Driftwood Motel — Hotel in Torrance

I saw this place advertised on booking.com with an 8.3 rating, so I decided to stay. The motel wasn’t available on line but I called and the gentleman said he had rooms available.

I arrive. The first thing I notice is that the motel signage is faded and damaged. I immediately was hesitant, 1st red flag, but I proceed to go to the front desk to secure a room. I notice a sign with the rules with certain highlighted sections. One of the highlighted sections says no visitors? I’ve never seen this at any hotel I’ve stayed at. I can understand if I was staying at a hostel. 2nd red flag. So I put my cousins name on the reservation card just to make sure there were no issues. I was in town to see family and had planned to go out with my cousin. As I ask about a room, the desk person tells me that it would be $99. I told him that it was advertised for $89, so he said ok . 3rd red flag. The next thing he asked was if I had cash. I only had $20 in cash. Seems a little suspicious and fraudulent, but I gave him $20 cash and paid the rest on a cc. 4th red flag . I get a room key. You can tell that the sleeve used for the key card was used over and over. 5th red flag. I get to the room. There’s only one lock on the door, there’s a small hole in the wall, there are paper signs scotched taped signs regarding smoking and Covid-19 on random walls, the headboard partially covers an outlet that limits its access, no phone , there are no hand towels, you’re forced to use face towels to dry your hands , and only 2 bath towels. Oh and I think someone mentioned two small pillows for the bed. 6th red flag. Lesson here trust your gut, don’t ignore the red flags, and question why they are asking for cash ( is it to avoid paying fees or taxes.) How does this story end? I ended up leaving after two hours and getting a beautiful room at the holiday inn. I hate that I wasted my money at the Driftwood Motel. I know better for next time. I definitely don’t...

My mom was visiting and is on a low budget, so when we found out Driftwood has new owners, we checked it out. ||The owners are super nice, as well as their employees. The rooms are clean and new with wood-look tile floors downstairs and carpeted floors upstairs. ||This is a drive up to your door hotel, so be aware that you can hear car alarms being set if your windows are open or if you don’t have music playing or the TV on.||There is a nice ocean breeze, though the ocean is a short drive away.||There are lots of shops, eateries, and grocery options on the same block and within one block. A playground park is also around the corner, as well as a few banks and a couple gas stations.||If you need desk space, the desk is huge and the chair is comfy.||There is no closet, but the clothing rod does the trick. It also makes the room feel larger. ||There’s ample counter space to prepare food, too. Each room comes with a microwave and small fridge.||The hotel is next to a church, so it’s very quiet. The other side is a driveway to apartments behind them, so it’s not a noisy road-side type motel. PCH is steady traffic, so the sound is not noticeable in the rooms.||We recommend Driftwood, and we looked at every option along PCH through Redondo Beach.||||(It is awaiting city approval for taking down the original front building, so find out when...

This motel was a steal for the price we paid. Booked last minute whilst roadtripping around California and was pleasantly surprised. Check in was easy, the rooms were huge and clean with newly renovated bathroom. The bed was large and comfy and the location was great. Local beach nearby, or if you have a car a half an hour drive to Venice Beach and Beverly Hills. We also had a Dodgers Baseball game booked and the drive back to our hotel was fine. The drive there was horrific but that was due to LA traffic which, unfortunately, is unavoidable. ||||The motel is surrounded by a ton of fast food restaurants and a few eat in places - we drove 15 mins to the Harbour and had a lovely meal at the Cheesecake Factory. ||||We stayed on the second floor and had a great nights sleep after busy days in LA. A tip - if you are planning to drive from LA to Las Vegas this is a great motel to go from as it completely avoids the LA traffic. We got to Vegas in around 4hrs 20. ||||Would definitely recommend this motel if you are looking for something cheap and cheerful! Do not let the outside put you off, just needs a...