Sands by the Sea

Prime Shine

2023-12

Our stay was great, it was relaxing and very pleasant. Our room was on the second floor and had twin queens. It had a small armoire and a desk. Our room was dog friendly. Our room also had a shower with a tube. Our room was a bit dated but clean and pleasant. Our check-in was at the Cavalier, which owns the Sands by the sea, they were nice and happy to have us staying there.The only thing that wasn't five star was the breakfast. It was a bit lacking. One of our breakfast days there was no juice or fruit, that left semi-frozen pastries and coffee/no tea. We had kids, so coffee wasn't doable. But it was free. [If you chose to use the voucher at the Cavalier restaurant, you will have to purchase an actual meal to be able to take off your 5 dollars. I won't be back to the restaurant 😒. Review is not for the restaurant.]The outdoor amenities were great 👍🏽, the pools were great, and the spa was great. The indoor pool was closed during our stay. The fitness center was great and usable.Even next to the road, the property is quiet 🤫 and very relaxing. We will be back againRooms: Good sized, no closet, a bit dated.Safety: Very safe, very walkable, well lit and night staff are proactive and helpful.Walkability: Very walkable, right next to the beach, and coastline is amazing.

Alanna Williams

2024-03

I called a few weekends in advance for booking my room , was quoted over the phone $109 with our Military discount for 1 nightWhen I went to check in I was charged $195 ! With a $50 hold . They were not able to give me the original price I was givenWe had a handicap room when it wasn’t necessary?? The desk chair in our room was so tore up most definitely needed to be replaced years ago. We had an electrical problem in the room where our lights and fan kept turning on and off by themselves through out the night 😑The window to our room looked directly into the indoor pool room which felt a bit uncomfortable as the windows were less than 2 ft apart . Where is the privacy in that ?Won’t be staying there again !

SKYLER SEJIN LEE

2023-12

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lloyd johnson

2024-01

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Marlina Miller

2024-04

Do not stay here rooms are dated they still have popcorn ceilings and it’s dirty. The tv doesn’t work and noise all night long above us. You can get no rest or even peace and quiet in this dump

Sam&Rebecca W.

2023-05

The price was great but you get what you pay for with the room. The front desk and restaurant are really great with super nice staff. Food was delicious and had large portions. The room itself may have just been a dud and the rest may be better but for us the room was not very clean, no screen on our window, our door or jam was warped which made it difficult to open and close, the light on the fan does not turn off all the way unless you shut off the fan completely which would not have been an issue but our room has been absorbing all the wonderful heat outdoors and does not cool off until the middle of the night. We would be willing to try this place again but hopefully with a different room. :)

Sabine Hellwig

2023-06

Stayed there twice with the same experience (off season in Dec and in season in May). The room furnishing are worn, with finishes and upholstery stripped and scratched. The first impression of the room was badly stained carpet and unpleasant odor. Opted for the complimentary breakfast: a coffee and a piece of toast with jam. While there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with that, we waited for 10 min by the hostess desk for the coffees and another 15 min for the toast (on both occasions we stayed at the hotel). At $220+/night this is unacceptable service. The location is nice so at least there’s opportunity to avoid the dingy room by enjoying the ocean views outside.

rose bender

2023-07

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Shawna Faudel

2023-05

I dig this place, don't get me wrong. I just think if a bit more TLC was put into it, definitely would change to 5 stars. Just like making sure your windows are able to lock, clearing slow drains, cleaning carpets a little better - honestly low key cleaning and maintenance upkeep. I'm still totally staying again if in the area. Staff was all very friendly, good vibe. 🤙Area felt safe and pet friendly.Nearby activities: The beach! Anything outside!Safety: I felt pretty safe traveling alone and staying here.

Stacy Lynn Morgan

2024-03

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Sam Srey Whisenand

2023-05

For being a motel, this isn't a bad spot! The selling point is the beach front walking distance that's available here! There's a microwave and decent sized fridge for keeping foods to eat at the room if needed and to save some dough from eating out. Decent sized bathroom, the cons is being able to hear people walking by your room since the floors are pretty loud walking through. But overall, pretty sweet place with similar amenities as the Cavalier Resort (using the fire pits, games, etc). We'll be back again!

Nicole D.

2023-05

We booked a last minute stay here to get away from the crowds of San Diego. This place caught our eye for location. It is right off the beach which is so convenient. We had a king bed room that was specious. Our room looked fairly clean. I'm not too picky. One thing that does get me is noise though. The walls are thin. We were right next to the stairs and you could hear every step and everyone's conversations. Also, the constant door slamming from people leaving their rooms. The lobby was closed, we had to go next door to check in. Furthermore, says they have breakfast it is toast, muffin, or $5 towards a paid breakfast.

Wanshi Hong

2023-05

The room seems to have bed bugs. Found multiple bites after I got home. The included breakfast was at the cavalier resort restaurant, which is awful! You can choose between two toast and coffee or a five dollar coupon at the restaurant. The breakfast was extremely slow. We went there around 9 am and after get seated it still took about half hour to take our order and half hour for the food to be served. And the food was not good either, even eggs are not fresh.

dan h

2023-05

Nice clean place. Rooms are large and the bed was very comfortable. There are no ocean views. The restaurant is a bit pricy. The room rate was right in line with the room & amenities. Microwave & small refrigerator were in the single king room that I had. I would definitely stay here again.

