Apartments in Avalon

I can’t say enough nice things about the Aurora Hotel! Before booking, I called several times with questions about the island/hotel, and Melissa and Casey were so sweet and helpful. When checking-in, Fabian was hilariously friendly. Because Catalina is such a tiny island, most hotel rooms and bathrooms are very small. Knowing this, we rented the Aurora Celebrity Suite, which is very spacious (incl. a private entrance, a fireplace, sunporch with patio furniture, huge bathroom with 6-head shower, separate living room and sitting area). Plus cute brown bathrobes, brown wash cloths, makeup wipes, and other necessary toiletries. Melissa knew it was our wedding anniversary and that we didn’t drink alcohol, so there was a bottle of sparkling cider and some chocolates in our room with a handwritten note. The free breakfast had a fair amount of options. The roof top deck offered a lovely view of the ocean and the city. Melissa was nice enough to take some bikini pics of me on the roof. The deck was under construction which was loud, so the hotel manager, Parker, gave us a really good deal on our stay! And Casey helped us get back to the dock in time to catch our ferry home. I highly recommend the Aurora Hotel!

This not a five star hotel but the one star ratings are far from accurate. Perhaps their experience was an unfortunate occurrence, or mine was unique but I wouldn’t be deterred by the one star reviews. The room was a good size, our porch was very spacious, the view was pretty good, it is centrally located, the bed was comfortable, and the people were nice. It is an older hotel which comes with a little bit of a musky smell but not so bad that it is offensive. It’s just old. If you are looking for a five star hotel experience this isn’t it but I would absolutely recommend this place to friends and family for the fact that it is quaint, comfortable and a hop skip from the main walkway.

Our family stayed here while on vacation for a few days on the island. We were greeted getting off the boat by a bellman who took our luggage to be stored at the hotel until check in. Stepping up to the hotel, it feels luxurious but not pretentious, like you’re treating yourself to something special. The color scheme is soothing and rich. The lobby is stunning. It feels vintage and brand new all at the same time. Hotel staff was accommodating and friendly. We were able to check in a little early. Our room was welcoming and well appointed with comfortable beds and linens, well stocked bathroom with everything you need and sparkling wine! Everything was perfect and made our time on the island all the better! Also the perfect location to walk to everything.

I agree with a lot of the reviews here that this place could be great if they just paid attention to details and service. This is not an updscale boutique hotel. This is a beautiful setting with Holiday Inn service and amenities. I appreciate a Holiday Inn if that is what I'm paying for. These prices are on par with Casa Del Mar in Los Angeles which is worlds above Zane Grey. Others staying here said the same things to us unprompted. Zane Grey has none of the luxuries you would expect at this price. Breakfast is again like the hotel lobby of a Marriott with some old muffins and half-hearted eggs. There is no place to get food at the hotel aside from breakfast. No wine and cheese hour. Plastic water bottles. The towels are old and thin with only two provided. The toiletries are really basic with pump dispensers in the shower. There were no towels around the pool. Everything is threadbare and shabby. The chairs around the pool are dirty and some were ripped. Water takes a long time to heat up or you have to turn on the bathtub to get hot water! The most information we got about the hotel was from a man who drove the cart. Otherwise the people who worked in reception were extremely unhelpful except to tell us how we would be charged $50 if we checked out late when we first arrived. And we could hear the voices of the people talking in the room next door. Don't pay the money to stay here. It's not worth it. If they are going to charge these prices, they need to deliver more than a view.

I rented three rooms for the weekend. Ours was a two bedroom suite, over three hundred dollars more than the single queen and king bed rooms. We had a stained couch and bed in one room. The other room had a bed. Our old refrigerator and microwave was situated under the bathroom sink in the single king room. We had two showers, no tub. The other rooms had spa tubs and separate showers. Our room had chipped tile and flooring. Book a stay with a king sized bed if you want a long walk to the hotel and no view.

Seaport is a lovely hotel! It’s a little walk from the Catalina Express but it’s nice to be a little away from the pier. The staff is super friendly and I was able to request a late checkout since I was running the half marathon and had to shower afterwards. The hotel is a little bit out of date and it’s an old property so things aren’t that up to date. But the staff makes up for that. They also have a little hot tub at the property and that was great plus since I had to relax my muscles before the race. Overall it’s a great hotel.