Dockside Boat & Bed — Hotel in Long Beach

OK, so there are a few things that in all honesty would really make this a 4-star stay, but if you are a boater or RVer (I am the latter), then it's hard to find fault with anything! I only stayed one night with my adult daughter, but we were both so disappointed when we had to leave in the morning. If I knew how to steal a boat, I would! We stayed on Sea Peepers, with a completely unobstructed view of the lighthouse, Queen Mary, and the marina. At check in (the office is another boat, staffed until 6:00pm) we were given a tour of how to work everything on the boat. Right outside on the dock is a nice chaise lounge, and table with umbrella and four chairs. We didn't use either as we sunbathed on the front (bow?) of the boat and then sat on the back deck (stern? Can't ever remember which is which) every minute we could from check-in to check-out, drinking Corona, listening to music (built in sound system with Aux), and watching people and boats sail by. Walked two minutes up the dock and picked up PF Changs for dinner (also have Yardhouse, Outback, and about a dozen other restaurants minutes away). When it got chilly, we headed inside and reclined on an incredibly comfortable leather couch (two built-in recliners on each end of the sofa!)and watched a movie on DVD (they have a bunch available) on a nice flat screen TV. The main living space is huge; you step down (3 steps) to reach the small galley and dining area with U-shaped bench seat. The second bedroom, which is a smaller, triangular-ish shaped bed and nothing else but small windows, is just beyond the dining area. My daughter slept here and loved it, but it would be tight for two adults (no problem for two kids) and a maybe little claustrophobic. There is a second, smaller bathroom here as well! The kitchen has all you need (dishes, glassware, silverware, microwave, toaster, fridge with freezer, etc.), although the fridge could be colder (we chilled the beer in the freezer, which we bought a mile down the road at 7-11 before we checked in at 2:00pm.). On board were a couple bananas, apple, two bagels, cream cheese and yogurt for breakfast, along with a few other snacks. There is a full size coffee maker and coffee, but directions would have been nice as I had no idea how much water to add -- we have a Keurig and I haven't made a full pot in years so it was way too weak -- but who cares?! I still loved every second of sitting quietly on the deck drinking my lousy coffee the next morning!! But I digress...) The living area has a wet bar (really!) and the decor is beachy and relaxing. DirectTV is also available in the living room; there is a 2nd flat screen TV in the master for DVD (only) as well. Unlike the smaller bedroom, the master is very spacious, with a closet, two nightstands, dresser drawers and even a little seat. There is a separate bathroom off the master with reasonable space (RV-wise) including a shower with a small built-in seat as well. The whole master "retreat" was wonderful!! Sheet/pillows on both beds were luxurious and clean and crisp, and nautical touches are scattered in all areas. Both beds were a little hard, but falling asleep to gentle rocking was awesome!!! The only issue with this boat - as with any boat - is that it's loud and busy in the harbour - lots of boats going in and out, lots of foot traffic at the lighthouse across the way. If you are looking for real privacy, this isn't the place (although we had no issue with this at all. My daughter had a ton of fun pretending this was our own yacht and loved that people sailed by wishing that they, too, could "own" such a lovely vessel!!). Also, there are spots on the boat that smell mildewy (inside cabinets and drawers), but it's a boat, so not an issue, although that might start to bug me if I was spending several days aboard. Still, we loved everything about our little overnight excursion, and we will surely be back -- hopefully for a longer stay...

Our experience at the Dockside Boat and Bed was not what we expected at all. We booked a 2 night stay on the Sea Peepers from 8/9-8/11/24. We paid a total of around $810. We were excited because it was my husbands 40th birthday and we were going to the Long Beach Jazz Festival. We also read several great reviews about this place so our expectations were high.

We received a confirmation email stating that we should check in before parking our car to be sure that we could get a discounted parking pass for the $16 lot however I found out that the parking passes (which are available based on availability) aren’t even available on the weekends at all so it was pointless to email me that.

