Balboa Inn

United States , Los Angeles - CA
COSTA MESA, 105 Main Street
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2026

Fred

Nice hotel with great location with a lot of restaurants and things to see in close walking distance.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2026

Elizabeth

Pool and hot tub were down but staff were very accommodating and very clean

Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

05 Mar 2026

Steve

The property is rated as 7.8 and if it was not by the beach the rating should be way lower Mold in the bathroom all over, the Headboard to bed was filthy, the desk looked like a hammer was beat on it. The mini fridge just sitting on the floor like it was just brought in from outside. We checked in and left to another hotel immediately after seeing room.

8/10

Excellent

01 Mar 2026

Sara

Location is amazing. Staff is very nice. Room is good beach room.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2026

Wes

Great experience

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2026

Thomas

The politeness and helpful treatment. They answered our questions when we called them. The provided a cork screw for our wine. They helped with parking. They helped us understand that the bath spa has been shut down. The room clean and perfect.

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Vidal

best location on the beach hands down

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2026

Sutty

So convenient to everything walking distance to the pier I highly recommend

Business Friends

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2026

Kristi

Location

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

20 Jan 2026

Gregory

Nice location
But for the price i.e. $350+ per night, the room was very poor. Stained and dirty carpet throughout.
Chipped paint on walls. Old weird couch in middle of room I guess classifies it as the advertised “suite”
Would not stay again.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2026

Katrina

We love staying at the Balboa Inn. You are right on the beach and you can also walk to the Catalina Island Ferry.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jan 2026

Verified traveler

Clean room and great location. Quite dated but served the purpose. Great if vacationing in the area on a budget

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

16 Jan 2026

khaled

It’s so bad room super old heater wasn’t working dirty room even when they change it they don’t clean or change towels or sheets was really bad experience no service the only good thing the hotel location
I’m not gonna go there any more

2/10

Poor

15 Jan 2026

Jeanne

Dirty linens , cracked paint on furniture and walls . The toilet ran for 2 hrs after flushing, felt like a one star TJ Mexico motel !

2/10

Poor

15 Jan 2026

Armando

Purchased a deluxe room. The bedside draws kept opening due floors not level. We got a view of a roof next door that was falling apart.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2026

Thomas

Great experience

Partner

8/10

Excellent

29 Dec 2025

Tony

Enjoyed our stay there.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Dec 2025

Lucella

Best & friendly staff ever! Beautiful location, easy access to ferry & island & freeway…❤️

Business Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Dec 2025

steve

The location, updated room, and staff were great and just what I wanted. I will stay there on my next visit.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Dec 2025

Connie

Clean newly remodeled room. At check-in the front desk was kind to give us rooms close to each other. The stay comfortable and super easy to walk to everything.

8/10

Excellent

22 Dec 2025

Jill

The bed was super comfortable and the overall ambiance of the room was quite fitting for the area. For being a historic hotel, the cost is extremely reasonable especially considering the location and convenient surroundings. I will definitely be returning.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

20 Dec 2025

Karen

The room was just fine, Missing a lampshade.
Hot tub never worked and the pool was really cold. Didn’t get to use those at all in our 3 nights.
But Laura was very nice to let us park our rental in the garage. After we had gotten citations for 2 nights from the city, a misprint. Hoping to appeal and I get out of it.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2025

Jeff

Staff was friendly and helpful

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Dec 2025

Lisa

The building, constructed in 1928, has a distinctive historic charm. We created wonderful memories during our stay, though we encountered some challenges with Room 208. The room included a balcony; however, the door would not lock at all. We were on the second floor, so we felt reasonably secure unless spiderman managed to climb up the wall. The staff did offer us an upgrade, but it was located away from the village and we had already unpacked, before we noticed all the issues, therefore, we chose to remain in our original room. That of course was on us.
Overall, the staff were exceptional and went above and beyond to ensure our comfort with a portable heater. However, due to the age of the building, there were noticeable gaps and lack of proper sealing, at least in room 208. The toilet bowl flushed but the knob would go into a complete circle, so you had to be careful not to push too hard or you would have to stick your hand in the back to fix the chain. While I will consider returning in the future, I would avoid staying in room 208 until updates can be made. Additionally, parking is $45 per day, but right next to the building, they have parking options that proved to be more cost-effective for us.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Dec 2025

Steven

The room was nice! The location was excellent! Very loud oustide because of the 2 bars across the street. But overall a great place to stay!

