Ayres Hotel Costa Mesa/Newport Beach

We ended up at Ayres Hotel after my car broke down far from home and needed repairs. The kids were happy with the two pools, and I enjoyed the hot tub. Our room was clean and roomy, and the staff were friendly. They even let us check in at 11 a.m., so we didn’t have to wander around while the car was in the shop. It turned a difficult few days into a much brighter stay for my family.

Clean, upscale, and affordable, with a pool, hot tub, and airport shuttle. The on-site restaurant was convenient and decent, though not amazing, and there’s walkable coffee just down the street. The workout room has a good selection of machines and weights. I’d stay again.

The airport shuttle was convenient, and the hotel itself is gorgeous. I liked the architecture and atmosphere, but the room was pretty standard, nothing special. For the price it wasn’t awful, though I wouldn’t return. The room was really humid, with a thick, damp, musty feeling. The A/C barely ran even at a low setting with the fan on constant, so it didn’t help. The beds were hard, and the pillow sank so much that it felt like my head was on the bed. The shower fan made noise but didn’t clear the steam. The mirror stayed fogged for two hours after my shower, even with the door open, and there were water droplets on the bathroom ceiling.

The rooms were clean, which matters a lot to me, but as a woman traveling alone I had safety concerns. I checked in around 11 p.m. after work, and the desk attendant said my room number out loud several times while handing me the key card. I travel every week and have never had that happen. I raised it with the manager the next morning, thinking the employee might be new. She confirmed he wasn’t new and said she’d address it. I was also directed to use back entrances to get to my room. I drove past those doors twice before realizing either was an entrance. They were solid metal utility-style doors in poorly lit areas, and normally I’d expect a door like that to have a window to see in or out. I wouldn’t stay at this location again if traveling alone.