Fireside Inn on Moonstone Beach — Hotel in Cambria

To preface, I NEVER leave reviews for anything unless it's stellar service. This two night experience was just so incredibly appalling, I would be doing a disservice to others visiting Cambia. If I could leave zero stars for this inn, I would. On the surface, it looks great - the rooms are recently remodeled so everything seems clean. I was treating my mother to a birthday getaway so splurged on the oceanfront superior king room. We had the corner room which was nice. The first day we arrived, it was FREEZING in the room. We immediately turned on the fireplace and the wall heater. When we returned to the room 3 or 4 hours later, it was still frigid. The wall above the heater was hot and actually discolored from the heat, which made me worry about a fire hazard, but there was no hot air coming off it except for on the wall itself. I called the front desk and was told that we weren't the only ones complaining about freezing temps in the room. She said there was a "design flaw" in the new wall heater AND THAT IT DOES NOT EMIT HEATED AIR. She suggested that I put the plug in rotating fan that was in the room next to the fireplace and that should help spread some heat. I did it (not what you expect paying $250/night for a hotel), however it didn't help at all. I had to call front desk again and ask for extra blankets since there were none in the room and because I wasn't offered them after my first call. It was SO COLD THE ENTIRE NIGHT. I felt like I was camping in the most expensive campate ever. Later in the morning I went to front desk to ask for a second coffee packet and it was a different Attendant. I mentioned how cold it was and she basically spent the next 5 minutes telling me that I must have been mistaken because she's "been in these rooms ad has felt how toasty they get". No apology for our experience, just telling the customer that I was wrong. I also told her about the discoloration above the heater and she rudely assured me that there is no fire hazard (albeit without actually seeing it). She was so incredibly rude, I walked away in shock. She just kept saying "there is nothing I can do." NO apology. I told her what the night person told me, and her response was that she was wrong and will be getting a talking to. The exact opposite way to treat a customer in hospitality. Oh, she did finally offer to call other properties to see if they had space heaters. Luckily the second day was a bit warmer and we were relieved to come back to the room and have it feel tolerable. One thing my mom wanted to do on her birthday vacation was take a bubble bath, and we had actually hunted around town all day for some products to do so. Around 7 pm we try the tub and can't get the drain to stay down. Call the front desk to see if there was some trick we were missing, and she offered to come take a look which was great. She couldn't get it to work either so she said she would call the handyman man and he will come. At 9 pm, still no one. I was awake until 10 and nothing. The next morning I call the front desk, and the lady (who I think was the same awful person working the day before) and she tells me the handyman tried to come MULTIPLE times and could not get in. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? There is no way I didn't hear a knock-on the door because we could hear the door to the outside open and close everytime someone went in or out. No phone call either?! Complete and utter bull that someone tried to come by, and again it's this HORRENDOUS woman telling me I am wrong. I had called to ask if anyone could come that morning so my mom could get her bubble bath before we check out, but I was so upset by how I was told again that I was mistaken that I just gave up and told her I would be leaving a negative review because of these bad experiences, to which she replied cheerfully -- " THANK YOU!" What a joke. Do yourself a favor and do not stay here. Worst hotel...

Our stay had both highlights and disappointments. The property itself is beautiful — the room style, decor and location couldn’t have been better — but several key issues left the overall experience still feeling underwhelming for the price.||||1. No Air Conditioning||This really needs to be clearly stated when booking. Some guests, myself included, are more heat-sensitive, and during warm days the ability to cool off in your room is essential for comfort. The lack of AC made relaxing after a long day nearly impossible.||||2. Nickel-and-Dimed on Basics||It’s honestly absurd to charge $5 for a tiny bottle of Fiji water in the room — especially when there are no vending machines or other options anywhere on the property. For a hotel at this price point, that feels downright stingy and tone-deaf. Free bottled water, coffee, or even a few snacks cost the hotel almost nothing but make guests feel valued. Instead, it felt like we were being nickel-and-dimed for the essentials. When you’re paying premium rates, you shouldn’t feel hesitant to hydrate.||||3. Missing Hospitality Touches||There were no complimentary extras you’d expect from a high-end property — no welcome drink, evening wine and cheese, or even a basic coffee station. Little gestures like that create a sense of care and hospitality, and their absence made the stay feel transactional rather than warm.||||4. Service and Atmosphere||The front-desk staff wasn’t rude, but they weren’t warm or inviting either — polite smiles, but no genuine sense of welcome. In contrast, Michael, the staff member working by the pool, was outstanding. When I mentioned the heat and lack of fans, he immediately found one and went out of his way to help. His friendly, can-do attitude stood out and honestly salvaged part of our impression. Front desk staff could learn from this guy. ||||5. Pool and Facility Feedback||The pool itself looked nice but was too cool to comfortably enjoy. Should turn the heat up.||||6. Overall Impression||Coming directly from a boutique luxury hotel in Tiburon at the same price point — one that offered complimentary water, evening wine, coffee, cookies, and a genuinely warm atmosphere — made the contrast all the more disappointing. With just a few thoughtful touches and less nickel-and-diming, this hotel could easily match the experience its...

Our stay had both highlights and disappointments. The property itself is beautiful — the room style, decor and location couldn’t have been better — but several key issues left the overall experience still feeling underwhelming for the price.

No Air Conditioning This really needs to be clearly stated when booking. Some guests, myself included, are more heat-sensitive, and during warm days the ability to cool off in your room is essential for comfort. The lack of AC made relaxing after a long day nearly impossible.

Nickel-and-Dimed on Basics It’s honestly absurd to charge $5 for a tiny bottle of Fiji water in the room — especially when there are no vending machines or other options anywhere on the property. For a hotel at this price point, that feels downright stingy and tone-deaf. Free bottled water, coffee, or even a few snacks cost the hotel almost nothing but make guests feel valued. Instead, it felt like we were being nickel-and-dimed for the essentials. When you’re paying premium rates, you shouldn’t feel hesitant to hydrate.

Missing Hospitality Touches There were no complimentary extras you’d expect from a high-end property — no welcome drink, evening wine and cheese, or even a basic coffee station. Little gestures like that create a sense of care and hospitality, and their absence made the stay feel transactional rather than warm.

Service and Atmosphere The front-desk staff wasn’t rude, but they weren’t warm or inviting either — polite smiles, but no genuine sense of welcome. In contrast, Michael, the staff member working by the pool, was outstanding. When I mentioned the heat and lack of fans, he immediately found one and went out of his way to help. His friendly, can-do attitude stood out and honestly salvaged part of our impression.

Pool and Facility Feedback The pool itself looked nice but was too cool to comfortably enjoy. Should turn the heat up.

Overall Impression Coming directly from a boutique luxury hotel in Tiburon at the same price point — one that offered complimentary water, evening wine, coffee, cookies, and a genuinely warm atmosphere — made the contrast all the more disappointing. With just a few thoughtful touches and less nickel-and-diming, this hotel could easily match the experience its...