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About
3.5
#34 of 42 hotels in Carlsbad
Location
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Value
Enjoy your best vacation - a getaway in Carlsbad California is like no other. And choosing Carlsbad by the Sea Resort guarantees the perfect location for a fun-filled experience for the whole family. LEGOLAND California Resort is located just a mile away and Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel is a designated LEGOLAND "Preferred Hotel." We offer special packages that include hotel rooms, tickets to the theme park, and a shuttle ride to the entrance. Carlsbad by the Sea is centrally located to everything the North County San Diego has to offer. Pristine Carlsbad beaches or a game of golf are just minutes away. You are only 30 miles from the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park and SeaWorld San Diego. Spend time relaxing at the hotel, walking on beautifully landscaped grounds, and playing and exercising in our year-round outdoor heated pool, Jacuzzi and fitness center. And when it is time to dine, the Windmill Food Hall with over 10 eclectic eateries are located on-site.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Location
850 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad, CA 92011-4443
Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
834 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
We stayed here recently as we were attending a wedding on the site, and the convenience of staying right next to the venue was definitely unmatched. It’s a cute hotel with great character in a nice location close to lots of shops and restaurants. There are definitely some pros, but in our opinion, a lot needs to be improved for it to compete with some of the other hotels in the area.
Pros: Great location, mostly quiet, cute courtyard area, lots of parking, attached to Windmill food hall with great dining options; room-wise: room was spacious, nice balcony, modern furniture designs.
Cons: the bathrooms were very outdated, both the toilet (but especially the shower) seemed like it had seen better days, the entry door had a gap in the bottom, leaving light to come in and bugs to enter, some cobwebs by the entry, lighting in our room was dim, beds were firm (although some people prefer it that way).
Perhaps the main annoyance we had was that in the morning, when we were due to checkout at 12, we had housekeeping try to enter our room twice to start cleaning, once around 10 and again at 11:45. We were told at check-in that housekeeping doesn’t come into your room until after you’ve checked out. We were not provided a “Do Not Disturb” sign in the room, but after the initial housekeeping knock, we went down to the lobby for a DND sign, but were reassured that housekeeping would not enter until we were gone. This then happened a second time, AND the housekeeper did not even wait for us to answer verbally, she opened the door on us after less than 5 seconds.
I totally understand trying to get the rooms ready as quick as possible (we did have a late checkout) but maybe there needs to be a better system for the housekeepers to know which rooms are still occupied/have a late checkout; there is obviously a disconnect between what the front receptionists told us and the housekeeping staff.
Our stay was fine for one night and for the convenience of crashing on our bed immediately after the wedding. It’s also close to Legoland so I’m sure that’s an advantage for people too. We had a good rate via the wedding group code, and appreciated them allowing us to check in a bit early and checkout late. However, we would think twice about staying here again for any other reason until certain things are improved.
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Andersen, Guest Services / Front Office at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded Feb 28, 2022
Hi Lauren, we are happy to hear you enjoyed our great location, and cute courtyard area. We sure do have plenty of parking available and are conveniently located next to the Windmill Food Hall with great dining options. We are also glad to hear you liked our newly renovated rooms with modern furniture design. I was disappointed to learn of the shortcomings you experienced and we're currently taking steps to upgrade some of the bathroom facilities. I have made sure to follow-up with our housekeeping staff to make sure our communication is better between departments for those who request a late check-out.
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We stayed in this hotel for our Legoland trip. I don’t know if this due to COVID but they don’t have enough staff to clean your room . They don’t clean your room everyday and you have to get rid of your own trash , that personally I think is crazy for the money they are asking ! The front desk lady was grumpy and not polite at all. We had to call three or four times to the front desk to bring us the most essential items like towels . Im not impressed by this place and won’t be back , too expensive and poor quality .The only person that deserves recognition is Pierce our shuttle driver who was so friendly and great taking and picking up from Legoland . Great job Pierce , you deserve a raise .
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Andersen, Guest Services / Front Office at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded Aug 8, 2021
Thank you for your review and for your visit. Due to COVID, we have modified our room turndown experience in order to follow guidelines. We apologize for your encounter at the front desk and have made sure to address this with our team. We appreciate you bringing these items to our attention as we constantly work to improve future guest's experience. I just passed along your kind words to Pierce. He is an important part of our team and we love hearing his efforts being recognized!
