Casa Mariquita Hotel

Casa Avalon was ok. The staff was kind and attentive. However, the accommodations were misrepresented in photos. The rooms are tiny one of our outlets did work. They were unreachable by phone or email that was listed on their site. I found out when we arrived they were recently under new management so that’s probably the reason. They also had no TV service. Not just no cable. The smart TV wouldn’t mirror. The WiFi was slow. The bed was meh. They did have a fridge which wasn’t listed in the description. The mirror above the sink was cracked and ducktaped. Our ocean view was an ocean view by only the most limited sense of the phrase. If I went to Catalina again, I would definelty find other accommodations mostly because of how impossible it was to contact them prior to our arrival.

This place is a complete scam. We were forced to cancel our stay due to a storm that shut down the ferry service, yet no one answered the phone or returned our messages despite repeated attempts. When we finally reached someone, we were given the manager’s number—“Charlie.” Charlie assured us he would help rebook our stay for another weekend. That promise turned out to be empty. When we later tried to reschedule, he was suddenly unreachable and stopped responding altogether. If you’re looking for an honest, reliable business, stay far away from Casa Mariquita. Their lack of accountability and follow-through is unacceptable.

I don't think you'll confuse this with a high end hotel, but considering that it was among the least expensive options I found for a 4 day trip to Avalon, I was pleasantly surprised. It was sparkling clean, well kept, and had just a few minor issues. The hotel is a half block from the Avalon Art Museum, and a half-block away from the pink St Lauren Hotel on Metropole Avenue. It's two full blocks from Crescent Avenue (the waterfront portion of Avalon), and perhaps a 15 minute walk to the Casino. The minor issues in room 422 included: 1. Bad audio in the TV - almost unusable. 2. 63 steps up (no elevator) - I mention this because it didn't deter me, but some might be put off. 3. The shower valve was very difficult to turn - arthritic hands would not be able to manage it. 4. The wifi frequently went out. Oddly the in-room equipment wasn't plugged in or powered on. However this room had decent views (see photos), a working AC. The room was more spacious than I expected. Mind you all the properties I've stayed at in Avalon are small, so the compact size wasn't a surprise. Down in the lobby there is a "breakfast" of instant oatmeal, coffee, and a microwave available, but the lobby is only open from 9 to 3 pm. If you need something at other times, there is a number you can call. I didn't ever call it, so can't speak to how responsive they might be, but I found the front desk staff quite friendly. This property, like many on the island and and in Avalon is at the point of Metropole Avenue where it begins to steepen, but Metropole is fairly centrally located. Properties to the north of it are up much steeper hills. The Metropole "Coffee and Cookie" company is a short walk and had plenty of simple choices for breakfast (sandwiches, pastry, coffee, tea, etc). A popular breakfast place - Jacks - is about 5 blocks away.