerns Look at picture attachments before purchasing, they scammed us and wouldn't answer after leaving us without water for half a day. This place should be condemned! You couldn't pay me to stay here again! Metal rusted chunks in our hair from shower. Absolutely disgraceful! We have been coming here for years and will never come here again, extremely poor management now. We should be completely refunded. Tried to call about a hot water heater issue. After one night without hot water, a single technician came in the room to try to address the issue at 11:00am the next day completely high on weed, made the entire room smell entire time. Because he smelled like weed around both my kid's, I told my wife that we need to go while he's here. Took them to the peer and traveled to Oceanside. We were gone until 3:00pm. After 4hrs we came back, we needed had to use the bathroom because all the Beach bathrooms had people living right outside them we couldn't use them before we left. So, we get back to the room with my children dancing around as I put in the code to go into our room we paid $700 dollars for three days, the tech was nowhere to be found and tools covered my bathroom floor, water was off and no water in toilet to go to the bathroom. After requesting on the website to have a separate room until it's fixed to use bathroom, the lady said a technician is on the way. We had to use water bottles to fill the toilet to allow my children to pee and I had to hold mine because we used all of our water bottles to fill it. Tech came after 20 minutes after getting a number to call office because they have nobody onsite, all paperless, she said, technician will be there shortly, said sorry then hung up on my wife. Technician came after clearly just smoked a blunt and reeking of weed, after 2 hours of back and forth he said it was done. I don't care if he knew what he was doing, but all he did was make chunks metal continuously come out and clearly needed help as he turned water on and was spraying water down the wall to room below. This will create bio contamination, black mold in walls without treatment. He made the problem worse. The sink in front still will not even pour water from hot water. This was the worst vacation I've ever had, I only get one per year and will never waste it here again. I look to hold them accountable. We will be booking the Marriott caddy corner S/W from now on. For $700, you get three nights, full breakfast, ocean view, a hot tub on the beach, early check in and valet parking. We came here because previously, we were able to pay $20 to check in early, people were great, always attentive and new management has nobody at the office because they are too cheap to hire staff in office to check in, they would not allow us in until exact time and accused my wife of raising her voice at her because she was confused. We're not allowed to ask why you don't check in early? Safety Concerns: Mold in walls, blood spots of contamination on front and back of door to bathroom upon arrival, handrails directly outside room unsafe with loose hardware and could fall easily, eroded stairs on south side causing fall/trip/collapse hazard's they are not safe, light fixtures missing with wires hanging out, electric covers open to electrical shock, electric socket burnt out creating yet another electric shock hazard, mouse hole in front door, dog's barking out back all night long, towels have what looked like pee on it, water soaked walls with drywall bubbling creating possible mold. Corroded pipes spraying rusty metal on heads, chunks of rusty pipes in bathtub. Workers on drugs in front of my kids and making our room smell like weed. Pictures are attached of all, proving that I am not lying. Conclusion: What a waste of hard earned $$$$$, a year of saving for this trip to visit Sea World and see the sights. Now my kid's say they never want to come back to California. Thanks a lot Sandcastle Inn. This was an absolute nightmare. You could offer a lifetime of free stay's and I would not even consider it! read more

