Oceanfront Inn at Discovery Coast

The distillery was the bright spot of our visit. We had a great experience there, the Aquavit was excellent, and the staff were accommodating. The rest of the stay was disappointing, especially since this wasn’t our first visit and we’d had better experiences before. At check-in, we found out there were only eight parking spaces for a nine-unit building. We managed to get one. The room was dark and cold, with no lights or heat on when we arrived. The walls and faucets had chipped paint, there were holes in the sheets and duvet, and the bed felt broken, with a deep dip on my side that made it hard to sleep. Dinner at Pickled Fish was another letdown. We were put at a tiny table behind a pole, barely large enough for our plates. My husband’s salmon came cold and overcooked. My pork schnitzel tasted good, but the fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts were cold and under-seasoned. The waitress brought the food, didn’t check back, and only returned to clear it. She never asked why the salmon had been left uneaten. Later, at lunch at a sister property, we heard similar complaints about Pickled Fish. One of the three barrel saunas wasn’t working, though we were able to share another couple’s working sauna. There was trash on a chair outside the sauna area that evening. The next morning the pool was very dirty, with hair and sand on the bottom, hair clips, and personal floaties left behind. Sauna number one never worked during our stay, and the trash was still there, so it seemed the pool and sauna areas weren’t checked regularly. It was honestly gross. That evening, the fireplace, the only heat source in our room, stopped working. No extra blankets were provided. I called Sunday morning and someone came to fix it, but we had to leave the room during the repair. When I told the front desk about our bad dinner, the staff member didn’t acknowledge it or apologize.

I’ve been coming to the Inn/Adrift since 2014, usually for two or three nights a month when work brings me to Long Beach. The rooms are cozy, comfortable, and well kept, and the cleanliness is outstanding. Housekeeping is second to none. I’ve never been let down by the service or the food at Pickled Fish either. Everyone is so kind and helpful, and they make me feel welcome every time. It’s always relaxing, and I look forward to each visit.

We stayed in the beach house loft room over Thanksgiving, and it was spacious while still feeling cozy. The view was great, and the property had even better amenities. We love this area and will definitely be back soon!

This used to be my happy place for romantic getaways, and I loved it. Four years later, a lot has changed, and this visit was a real struggle. The breakfast basket no longer comes to the door, the Pickled Fish breakfast voucher is gone, and they’ve taken away the minibar snacks and drinks. The lobby has changed too, and the organic juices that used to come in the breakfast basket aren’t for sale anymore. None of these changes were mentioned on the website. The biggest problem was hot water. We had it for only one hour during the visit, so we couldn’t use the jetted tub or shower. The office had closed by the time we noticed. I eventually reached the office with less than an hour before we had to leave, and didn’t see a point in asking for maintenance then. I also found hair and scum stuck to the tub filter. We paid almost $400 for one night, and couldn’t take a warm shower before checkout. It’s a romantic hotel, so not being able to shower was disgusting. There were only maybe four of the nine rooms occupied, so I don’t understand why the hot water was a problem. I wish I’d complained in person or asked for a discount for the unclean tub and lack of hot water. When we were leaving, hotel staff entered our room 15 minutes after noon without knocking. I was standing there without panties, putting on a dress. I was thankful it was a woman, but please knock first and give guests time. Check-in isn’t until 4 p.m. The pool is always taken, and I wish they’d set aside a special hour for Inn at Discovery guests, who pay double to stay at Adrift. You also need a reservation just to get a drink at Pickled Fish. The guy at the office wasn’t very sympathetic and offered no reimbursement for losing the use of the jetted tub, which is what everyone comes for, or even for not having a warm shower. I saved hard for our fifth anniversary and drove four hours. I left sad and wish I’d gone somewhere else. We might have stayed loyal for another decade, but now we’ll probably need to find a new romantic spot. Best Western was under $90 a night, included breakfast and hot water, and I slept much better there without the noisy plastic blinds at Inn At Discovery.