Business_and_leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

14 Dec 2025

Claudia

Toilet didn’t work when flushing, we had to use bathroom on the first floor, the bathroom door was uneven, curtains were strange, bed is was comfortable.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Dec 2025

Kimberly

Great location within a few minutes' walk of the beach, restaurants, the Catalina Flyer, the ferry to Balboa Island, and a public overnight parking lot (we paid $28 for 24 hours). Two buildings make up the Inn, a south building and a north building. Go for the south building. Can't vouch for the rooms, but the setting is much nicer. We were in the north building, with no view and basic accommodation. Very friendly staff. Breakfast consists of packaged, pick-up-and-go items and hot coffee. There are no other hotels in the immediate area or within walking distance that can beat this location.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Dec 2025

Jennifer

Very nice

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Dec 2025

Anthony

The Staff was very helpful and accomodating. The room was a little dated, some missing paint, missing knob on the shower door and below averaging lighting for the room. The property has a great location and once again, the staff is really friendly and helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Nov 2025

Jasmine

Great location, friendly staff, great room

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2025

Hai-Ming

yes, and SUPER NICE front desk.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

01 Nov 2025

Stephen

Nice location

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

01 Nov 2025

Franshella

Definitely paying for the view which is well worth it. The room was so so the service was good $40 a night parking irritated my soul.

4/10

Poor

29 Oct 2025

Allen

Room was quite rough, perhaps some are better than ours, but was not what you would expect at this price point. Very few plugs in the room. I missed the \"resort fee\" of $30/night which doesn't really get you anything best I could tell even after I asked twice. Parking is $45 or $60/night depending on car size. Easy to find parking from 6PM to 8AM, but during the day parking could be difficult. So the room might cost you nearly $100 extra a night.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2025

Wendi

Everything was perfect

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

21 Oct 2025

Dennis

No balcony view. No beach view. Disgusting damage throughout the room. Shade torn and hanging. Holes in walls. Damaged furniture. Awful room. I have pictures for anybody to see if interested.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2025

Whitney

Great 1 night stay

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Oct 2025

Peter

I stayed at the Balboa Inn over the weekend and had a generally pleasant experience, though there were a few areas that could use improvement.

Positives:
The staff was courteous and helpful throughout our stay.
The room was clean and equipped with both a ceiling fan and air conditioning.
Complimentary bottled water was a thoughtful touch and much appreciated.

Areas for Improvement:
Soundproofing: Unfortunately, the room lacked adequate soundproofing. We could clearly hear footsteps, running showers, and doors slamming from neighboring rooms and hallways.
Room Amenities: Several small features in the room didn’t function smoothly. The draperies and windows were difficult to operate, the toilet flush was inconsistent, and there was a constant humming noise from both the mini fridge and the AC unit.
Continental Breakfast: The breakfast was disappointing. There were no hot food options—only cereals, fruits, and pre-packaged snacks. The coffee was very watered down and lacked flavor.

Overall, while the location and staff were great, the noise issues and underwhelming breakfast made the stay less enjoyable than expected.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

12 Oct 2025

Raul

Helpful staff. My room didn’t have a fridge but the staff accommodated my needs by allowing me to put my perishables in their kitchen refrigerator.
After getting to my room, I discovered that my room had broken blinds so I went downstairs to let the staff know and they easily upgraded my room to one that had functional blinds.
Parking is not too terrible. You can pay to park at a public parking lot, or use the convenience of the valet service. Which I recommend. The valet staff was courteous and helpful. I recommend just paying the valet fee over having to walk to public parking lot and pay for a fee as a time saver and just Uber around town. The time you save on not having to find a parking spot and walk back and forth is worth it. The complimentary breakfast was ok. Simple, with food items like instant oatmeal, cereal bars, fruit, yogurt, oranger juice, and coffee. There’s also a coffee shop immediately downstairs on the beachside of the hotel where you can get pastries and hot breakfast item.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

10 Oct 2025

Galen

Room was clean, small and renovated however, the cost of the room was really high, parking was pay lots really high, hotel charged $50 to valet your vehicle. Hotel was hard to find as its part of other retail establishments had to park on the street in traffic to check in. Beach view from the balcony was very nice and the poor is walkable from the hotel all in all a nice environment just some difficulties.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

09 Oct 2025

Jennifer

Staff was very responsive to our needs.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2025

Dori

The location was excellent and staff so accommodating.
Overall the property could use some TLC but was charming.