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TL;DR: * NO PARKING unless you pay them $7 * NO AC * NO DESK CLERK FOR 11 HOURS - What is a paying customer to do if something goes wrong? It's unbelievable that they would do this. Unbelievable. * THEY STEAL $100 DIRECTLY FROM YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT OR CREDIT CARD AND THEN LIE TO YOU ABOUT IT (via gaslighting language: "You were not charged. You need to call your bank." Folks, look at this photo. THEY DEFINITELY CHARGE YOUR ACCOUNT.) UPDATEB THEY TOOK AN ADDITIONAL $84 FROM MY CHECKING ACCOUNT yesterday. I left 2 days ago. THEY ARE THIEVES, AND THEY DON'T ANSWER THEIR PHONE. The 2 stars are for the employees who were kind. (Update: Rating lowered to 1 star because of the unbelievable GASLIGHTING of which I was just made victim. They STEAL YOUR MONEY and call it an "incidental charge". No, it's thievery. I never agreed to be CHARGED AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT.) I could NEVER recommend that a person who doesn't want to get robbed stay here. THEY STOLE $100 directly from my checking account after I was told that it was just a "hold" in case I trashed the place or ate the candy or drank the water. "Incidentals", they call it. I NEVER agreed to pay them an ADDITIONAL $100. This is a rotten business, and I deserve none of this BS. THEY ABANDON THE PROPERTY FOR 11 HOURS EVERY NIGHT AND MORNING. From 9pm to 10am, there are NO EMPLOYEES. How can they get away with this? You can leave any number of messages till you have run out of words. No one is going to call you back. I DIDN'T EVEN LEAVE A SPECK OF TRASH , as I packed it out with me so that the cleaning people did not have to do much and would not have to waste a plastic bag. I used one floor towel, one bath towel, and one washcloth. I slept in the bed. I used some electricity from the ceiling fan. Why should that cost $100? Why was I charged at all? At no time was I told that they would charge me. I did not sign any document that said that the room was going to cost me $100 more than advertised. I was told that it was a hold in case I did something like damage something or if I ate a $3 chocolate bar. And what happened was that this EMPTIED my bank account. So everything I paid for after the hotel stay was an additional fee of $4 from my bank, and the varying fees from the entities I paid. $20 here, $25 there. And because this all went on without my knowing, I have now ended up spending over $300 for one night in a hotel with no air conditioning, with smoking right outside my room, with loud televisions in neighboring rooms on shared, paper-thin walls, noise from locals on homemade crotch rockets, noise from dogs and children in the hotel behind the property, and light coming in through the blinds. I don't know how people can afford to live in this hotel, but it seemed that there was at least one room that was a permanent residence. This woman stands in her doorway or sits on a beach chair outside the room with her dog and smokes outside of the designated smoking area. I saw her at all hours of the night and day and in the middle of the night. It was damn creepy. I woke up in the middle of the night and needed something from my car. She was there. She was there before I went to bed. She was there when I woke up and left. Just standing there and smoking. Pretty creepy. They should make it extremely clear and not hard to find that they do not have air conditioning, that they charge $7 for parking, and that it will cost you an additional $100. And they say, only AFTER you freak out and complain, that it's going to be as long as a WEEK (!) before they put YOUR MONEY BACK. If they do this to me, I will be in such tremendous financial difficulty, that I won't be able to get out of it unless somebody loans me money. I am irate. I'm disgusted. I feel gaslighted. I feel robbed. I am beyond disappointed. I'm disgusted. And if this does not get resolved today, I'm going to press and press and press. There is nothing like the ire of a generous and honest and compassionate person. If you push my type too far, we will do everything we can for justice. I am absolutely livid. read more

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While the location was convenient and the room was reasonably clean, my overall experience at the hotel was quite disappointing. I completed the pre-check-in link they sent, as they warned that failure to do so would prevent me from receiving the access code. However, when I arrived at the door with my child and all of our belongings, the code still didn't work. When I called the number provided, they informed me that they had sent another link requesting a deposit, which I found confusing since this wasn't communicated at the same time as the check-in link. As a result, I ended up waiting outside the door for a while, trying to join an important work related Zoom meeting while waiting for them to lift the hold. Once they finally granted me entry, I discovered that the Wi-Fi in the room wasn't working. While they offered to fix it, this was two hours after my check-in and request for assistance with the wifi issue, and by then, the meeting was already over. Additionally, I encountered another issue: the adjoining door to the neighboring room was paper-thin. At 4:30 in the morning on the day before Thanksgiving, the guests next door were playing their music loudly, making it impossible for us to sleep. Attempts to call or text the number given for urgent issues were pointless at this hour as they never replied, leaving us to endure the excessive noise just when we needed rest before the holiday gathering. To make things worse when I finally spoke to a live person after the loud music on the first night she said the manager was going to refund the first night but "because I wrote a bad review now he's not going to do so. Because a bad review is bad for business." Not only that, now it's the second night at 4:21 a.m. Music is playing once more same neighbors. She said she talked to them and explained the policy the first night. Clearly that was not effective. These people should have been removed after the first violation. Shoddy business practices all around. read more

