Asilomar Conference Grounds

This is a historic property with buildings designed by Julia Morgan in the earlier part of the 20th century for a YWCA camp and later added on to in the 60's by Warnecke, a contextualist architect who tried to incorporate the environment and other buildings into his design. We got a family room with a double and three twins with fireplace. The design was worked into the fabulous scenery. The beach was reached by a boardwalk through protected and restored dunes. The bathroom setup with a dressing room with two sinks, a separate shower room and toilet room, really worked well for the family. We could store all our suitcases, clothes, and junk in the dressing room keeping our room more tidy then most hotel rooms. The breakfast was generous and served in the historic dining hall. On Friday night, there was live music outside the social hall. My kids enjoyed the pool as well.

The reason the rooms retain their midcentury charm is that the property has been a little relaxed on updates. I believe some rooms have been recently updated, but this was not one of them. The sinks didn't have stoppers, the double mattresses was a little tired, and the sliding glass door was hard to open. Also, we had a fireplace with wood, kindling and no matches -- probably could have got them from the front desk, but we didn't try the fire. Housekeeping did not come during our stay, although we didn't ask them to, either. The pool was outside and heated, but a little chilly for the summer weather we had while we were there.

Staff - Rosalie Castro, Joe Castro, Raquel, Narianne and forgive me who I'm leaving out now....were fantastic. They followed up on everything. Always got back to me quickly and were very patient with me. Loved the firewood ready for a fire as soon as we walked in! Such a nice surprise Also the sparkling water and wine for me since I was the organizer Joe Castro personally delivering my flip chart ASAP when we realized we needed it The coffee showing up even though I hadn't decided :-) people reallly appreciated it The beach, of course!, was great - just that as the organizer I didn't have much of a chance to go there :-( my husband did) The guest playing Bohemian Rhapsody on the piano in social hall! Playing pool with my husband in the social hall! The Kiln was a GREAT meeting room for our needs - photo slideshow on big screen, recording equipment, etc. The salmon was great in Crocker

Initially I found it hard to find my way around the grounds The bathtub in the accessible room wasn't accessible per my friend in the group The shower temperature was really hard to figure out Breakfasts - really would've wanted a better oatmeal setup - maybe in a pot with a cover. It was cold even though it had been on a warmer More greens! - a salad bar every day would be great

The property is nice and the location wonderful

No fridge and no tv in the rooms. Also, the food at the breakfast could be better

The location. It is about a 1/4-1/2 mile walk to the ocean. You can see it from most of the rooms windows.

I’m sure some of the rooms are better maintained. My room was poorly maintained. It was not updated in the least. I think they confuse people by saying the room is historic, I’m sorry there is nothing historic about the 80s. That was the last time the room was decorated or managed. The heater was the only thing that worked. No AC, and I visited after Memorial Day weekend. The bed however was comfortable and new. Dirty wall paper and rusty vents. There was also a lot of trash outside, like housekeeping forgot they left a bag outside the rooms and then animals tore into it.

Great location, reasonable price

Wifi wasn't working. Asked AI assistant to help and it did not respond. Phone call led to third party IT person who finally got it working on laptop after a very long phone call, but never got it working on phones. Full size beds not big enough for two people. Grout in the shower was dirty and gross. Asked employee where to find ice machine. He laughed loudly and said, "Good luck finding ice anywhere at this facility."

Location was great. The exterior of buildings were historic and rustic and interesting. Conference room was nicely equipped and enjoyable. Housekeeping were responsive and helped us get a fan for room.

Front desk service was really not a pleasant experience. indifference and a slight attitude. Terrible customer service support for directions and questions not answered well. First impressions at check in inquiry reflected rude indifferent customer service. The inside of units were dated and in need of cosmetic upgrades. No AC and rooms were like a sauna. Would have been nice to have a TV. The pillows were lumpy and very uncomfortable. Housekeeping seemed ok and were responsive to our request for a fan to help cool room, thank you.

This hotel has a lot of potential and is generally a pleasant place to stay.

However, I have to agree with other reviewers regarding cleanliness. The bed sheets had an old blood stain, and several towels were marked with pink and brown stains. For the price being charged, the hotel should at least replace or properly clean these items—it’s simply not acceptable for guests to be given stained towels or linens. On top of that, the pricing for extras feels unreasonable. For example, a tiny bottle of water in the room costs $6. Small details like this, combined with the lack of attention to cleanliness, make the stay feel less than what you’re paying for. On a personal note, I’m allergic to bleach, so I sometimes experience reactions in hotels. Still, I felt a bit itchy with the bedding here, which added to the discomfort.