Leisure

6/10

Pleasant

06 Oct 2025

Russell

The location is perfect . We took the boat to Catalina for a weekend stay . We stayed here one night so we can catch the boat in the morning. Hotel is older and needs to be renovated. The restaurants around are not good and the shopping feels very tourist oriented. It’s a good place to stay one night but I would not recommend it for a longer stay

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2025

Julie

Loves staying here just wish they had more mirrors for getting ready. Other than that is was a nice stay. Definitely will be returning(:

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

02 Oct 2025

Tammy

Rooms were clean just outdated and felt old for the money

8/10

Excellent

28 Sep 2025

amy

We had such a lovely stay here. Yes, it’s an older property and there was some paint peeling, etc. But not only is the view incredible, but the staff is amazing! So courteous and kind from the front desk to the housekeeping. We left a couple of items at the front desk when we checked in and the girl at the front desk ran them up to our room within two minutes. You can walk all over Balboa and the sand is right outside the door. There was construction all day so it was an early morning each day, but we didn’t mind. Will certainly be staying here again.

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

28 Sep 2025

Jason

Dated and old rooms. Nice location.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Sep 2025

William Edward

My wife and I enjoyed our stay. The staff were friendly and very helpful. Our room was clean and had a beautiful view of the ocean. We’ll definitely stay there again.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

28 Sep 2025

Andrei

Beach view, clean and great staff

10/10

Exceptional

28 Sep 2025

Claudia

Great space, our room had the bed and pull
Out bed. The view is stunning, the shower is spacious and amazing and reviews didn’t disappoint about location and walking distance to the beach. Definitely worth the ocean view room :) staff was super friendly. Used valet to park very convenient

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

27 Sep 2025

angie

Check in was great. We got to our room and it was nothing like the pics that are posted. We only stayed one night, thank god, they put us in a room right NEXT to where there is construction going on! 6AM they started working, we had no choice but to leave at that moment. I wish we had a better experience here.

Partner

4/10

Poor

25 Sep 2025

Helen

Great place if you need a place to sleep. Walking distance to beach and pier. Rubies Diner was off the chain! Air conditioning didn't work, furniture had accumulated dust and I found a peanut in the sheets as I pulled them back. Staff was pleasant and helpful. I always wanted to stay at Balboa Inn, I did and won't be returning

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2025

Alison

Great spot right by the beach. You feel like you’re in a different country.

8/10

Excellent

14 Sep 2025

Ryan

Couldn’t ask for a better location. We didn’t rent a car and never needed one for our trip. The staff and service was great . A couple things in our room weren’t functional the blinds which I had to spend much time trying to tie up to let in light to see the ocean view.and flushingThe toilet was not working. Had to take off tank lid and flush manually flapper was fused shut .

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

13 Sep 2025

Laura

Not so clean

The hotel is a bit run down. Our sheets had stains and it just didn’t feel very clean. Also it was fairly loud. For the price I would expect a cleaner better experience.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2025

Brenda

It’s location

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

03 Sep 2025

Marisol

Location was great. Rooms too small didnt smell clean parking is too expensive

Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Sep 2025

Gerardo

Amazing spot beach is great !

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2025

ledean

Nice place to stay , close to lot

8/10

Excellent

01 Sep 2025

Braden

The overall experience was great. However the pool needed to be cleaned. The amenities could have been improved. For example, only some of the rooms have refrigerators, but they don’t tell you that when booking a room.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2025

Jeff

We had a great time at this lovely property!

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

24 Aug 2025

Michelle

Gross / dirty - yuck!

Location was great - however it was a dirty nasty gross room !
We have already had this taken care of but it was a very big disappointment
The rooms are so outdated and dirty , bed is on a piece of plywood -
It’s not a suite - didn’t even have a fridge in the room , I would not spend this amount of money on these rooms ever again!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2025

Andrew

Family Trip- 4days

Everything was excellent!!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Aug 2025

Juan

I had a good experience

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

12 Aug 2025

Denise

valets were very good. service was decent. but the condition of the rooms was awful. no window coverings - even in bathroom. Ancient, dirty furniture. keycard worked half the time. front desk said it was an old system and not to put phone near card. my 'suite' looked nothing like the picture. 60 bucks a day to park. almost $1200 for 2 night stay (room only) - more than Hard Rock in NYC! Great location though and like i said, valet guys were really nice and helpful. but management really needs to do some MAJOR room upgrades cuz it was awful.

