I was part of a family group that visited La Jolla and stayed at the Pantei Hotel for 5 long weekends in 2022. It is a beautiful hotel built and designed in Bali style architecture. Our first visits were wonderful experiences at the hotel with the supportive hotel staff, great views of the ocean and enjoyable experiences in La Jolla. We thought we had found our place to escape to the quiet, peaceful side of life. Things declined in the last two visits. The Housekeeping Staff remained very friendly and helpful, but the Administrative and Management Staff seemed much less friendly and supportive - especially over the New Year's period. It took away "the magic of the place" for us. During my 40-year international carreer and 25-year retirement I lived and travelled in over 50 countries and never experienced such treatment at any hotel! We shall not be staying there again. Dennis Barnacle…
I went with my boyfriend and his family to stay here for News Year. We have stayed here before and things seem to go well apart from the squeaky beds. This time was very different. The beds were extremely uncomfortable, the water pressure in the shower was horrible and the hot water took forever to heat up. I also found a bug in the shower. There were 6 of us staying an a three bedroom with two bathrooms and there was not enough hot water after one person took a shower. We were told that eat showerhead it’s all hot water unit but that is not true at all. Otherwise they were all broken. We were going to move rooms the last night to the room we stayed in last time we stayed because although they were loud, and squeaky, they were a lot more comfortable. The morning we were packing up the stuff to leave the manager I think his name was Edwin, was very rude, and refused to allow us to move rooms because he claimed the room smelt of cannabis. It is legal to smoke in California, but not on the property. My boyfriend and his brother did not once smoke on the property they would walk across the street to the water or across the street to smoke. Edwin continue to accuse them of smoking when there is smoke alarms in the room. My boyfriends mom had the cleaning ladies go into the room as well as another worker and both said the room did not smell of cannabis. I do not smoke weed and out of respect for myself, they don’t smoke around me. It was an excuse because they did not want to accommodate us so they could rent out the other rooms. It was very unprofessional and the way Edwin handled the situation was awful. These rooms are not cheap and people who stay there deserved to be treated and accommodated better. DO NOT stay here unless you want unhelpful management, cold showers, the worse night sleeping you will have, and a bad back.…
Location is magnificent - literally across the street from the Pacific and the ocean walk. Facility is unique - but it is rundown, the staff are indifferent, it badly needs updating, the bathroom was full of ants and they never responded. It was like staying in a third rate motel but for a short stay (2 nights) it was almost worth it for the vacation. Other guests expressed the same disappointment.
Great hotel, full of character in a brilliant location in the wonderful seaside resort of La jolla. Very comfortable stay and the staff were amazing. Big shout out to Edwin who went out of his way to send on my lap top and headphones that I stupidly left behind in the room. So grateful!
I stayed in a two bedroom, ocean front room and it was very large and lovely. The main complaints I have are that our ocean front view windows were FILTHY -- could not enjoy the view at all. (Bathroom floor was very dirty, too.) Part of the cleaning service between guests should include inside and outside cleaning of at least ocean view windows. They look like they hadn't been cleaned in months. Also, while sitting on the patio eating breakfast early one morning, the lawn service came around cutting and blowing and not caring that we were sitting there. We had to move our breakfast inside which was quite annoying.
Location excellent. Provided complimentary soft drinks and water. That's the plus points out the way. Room and building smell terribly musty. The building is very tired and in desperate need of investment. We booked a deluxe room, there was NOTHING deluxe about our room. The bathroom was the tiniest we have ever seen, it's basically a closet with a shower, toilet and sink shoe horned in. If you are anywhere near 6 feet tall you'll hit your head on the wall if you attempt to sit on the toilet ! Bizarrely the Pantai provided bath salts, no idea why. The in room safe was rusty and didn't work. Reported it to the 'Manager' twice, who stated would be with us momentarily - he never showed, couldn't be bothered tending to his Customers I guess. We liked La Jolla and will return but to the Pantai......not in a million. Over priced, awful room, very tired building, worst bathroom ever. We stayed in 4 hotels as part of our trip, the Pantai was by far the worst. Suffice it to say..........not recommended !…
First off, let me just start by saying Edwin the GM was extremely hospitable and accommodating! My family and I wanted to stay in very specific rooms since we have stayed here many times and know which ones we like. I don’t know how people have left reviews on here saying they didn’t receive house keeping!?! Anytime we needed anything, boom they were right there!! They provided beach equipment, which was a big deal since we traveled from AZ. They even had family games like Jenga and Monopoly! We will definitely keep coming back! Staying at The Pantai Inn has become a family tradition. I wish everyone could just stop and appreciate the history and beauty of that property! Yes they may be older buildings, but that’s part of what makes this place so special! Gregory Peck used to live in one of the main cottages! If you’re looking for the Ritz keep scrolling! They may not have allllll of the fancy accommodations some hotels have, but this place makes up for that 10 fold in the staffing, management and of course the location! I’ve added some pictures of the romance packages they have set up! Absolutely stunning and special every time!…
-No elevator- had to drag suitcases up 2 long flights of stairs. -Very limited Pantai inn parking that we pay for. -Iron with no board -No safe to store valuables -No closet in the room -Bathroom very small -Nightstand with lamp and no plug anywhere near to be plugged in. -The partial view was smushing your face against the window to get a sideways glimpse of the ocean. -This was a deluxe room -Asked for housekeeping and they never showed. We were the third complaint. -Breakfast included but was closed for 2 days. -Across the street from the ocean and the beach traffic was insane. -Heads up.. La Jolla is very hilly.
We were fortunate to have a room with a balcony facing the ocean. The room was spacious and the view was spectacular. Edwin the manager, was cheerful and so accommodating. From the cool drinks offered in the lobby to the great breakfast, we were treated very well. The hotel is close to many restaurants and beaches. Top notch!
This was my 3rd summer vacation at the Pantai Inn. The Inn has been through different owners recently. The new owner has raised the room rates comparable to several high quality hotels nearby. With the exception of some of the views and location of the rooms the property itself does not warrant the increased prices. New changes included daily parking rates, no pets permitted and no longer stays than 25 days. The showers need better drainage as they flood the bathroom. Pleasant staff for the most part. A breakfast has been added Thursday thru Sunday. Nice addition, but most rooms have a kitchen for making a quick cereal or egg meal. I suggest putting the money spent on the breakfast buffet towards improving the bathrooms with better drainage and shelving. DMMcGinley
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