Capistrano Surfside Inn — Hotel in Dana Point

I made this reservation through Priceline and it said that my booking was paid in full. I paid for a king bed with a tub, requested ocean view and higher floor, but was given an ADA compliant first floor room with a queen bed and no tub. They said that because I requested an ocean view, they gave me the ADA room instead of a king bed. They said they were fully booked so there was no way that I could get a different room. Basically, be careful requesting things like an ocean view, top floor, etc. We paid for a king room with tub before requesting that room have an ocean view. When we arrived for check in we were informed that, yes, we were given an ocean view, but our room was downgraded to a queen without a tub (the ADA room) with no reimbursement for the downgrade.

Also, there are hidden resort fees ($20/night) and a $3/day tax that are additional to what you have already paid. Fortunately, they did waive the resort fees because I was so upset that we were being given a room that I didn't book.

I would not consider the room we were given to be clean. The floor had not been cleaned (sunflower seeds, goldfish, and popcorn kernels under the couch). Fortunately there was a vacuum in the closet, but I didn’t think I would spend the first 30 minutes of my vacation cleaning filthy floors. It seems like the cleaning staff are having to spend their time doing other menial tasks like putting the remotes in baggies to certify them as "sanitized" and placing stickers on literally everything (the front door, the dishwasher, etc...) instead of actually cleaning the hotel room. Even our little bottles of shampoo and conditioner had been used... so I'm assuming they weren't "sanitized."

The A/C only lets you go down to 69- just a heads up in case you enjoy having a really cold hotel room.

You have to sign up for a 30 min reservation to use the hot tub. So not only did our room not have a tub, we got 30 min (PER DAY) to use to the hot tub. Yikes. We literally chose this place for the king bed and the tub. We got neither, yet PAID for those amenities. I’m disappointed.

I would not consider this place a "resort" and had I known I wasn’t getting a king bed and a tub, I would not have booked here.

As for the pros: They have bikes you can borrow to bike down to Doheny state beach for 3 hours. Very cool. We didn’t do this, but it’s a neat perk. Doheny is an amazing beach. We surfed all day there.

The location can’t be beat. Laguna beach, San Clemente Pier, and so many tasty places to eat are nearby (check out The Shwack Beach Grill and Lupe’s Mexican Eatery for amazing food).

Basically, I wouldn’t book here again because I feel like they’re not transparent with their bookings and the customer...

So, as background, my wife and I have stayed here regularly for over 30 years. We are not owners, we live in Los Angeles, and come down during off peak times just to have a room on the beach where we can relax and hear the waves. A couple of weeks ago, I was returning from a trip in a Sunday night and found our hot water heater was leaking, so I made a last minute reservation at 330 in the afternoon and headed to Dana Point so that I could shower. We've always had an oceanfront room and quite honestly, I wasn't even aware that they had rooms that weren't oceanfront. We checked in at 530, and went to our room and entered to find our room facing a wall of dirt and weeds in the back of the hotel. I approached the front desk and told them that this wasn't acceptable and that I would find somewhere else to stay if they were unable to accommodate us. The lady at the front desk said that they would still be charging the full rate as we weren't cancelling at least 48 hours in advance. Suffice to say, we won't be staying there anymore. Amanda, the manager is useless and clearly doesn't understand the value of repeat customers. Normally, we would stay here in off peak times (i.e. winter time during the week). Had she been willing to work with me, she could have made an effort to keep me as a customer, but clearly she has no concept of running a successful business, so the $200 that she made that night ultimately cost her thousands in future business. Beware of this place, they don't want your business, as they have people who are ignorant and paid into their time share scam. Go to the Best Western down the street, same price, and no BS...

So, as background, my wife and I have stayed here regularly for over 30 years. We are not owners, we live in Los Angeles, and come down during off peak times just to have a room on the beach where we can relax and hear the waves. A couple of weeks ago, I was returning from a trip in a Sunday night and found our hot water heater was leaking, so I made a last minute reservation at 330 in the afternoon and headed to Dana Point so that I could shower. We've always had an oceanfront room and quite honestly, I wasn't even aware that they had rooms that weren't oceanfront. We checked in at 530, and went to our room and entered to find our room facing a wall of dirt and weeds in the back of the hotel. I approached the front desk and told them that this wasn't acceptable and that I would find somewhere else to stay if they were unable to accommodate us. The lady at the front desk said that they would still be charging the full rate as we weren't cancelling at least 48 hours in advance. Suffice to say, we won't be staying there anymore. Amanda, the manager is useless and clearly doesn't understand the value of repeat customers. Normally, we would stay here in off peak times (i.e. winter time during the week). Had she been willing to work with me, she could have made an effort to keep me as a customer, but clearly she has no concept of running a successful business, so the $200 that she made that night ultimately cost her thousands in future business. Beware of this place, they don't want your business, as they have people who are ignorant and paid into their time share scam. Go to the Best Western down the street, same price, and no BS...