Arroyo Vista Inn — Hotel in South Pasadena

Todra Payne

I stayed here based on glowing reviews. It was okay. It definitely needed some love as there is visible wear and tear and lack of upkeep on the place. Our room had spackle on the walls that had been left as big white patches (um, did they forget to paint over them?) and our tub was clogged (which we couldn't resolve at 10 PM when we discovered it) so we showered in a puddle of water that wouldn't drain.

Drink and food from the day before was left out and dirty dishes were on the dining table for hours. The wine and cheese hour is actually a really cheap bottle of awful wine, two wine glasses (for all the guests?), and a tiny bowl of salted nuts.

There was no customer service person on site willing to interact with guests. I and several other guests knocked on a door that we could clearly hear someone behind, but they refused to open it to offer assistance in any way. One guest said she'd been trying to get a blanket for some time. I suppose this is a COVID thing, but other hotels have staff...they wear masks or face shields.

The woman who handled guests' questions and concerns via the phone was really nice and worked hard to accommodate guests' needs, so that was a definite plus. She even switched our room graciously when we realized it didn't have a desk for us to use for work. Our room was very clean, so that was nice, as well. The kind cleaning lady tried to help as guests wandered around asking where to get this thing or the other. Soon we realized everything had to go through the woman on the phone, who then conveyed what we wanted to the invisible person behind the door who would sneak out when no one was around and leave a key, a blanket, etc on the desk outside the door.

We booked through Hotels Tonight because we needed something last minute and I'm glad I paid the discounted rate instead of full price. But we were told we'd have to pay $18 if we wanted breakfast since we didn't book directly with the inn. Seriously? We skipped it.

There isn't enough parking for the number of guest rooms, so we squeezed our car beside the wall in hopes of not blocking anyone in. How was this an oversight? 11 rooms should equal 11 parking spots.

This could be as beautiful as I'm assuming it used to be with a bit of effort. I received an email from the hotel suggesting I only write positive reviews online, and tell them if I have a negative review. That's shady....

Wow. Had an amazing weekend here recently!

It's a beautiful historic home with plenty of places to relax, read, meditate, snack, play board games, etc. They made my partner and me feel right at home. We walked in and were welcomed with complimentary wine, pistachios, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and a mini-fridge full of water and soft drinks.

We brought a plate of nuts and some wine up to our room, which had a wonderful view of the mountains from two corner chairs on either side of an oval table next to the three adjacent windows - very elegant and relaxing. The whole room and inn is also full of original oil paintings and antiques that are available for sale if requested. We particularly liked one of the board games they had as well, so we inquired and bought it!

Downstairs, I played a few jazz standards on the baby grand in the living room, though there was also a book of classical pieces waiting on the piano when I sat down. It was an old piano with no functioning pedals, but plenty of character (though not the awful out-of-tune honky-tonk kind).

After a night out in Pasadena on the Colorado strip (with sub-par sushi that had been recommended by a friend and a visit to the theater only to have it closed due to plumbing issues), it was very soothing to come back and take a shower in our quaint but elegant bathroom, especially with the aromatic lotions and soaps they provided - definitely a head and shoulders (no pun intended) above the normal hotel fare.

The bed was a California king and certainly made me feel like one. In the morning, I took a walk with my partner and we happened across a flock of wild parrots that brightened our morning! The only thing that overshadowed the beautiful birds was the wonderful home-cooked breakfast we had when we returned from our walk: banana-walnut pancakes, french toast, scrambled eggs, a fried egg, turkey bacon, fresh berries, watermelon, muffins, coffee, and tea; all prepared by a local chef studying in Le Cordon Bleu's culinary program. We read the Times, provided by the inn, and had a wonderful conversation with the chef, who gave us ample recommendations for other LA restaurants to try.

Needless to say, we left relaxed, happy,...

I have booked a King room with Forest View for 2 nights and decided to add another night but the same room was not available, So I booked the additional night in the premium category. I called the property the day before and was told she may find a way so that we don't have to change our room.|When we checked in around 9pm, they left a key to our room on the 3rd floor.|This room is the least expensive room where there is only a very small window and it's half covered with eaves of the roof. It was so dark that you cannot read unless you turn the lights on during the day. The next morning, I asked the manager, Susan, we would like the room we booked for or there should be a refund for the rate difference. I was then told we booked through the third party booking site not their own website and we have a heavily discounted price. I really did not see that much difference between what we paid and their website rate. She said then she can waive the service fee of $15 per day additional service fee. I did not see that anywhere in the website. I only saw the handwritten note at the check-in area. |She said there is no adjustment whatsoever because we got the cheap rate.|All I asked was to get the room categories we booked and deserved.|Her answer was I can check out if I was not happy. I made all the travel plans based on staying in the area. This is totally "Bait and Switch" and her attitude was very unprofessional. We have extensive good experiences at Air BNB, etc. This is one property we were treated poorly.|The property is old and needs some attention but overall, it was OK and the breakfast was fairly good and the guy in the kitchen was very helpful.|The management left us with bad taste and I will not go back to...