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We have stayed here 3 to 4 times a year for 9 years but this will be the last. The staff are friendly as always but the house keeping was worse than ever we had to ask for washcloths and coffee cups. Frankly the breakfast and the shuttle are what kept us coming even with outdated furniture (the drawers wouldn’t open on the dresser) gum on the floor and a bathroom that was years passed needing remodeling we came anyway. Now they give you one $8 breakfast voucher per room per day. Really?? That doesn’t buy one person coffee. We will now move to the hotel adjacent to Legoland and use the private gate and Carlsbad by the Sea will be a memory. I’m sure most families and the many sports team that we have seen here over the years will go elsewhere as well. I hope this hotel reconsiders their poor choices before the hotel is no longer viable
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Niveesha, General Manager at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded Jan 30, 2020
Thank you so much for your feedback. We appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention. I wish to inform that Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel is currently going through a renovation that is scheduled to be completed March 2020. We only have about 60% of the rooms completed and unfortunately you received a room that had not been renovated as of yet. The renovated rooms are indeed night and day and promises to deliver a comfortable sea-side vibe and a tranquil stay. This said, the Housekeeping issue are unacceptable and certainly not a property standard. You have my word that the appropriate training and coaching will occur to correct this issue. As for our Food and Beverage updates that began in the new year relating to the $8 food credit, this was created with the guests and families in mind and was meant to provide incentive to part-take in a culinary adventure, adult and kid friendly fun and other festivities at the Windmill Food Hall. This said, I understand this this is not something that works for you and your family. It is our hope that in the future we have another opportunity to serve you and your family should your needs change. Thank you so much for your feedback and for staying with us.
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We reserved our stay for 6 nights prior to Covid closures in December, They allowed us to stay after signing waivers. I was not aware of large hold they put on my credit card until check in. They charged amenities fee but there was no amenities available and the manager Niveesha Hill refused to even reduce the amenities fee. There was no complimentary breakfast or lunch as stated on the website, not even pre packaged, no daily room cleaning, no fitness area open, no gift shop, no hot tub, no bar, lounge or dining open, no business center open, extremely limited ocean view. Nothing in rooms, apparently pool open but it was December! We had to request a microwave, the first one came dirty with a slice of old pizza inside! I question the room cleaning between guests as there was (probably still is) huge wad of nasty hair under sink and cobweb on the mirror. Ms. Hill said the amenities fee included our on site parking and internet (seriously ?) Although their website says these are “complimentay”. She also said it covers theme park shuttle (they are closed) extemely dissapointed in their customer service, they should not be charging amenities fee at this time, i guess it covered the free hand sanitizer? Not a 3 star resort, just an updated old hotel. R.Lemon
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Date of stay: December 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Niveesha Hill, General Manager at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded Dec 23, 2020
Robin, Thank you for your feedback and for bringing the high/low dust issues to our attention. I do apologize that the third-party site in which you made your reservation did not explain that the "amenity" fee includes parking, wifi, shuttle (which travels anywhere within a 3-mile radius) and beach rentals as this was done so that we would not have to charge separately for each of these items. Charged separately, it would be far more than $12 + tx $13.20/day. Also, the amenity fee is charged whether or not you choose to use any of these amenities as they are still available no matter what. As for the hold, like any hotel we have an incidental hold that is released 3-5 business days after you check out, in addition to the room rate, taxes and fees advertised. Unfortunately, the pandemic does not change this. The bright side is, unlike other properties, our incidental hold is only $20/day where other properties hold much more per day. Thank you again for bringing housekeeping issues to my attention as we have every intention to utilize this feedback to improve out operations.
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We stayed in a semi renovated room. The furniture was old and the floors were new. The bathroom wasn't updated at all. There were stains on the bathroom walls, greasy spots on the furniture and my god it smelled of urine. I think it may have been mildew, but it smelled like urine. I say I think it was mildew because my allergies are to mold and mildew and they were driving me crazy. Pillows were really uncomfortable, stains on the sheets and you can feel the springs in the beds. All the light fixtures were covered with dust and cobwebs. Lots of dirt by the door that wasn't swept up. Heaters worked really well. Continental breakfast was adequate, but on the 1st of January, they switched to vouchers to the carslbad windmill food hall next door. Even though the food was good, it was a bit inconvenient and there was only one restaurant open. I preferred the continental breakfast. The staff at the hotel was extremely friendly. You can tell they have a good group of people working here. The shuttles to legoland were super convenient. I tipped the driver each way, but it's not mandatory. Drivers were all friendly. If they did something about the horrid urine smell and the uncomfortable beds, I would stay again.
