This hotel has a lot going for it: a great location, amazing price for this beach town, it includes soft top surfboards, umbrella and chairs. And, it's across the street from some yummy donuts and mocha lattes! The room was ok - pretty but worn out with flaking paint in the bathroom, broken floorboard by the front door and one bed has a broken board at the foot of it. The staff was friendly and helpful. They were very responsive to texts. The best part about our experience was Carrissa, from the front desk. She went above and beyond. When we told her about the broken tv, she went out, bought a new one and stayed way past her shift to ensure that it was set-up correctly for us. Our three girls loved her - talking about her friendliness, kindness and intellect. Thank you, Carissa! read more

Fine hotel that is slightly overpriced. One star because you can't get into your room. Someone has to let you in because the code doesn't work. Then, they give you a new code that works for a minute and then it doesn't work anymore. So, our entire stay, which was very short...we couldn't get into the hotel room ourselves. Funny, we did overpay for it read more

Gosh ! Where to start Place is dirty dusty They have not kept up with repairs and upgrades They put nothing into this hotel and making quite a bit of money ( like a slum lord!) Towels dingy No tissues Tv suckS Takes forever to download WHAT WIFI?? 300 dollars a night Oh and no free breakfast, you have to go across the street and you get 15 dollars off The outside of the Hotel looks great! read more

This hotel is so cute! But I'm mostly giving a good review because the woman who checked us in went above and beyond accommodating our needs. We were there for a wedding and they allowed us to check in early and give us everything we needed to get ready on time. read more

Good value for the money! I loved the mattress and slept great! The keypad to get in to room took a light touch to select the numbers. Bedding, and bathroom cotton were clean and comfy. You can see the ocean by looking over the highway: ease of access and location you pay with the sound of cars. I brought ear plugs and slept wonderfully. Friendly staff Amber had small office on ground floor and she explained breakfast provided is a $15 discount at the dinner accross the street. Had huevos rancheros as SC Cafe and side of sausages and I only owed $12 before tip. Fast service so I tipped. I will return. read more

FAMILY SAFTY : "STAY AWAY" we arrive , open door get a hard MUSKY smell , we enter as a family inside and get a strong URINE smell, after 1 hr we text the virtual Front desk get a text back " whats your name" we then get ghosted so we call and where told " no house keeping services available, if you leave no guarantee for a refund" we left after 2hrs in this room. The floors where dirty our feet where dirty just from walking around. During the very short stay we inspected the toilet and it woud NOT flush due to being already clogged . We cant make this up. Cant sleep , cant use restroom, cant get a refund . STAY AWAY . read more

I'd have to give it a 3 1/2 to 4. Mainly because of the stupid keypads that never work. Very frustrating when you have to keep texting to get your keypad to work get rid of those horrible keypads and give people normal key cards like real hotels do. Also in room 304 the fan in the bathroom needs to be replaced. The bearings are shot and it is so loud I didn't want to turn it on and really not doing too much. Also we put the sign out for the maids they were standing right there working on the room next to us and then didn't do anything in our room that day. There are some great things about the hotel. The day manager is super sweet and tried to be as helpful as possible. but that's another problem not having anybody at the front desk that makes it difficult to have the freedom that we would like to have. The place is cute, location is great, obviously nothing you can do about the freeway but just a few things would really make this hotel closer to a 4/5. read more

I will absolutely be making a point to come back to Surfbreak in the future. Everything from checking in, finding a room assignment that worked for me and my partner, and even getting amazing restaurant recommendations was stupendous. The staff is incredible, I absolutely adore the lot of them. They ensured that we had a good, quiet room with a lot of privacy - and in general, the other patrons were awesome to talk to. The overall vibe of the people around this place was great. Nice and great temperament. Also, this place is less than 2 miles away from the beach! There is a park nearby for easy access as well. Whenever I'm in San Clemente again, I will be prioritizing staying at Surfbreak. Very memorable place, quaint and rustic aesthetic, in a great location. read more

The Surfbreak Hotel - 3 floors, clean, great views, quiet - Hotels Near Me - San Clemente, California

Unsafe door locks, as someone was able to penetrate our hotel-provided digital door lock (not good!); this property is owned or managed by property mngmnt company offsite, so no staff around to assist most of the time, just a calling service w/canned responses. read more

