Balboa Inn, On the Beach

This was the worst experience ever! The first night we got there we had to switch rooms because the ac/heater did not work and also the room smelled like cigarettes. The hotel is super runner down and their refrigerators do not cool. The walls have cracks and it looks like a cheap motel.. The second room that we were switched to locked us out and staff could NOT open the room for the whole day.. we had to get ready for a funeral, and we were unable to because they could not get it together and open the room, not even the master keys were working. Then they switched us to their supposedly nicest room they had for the inconvenience . We had to pack up everything and switch rooms for the third time and it still smelled, super dirty. My socks got dirty when walking, the AC did not work in this room as well, the bed sheet look like they were never changed. It was just horrible. Also, the staff are liars! Julian who was in charge, assured me that I would get compensation for my inconvenience and to just call my third-party purchaser to which I booked through Agoda and he would approve compensation, they called Julian to verify this. Julian said no, he could not do that because he switched us over to the nicer room. He’s a liar because he told me that I would get compensated. then I go and confront him about what he said, and he said the reason why he couldn’t do it was because only manager could refund me(mind you, this was completely different of what he had said earlier) He said the manager would be in the next day and they would refund me, that he left a lot of notes. he lied, there were no managers on Sunday and no one can help me Nor Monday, there were NO notes. Pretty much I got the runaround and the whole experience was a mess. For this type of experience A FULL refund is a necessity, which the hotel should’ve honored specially for not letting me get into the room and change into something decent for my cousins funeral. WORST EXPERIENCE, do not ever book here!

This hotel is perfectly located between the beach and balboa fun park (about 4-5 minutes to each). Staff was nice and helpful. Room was great, very clean and comfortable. There were yummy snacks in the lobby and a continental breakfast. However, the parking situation is absolutely crap. There is no parking for hotel guests. You have to either use valet that is $45 per day or pay $38 for the all day local parking. I get that California parking sucks in general but there is no deal for the guests? Valet should be WAY cheaper if the city won't work out something. That part was so wrong for those that stay here and was off putting for considering another stay in the future.

Does anyone know the scent the PCI used in their lobby? I haven’t been in ages. Our daughter graduated from Eckerd and we visited PCI many times. Other than narrowly escaping a lightning strike on the pool deck everything we experienced was pleasantly memorable. I recently was reminded how my family loved the scent in the lobby and I’d love to find out what it was. The first and last and best piña colada we ever had, too!