Who's Going
Budget Weekenders, LA Families, Design Lovers
Reason to Stay
Waterfront Location, Beach Eatery, Affordable Rates
Hotel Type
Boutique Hotel
In the perfect walkable location just south of Laguna Beach town, Pacific Edge Hotel is a well-known cluster of mid-rise buildings recently swooped under the management umbrella of SF-based Joie de Vivre Hotels. A revamped facade is one of the cutest in town flanked by a colorful longboard beyond a parking lot attended by the quintessential OC surfer dude. A lobby oozes of a white sterility with remnants of the property's motel past including tile floors and retro check-in desk albeit attended by local staff that explains the labyrinth of buildings that define the main property.
Having been wooed by an uber-stylish website of retro-modern rooms, a glitch in the fantasy is found along hidden staircases that lead to a series of walkways past a courtyard-style pool of rambunctious kids and better, newer waterfront annex of the property. It is here guests find a spectacular white sand beach and series of oceanfront cabanas available for day use with private kitchen and terrace. Throughout summer, all guests are offered beach service by sexy staff of helpers with easy access to the Beachhouse with its all-day menu or The Deck with a cool, well-kept surfer style we wish was the norm at this hotel and not the exception.
The Room
One of the few oceanfront properties in Laguna Beach that’s as affordable as $220 per night on a summer weekend, it’s a case of you get what you pay for with a wide array of rooms arranged in a series of interconnecting beachfront and adjacent buildings. Our entry-level room came into view after a moist and dirty staircase that led to an awkwardly wide corridor just past a single-pane sliding door. Inside, brightly painted walls interrupt direct eye contact with a wobbly window-mounted AC and tubed TV next to a large and empty refrigerator with Emphysema wheeze. The bathroom, however, was the overall low-point with moldy caulking and loose plastic molding around the tub albeit with small window warped by the sea air that revealed an attractive neighbor in the next room and crashing wave directly below. For those in search of the stylishness of the website, book a higher category apartment room or The Villa for top-of-the-line accommodations.
Preferred Room
The Villa
Special Features
Private Villa, Beach Bar, Cabana Service
Amenities
Restaurant, Lounge, Pool