Avoid. This hotel is right by the interstate 5 freeway overpass and what's worse is that the hotel is not staffed. I repeat: there is no staff. You will be asked to upload your driver's license upon booking and no one will be at the front desk during your stay, you will just receive a code for your room's door, and to add insult to that, the key entry barely works! Absolutely dreadful. Only staff you will see is the housekeeping but they will not clean your room even if you request it (by text) over your multi-day stay. Not a safe vibe and very noisy from highway and sketchy clientele that smoked and partied in the shared halls. I will be reporting my experience widely so that others don't repeat my mistake. read more

VERY DANGEROUS hotel! Me, my husband and our 2 year-old baby stayed in this little hotel on Friday the 1st to the 2nd of August and a man opened our door around 5:40 am, we panicked!!!! Thanks GOD we had the latch on to secure the door from opening but I was able to see clearly that was a man. A strange man that had the same "unique" code that the hotel provide for you and I am quoting unique bcs is the word they use which clearly is not unique. The hotel and it management say that they generate a code that is unique for every guest and that no one else gets it. Well, who know how they messed up that somebody else had it and was able to open our room which was 301 btw. The worse part also is that they practically are calling us liars since we asked for an explanation and they say after many many texts and calls back & forth (obviously they didn't have an answer for us when they suppose to) their answer was that they found nothing on cameras and they didn't see any unusual activity or people around that time in the 3rd floor which also is a BIG lie bcs they don't even have security cameras around like even inexpensive hotels have. We looked closely the facility and corners and found no camera anywhere and that's why say are saying what they are saying. I am not staying in this facility again not even for free and I hope no family or no one experience what we experienced that Saturday morning. It was very scary. My baby woke up crying bcs of the sound that that man made when unlocked the door and tried to get it. I know they are probably going to reply to this review saying that they apologize for the incident etc etc and that they found nothing on cameras. But the truth is that there is no cameras around the rooms and if there is one it doesn't work bcs otherwise they would have found out who was that person that had the same code as us. Not good and not safe! Avoid this facility for accommodation in San Clemente area and the management which is called The Excelsior stay should take responsibility when it comes to security in hotels they manage. Bad business!!! read more

While spending Christmas down in Orange County to visit family, my husband, and I needed a place to stay with our two dogs. It's quite hard to find a decent hotel that will allow dogs without being a rundown mess. Fortunately, we found Surfbreak hotel. It was located a close distance from the family we were visiting and the price did not break the bank. The room itself was clean and modern. The linens were clean and so was the floor. We did not run into any issues with noise or partying. The bed was large and comfortable, and there was ample space for our dogs to sprawl out on the floor. The only qualm is the parking situation can be a little tight but other than that, it was exactly what we were looking for and exactly what we needed in a place to stay. I appreciate hotels like this that allow us to bring our dogs and would gladly return. read more

Two of us spent a few nights here recently. It's a nice hotel with a few minor issues. Parking is good, it's a small lot (indoor and outdoor) and it might be a bit tight for larger vehicles. The staff was very nice, check in was quick. The room was well appointed, albeit a somewhat worn remodel. Peeling paint in the tub, some gaps in the wood plank flooring, minor plumbing issues - nothing serious, but notable. Our bed was pillow soft, almost too soft. For being so close to the freeway, once you close the door there's really no noise. It's a quite hotel. On the balcony, the freeway noise is certainly there - you looking right over it out to the ocean. There's a great donut shop across the street as well as a breakfast & lunch diner - we enjoyed meals at both. read more

Terrible experience. The room was dirty, the floor was broken, the room had a bad odor coming from the sink. On top of that the elevator was broken, no one bothered to put a note. We got in the elevator and got stuck on the elevator. We left a day early and they refused to refund the money for the 2 night that we didn't use. read more

Surprised to see negative reviews of this cute beach hotel. Everything from the beginning to end was great for us! Called early to see if we could arrange for an earlier check in and were told 1:30 versus 3:00 which was super helpful for our travel plans. Front desk situation was quick and efficient. Staff super friendly. Elevator on premises which was great since we had luggage. Room was cute and well decorated. Beds comfy. Lots of extras in room (waters, makeup remover wipes, Clorox wipes). Would absolutely recommend and stay here again! read more