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

11 Aug 2025

Stuart

This place is overselling itself. It is a thoroughly decent small, not luxury, hotel next to a beach on Balboa Peninsula, that is it, period. It is NOT a resort so their $30 resort fee is misleading (as it is with virtually all hotels) and just a trick to get you pay more for your room.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Aug 2025

Guadalupe

I was able to hear the children in the r

6/10

Pleasant

07 Aug 2025

Tania

We loved the beThe free breaking was a great disappointment for what the room cost.ach access.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

04 Aug 2025

Jasmin

The rooms are standard and need updating. Great location to restaurants , beach and activities.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Aug 2025

James

Book it

Highly recommended
Just for location alone
But very nice as well
Just a complete vibe

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

03 Aug 2025

Jose ruben

The room was very dated understand his old hotel the bathroom was good I enjoyed the bathroom with the oversized tub the jacuzzi was dirty the pathway was dirty and the mats to go into the front door we're really dirty

Self

10/10

Exceptional

03 Aug 2025

Mercedes

We stayed there for 2 nights, great hotel, staff friendly and nice, great location we walked everywhere, no need to worry for parking we used the hotel valet service. Breakfast was good
highly recommended ⭐️

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2025

Dana

Nice vacation

Staff is great, really helpful. Bed and covers are really comfortable. Valet service was great.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

27 Jul 2025

Mary

The staff is great. Laura was very helpful and welcoming. Dillon the valet was great too.
The room could use a little updating and love.
View was amazing. We will be back

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

25 Jul 2025

Stephanie

Not worth the price

Beautiful location, rooms need to be updated. Not worth the cost

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jul 2025

Verified traveler

Convenient but a little dirty and old

This is an old property (built in 1929) that has been updated a bit but definitely shows wear and age. The location is great, right on the beach. The rooms were superficially clean but headboards and footstools were filthy. You can’t really avoid sand at the beach, but there was lots of it in corners and showers. We had to change rooms after the air conditioning in our first room broke. The second room was missing a smoke detector.

Overall, this hotel worked for us because it put us walking distance to the beach, Fun Zone, and Balboa ferry. There is also a donut/coffee shop and taco shop in the same property. Very convenient.

If you’re ok with an aging building and some beach grime, this hotel is convenient for the location.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

23 Jul 2025

Linda

Staff wonderful, room so so

The location was wonderful, staff fantastic but it felt like the room was half in the past and minimally furnished. Not enough light. 2 small bedside lights but in the extended part of the room, no lights except a dim light on a ceiling fan 10 feet in the air. Called and asked for an extra light young lady said there wasn't any available. Had to turn on TV for light in the room.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

19 Jul 2025

Virginia

Parking is horrible. Valet is offered, but needs to be more controlled because of beach traffic, we and others had no idea where to go for valet.
Elevator is old and scary. The toilet was not working properly. The pillows were very dingy and there was sand in the bed, not sure if the bedding was changed from the previous tenant. Pricey but nice location to the beach. Staff was great.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jul 2025

LINDA

Beautiful hotel BUT......

The hotel is a beautiful old hotel, BUT the A/C didn't work, there wasn't enough light in the room, bathroom fixtures were ancient and rusted. I'm sure at one time it was luxurious but now it's just in need of a redo. Bed was comfortable but room extremely stuffy and hot.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jul 2025

carlos

Hotel room was very small and very pricey. Hilton in hb was $75 more and was a better room and size was better. Wish I would have stayed there.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2025

James

The property’s location if ideal for beach, and shopping. Good staff, friendly and customer oriented

6/10

Pleasant

16 Jul 2025

Antonette

In the reservation, I wasn’t aware that I had to pay $45 a night for parking. That’s ridiculous! My room wasn’t a good view of the ocean. The corner window only had an ocean view, the room didn’t look at all like the advertised.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

