Bluebird Inn

The room was comfortable and very nice, and the shower and sink water gets wonderfully hot. There’s also a lovely little courtyard and backyard. Katrina and Sue at the front desk were amazing. Katrina even lit the lobby fire for us, which made it incredibly cozy. The lobby has board games, kids’ toys, and books with nearby restaurant reviews. They offer free hot chocolate in the afternoon, and breakfast in the lobby was great, with individually wrapped chocolate croissants and other snacks. Such great hospitality and a really good experience!

Check-in went smoothly, but once I reached my room I found out the cable was down. At the front desk, I was basically told it was out and they had no idea when it would return. If I’d known there’d be no TV, I wouldn’t have checked in, especially since the town shuts down pretty early. I asked for a refund so I could go somewhere else, but they said I’d have to contact the company we booked through. That company told me Bluebird Inn had refused a refund and said it wasn’t their problem. I eventually left for Castle Inn, which was a much nicer hotel.

The service was friendly, and for the most part we had a great stay. The inn is older, so the floors creak and the walls don’t block much sound. That seems to be the main thing people complain about. We were on the top floor, and the people below objected to hearing us walk around. It’s a temporary stay, not your own home, so get a grip. It’s beautiful and quaint, but quaint doesn’t mean perfect.

We stayed one Sunday night in Cambria so my husband, my mom, and I could go to the Christmas Market. We’ve visited Cambria many times, but this was our first time at the event. The town means a lot to our family, and the trip was a chance to remember my dad, who loved Cambria and sadly passed away in 2022. Katrina checked us in and was very pleasant. She answered a couple of questions about the market and gave us useful advice. Our downstairs room had two beds and a small kitchenette, and it was a great space. After dinner we walked easily to the east village shuttle stop. The market ended at 9. We saw people drinking there, but it wasn’t a huge party. Around 10 pm, as we were settling in, the people upstairs came back for the night. One sounded like they were crashing through the ceiling. They were talking and yelling too, and it was clear to us that the group was drunk. We waited until 10:30 to see if they’d quiet down, then my husband called the front desk to ask if someone could talk to them. We thought they might not realize how loud they were and hoped it could be sorted out. Someone came by at 10:45, but the partying went on well past midnight. We didn’t call the desk again. It had felt uncomfortable the first time, there were only women working there, and we were worried about retaliation for complaining. Around midnight we looked for somewhere else to stay, or even considered sleeping in the car, but couldn’t find another room and it was too cold outside. The noise finally settled around 1 am, and by about 2 am we felt we could try to sleep. After a rough night, my husband checked out and told the staff the noise had continued after 10:45. The person at checkout said the upstairs guests were drunk and that sound carries in an old hotel. We asked if anything could be done. Even $20 off, or a free muffin or something in town, would have felt like an acknowledgment and apology. Instead, he said nothing could be done and we should call back to speak to a manager. Before leaving town, I emailed the manager to get my thoughts down and mentioned I had several recordings of the noise. They never asked to hear them. We got no reply, not even confirmation or an expected response time, until I followed up. The manager later called my husband and said we should have kept calling the desk, and they would eventually have contacted the non emergency Sherriff’s line. Nobody told us that at 10:30 pm, and in hindsight, involving the police would have disturbed everyone nearby even more. The manager focused on what we should have done differently to fix things ourselves. Their only offer was a credit for what we paid, toward another night. We’d still have to pay extra fees to upgrade rooms, take time off work, and drive 10-12 hours round trip, along with the other travel costs. There was no apology and no reassurance this wouldn’t happen again if we gave them another chance. We declined the credit and asked for a full refund, which the manager denied. We don’t trust the Bluebird Inn now. The lack of communication and good faith effort to find an acceptable solution was disappointing.