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Drove from Vegas to spend some beach time w my besty in San Clemente and Dana Omg Super cute hotel Mellow Glad i found it on yelp No bugs no dirty rugs It was spotless n two big clean beds W lots of big pillows I could even open the windows n let fresh air in Also the AC was awesome and cold The beds were Super cozy and soft Water was hot and tub was alll new and preety So clean and quiet tooo No noise even tho it was on the street area And a vet next door Yeah kool We luvd it and the pups did tooo Elevator was nice to have Donut shop acrosss the streeet was so amazing and the cafe as well Wish there was a poool But its ok They have bikes tooo And close to alll the shops and pier Plenty of parking And wow Julie was amazing... so sweet Thanks Julie from mils and joe U were so kind and helpfull We r grateful for you We had a calm epic time Best hotel And good coffee No complaints at alll Were coming back sooon Found our new cute spot Aloha read more

I usually review food but I had to give credit where credit is due- the service here was so great! The staff looked genuinely happy with the work that they do and expressed genuine care about their guests' experience, that energy was so awesome. Additionally, the rooms were cute, simple, and clean. My stay here made my short visit to San Clemente very memorable! I recommended! read more

It took quite a bit of research trying to find a hotel that had no reviews of guests encountering bugs, but then I found the surfbreak hotel. Not only were they BUG FREE the staff was incredible. Julie went above and beyond to make sure my family had a great stay and Danielle at the front desk was so helpful with all my questions and visits for delicious fresh brewed coffee. Room was clean and towels were fresh. I did need to restock towels but in the morning the staff was more than ready to replace my towels. I loved being able to check out (for freeeee) the boogie boards, surfboards, beach towels, beach chairs, bikes, and beach umbrellas. Such a cool location too. We were able to catch the trolley which was so fun. We went to the pier and the mall and back to the hotel for free. Also, a fun feature was the patio furniture outside the rooms. I loved being able to drink my coffee, eat food, and just hangout outside. Looks just like the pictures. If you are looking for a traditional hotel with 24/7 staff you can call at the front desk for everything, this is more of an Airbnb style I would say. Staff is there most of the day but not all hours of the night. They do have a number you can call with a super helpful staff member though for questions when there is no one in the office. Could not get over how perfect this hotel was. Such a hidden gem. read more

The decor is updated but that's about it. The pillows were incredibly dirty, the sheets had red marks on it that looked like blood and the coffee maker/Keurig was moldy. Asked the front desk for a spoon and they said they don't supply anything. Went across the street to the donut shop for hot water. read more

Update. After I posted this, a manager got in touch with me, apologizing saying she thought her team had taken care of it. She ordered me a new, identical charger to be delivered from Amazon on Tuesday. At least someone is monitoring reviews and responds. Hopefully the employee will also be counseled on customer service. Unfortunately I am going to have to make my review less than desirable. The room was great however, customer service was crap. I called the day after we were there (7/2) asking about a iPhone charger that was left in the room (an expensive one, $35, not a cheapie). The guy that answered found it in lost and found and promised to have the manager send it after the holiday (7/6). I called (7/10) again and was told it was sent. I called on 7/17 and was told it came back with a wrong address and they weren't going to spend the $15 to send it to me. I told them they could send it priority usps for $8 and he said they would. It's now a month later (8/2) and I have never seen anything. It's the principle behind it now. There was never any intent to get it back to me. Very disappointed with that level of customer service. Customer service is dead! read more

First of all, when we arrived, there was no one at the front desk to check us in, so we waited approximately 10 minutes before I called the hotel's phone number. A gentleman answered (it must have been a cell phone because you could tell he was in the car), he did not apologize for the inconvenience, all he said was "hold on. I'll be there in a minute" which I felt was rude and unprofessional. But that wasn't what upset me. We ended up waiting another 20 minutes, so THIRTY MINUTES total from the time we got to the hotel, to the time he arrived. Mind you, this was not an odd time--it was around 3:00 in the afternoon. When the gentleman finally arrived, he did not apologize, nor try to explain where he was or why he kept us waiting. Unacceptable. But it gets worse. He finally checked us in, gave us the door code to our room, and explained how to get there, but when we got up to our room, it was not ready. The cleaning ladies told us it would be another 20-30 minutes, but we could leave our bags there if we wanted to go eat or something and come back. We did just that, but when we got back, our door was left wide open. Thankfully our bags were not stolen but I just don't understand why they would leave the door open, knowing all our belongings were inside. Also, while we were walking down the hallway, one of the closets (where cleaning supplies are kept) was open and there were 805 beer bottles all over the shelves. Some empty, some half drank, but there were at least 6 of them visible to us as we walked by. The cherry on top of this whole experience was the dirty, disgusting room we stayed in. Looking back, I should have taken pictures but 4 of our bath towels had dirt and makeup on them. And our sheets had blood stains on them. There was trash under the bed, the floor in the bathroom was sticky, and the mini fridge had crumbs and spilled liquid on the shelves. I tried to voice my concerns upon checkout, but surprise, surprise, there was no one in the office/lobby to speak to. I hate to leave such a negative review, but I have never, in my life, stayed at a more disgusting hotel/experienced such poor customer service. Needless to say, we will not be returning to the Surfbreak Hotel in San Clemente. read more