15 Jul 2025

Matthew

Only positive is it’s on the beach

The grounds are dirty, the white towels are dingy gray. The showers are moldy. We had two rooms both were dirty. Floors are tile and need cleaned. The hallways are filthy, they were never mopped.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

15 Jul 2025

Vania

Outdated, expensive, doors didn’t close properly, no parking you have to pay $60.00 for valet per day. Towels were stained cleaned but stained. You can tell the owners don’t care about the guest they only care about their pockets. We had to interrupt our stay due to the condition the hotel was in and they refused a refund for the remaining days. Expedia had to get involved and negotiate a cancelation. Rooms are not worth the price. The only good thing was the closeness to the beach and pier.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jul 2025

Verified traveler

Great stay, will be back

Great stay! The staff was above and beyond. Will be back

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jul 2025

Rob

Fun plsce

8/10

Excellent

07 Jul 2025

Ethan

Location is amazing. Parking is tough.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2025

DeAvian

We really enjoyed our stay. We wanted to be right at the Balboa Pier, Whale Watching, Fun Zone and ferry...and we were! Everything was a five minute walk, and we were right on the pier. Our balcony overlooked it and the ocean in the b.g. beyond the parking lot. If you don't do valet, you can park nextdoor in a variety of lots. The staff was sooooo nice! They made us feel right at home. And the food in the restaurant was very good. Maybe a little pricey, but the portions are generous and the service was excellent. Now, the rooms could use some modernization and touch ups, but for us...it didn't distract from our good time. It met all of our needs. Our balcony and location were well worth the price. I would, however, advise on new carpeting in the rooms that have it. There's a bike rental place downstairs and a cool taco / margarita bar that stays open until midnight. Plus, other restaurans within walking and the Newport Pier is a 10 min. walk away. Stargazing and fishing on the Balboa Pier at night. By day, the ferry gets you to Balboa Island in 5 mins., then Fashion Island is a quick drive for shopping. The Balboa Inn is in a very safe area. Lots of affluence. You can walk and bike at night in safety. We've already decided to stay here again in the fall.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

30 Jun 2025

Scott

Good location but that’s the only reason for prices being high

4/10

Poor

28 Jun 2025

Julia

Got the room last minute for $360 which was a great deal for the beach, but I honestly didn’t realize that the room was going to be worse than a motel six room. I would’ve opted to not do it. I expected it not to be an upgraded room, but I did not expect it to be what it was.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jun 2025

Manuel Sacramento

Outdated

8/10

Excellent

20 Jun 2025

Isaac

Had trouble with the air conditioning thermostat. Called the front desk 3 times. 3 times the sent a guy to work on it. Never got it working right.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jun 2025

Gary

Great view

Staff was amazing!!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jun 2025

Mary Jo

Quick & Easy

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jun 2025

Claudia

Beautiful

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2025

freida

good location

Excellent location, restaurant next door delicious! Rooms a bit old but clean. Staff very helpful!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2025

Heather

Property was beautiful and unique, right off the beach. Beds were comfortable.
One of our 2 rooms had some stains on carpet, but that did not effect our stay.

Staff was very nice. Breakfast lack protein, but its still sufficient eniugh. Plenty of dining options near by

Recommendation: read all signs regarding parking, time limits, etc. Staff was helpful when we asked about parking, but directions were not clear. If you don't plan to drive anywhere else during your stay, just pay for Valet.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jun 2025

Teriann

Great stay. Staff, room and location all excellent.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

29 May 2025

Nichole

I recently stayed at Balboa Inn and had a less-than-ideal experience. While the hotel’s location is very convenient, it unfortunately did not live up to expectations, especially considering the price.

Upon checking into our room, we were immediately put off by cleanliness issues, as we found a cockroach and quite a bit of hair. I went to the front desk hoping to have our room changed, but they informed me that they were fully booked. Instead, they offered to send housekeeping to clean our room, which felt inadequate after checking in.

To make matters worse, we encountered persistent issues with our room keys. Every time we left the room and returned, the keys failed to work, requiring us to visit the front desk at least four times during our one-night stay for replacements. We even overheard other guests facing the same frustrating problem.

Overall, while the hotel has potential due to its prime location, the cleanliness issues and key problems really detracted from our stay. For the price, I expected much better. I hope the management addresses these concerns for future guests.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

26 May 2025

Donald L

Come a few times each year. This is code to everything.
Lots to do in the area!

Leisure Partner