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Niveesha, General Manager at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded Jan 7, 2020
Thank you so much for your feedback. We are very happy that you enjoyed your stay. Thank you also for the feedback concerning areas of opportunities. I will tell you that I was disappointed to read that your guest room experience was sub-par as this is certainly not the norm or representation of our high standards. This said, I have every intention of utilizing your feedback for re-training and coaching purposes. it is our hope that we will have another opportunity to serve you in the future as we look forward to your next visit.
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We couldn’t even walk past the entrance into the first room we were offered because it smelled like mildew and made my eyes and nose itch as well as choked me up. When I approached the front desk the lady was very kind and moved us to a 2 Queen bed room downstairs with a pool view. It was noisy from the kids in the pool and the dining hall on the other side of the building. Just my first impression! Moving on to the room issues: door to the room was warped and wouldn’t lock securely. Then I noticed all of the doors were old and had a big gap between the door and the door lock 😒 I’d give the cleanliness factor “2” stars because of the hair that was all over the room and bathroom. The coffee pot had a moldy filter in it when my husband tried to make coffee. If they cleaned the floor they did a pretty bad job. One positive note is that the sheets were very clean and smelled fresh. The bed was lumpy and we woke up with sore backs. Will never stay here again.
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Parking was free and easy, the area felt very safe and there were a lot of amenities around the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Andersen, Guest Services / Front Office at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded Nov 15, 2021
Hi, Robbie. Thanks so much for letting us know about your concerns. We’re sorry that we failed to make your visit as enjoyable as it could have been. Cleanliness and safety are two of our highest priorities and our staff generally does a great job when it comes to maintaining our facility and preparing the rooms for upcoming guests, so this is very disappointing to hear. I’ve spoken with the head of our housekeeping and maintenance teams to service the room you were in and review our procedures to make sure these concerns are corrected. I am glad our front desk team took care of you and that you found the sheets were clean and fresh. Again, we extend our heartfelt apologies for not achieving our goal of providing you with a top-notch stay and we sincerely hope that you will give us another chance to restore your faith in our hotel and hospitality in the future.
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I just wanted to make sure to alert other upcoming travelers that this hotel was fantastic! I highly recommend this hotel for the family, a romantic getaway or even just a business trip. The grounds are so beautiful and lush green, we had the best location for our room with a poolside view and garden terrace. This hotel is conveniently located right next to the Windmill Eatery and outdoor shopping center with Starbucks and multiple restaurants to choose from. The rooms were clean and newly updated, staff was very friendly and accommodating, has all the amenities my husband and I needed. I Especially would also like to add how impressed we were with the hotel General Mgr Niveesha. She provided such great customer service to us, treated us like we were VIP just as a return customer to the property. Thank you for making our stay very memorable. If you’re in the area and would like to go to the Strawberry Fields, Flower Fields or Carlsbad State Beach, I highly recommend for this hotel to be your number one choice to stay. Thank you Carlsbad By The Sea.
Respectfully,
Judy
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Niveesha Hill, General Manager at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded May 21, 2021
Hi Judy! Thank you so much for your kind feedback, will be shared with our entire team. We are so happy that you enjoyed your stay and were able to find adventure in the local area. We really enjoy having you as our guest and look forward to being of service to you in the future.
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Weeds growing on the roof, bits of trash on the lawn outside, the hotel shows signs of neglect everywhere. When we checked in, there was a half-empty bottle of beer on the table of our porch, cigarette butts and a half-smoked cigar on the ground. I called the front desk. They said housekeeping would take care of it, but it might take a while. The next day I called again. This time, a woman came and took care of it, rushing over from the parking lot where she was back from driving the shuttle to Legoland. She was efficient and very apologetic, but it was clearly not her job. When we made our beds, we found that there were a number of bleach marks on the worn sheets where they had attempted to cover up stains. We went to the front desk to ask for new sheets. The security guard (!) very nicely took us to the laundry room to find clean bedding. But after a half hour of going through a dozen different sheets, it became clear that all of the bedding in the hotel was worn and stained. We settled for a sheet that had fewer stains than the others. There was also a burn mark in the headboard.