Stayed here last year, friendly staff, nice beach. Affordable. Clean and close to San Diego attractions

I am giving this 3 stars because of their rates, $390-400 a night is outrages. Hampton Inn is less expensive as is the Marriott across the street. Sand Castle used to have rooms for $189, then all the sudden it doubled. I used to stay there every year because of the price, clean rooms, friendly staff and atmosphere, but now they have priced me out...and when I call the lady says they are going through renovations, which makes no sense. read more

Horrific check in process. I emailed three times asking if I could check in half an hour early. No response. No one at front desk when I tried to check in at 3:30. Went to room, code wouldn't work. Had to track down a lovely woman, a maid, who helped me open the room. Then an email, please come to front desk so we can use your credit card for security purposes. I go the front desk, still no one there. I go back to my room, door code doesn't work. And it goes on. Also, unless you're standing, and very tall, there is no ocean view. Expedia, by the way, was absolutely no help whatsoever. What else is new? read more

Nobody works the front desk, the whole time we're here. Remote communication only, check-in code given over the phone. Didn't get WiFi password until the 2nd day. We only stayed 2 days. The worst thing is we woke up after the first night and realized we didn't have any towels in the room. No front desk person to ask for towels. When we finally got caught up with the cleaning lady, we asked for towels , we got no apology for not having any towels. She spoke perfect English just in case anybody's wondering. Shower had no pressure and barely gets warm. There were some OK things, but do you really want to hear them at this point ? read more

I read all the other reviews and just to be fair, I found my room clean and tighty. The negatives: small rooms, bare bones accommodations for the price, no AC, my room was outdated other than the flat screen tv. The lamp by my bed did not have a knob to turn it on so i grabbed a pair of pliers from my truck to make it work ($.50 purchase for the hotel, or just replace the lamp with a Wal-Mart special for $10). The unfortunate thing is, there are no other hotels other than the new Pier South Resort across the street ( $300 a night). I think they had a monopoly and still do if your looking for a room under $150. Location is fantastic. I guess you can consider that you paid $100 for a crappy room, now you have $200 left over to eat and drink at the Pier South's Sea 180° . Maybe you'll drink enough you won't care about your room. read more

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Place is a dump! We stayed with family members, I wanted to leave the minute we arrived. Room were in desperate need of renovations. Pictures online are accurate. Floors were dirty, vanity has been caulked to make it stay in place which did not work. Bathroom window had bird poop on the inside of the window. I would never recommend this place, stay at your own risk. read more

Room was really small. Bed and restroom appeared clean. Walls paper thin so you can hear everything and everyone. Housekeeping has Zero care you might be sleeping at 7am and you can hear the staff talking and laughing amongst each other as well as talking on their cell phones! Thankfully we only booked for 1 night. read more

The only reason it gets one star is because the location was great! Other then that, this was the worst place I could ever imagine staying. It was dirty, smelly and the staff gave me cleaning supplies. There was also spiders! Unfortunately there was no availability across the street to stay, or we would have left. Do not even consider staying here for your family's safety. My daughter got bitten in the face by a spider and because of the dirty room, she got MRSA. Yes, the flesh eating bacteria. There was blood underneath one of the pillow cases, the floors were dirty and I cleaned them. There were also ants all over the bath tub! And the toilet upon arrival, had puke on the lower part of it. Worst of all, the management did not seem to care. I hope they get it together, because this place has a lot of potential. It could be quite charming. read more

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My wife and I stayed at this hotel last night. It had to be one of the worst hotel stays we've ever had. For starters, the place was filthy dirty,and there was no air conditioning. The bed was one of the most uncomfortable I've ever slept in. Combine that with the heat of the room and the fact there were 20 something's next door partying most of the night; needless to say, we didn't get much sleep. On top of that, we tried to call with complaints only to find out that there's no one even attending the front desk from around 8pm till 6am. read more

