The Fireside Inn — Hotel in Idyllwild-Pine Cove

I have been coming to the fireside Inn for over two decades. I knew the Sears, the original owners, then Pam and Larry. It has become a biannual tradition in our household. When Pam sold the property, I was curious about what the new owners would do! We arrived for a long awaited weekend of R&R. We arrived early as we historically have but the office was closed. I was confused as the office was always open between 10am and 8pm. We used the phone at the front door to contact the staff. We left a message and were finally contacted stating the check in time had been changed but if the room was clean, we could check in. About an hour later, the new owner arrived and we were able to check into our room. We got everything unpacked and put away. When I walked into the bathroom, multiple towel racks had been removed but the holes were left un-repaired. The yellow paint from 8 years ago shown through. I don't understand why that project was not completed. Not to mention that there was hair on the walls. We unpacked all of our food and kitchen utensils as we knew that most of the cabins were under-stocked per our taste. The microwave was replaced with a toaster oven which makes no sense as there was a toaster in the cabinet and an oven in the kitchen. I had to use a kitchen pot to boil water for my tea. 99% of the dishware had been removed. There were no longer bowls in the cabinets or wine glasses. If my kids wanted to have cereal in the morning, they couldn't. I brought up a nice bottle of wine, but had to drink it out of a tumbler. The furniture had also been replaced. Although the previous couch and chairs were mismatched, they were at least very comfortable. In their place were a small settee and a strange chair made to look like either branches or antlers. Needless to say, it was very uncomfortable. All of these issues could be considered as merely an inconvenience. My biggest problem was that the owners were frequently unavailable. We got to know a young family while we were there. They let us know that they had to wait at least an hour after the regular check in time to actually get checked in. Their shower backed up one evening and they couldn't get a hold of any of the owners until later the next day. I was outside when a young man came up to the office to check out (1100) and no one was there. The maid had to contact the owners to let them know that there were folks here waiting for him. My friend actually wrote a negative review on Saturday morning due to all of these issues. Later that day, the owner came to our room and confronted her with an angry and hostel tone. As a professional, I occasionally encounter a patient or family that is not happy. Conflicts are handled in a very professional manner with good outcomes. I have never felt so uncomfortable or threatened as I did in that moment. As I stated in the beginning, the Fireside Inn has always been a place to come and relax. Unfortunately, the new owners have a lot to learn about running an Inn. I will not be back. I had to give a rating, so I gave them a 1, but in reality, due to the lack of professionalism from the owner, they...

We stayed at the Fireside Inn in Idyllwild (Room: Redwood) from Sunday, September 7 through Tuesday, September 9, 2025, and had a wonderful experience.||We booked through the Hotels.com app, and communication from the hotel was excellent right from the start. We received a warm welcome message, timely updates, and very clear check-in instructions. Since there’s no on-site staff, they sent everything the night before, including our room passcode and all the details we needed. It felt both professional and friendly.||The property itself was super easy to find and absolutely charming—nestled among the trees with cozy, cabin-like rooms that are connected in a motel-style layout. Our parking spot was clearly labeled, and our room was simple to access.||The Redwood Room was rustic in the best way—cute, cozy, and comfortable. It was well maintained, though definitely older and slightly worn. Don’t expect a five-star luxury hotel here, but rather a clean, charming, mountain-town vibe with everything you need: a comfortable bed, kitchenette, and a small but functional bathroom. Outside, the little patio with chairs was a highlight—we loved sitting there one evening to watch the full moon.||The inn is located right on the main road through town, so it’s very convenient. Even though it’s in the heart of Idyllwild, it was pretty quiet during our stay (likely because it was just after Labor Day). We were able to walk everywhere—shops, restaurants, and more were all just minutes away.||Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and would absolutely come back. The Fireside Inn is a perfect mix of rustic charm, comfort, and great location....

We stayed in Cedar Den. The room was clean as were the linens and the towels. The kitchenette was well stocked for almost any kind of cooking. It was quiet (except for the frogs outside!). That said, there is some room for improvement. In the bathroom, the toilet seat was loose, there was no toilet paper holder, there was no shelf or other horizontal surface to put things on other than half of the toilet tank lid, there was no soap available at the sink (one had to use the soap in the shower), there was no towel bar (only 2 garment hooks on the door). There were no bath towels, only bath sheets, which we found ungainly to use, and the shower curtain didn't fit inside the shower unit so that there was a lot of water on the bathroom floor after each shower. The lone electrical plug in the bathroom was loose and the bathroom window had no screen. In the main bedroom, the ceiling fan appeared to be hanging by exposed wiring, the pillows were enormous and extremely hard. In the smaller bedroom, both beds were wobbly and creaky, and there was only one outlet in the room. There were ceiling fans in both bedrooms, but only one undersized AC unit in the living room (and it can get to 100 in Idyllwild); likewise the only heater was in the living room, with no heat source in the bedrooms. We both suffered from allergic reactions to the strong disinfectant smell as well as the potpourri and decaying orange slices that were part of the decor. Finally, the parking place for this unit is wedged in between a sharp drop-off and a large tree. Most of these inconveniences could be easily fixed, thus making a night's stay much...