El Colibri Hotel & Spa — Hotel in Cambria

Where do I begin?

This property used to use eco-friendly/unscented cleaning & laundry products. So when we were considering a hotel, I called the property directly to ask if they still did. I was assured that they didn't use any scented products, so I made a reservation (through Expedia). When we arrived in the room, the strong scent of cleaning products hit us immediately. We went to the desk to explain the situation & were told "I can't imagine who would have said that. We use very fragrant products." She suggested we air out the room. We tried for several hours & even slept with the doors & windows open (not ideal–our room was next to the road). The scent was still so strong it impacted our night's sleep & it still smelled in the morning. [It was strong enough that some of my clothes still smelled after laundering & hanging it up for a week.] We were never offered a solution, an attempt to clean the room with another product, no suggestion to move to another room, nothing. We left for the day, leaving the windows open, but the room still had a strong smell. We ended up leaving after we returned that day. Initially we were told we could not get any refund (because we booked through Expedia). When we went to check out, we were told that we couldn't check out because she couldn't figure it out on the computer. Full transparency, they eventually did refund part of the stay, but our vacation was cut short.

There were some telltale signs, including no one at the desk when we first arrived (for at least 15 minutes–no sign, no note). When we checked in we were told that, although breakfast was supposed to be included, “They have wiped us out, but there is a little oatmeal & cereal.” When I asked about the spa services, I was told that there were no massage therapists working that week & we were referred to another spa in town. Speaking of spas, the only spa-like things were a steam shower & jacuzzi. For any issue raised, the desk clerk would say she would have to call her boss. Poor management if you can’t empower your staff or ensure you have desk coverage, food as advertised, etc.

It is close to the beachwalk and about 1 1/2 miles from town. But there are better options....that don't smell and are less expensive.

I’d suggest you...

We found the El Colibri when searching for luxury hotel options in Cambria, CA. There weren't a lot of options in this category, but the hotel seemed to offer some standard creature comforts (like a/c) that others in the area did not and we felt that with a more recent renovation and decent overall guest rating, that we would be safe staying here for a night as we passed through the area.||We found the best thing about this hotel to be it's website. The images and descriptive words do a wonderful job at making the hotel seem much nicer and luxurious than it truly is. Maybe it is more luxurious in comparison to other hotels in the area, but the term luxury is misleading.||This is a boutique hotel with adequate parking off of a busier road. Service is okay, on par with an average hotel. They did what needed to be done, but didn't go out of their way to say hello when you walk by or even make eye contact. Not a big deal, but not service oriented. ||The rooms were decently sized, but oddly designed. For example, we had a jacuzzi room. The tub sat directly beside an opening in the wall that opened to the small kitchen area. Adding a closeable shutter or something similar would be nice. The bedding was clean, but old enough to be fraying. It actually appeared old. ||Worst of all, the walls were paper thin. So thin you could hear EVERYTHING happening in the rooms near you. Two doors down, a couple was enjoying their alone time and it was so loud, we heard EVERYTHING, every moan and every word. It made me feel like I was in a cheap motel. ||The elevator was still broken when we stayed, so this can be difficult for someone with mobility issues. Not only is some of the parking below the hotel, there is no help getting to your room, so if you are on the second floor you will need to be okay carrying your bags up the stairs. They will allow you to park in front of the hotel to unload. ||Lastly, the grab and go breakfast was a bit of a joke. It consisted of plain bagels, cereal, and yogurt. So plan to eat elsewhere if those options don't sound appealing.||If we were to visit the area again, we would definitely explore other options. This is not a...

We stayed here for 6 nights and were happy with the staff, who were very nice, welcoming, and helpful, but sadly less than happy with the room and facilities.

The “& spa” is to be taken very lightly. There is one massage therapist whose availability is obviously limited, and there is nothing else really to describe as a spa. That was a big bummer.

The room rates reflect luxury but the room we had was the biggest and theoretically one of the best, but don’t believe the pictures that show a balcony with the top tier room — no such balcony. Barely even any ventilation, as only one set of windows opened, and only minimally. The fan in the bathroom barely runs, and is only on (continuously) from 9am - 10pm. So when you shower, theres nowhere for the hot sticky air to go. I’ve never encountered this before - they turn it off overnight and it cannot be turned on in the room.

The room was not well lit, got dismal natural light, was completely undecorated, and if you’re hoping to relax in a nice room… don’t count on it. If I’d paid Marriott conference center prices I would have been happy with a conference center mid-tier room, but I spent a lot for the wk to try to show my mom a nice time, and it was a major bummer. The tv wasn’t even a smart tv (the only thing on any of the barren walls), so the best we could do is watch Netflix on my laptop.

The location IS to be noted - it’s situated pretty ideally to walk the boardwalk through the preserve, to moonstone beach, and to either walk or bike to town. (We drove bc my mom is older but definitely close). It’s a nice, walkable location, and a quick drive to any part of Cambria, up to San Simeon, or even down to Morro Bay.

Unfortunately I thought I was booking a locally independently-owned high-end hotel and spa and got a corporate, (bought out a couple years ago, it turns out), mid-tier hotel. We are pretty humble, mid-level people, but as such, $2300 for 6 nights was a pretty significant expenditure, and the expectations/marketing were sadly significantly out of line with reality.

I will say again, though, the staff and location were the...