I'm leaving this review for my father, as I was not actually a customer and he asked me to write this. Other reviews on here have detailed about them changing the price for people who show up despite whatever the reservation was for, and the same thing happened to him. They changed the price to a higher one when he got there, but my father still continued with the reservation. The front desk also argued with my father about the type of room he wanted (he wanted two beds, not one) but they insisted that he had called and asked specifically for that. They insisted that it was HIM who called and made the reservation. Obviously this wasn't true, considering my father's secretary had actually been the one to make it. Needless to say, my father did not appreciate being called a liar on something so trivial. They also did NOT accommodate him, and forced him to keep a one bed room. The rooms are in decent shape, and come with most things. It's great if you're in the area to go sightseeing and won't spend much time in the room. Everything seemed to work, and besides the first interaction with the reservation, everything was good. The only other downside was that the rooms come with a list of rules with heavy fines attached to them. So be careful when staying here. read more

Owners only care about the revenue, not guests. I booked and prepaid on Bedfinder. When we arrived there was no one at the front desk and the door was locked. I rang the bell but no one came. I then call the phone number and was told to wait. The female owner came to the front desk and said that she had cancelled my prepaid reservation and that she will give me the smallest room for $159/nite. After over 70 minutes, when Bedfinder called to clear up the billing she demanded $189 prepaid from them to allow me into a room. By then I had to find another room so that my wife and I could get ready for dinner so we are out our money. The owner was unpleasant to me and the travel agency. Was solely focused on maximizing her room rate. Be careful read more

If you are only looking for a place right across from the beach...this is it. If you are looking for a place with paper thin towels, Non lathering soap and small foil packets of shampoo,this is your place. If you are looking for a place that charges you to park in the Motel(not an Inn) parking lot then this is the place. Small bathroom with nowhere to set down your towels.peeling paint on walls.When I asked why they charge to park I was told" that's just how it is in San Diego!" Everybody charges" Fist of all downtown San Diego charges because they have parking garages and parking meters and they are a city !. Imperial beach has all free parking in the town...no meters,IB isn't San Diego. If this motel was $75 a night,I would say it was an okay deal.However,I stayed 3 nights and spent $337.99. After just moving from this town after living there for a year I can tell you that you will deal with way too many homeless people and absolutely filthy sidewalks due to all the A-holes who leave dog feces all over. Total dog friendly town has some drawbacks unfortunately ! All part of what you get when you stay at this motel.Hope this helps. read more

Am I the only one that travels with Lysol and my own sheets and blanket? Because that would simply fix most of the negative reviews. Yeah, the furniture and decor is a bit outdated, but I didn't come for a luxurious room - this Arizona girl came for the beach and I got way more than I asked (I should say PAID) for. I can't complain about such a value. The beach is less than a 60 second walk from my room. I fell asleep to waves and cooked breakfast while watching the beach goers from my window. I cannot believe how lucky I was. Shops, eateries, convenience stores just steps away and only a 10 min drive to the nearest Walmart. I felt like a local in this trendy safe town. I can be a bit of a germaphobe, so regardless of where I stay I take cleanliness into my own hands. They already had WHITE sheets, pillow cases, and towels, so I didn't worry much about that. Bonus point. I did use my own blanket to cover up, and covered the couch with the blanket they had provided. I disinfected the remote, every handle, and all surfaces like I normally do. Hotel carpet freaks me out, and I'll never walk barefoot - so I was pleased to find red stone tile instead. Bonus point. I even opened the door to find a lit scented candle waiting for me. Bonus point. All of my basic standards were met. Anyone looking for more can surely head across the street to the hotel at $100's a night. The shower was HOT and STAYED hot forever. The water pressure was so relieving, that I haven't had a good shower since. They said there was a plumbing issue with the room I originally reserved, but I wouldn't have known the difference because they made sure to put me in a similar room with no hassle. I stressed to them that I needed a room with a stove to cook my meals, and they obliged. It also had a full size fridge and microwave. Honestly, I probably lucked out with a better room in the end. I would suggest bringing your own cooking utensils and I luckily packed paper plates and plastic utensils - I'm always prepared. There are all sorts of Lime bikes nearby and I took full advantage. Parking was right there, free wifi, and cable! Nikki, the manager, was friendly and even checked me in at 1:00am (I did discuss this in advance). I'll be back soon! I might make this a regular destination. read more

We stayed here for 2 days with my family the penthouse is very big and has a full kitchen. If u plan on apartment type this is it but a full hotel type no. Bring beach towels for sure. Nice staff but very loud neighborhood and lots of transients beach was good right across the motel. No a.c. but lots of Windows read more

