Dana Point Marina Inn

“Very Enjoyable; Would Go Back”

Great location; you could easily stay there for a few days without a car. There are restaurants, coffee shops, and even a wine-tasting room within easy walking distance, plus two companies that do whale watches and the catamaran to Catalina. Unlike some other reviewers, I did not encounter any ho… more

Great location; you could easily stay there for a few days without a car. There are restaurants, coffee shops, and even a wine-tasting room within easy walking distance, plus two companies that do whale watches and the catamaran to Catalina. Unlike some other reviewers, I did not encounter any hostile men working at Reception; the woman who greeted me was very pleasant and very helpful. My king room was large and had a nice view of the marina. Despite also overlooking parking for the marina, it was very quiet at night. There was a bit of room-to-room noise, largely because the folks above me were trying to bounce bowling balls -- or something -- but that was not the hotel's fault. It is a dog-friendly inn, but I heard no barking. Breakfast is nothing fancy and tends not to vary from day to day, but is OK (eggs, sausage links, bagels, some fruit; waffles). Parking is plentiful and the WiFi was fine; also lots of TV channels, but you really won't want to spend much time in your room. Great walks run along the waterfront and there are small beaches nearby; local wildlife includes sea lions, ground squirrels, and a wide variety of birds. This hotel is not elegant and I'd suggest they upgrade the towels, but it is fine if you want to be at the marina and maybe take day trips to San Clemente, etc. I would stay there again.

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“Great location for marina activities”

We stayed here on two occasions, a few days apart (coming from and back to Catalina Island). The first day, we arrived early and asked the attendant behind the desk, Aris, if we could store our luggage so we could find a bite to eat. Very friendly gentleman, a credit to his profession. When we re… more

We stayed here on two occasions, a few days apart (coming from and back to Catalina Island). The first day, we arrived early and asked the attendant behind the desk, Aris, if we could store our luggage so we could find a bite to eat. Very friendly gentleman, a credit to his profession. When we returned, we checked in and went to our room - which was still occupied by someone! I returned to the front desk; the lady who checked us in quickly rebooked us and accompanied me back up to confirm that our room was ready for us. Very friendly service; again, a credit to her profession. Our return visit that Friday was uneventful. Again, the help behind the desk held our luggage while we searched out lunch before our trek back to catch the train in San Juan Capistrano. The hotel itself is situated across the street from the marina, and is within easy walking distance of the Catalina Express terminal. The hotel itself is nice, if maybe a bit dated in a late 1970s sort of way. The bed was comfortable, although I wasn't a fan of the pillows (my wife had no issues with them). The hair dryer didn't work in our first room on Monday, but in the second room on Friday, it did fine. Both rooms had a balcony with a view of the marina. Would we stay again? Definitely. Next time, if we have a car, we'll be sure to remember there's a $15 parking fee, which I think is fair.

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