Beach House Hotel — Hotel in Half Moon Bay

6/13 Check-in experience for our 3 night stay at 4 pm was hectic as multiple people were arriving at the same time. First impression of the staff was that they were friendly but not overly helpful with information. We arrived at our room up on the 3rd floor (#319- don't recommend) and found it to be hot, loud, and containing a string smell of bleach. I opened the window which overlooks loud PCH1. This was not helpful due to the sunny 65 degree day and the noise! Noise is the last thing needed after a 6 hour drive. We let the window open for 30 minutes and found no relief in temperature. I called the front desk and questions about how to solve the heat issue were met with an unhospitable tone. Be warned, there is no AC at this hotel. I was told to turn on the whole room fan and that would sove everything, literally this was said. The fan had been on little did they know and it was simply circulating warm air. Later, we ordered groceries and waited for them in the lobby. We were entertained by two of the staff trash-talking a guest for asking for assistance in his room. The room is equipped with plates, utensils, and cookware items but the TV channel guide does not match the actual channels. Day 2, we were excited to go downstair for breakfast. The breakfast is minimal with coffee, tea, juice, boiled eggs, yogurt, fruit, and baked goods. It was our experience that other guests were very rude by jumping ahead in the line, walking right in front of you, and taking much more food than necessary so others were left with nothing. While getting my breakfast, everywhere I turned, I was nearly tobbled off my feet from other guests running in front of meand then saying oops. At night these guests leave their personal items on the deck tables preventing others from using the deck while the owners of the belongings are no where to be found. The beach this hotel is near, not on as others make it out to be, is not pleasant. Be warned it is not a beach comfortable to lounge on, in fact be prepared for strong sand-filled winds. There is not ADA access to the beach. Be prepared to climb plenty of stairs. We did not receive room service during our stay despite the desk clerk clearly stating at check-in that this is done daily (in tone like there is no choice). We were gone from morning till late night to get away from the noise and find better beaches. When we came back, there was no room service available. I thought they'd come on day 3 but still did not. This means we had garbage cans overflowing and paid for fireplace kindling that was not enjoyed. Worst yet, the price of this hotel nightly dropped to under $325 for a general suite. We paid $1400 for 3 nights. Room 319 is not work half of that amount. The owners should charge less for those rooms not having an ocean view. There are only 4 rooms that do not have an ocean or partial oceam room. We drew the short straw. I would advise anyone booking this hotel to ask (demand) to not have a room that overlooks PCH1. This view will ruin your stay, and avoid the third floor- period. When I checked out, I encountered a professional looking woman at the desk. My check out was quick but I insisted on mentioning the room svc issue. She interrupted me right away by saying there is no problem if all our trash could not fit in the trash cans. I had to say it is a problem. If I am commenting on it as a guest...it is a problem! She did not appear to be using both her ears so I...

Our 3 night stay completely exceeded our expectations!! We arrived a little early - around 1 pm, and we decided to try and check in early. So often, when you try to check in ahead of the customary 3 pm check-in time, you'll get a not-too-apologetic "sorry, your room isn't ready yet" response. Not here. Instead, upon taking my name, she smiles and said "Well, we decided to upgrade you to a penthouse unit..." (which I knew to be around $100/night more than the "partial ocean view suite" we had booked). This, even when we arrived early. Everything kept going right, as the room (317) was actually cleaned and ready for us. And we headed up to the 3rd floor... The room was THE ideal room, and I'd say one of the best in the entire inn, taking up the southwest corner of the top floor. While the balcony itself faced South - or down the coastline instead of directly out towards the ocean (West), you could see both down the coastline AND out into the ocean by facing to the right. In short, the perfect view! And because it faced South, not North, we were sheltered from the stiff north wind coming down from San Francisco. The room itself was perfect, with a little extra room because of where the room was situated. Instead of a single narrow / long unit, it had an extra 6 x 15 feet space for an extra foyer, closet, and mirror area before the bathroom. And being a corner unit, there were a couple extra windows on the side facing directly towards the ocean, as well as from the bathroom. So keep in mind Room 317 if you want a special, slightly different room! Location-wise, I'd take the Beach House over some of the other newer properties (Oceana, especially). You feel at the Beach House like you came to an Inn, and not part of a corporate project that includes restaurants, shops, a harbor, and, by the way, a hotel also. When we walked through the nearby Oceana Hotel, that's what it felt like. And the Beach House has literally a 50 foot walk from the property to the best walking part of the beach north of Half Moon Bay! And you can't beat the 50 yard walk to Sam's Chowder House! Parking was always available, and the continental breakfast was fresh and clean, though there was no hot food, just fruits and pastries, juice and coffee. Terrific place!! If it seems like their website and ads and marketing lines sound similar to any other place, let reality speak for itself. Even the photos online don't do it justice. THIS is the property you should choose when coming to the HMB area to relax and make your home base! All of the little things work, too - TV, wi-fi, sound system, microwave, fridge. Again, thank you for the fabulous...

I really loved everything about the room at the Beach House -- except for the bed. It was in poor condition. I stayed there for 12 nights (well, not actually -- I came down to SF for a medical procedure and had a 3-night hospital stay, but I was there before the surgery, and my partner stayed in the room much of the time I was in my hospital recovery, just to sleep). Because I was on heavy duty pain killers for much of the time, I felt nothing for a while. My partner complained that the bed was terribly soft in the middle and she had to sleep on the very edge to find a firm spot. By the time we left, my back was totally out of alignment and I was feeling it (I certainly still am now afterwards). I reported the defective mattress to the desk staff at check-out, and they rather dismissively said they would have housekeeping look at it, as if it was an issue with the linens. I assured her it was not. The mattress is long gone. Even at the steep discount I got for a 12-night stay for the ocean view room (# 109), it just wasn't worth the cost due to the worn out mattress. I really doubt I'd go back because of this.

By the way, the reason we did not report it earlier is because I was convalescing and the room was in a state of disarray with the contents of 5 checked bags strewn about the room. I was in no condition to repack up all of our bags and migrate down the hall for the possibility of a better (or not) ocean view room -- if there was one. We made that decision. All I am saying is that the bed was totally worn out in what is a very high-end, resort-class, hotel. I didn't ask for any refund or a discount over the issue, nor was one proactively offered. We did leave the room in excellent condition, however. We even took out our own trash during the entire stay after we learned where it went. We were quiet, good customers who asked for extremely little. As I said, the bed was poor, and if I had been well and able-bodied, we would have left the room, if not the hotel itself, but the Half Moon Bay environment was as much a contribution to my daily recovery as the daily rest I got -- sitting on the couch, watching the...