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I came to San Diego from Los Angeles on a last minute trip for my dog rescue. Things were frantic. But the staff here was so sweet and accommodating... I dropped off my pups with the vet for their surgeries, and then came to see if I could get an early check in. The team here went out of their way to try and help me get in before the standard check in time (yes, it's off season, but still...they had rules and patrons in the rooms, but they were still amazing). Also, I just wanted a very quiet evening, and was placed next to a family with children that were having a ton of fun. When I asked to be moved to a more quiet room/environment if that was possible, staff didn't blink an eye....they immediately did all they could and placed me in a new room (an upgrade too...what?) Just can't say enough about this team here. From house-cleaning to management...great team. FANTASTIC team. And yes, this is an older motel, not 5-star stuff, yes it's not for anybody who demands room service or are entitled little brats...but it couldn't be a better location. Tons of things to do around here or do nothing if you just want peace and tranquility. When it comes to customer service and respect, this team is A-1. And that's coming from a person who used to live in NYC and spent $15,000 per month on 5-star treatment at the AKA. read more

The location is very convenient. It's literally steps from the beach, shopping and good restaurants. The room was clean and had a fridge, coffee maker, silverware, etc. It's definitely no frills but we're ok with that. The room could use some repairs and updating. The baseboards are pulling away from the wall and look ugly. There is no ac. The large fan and ceiling fan kept us cool except the first night was fairly hot but bearable. We sleep with a fan for white noise so that was great. The staff was very nice. A hot tub would be nice. Since it's right on the street it's very noisy til about midnight. Bring ear plugs. The room is over priced but you are paying for a convenient location. read more

This hotel is about 5 minute walk to the beach but the hotel itself is extremely small and the walls are super thin. My boyfriend and I could be watching tv and hear someone in the other room taking a shower... Probably wouldn't stay here again but the staff here was extremely nice and friendly. read more

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we had the distinct misfortune to stay at this dump for several days during a family Christmas get-together in 2014. It is simply not possible to overstate the filthy state of the the rooms. For whatever reason, they are not being cleaned. We had a kitchenette type unit, there were giant stains, grease, dust, dirt and general filth on the walls and other surfaces, not to mention a large squashed bug that looked suspiciously like a roach splayed on one of the kitchen walls. The floors were so filthy that we had to clean our feet before getting into the bed. There was an active spider nest hanging directly over the tub. The kitchen chairs could only be described an inexecrably filthy (I have posted a photo). There was a used bandaid stuck to the nightstand next to the bed. I have posted several photos that show the dirty walls, floor and other surfaces. The window shades were a) filthy and b) did not work, so the room was dark, which was actually an advantage given the slovenly state of the room. My wife tried to open the front blinds and the entire transom came careening off the wall at her; upon inspection it was obvious that the whole affair had been carefully balanced on edge and was just waiting for some innocent to try and open the blinds. This nasty surprise included quite a cloud of greasy dust. The was no room service, no cleaning, no fresh towels. We had to ask for toilet paper. To add insult to injury, the rooms my family rented were not the least bit cheap. As I said, we were somewhat desperate and this is a great example of what can happen to desperate people. This looks like it might have once been a nice property, and it has quite obvious potential given the location. But unless you enjoy vacationing in a grimy dustbin, I would very strongly recommend steering clear of this place. read more

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Got a good deal on another site. Room was in decent shape with typical beach weathering. The ceiling fan light was broken away from the fan housing and just hanging down. The bed wasn't the most comfortable bed but it did the trick for one night. Nice amenities in the room such as microwave, refrigerator, and sink. I'd stay again for the price I paid but not sure if I'd pay what tgey ask for on their website. read more

This place is located right across from the beach, which is why it received the one star. Other than that, this place is overpriced, especially for the outdated decor, ripped furniture, and uncomfortable beds. To begin with, the bed was uncomfortable... then around 7 am the neighbors in the back decided to play around in the batting cages. It sounded like a ball was hitting the back wall over and over and over again.... for the price I paid, I was better off staying at the pier south. Unfortunately, it was booked so I resorted to this place... If you're trying to sleep... don't even bother staying here. Never again. read more