I'm a bit late on this review, but staying at this hotel ruined my life. I'm not from the area and had a job interview so decided to stay here. I was told just in case if i got the job to bring two forms of ID. I didn't have a passport so i only had a drivers license and social security card. I had my social security card in my wallet. I remember 100% seeing my social security card because i was double checking that i for sure brought it. I left the room for a bit and when i came back my room was cleaned and no social security to be found. I told the hotel clerk that who ever cleaned my room took it because it was in the room only 2 hours ago and i didn't take it else where. I was sloppy by trusting an employee wouldn't go through my stuff but they sure did. Now anytime i file for taxes i don't get any of my money back because the employee here files for my taxes every year. I can't use my social anywhere now because I had to inform the IRS. I have to freeze my accounts for the rest of my life because of this employee. If i could give them negative stars i would. If you don't want your belongings searched through or things stolen then i recommend not staying here. read more

Great place. Go there! I went here to get away from life and be close to the beach. Amazing service. read more

My boyfriend and I decided to take a weekend off and rented a room here at the surf break through the hopper app. I typically look at reviews first and then decide but forgot to and booked first. After seeing the reviews, I was a bit skeptical but I'm glad we booked. 1. Many reviews talk about the decor but it seems to have been remodeled recently and it's lovely really. 2. We have been here twice now and it seems to only be one man (plus the cleaning crew) who's been super welcoming both times. 3.The rooms are cute, okay in pricing (146.00 for a Thursday to Friday morning stay for us), and extremely close (5 min drive) to downtown San Clemente. Overall, it's what you can expect for a small hotel like this. Wouldn't mind staying here a 3rd time. read more

The Surfbreak Hotel - Balcony area + seating - Hotels Near Me - San Clemente, California

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I've stayed here a couple times in the past few years and loved every visit. However, this last time was not so pleasant. The room had an unpleasant oder and was not clean at all. The towels were not clean and the floors had not been cleaned prior to checking in. It appears after 2020 they have not kept up with the cleanliness of the rooms. Super disappointed since this was my go to spot when visiting the area. read more

DO NOT STAY HERE! This place is an overpriced Motel. The front desk guy was smoking marijuana as we checked in. There's no parking, the sign for the old motel is still up, and the place is right next to the freeway. The room was nasty, the floods were sticky, housekeeping did not come during our stay, the tv broke each day, and the code never worked for the door. The guy running it had to let us in with an app on his phone. There's also huge gaps in the doors and Band-Aids on the wall. I cannot even explain all of the bad things. read more

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Please be careful, if you book an ocean view suite be aware this means there is a possibility you may see the ocean from your balcony or window if you are luck and stand at the right angle. This being my first California experience. I wanted to ocean view and elected to pay more for the experience. I was disappointed when I found this resort's definition of ocean view. read more

This small San Clemente boutique hotel has a lot of charm with a modern twist. Definitely better than staying at a large chain hotel brand. Great location for hitting the beach, trestles and the local mountain bike trails. There are several great restaurants just down the street as well. I will stay here again when in SC. read more

The Surfbreak Hotel - Beach just down a few minutes - Hotels Near Me - San Clemente, California

We love staying at the Surfbreak! The adjoining rooms make it a perfect hotel for staying with our whole family. The rooms are nice and remodeled, and the beds are so comfortable! They have boogie boards and surfboards that we can use for a day at the beach. And it is so nice that it is walking distance from all kinds of restaurants. Super close to the outlet mall, grocery stores, easy freeway access, and the beach. Would recommend this hotel to All! read more

So nice in here. I liked this hotel a ton. Would definitely recommend! I was treated well.