Upon check in we were greeted by a friendly face and she checked us in quickly. However nobody advised us that there were wheelbarrows to carry our stuff in from our car. We made two trips and nobody offered anything to us not even a helping hand. Usually when you check into an establishment the receptionist will advise you of where a cart is or offer to assist. These people did neither.

We were given a tour and everything appeared to be good. Until we settled in. Then we quickly noticed the stench which smells like a public bathroom. It’s very strong and makes the fact that the boat is not clean even more evident. The room was not clean. And this is not because the cleaning lady did a poor job. It was primarily due to the age and upkeep. They need to deep clean the boat. The carpets in the rugs are filthy. The floors in the bathroom are grimey. The window seals have fur on them. The areas all over the bathroom are grimey. It’s super nasty. It makes you feel like you’re at a low budget hotel. There were smudges in the corners on the counters and all over behind the toilet.

When we were heading out on Saturday for the festival Ken asked us how are stay was going and if we needed anything. I advised that we needed clean towels. He let me know that in order to receive clean towels I would need to go BACK inside the boat to retrieve the dirty towels and return them. If we’d known this we would’ve brought them out. He didn’t offer to go inside to get the towels for us and we certainly weren’t going to do that because we were freshly dressed and we’d just loaded up our belongings and coolers for the festival. It’s a challenge and trek to get in and out of the boat! The ice trays were white and you could see the dirt on them.

When it was time to check out I did advise Ken of our concerns and he was very defensive especially about the wheelbarrows. Stating that the info was in the confirmation email. As if they didn’t check us in on site.

Getting in and out of the boat is difficult. You have to bend and twist and navigate shallow steps. Plus it rocks! lol I know that’s obvious ijs don’t do it if you’re planning to get tipsy or drunk. Bad combo lol.

The bed is a full and if you or your man usually sleep in a full prepare for the right space. If you’re going to rent this particular yacht I recommend adjusting your expectations. This is more like a camping experience. It’s not bougie. If you like camping and being outdoors then you can adjust your expectations and mentality but for $400/night I’d need damn near an entire cabin! Not a small boat.

2/10 do...

Our experience at the Dockside Boat and Bed was not what we expected at all. We booked a 2 night stay on the Sea Peepers from 8/9-8/11/24. We paid a total of around $810. We were excited because it was my husbands 40th birthday and we were going to the Long Beach Jazz Festival. We also read several great reviews about this place so our expectations were high. ||We received a confirmation email stating that we should check in before parking our car to be sure that we could get a discounted parking pass for the $16 lot however I found out that the parking passes (which are available based on availability) aren’t even available on the weekends at all so it was pointless to email me that.||Upon check in we were greeted by a friendly face and she checked us in quickly. However nobody advised us that there were wheelbarrows to carry our stuff in from our car. We made two trips and nobody offered anything to us not even a helping hand. Usually when you check into an establishment the receptionist will advise you of where a cart is or offer to assist. These people did neither.||We were given a tour and everything appeared to be good. Until we settled in. Then we quickly noticed the stench which smells like a public bathroom. It’s very strong and makes the fact that the boat is not clean even more evident.||The room was not clean. And this is not because the cleaning lady did a poor job. It was primarily due to the age and upkeep. They need to deep clean the boat. The carpets and the rugs are filthy (especially the stairs).||The floors in the bathroom are grimey. The window seals have fur on them. The areas all over the bathroom are grimey. It’s super nasty. It makes you feel like you’re at a low budget hotel. There were smudges in the corners on the counters and all over behind the toilet. |When we were heading out on Saturday for the festival Ken asked us how are stay was going and if we needed anything. I advised that we needed clean towels. He let me know that in order to receive clean towels I would need to go BACK inside the boat to retrieve the dirty towels and return them. If we’d known this we would’ve brought them out. He didn’t offer to go inside to get the towels for us and we certainly weren’t going to do that because we were freshly dressed and we’d just loaded up our belongings and coolers for the festival. It’s a challenge and trek to get in and out of the boat!||The ice trays were white and you could see the dirt on them.||When it was time to check out I did advise Ken of our concerns and he was very defensive especially about the wheelbarrows. Stating that the info was in the confirmation email. As if they didn’t check...