Location is excellent, walk across the street and you are at the beach. The two stars are for location only. The room was small but cute, reminded me of a some places I have stayed in Mexico or Central America. Not the cleanest room, under the bed was filthy and there was a thick layer of dust on the bathroom light fixture. Holes in the sheets, fugly shower, thin walls, etc. etc. That didn't bother me as much as the fact they basically ripped my friend off. She made the reservation, and when we got there we checked in and paid. After a bit she realized that the amount seemed too high. I asked her if she had her confirmation email but she didn't. She went back to the office to find out what was up. She came back and told me that they did overcharge her (she paid for a room with a kitchenette when all we had was a standard queen) but since they already ran the credit card there was nothing they could do. So, they admitted to overcharging her but would not refund her the difference. She was offered a credit towards her next stay. My friend is pretty laid back and did not want to make a fuss. We both are in the service industry and this kind of attitude is unacceptable where we work. If I overcharged someone and then tried to tell them sorry, can't help you, but here's a credit for next time....I would probably be fired. There is a big new Marriott hotel being built right in that same area. While I would rather support a family (or at least non-corporate) owned business, in this case I doubt I will ever come back. read more

Extremely NASTY!!!! I have never stayed at a place with rooms as dirty as these! No it wasn't just our room either because we talked with a few other people and their rooms were in horrible condition as well. The towels all had different color stains all over them , the blankets were stained, everything was mismatch in the room from the towels to the dishes and the bedding. The filth in the room I can't even express in words!!! Oh yea not to mention there is no hot water or air conditioning in any of the rooms!!! Really?? Right after we checked in and went to our room to see how it was we went right back up to the desk and asked if we can just get our money back due to the room not being close to how it was advertised and they literally laughed and said sorry ready the sign! Well there was a little hand written sign that stated absolutely bi refunds! I have a feeling I wasn't the first to ask for my money back. The next morning we left for baseball came back and our room wasn't serviced. They said you must request a maid! Wow okay?? I don't like doing reviews but definitely wanted to make people aware of this place! Almost forgot, the beach is just as bad, our kids went out and played a little while later a lifeguard came out telling everyone to get out if the water right away due to severe contamination??? There should be no contact with the water at all!!! Wth okay I rushed the kids back to the room for a cold shower!! read more

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Are you kidding me? This only this it has going for it is that it is across the street from the beach. Mildew in shower, bugs under the bed, dirty towels. No thanks! read more

This place is disgusting! I wish there was a no star option. EVERYTHING IS FILTHY! The room stinks! The bed is old creaky and falling apart. Stay away! read more

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What a jewel in the best part of Imperial Beach. From outside your room you can see the ocean. The manager is super nice and friendly. The rooms were clean and equipped with a small kitchen area; refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and sink. You are also walking distance to all the stores, bars, and restaurants on Seacoast Drive. I will definitely make this my primary place of stay during my future visits. read more

This hotel is great! It's an amazing location with an old-timey feel to it. The manager, Nikki, is very nice and helpful. Compared to Pier South across the street, it's definitely more affordable and there are no extra charges for Parking or Wifi! There are many amazing restaurants, cafés and bars near by and almost all of them are walking distance! Not to mention the beach is right outside your door and there are comfy lawn chairs to relax on right outside your room! The Penthouse is extremely spacious and has a full kitchen and an amazing view of the beach! 10/10 would reccomend! read more

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Mikey K is (CORRECT) Sand Castle Inn is the best kept secret... My faimly and I LOVED staying here very kid friendly. It's like staying in a apartment complex we went grocery shopping at Posta Market 5 mins away from the hotel very easy to find. Bought carna asada and all the fixings went back to the room and used the BBQ grills to cook and had a grand old time with some nice ice cold coronas. Waking up and going to bed hearing the ocaen was amazing. This is no over priced Fu Fu place this is good old fashion laid back kick up your feet and enjoy the weather and your sourdings. Its also true that everything is really 15 to 20 mins. away that is also a PLUS. I really didnt want to share becuse I too think it should reamin our lil secert. The staff is very pleasent and polit. I had the best time EVER we stood from 07/22/13 - 07/25/13 read more