Lady at front desk was extremely nice and wonderful but the policy rule was not great. If you are over the age of 18 but under the age of 21; they will ask for a double deposit amount than they originally asked for. read more

Hours on websites like google mention they are open until 11:30 but are only open till 10pm. "Stevie Joe" and I'm not too sure if that's her real name or not, was very rude over the phone. She was constantly cutting me off and her tone was very harsh. The only thing that was okay about this hotel was how pretty the room looked. Otherwise, the room floor was sticky like they sprayed Febreze everywhere and let it settle on the ground. We were literally slipping with our shoes on. The sheets also looked like they hadn't been washed, I found hair on the bed as well as in the shower on the wall. It was just gross. It looked like they really didn't clean anything up from the previous guest. read more

Liked: room was cozy, check in was easy, central to everything, parking, has Netflix on television, bed was comfortable, had a desk, can see the ocean somewhat, didn't really hear anyone else except if they were outside, heater kept the room warm. Dislike: room wasn't entirely clean..there was trash left by someone else under the bedside table (and I mean, a decent amount of filth, a cup, wrapper, etc), the doorway has no seal so the air comes in from all sides (it was cold and windy during our visit)/as does noise, the window doesn't have sheer shades so you can't open the black out curtains unless you want people looking in when they get in and out of the elevator/walking by. I saw someone else say the front desk person was smoking weed vs being at the desk, this was totally my experience too but I mean, whatever. He eventually ran out to help us and was very kind. We came to have a little getaway for a night and it serves its purpose. Maybe overpriced for the space, since major hotels in the area are equal price with more to offer. It's definitely a cleaned up motel but, not terrible ! We booked via Airbnb. read more

Loved staying here with family! My kids had the best time walking across the street every morning for donuts. It's super close to all the good beaches and easy freeway access. The rooms have all been recently updated. We needed more body wash and the front desk was easy to get a hold of! Thanks Surfbreak read more

This is a gem of a hotel in beautiful San Clemente! I come to SC twice a year to surf/golf/vacation! I've stayed at a few different local hotels over the years that I've been coming and this is now the only hotel I stay at in SC. Very nice clean rooms with a mini fridge, good location within walking distance to many restaurants, bars, liquor/convenience/gas stations. Nice porch area to relax and have dinner/cocktail. Very quite rooms even though its close to the highway. Staff is very friendly. Also an extra + that they now provide surf rentals! I can't wait to come back! read more

The best thing you can do is pay an extra 10 or 20 bucks and stay somewhere else. Stayed at Hostels that were better run. Zero Customer Service. read more

My husband and I chose this location due to proximity to family and booked via booking.com. Checked in a few minutes before 4pm with no problems. We stayed on the second floor and there is an elevator or stairs that are both easily accessed. The rooms have a key code assigned by the front desk, which opens the door to your room. When leaving, you must hit the lock icon in the keypad. Coming from Disneyland, we appreciated the decor, very clean lines and simple furnishings. Our room was very clean, and they included additional hand sanitizing wipes for us. The bathroom is split with a tub/shower with a half glass door and toilet behind a barn door. For the two of us, it was fine. If you are traveling with someone you don't know as well, that may be awkward. The other half is the sink, closet, and a keurig coffeemaker with no door. Our room had a very comfortable king bed and lamps on the nightstands included an outlet and a USB port built in, but also featured an extension cube with additional outlets and USB ports. The TV had all streaming services, we signed in to hulu and just logged out before leaving. Aveoss the street is a great coffee and doughnut shop. Overall a great stay and would definitely come back! read more

It blows my mind that this motel is more expensive than the holiday inn express and the comfort suites in San clemente.

Finally a nice place to stay in San Clemente. I was hesitant when I saw the negative reviews but my experience couldn't have been more opposite. The staff was extremely accommodating and very professional. Rooms were recently updated and very clean. Bed was so comfortable! Honestly I was in shock at how nice it was. I've recommended it to many family members and they all have loved it. Five stars no doubt! read more

Clean, newly remodeled, cute beach my feel, great location, friendly service. Loved the mattress, pillows and bedding.