Leucadia Beach Inn

Mark was accommodating throughout our enjoyable four-night stay, and the Inn is well placed for walking to lots of places to eat, drink, and shop. Our clean, comfortable room was in the tucked-away "new" wing downstairs and had a useful kitchenette. We didn't cook, but made breakfast in the room and ate in the pleasant courtyard, only a very short walk away. The bed was comfortable, though the pillow was too firm and tall for me, just a matter of personal preference. We didn't use the air conditioner or space heater; I like fresh air, and opening the windows was lovely. The shower had plenty of hot water and decent pressure. There was some noise from upstairs, but nothing especially unusual. You can hear the train pass, though it doesn't run or blow its whistle in the wee hours, and it wasn't loud enough to make the place rumble or interrupt conversation. I look forward to returning and highly recommend the Leucadia Beach Inn.

I checked out after one night of a three-night booking. The room was small but clean, and the lot off PCH was small but adequate, with seven spaces offering easy access to the rooms, handy when traveling with luggage and other belongings. Check-in went smoothly. Mark, the on-site manager, was away at first, with a polite "Be Right Back" sign up, but arrived within a few minutes and walked me to my room to go over the rules and norms, including a request to keep noise down. That became more amusing as the hours went by. He pointed out an extra blanket and pillow in the closet, noticed there were only two hangars, said, "That won't do," and promptly brought six more. There was a table with two chairs and an extra chair, a small TV with a decent number of cable channels but no Netflix, AppleTV, YouTube, or similar services, and a kitchenette alcove with a microwave, small fridge, good-sized sink, two cupboards, and a handy little three-shelf wire and rubber wall unit. It also had a flimsy but working toaster, a plug-in two-burner hot plate, dishes, bowls, glasses, cups, a few sets of silverware, basic cooking tools, a couple of pots and pans, and a cheap small coffee maker I didn't try. The toaster and hot plate were stored under the sink in a cabinet that smelled a little musty. The bathroom was tiny and didn't have its own sink. The step-in shower, fixtures, and shower head were brand new and top notch, and the towels were adequate. The bed creaked and wasn't very comfortable. Using the extra blanket as a second mattress pad helped, as did the quite soft sheets and pillowcases. The colorful old-fashioned cotton quilt was a lovely touch and kept me warm. I didn't use the wall AC, but the LASKO space heater worked quickly and well when I used it twice. I liked the bargain rate of $96/night for three prepaid weekday nights through Hotels.com, but the savings weren't worth the discomfort. The walls were thin, there was a 1/16th to 1/8th inch gap letting daylight show along the doorknob side of the door, and some sort of pump in the wall near the front window kept cycling on and off. Environmental noise was nearly constant from my 3 pm check-in until 9 pm, when my neighbors and PCH traffic began to quiet down. My portable sound machine on brown noise reduced it a lot, so bring one if you have it. As other reviews mention, the train tracks are directly across the street with no sound barrier. Trains passed each hour until midnight, starting again at 6 am. Most gave short whistle bursts, which helped, but it still wasn't ideal. The deciding problem was my cell signal: weak to nonexistent on the property. Nearly every call dropped within two minutes, and all had garbled speech. Mark acknowledged AT&T customers have poor reception at the motel and in that part of Leucadia. He said he'd switched to T-Mobile, which he said works well. Discerning travelers weighing value against comfort may want to consider that. If you're mainly looking for a bargain in Encinitas, aren't sensitive to noise, and either don't need a reliable signal or have T-Mobile, which I was told works at the property, you may be fine. When I asked if something could be worked out, the manager and Hotels.com quickly and agreeably arranged a refund for the two unused nights. The money was back in my bank account two days later. Debit card users should keep that delay in mind.

My darling room, number 3, had a double bed and a kitchenette sink that also served as the bathroom sink. The owner was nice and lent me a beach chair and towel. This family-owned motel is a real gem in an excellent location. It is on a busy street, and some rooms back onto the neighboring taco restaurant, so it can be loud. But by 9 pm both nights, it was quiet and peaceful all night. The WiFi was weak in my room, so it may not work well for remote work or much streaming. I'd still absolutely stay again.

The biggest drawback for me was how much sound came through. My room faced the busy street, and trains seemed to pass every hour, blowing their horns several times as they went by. Even earplugs didn't stop them from waking me many times. Once the trains stopped and people were in for the night, things were quiet, but they started up again very early in the morning. If noise bothers you, this isn't the place for you. The bed felt worn and much too firm, and I was unhappy that the door had only a small deadbolt, with no security latch. I think every hotel should have one, especially for people traveling alone. The room was a cute little space for one person, and the place itself is quaint, with friendly staff. It doesn't have a beach view, though the beach isn't too far away. The old place is mostly renovated, but there is no central heating or air. It had a small wall AC unit and a tiny space heater that warmed the room quite well.