Great location but that's where the fun ends. We had no trouble in February getting a room in the front area of the motel. The room was rather dirty with dust bunnies on the walls, on the window sills and under the bed. Some mold in the bathroom as well. There was a coffee or food drip of some sort running down the cupboards below the microwave. The bed was comfortable however there were a few stains on the sheets, I thought they might change the sheets the next day, they did not, they just made up the bed. When I pulled the sheets back to have a look at the mattress I noticed a few long hairs from previous guests. Kinda gross. Says a lot for their lack of cleanliness. When it was time to sleep, I flick off the TV and start to sleep, about an hour later I am awoken by some dude in the next unit who was apparently a late check in who is now snoring like a bear. My girlfriend also wakes up and we are amused at how loud it is. It was as if he was sleeping in our room! Needless to say it was a very sleepless night. The next morning we could hear those people next door gathering their things and leaving. The next night again a late check in next door. This guy was watching TV then suddenly we hear RiiiiiiiiiiP !!! The guy farts and then lets out a sigh of relief..."Aahhhhh". NICE! I'm just hoping he doesn't snore. Well, he does, not as loud as the dude the night before but loud enough to keep me awake. So i get up and turn on the antique wall heater to create some white noise to drown out the snoring next door. That seemed to work. When we checked out the very nice girl working the desk (I believe this is a family operation) asks me how everything was. I told her of the paper thin walls and the snoring that kept me up. She says they try to have one room of separation whenever possible but that it wasn't possible this weekend and "sorry" Sorry? $125.00 per night. You are in the hospitality business, how about thickening those walls and cleaning the place up some, you know, take some pride in the ownership of your business. We loved the location, right across the street from the beach. But next time I will spend $20 more per night and stay in a condo on the beach and hope for better luck. "Sorry" read more

I give this place 5 stars considering the following. The people are really nice. The rooms are clean. It is the best deal you can find on the beach in San Diego. Oh yeah, and did I mention it is on the beach? Granted that everything is pretty standard (furniture and appliances), it is the most quaint hotel boutique I've ever stayed at. Me and my wife stayed at this hotel for a few months because I was stationed here and I was looking for a place to stay. They gave us a good deal because we were there for months. Because of the friendly atmosphere, I would always let my family from out of town stay here whenever they come to visit and I always recommend this place to my buddies who are looking to lodge relatives and friends. The staff is really friendly and they made sure that we were ok after the earthquake, so I felt like they cared more about us than our business. They would also do sweet things such as give us flowers during special holidays. My wife and I always appreciated those simple gestures. Great people. Great rooms. I don't need to say more. read more

