The Wave Manhattan Beach

The front desk team were polite and helpful. Kevin got to know us after all the calls and in-person visits. The trouble was with management: Nick, the manager/owner, had to approve the refund but didn’t respond to emails or calls from us or the travel agency. We prepaid for a room at The Wave, but they couldn’t accommodate us that night. We had to book and pay again next door at their sister property, Hotel Pacifica. It took about six weeks to get the $100 deposit back, and almost three months for the travel agency to force a refund for the prepaid room The Wave had canceled. The agency sent at least eight documented emails asking the hotel to confirm in writing that it couldn’t accommodate us, and got no response. Canceling a stay after taking payment, then keeping the money while the guest pays again at a sister hotel, is unacceptable. If money was that tight, they should have accommodated the guest. This is not good business. Get a printed folio and deposit receipt before leaving. Ask the hotel to inspect the room and confirm the deposit release in writing, or you could end up months later trying to get your own money back.

The room had a tiny TV for its size, though it was easy to use and had lots of channels. Parking is directly beneath the hotel. The doors closed well and the locks were nice, but a gap under the door let noise through, and we could hear someone yelling on the phone all night, so sleeping was difficult. We were meant to get three queen beds. Instead, we got two queens and a couch that didn’t unfold, and it was very uncomfortable. There was supposed to be a pool and spa, but there was no spa.

The room and location were great for our one-night stay. The problem came when my car was damaged in the car park. I reported it right away to the front desk, who told me to contact hotel management. After several emails and calls, management finally replied and blamed the contractor they’d hired. Four weeks on, I still haven’t been reimbursed for the repair. Hotel management don’t care about their customers.

The pool was clean and nice, and there were towels available. Breakfast choices were limited, though the waffles were great. Our room was clean and the staff were very helpful. Parking costs extra, but there’s plenty of street parking on the side street if you’d rather save the money.