Holiday Inn Express San Clemente N – Beach Area by IHG

We came a long way for a wedding, and this hotel wasn’t on the invitation’s list of guest hotels. I’m glad I looked around and found it, because it’s in a convenient spot and feels more like a resort than a hotel. The staff, including Chris, Ricky, Melanie, Elena, Rosa and Patrick, made us feel welcome and responded to our needs. The breakfast buffet is excellent, and our room is spacious and clean. My wife has been using the gym, and there are lovely grounds to stroll through. There’s good shopping nearby and the beach is close too. We’re still enjoying our visit and will be happy to return.

For the price, this place is incredibly beautiful. We stayed at Marriott's Mission Inn last time, but found this Holiday Inn Express nicer and less pretentious. The room was spotless, the balcony was a pleasant surprise, and the free breakfast buffet was more than passable. The staff were so nice that the desk boy even remembered my name when he happened to pass me.

The bed was the most comfortable hotel bed I’ve ever slept in, and the room was very clean. I wish I’d stayed more than one night. Parking was the only drawback: the spaces are very tight, there’s a $15 fee, and at night it was hard to find a spot.

Patrick at the front desk was very helpful, and the breakfast was great. We chose this hotel for a weekend birthday getaway for my wife, based on its reviews and apparent value. The parking was easy, the location just off I-5 was convenient, and the rooms were clean and comfortable. There’s no restaurant or bar, just a small cubicle selling snacks, though coffee, juice, and water are available throughout the day. Some things were outside the staff’s control: people upstairs walked around like a herd of elephants all night, and toddlers in the next room cried and screamed constantly. We dealt with both during our stay, and Patrick moved us to a third-floor room away from the chaos. It’s a nice, clean, affordable hotel with very nice staff.