If Yelp had a "Minus Zero Star" rating for reviews I would use it for the Sand Castle Inn. As is a single star is as low as you can go, and you can't post a review without a rating, so this place gets a better rating than it should at one-star. What was supposed to be a nice family get-together over Christmas was tainted by a stay at the repugnant Sand Castle Inn. We needed accommodations close to a family member's home in Imperial Beach, and struck out with VRBO, Air BnB, and the only other hotel in IB given late planning. Other hotels were available in Chula Vista and points east, but generally places were booked. So, by default, we ended up at the Sand Castle Inn. First, note that most of the images here are out of date, and very likely posted by the owner. At least the nice-looking ones. The place looks NOTHING like these images. Second, read the unpublished reviews. I have no idea why the majority of the reviews are hidden, but read them. Most mirror our experience. There is no way to adequately describe the squalor and the generally dilapidated condition of this place. There is a staff, but they are clearly not cleaning or maintaining. What's interesting is that from the outside, at a distance, the Sand Castle Inn looks like it might be a decent local motel. You have to get a little closer to get a sense of what is so very wrong with the place. The exterior doors are corroded and use standard metal door keys which can be easily duplicated at any hardware store. For that reason I left nothing in the room. The windows: filthy. The outdoor furniture: old and moldy. There is an inexplicable cabana filled with trash. Paint was flaking off the walls in sheets like blistered skin. Between the two buildings is a small yard filled with lawn furniture that would be best described as trash, and ancient grill that is so rusted I was impressed that it remains standing. The best feature was a busted up fountain that long ago stopped running, was littered with butts and upon which someone has placed a belt buckle for decoration. That list goes on for a bit but you get the general idea. Once inside you are confronted with utter filth. The rooms are not being cleaned between guests it appears. The walls, windows, sills, blinds, ceiling fan, etc. are all filthy. The sheets were stained sufficiently that I opted to bring linens from my family's home. I used the sheet as a bath mat as one was not provided, and the unsealed tile floors are so disgusting that I dared not set a bare foot upon them. There were no towels. Cobwebs, the remains of squashed bugs, spiders lingering in the corners etc. were in evidence everywhere. The 'fridge was old and rusty, and clattered away under an equally thrift-store microwave. Every flat surface was filthy. The ceiling fan was coated in a thick layer of grime and was corroding away in the salt air. Laughably there are signs in the room advising that anything stolen from the rooms will be added to the guests bill. Who would steal the junk they call furnishings? Funny. In sum however, this mess was better than the bathroom. The list of woes in the bathroom is epic: The toilet was not secured to the floor and wobbled when sat upon. The framed art was molding from the inside, the frame filthy. The towel rack and a little shelf on which the complimentary shampoo etc. sat were loose and seemed to be barely clinging to the wall. The floor was truly repulsive. There were spider webs and grunge in the corners. The tub was ringed by black mold, and included inexplicable stains. The tub fixture was missing a handle making turning on the shower a impossible unless you had reasonably strong and dry hands. Mold ringed the bathroom walls and the ceiling in gray patches. The window sill was moldy and the window screen so chocked with grunge that fresh air was barely able to pass through. That there was no hair dryer etc. was no surprise. What is really amazing is that given the condition, the place is not inexpensive. Certainly the price is not in keeping with the quality. It's a shame given the location, which is stellar. Why some enterprising hotelier hasn't snatched this place up and turned it in to the kind of boutique hotel it's so capable of being is a real mystery. read more

The walls on the eastern side are very thin . We heard our neighbors in next room fighting all night.

The only thing this place has going for it is location. Right across the street from the beach. Other than that it was the worst experience I've had. I stayed here one month on military orders and the maid never came in once. There was no toilet paper when I arrived, I had to go to the desk and ask for coffee filters, garbage bags and trade in my own towels. The shower curtain is old and torn up, the refrigerator is leaking profusely, the WiFi is out of range inside the room.... there was no coffee mugs steak knifes and the coffee maker didn't even work. The landscaping isn't maintained and the patio furniture might give you tetnis. I actually washed my own sheets. There are also ants in the bathroom and half the light bulbs are out. I could keep going but I'm bored now. Don't stay here if you're trying to enjoy a vacation. I'm working so it wasn't a huge deal. read more

I am a veteran and NIKI called me 12 hours before check in time and canceled my reservation through a voicemail for someone who was willing to pay more. IT WAS VETERANS DAY! We had no place to stay because of her and when I walked into the office NIKI was rude, inconsiderate, nasty, and refused to help us find another room. I hope people share this and I hope they lose business. Niki was the manager so I can only imagine how the owner feels! read more

If you don't care about cleanliness or comfort this is the place for you. The location is amazing as its right across from the beach but it is Straight up GHETTO!! The bathtub looks like it's never been cleaned, the floors are dusty and dirty, the walls are full of spider webs. read more

1) fine for inexpensive overnite. 2) no a/c but fridge for yur snacks. 3) across street from beach. 4) clean, small room, mostly quiet. Traffic noise minimal. 5) no laundry but u can go north a couple blocks for that as needed. read more

My boyfriend and I stayed here the first weekend that it had been taken over by the new owners and we were SO impressed! The staff was so friendly and so accommodating, and the location could not have been more perfect! We were right across the street from a beautiful beach and the pier and were within walking distance of plenty of bars, restaurants, and an awesome little brewery! 5 minutes away from Coronado Island and 10 minutes from downtown San Diego, you couldn't ask for a better spot! The inn itself was very nice and our room was extremely clean and had everything we needed! Our experience staying here was nothing short of amazing, and we can't wait to take a trip back and stay with Sand Castle Inn and Suites again! read more