Andrea Gonzalez

2023-05

The husband and I stayed one night here on our PCH motorcycle road trip. The location was incredible. Right on the beach. Seems that this hotel is also managed by the Best Western next door but all guests were able to use the giant chess and checkers board as well as the large fire places over looking the ocean. The rooms were quite out dated but still comfortable. The room had no AC but all we had to do was open the window to get a breeze right off the ocean. I had no issues with cleanliness and check in was easy once you figured out you had to go to the other hotel to check in. The Cavalier restaurant was pretty good also. I would stay here again.

Queen BELLA

2023-05

Amazing place comfy beds room has fridge blow dryer in closet plenty of clean towels great toletries..our room had ocean view even tho they said it didnt..lol!! Free coffee in lobby,and in room .u get free muffin and coffee ☕️ in the diner next door...plus you can get food right there...then walk steps to most magnificent ⛱️ beach !!! We will return ...ASAP...the people working there are super lovely...they had christmas deco ..was beautiful 😍 their is a pool too

Caitlin Maldonado

2023-09

My grandma stayed here and got her wedding ring stolen by one of the housekeepers. She’s been calling and no one has tried to help, looked at who cleaned her room, or even checked the cameras to help her find it. She also got some of her makeup stolen but she doesn’t really care about that as much as the ring.

Casey Cooper

2023-05

This motel is right next to the ocean and easily accessible from Route 1. The rooms were big enough with plenty of space to store things. Our room technically had an ocean view as shown by one of the photos. The furnishings were modernish, though a bit run down; in fact, that can describe the whole place. My other gripe was there were no GFCI receptacles in the bathroom, which is a basic safety feature required by electrical codes since the 1970s. Overall, I recommend this place.

Phyllis Smith

2023-05

No air conditioningDirty carpet makes the whole room seem nastyChair with leather peeled offCeiling Fan didn’t workStaff said well our amenities say central heating but nothing about air conditioningStaff said they would have someone check out the ceiling fan (they must have meant after we check out because no one came to look at it)It is 81 degrees in the roomThey said they would get me 2 fans and only got 1 very small noisy fan. I went to the front desk and was basically told well that is all they could do and she couldn’t remodel the hotel for me (little rude)I would not recommend this hotelMy rating is 0 stars

Davey T

2023-09

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Willie “Gorgeous” Walker

2022-05

It's always a pleasure staying at Sands by the Sea Motel. The staff is friendly. And the rooms are clean. Although I did notice some exterior work on the building. It look like it was falling apart on the outside. And it was a little scary sleeping on the bottom floor. When the walls look like they were hit by a heavy earthquake. Other than that. The staff is friendly the continental breakfast is yummy. And I have no complaints.

Rose Slater

2023-05

We stayed at Sands by the Sea!It was AWESOME! Clean! And literally right on the beach!It was incredible because it was right on the beach! The restaurant was delicious! I had the beef stroganoff 2 times it was so good! Everyone that worked there was so great and helpful! We will stay again!

Sarah Themins - Sanderson

2023-07

No ocean view but price is good and dog friendly place. Friendly staff who gave us good tips on nice nearbt trails to walk. Much appreciated!

Danica

2022-05

Stars are for the location. Love that it's right on the beach and dog friendly (5 stars for that). Other than that it needs work. Rooms are old and musty, the bathroom smells sour. The carpet and furniture are showing signs of wear and tear. Pillows are garbage, thin and bumpy. The front desk staff cannot be bothered if you need something like towels be prepared to wait or never get it. The pictures they show online are definitely deceptive. It is nice that the rooms come with a microwave and mini fridge though. Also there's no AC they told us to open the windows but room was still stuffy.

Atticus Brown

2020-05

The good: bed was clean and comfortable.Everything else: nice view of the parking lot and dumpsters, no air conditioning, shower installed at 5'6" and handle sticks out(so shower only works if you are under 5' talk and under 100lbs), strange bed vibrations like a washer that was off balance, breakfast coupon for a piece of toast and a coffee or $4 off breakfast meal served next door at the other hotel.Don't stay in this tourist trap when visiting Hearst Castle!

Jeffrey Cohen

2023-05

The room is very loud by freeway, very thin windows, heater makes a lot of noise, the refrigerator is loud, and there was another noise that was loud, but couldn't find where it was coming from.When we complained, they said you can pay an extra $50 per night to move to another room, that might be protently quieter. Location was good to castle or elephant seals.

joyce beck

2021-05

Stay there last week - can't beat the price for this motel. Rooms are alittle on the old side but the beds are very comfortable. They give you meal tickets to eat next door at the Cavalier restaurant. Both my husband and I were really happy with the food and service. Location is fabulous and the beach is great. They have fire pits, a life size chess board and checkers set, swings for the kiddies, etc... Stairs to go down to the beach which is very accessible. We will be staying there next year as well....Just a few miles up north is the Elephant sea lions and otter refuge.

Genise

2021-05

Had a great time at Sands by the Sea! Comfortable beds and warm heaters. Easy access to the beach which is nice cause we got to walk through at night. There's fire pits, benches to sit and enjoy the view, oversized checkers, and chess games to play not far from the water. Beautiful scenery! We'll definitely be back!

Jennifer Frehner-Fragoso

2023-05

We stayed here for almost a week. The rooms facing the beach are nice. It has a restaurant and beach chess and checkers with fire pits. Beautiful ocean view.

Tracy Trevino

2023-12

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