In short, the hotel staff was doing its best—heroic really—but they were clearly stretched thin. The hotel management is evidently trying to get by without spending on the repairs, cleaning and new sheets that it so desperately needs. For the prices they charge, the least they could provide is cleanliness. Perhaps the dilapidated state of the hotel is the result of Covid-induced cuts to spending, but until reviews indicate a major makeover, with new bedding, a full staff and a thorough cleaning, I would not recommend staying here.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Andersen, Guest Services / Front Office at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded Aug 29, 2021
Hi John, thank you for your feedback. I was disappointed to read that you did not have a pleasant experience. I know our front office and room attendant teams are working hard to deliver great service and I have passed along your kind words. I can assure you we are working hard to keep this unique, historic hotel in great shape. A full lobby and room renovation was completed one year ago, including all new flooring, walls, mattresses, lighting, bedding and more. We are working diligently to maintain and improve the property. We are very thankful for those who show up in an industry that is currently under-staffed. We hope you will give us another try in the future. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me personally.
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The meeting room was perfect for our group of 10, but could easily accommodate much more than that. Rooms were nice and service from staff was excellent. Best part though is the location with ample restaurant option within walking distance, plus many other great restaurants and craft breweries a short drive away. And the ocean is only 1/2 mile away!
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Date of stay: June 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sarah Andersen, Guest Services / Front Office at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded Aug 8, 2021
Thank you so much for your kind feedback. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your stay and that our meeting room was a great fit for your company. We also appreciate the comments about our stellar location near multiple dining options close to the beach! We look forward to being of service to you in the future.
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It started when we walked into the room and the thermostat indicated it was 98. With great difficulty I opened the sticking balcony door the proceeded to adjust the thermostat. My next attempt was to find the ice machine. It was on the far side of a different building hiding behind 2 broken chairs and a leaf blower. By the time I got back to the room the bag inside the ice bucket had ripped...and I could find no glasses. The room was still hot. I walked down to the desk to get water glasses and another plastic bag for the ice bucket. I was informed there were no plastic or glass "glasses" for water...only the paper cups for coffee. When I mentioned that the A/C would not adjust to cool, I was told that it was a common event and to open the balcony door until someone could fix it. It was finally fixed and the temperature was down to 78 by bed time. Bottom line: the maintenance and over-all demeanor or the room was at a Motel 6 level. I still can not understand what the "resort fee" entailed other that a hidden ice machine and the ability to purchase a box of cold cereal for breakfast. Speaking of food...the Food Hall was a smaller, noisier, ruder, grungier version of a mall food court. Don't eat there. Don't sit there. $200.00 and "resort fee" for a Motel 6 equivalent.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Esequiel Ramirez, General Manager at Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel
Responded May 2, 2023
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced with us. It will be our goal to address these issues to prevent any future occurrences. Your review will be duly noted to ensure no other guest experiences the dissatisfaction you endured while with us. Again, on behalf of my entire team we're extremely sorry to hear that your stay was inadequate. We hope to have the opportunity to make a more positive, lasting impression in the near future.
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Hi there! We have breakfast options in walking distance such as the vendors in the Windmill Food Hall, we share a parking lot with them so they are very close. There is also Ruby's Diner and Starbucks directly across from the property as part of the Premium Outlet Mall. We however, do not have a complimentary breakfast that is included in the rate.
Thank you,
-Niveesha
General Manager
Not sure about pool hours. Im pretty sure its open into the evening. The breakfast was nothing to write home about. However, there are eateries all around the hotel.
Yes, this is our policy. Unfortunately if your dog is not kenneled there is likelihood of damage to the room if unsupervised. Further, if your dog is kenneled there is still barking and noise complaints that is highly when owners are not present. This is the reason for the policy.
Thank you,
-Niveesha
General Manager
There are more places to choose from in the Carlsbad area.
PRICE RANGE
C$199 - C$367 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
carlsbad by the sea hotel carlsbad, holiday inn carlsbad, carlsbad holiday inn
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Holiday Inn Carlsbad by the Sea
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaCarlsbad
NUMBER OF ROOMS
141
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including any mandatory fees. Taxes not included. Please see our partners for more details.
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