Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort

July 31, 2008

I would give it a 4.5 on the rating scale. The condos were clean and well equipped with everything a family would need. They were decorated nicely, nothing was dated or old or dirty. The staff was friendly and extremely accomodating. The location couldn't be more perfect. Right in the heart of Carlsbad. Within walking distance to restaurants and shops. The beach is right behind the resort and the resort gives you all the beach "toys" you need (umbrella, chairs, toys, etc.). The grounds are well kept and very pretty.

The pool area was a little small but everyone goes to the beach so it was no big deal. I would go back and we have stayed at 5 star resorts and spas. Good time.

This is the most relaxing place, swim in the pool, hot tub, listen to music in the court yard, walk the beach, ride the free bikes, play ping pong, eat at all the great resturants within walking distance, clean and new furniture in the condos, entertainment each night. Just love love love and San Diego attractions all close. Perfect place!

We are just completing a one week exchange here and have had some mixed feelings about it. While it is considered "Gold Crown" by RCI, it is rated three stars overall as a resort. One big inconvenience is that there is no high speed internet access in the condos, only in the hotel rooms (which are located in the main building), hence a slew of us are now in the lobby great room using our laptops to access the Wi-Fi! Not a big deal to those who truly leave their computer needs behind while on vacation but we love using it to find the nearest Outback or Mapquest, so it has proven to be a hassle.

Also, if you exchange into a two bedroom condo like we did (and there are only two of us but we enjoy having two bathrooms and having the extra room in case friends want to join us), there are only 8 on the property and all of them are located right next to the pool area, a very distant shot from the ocean view which we were disappointed in. If the view is important to you, opt for a one bedroom and ask at check in if you can score a third floor unit. Right now, we are in a second floor unit and listening to the pounding feet and yelling of the family above us - not ideal but we aren't there a lot so it isn't the biggest downfall we could experience.

The Pacific Ocean is right across the street and awesome to behold, especially with all the surfers doing their thing. The amazing sunsets are just that and, it being December, they occur right around 4:30 p.m. so I was ready with my camera and got some great shots. The town is very quaint and friendly with a great on-site breakfast/lunch place called The Daily News which has become our favorite little hangout.

All in all, a good vacation spot with some minor drawbacks but for any ocean lover, it is an ideal place to be, and only 35 miles from San Diego's airport and attractions. Enjoy!

We just returned from here on Sunday after spending a week in tis great resort. I will try to cover most of the areas.

We went with 2 other couples, ages 50-62, no children. We each had a 1 bedroom unit in the Elms section on the second floor. 210, 211, and 212. Room 210 was oceanfront, while the other 2 were ocean view.

Check-in: We arrived around 1 pm on check in day and the staff couldn't be more accommodating. One of the rooms was ready, while the other 2 were not. He gave our friends their keys and we all put our bags in their room. We went bak a couple of hours later and the other 2 rooms were ready!

Room: All the rooms were very clean, good sized and well kept. They were stocked with a coffee packet, hot chocolate and sugar packets. plenty of toilet papaer and paper towels. The beds were extremely comfortable with plenty of pillows. There were televisions in both the living room and bedroom.

Grounds: All the grounds were well manicured with lots of flowers and shrubs. There are stairs leading down to the small road which you must cross before reaching another set of stairs which lead down to the beach. I believe there are a total of 3.5 flights of stairs. There is a small gated sitting area halfway down the second set of stairs which is for resort guests only. This overlooks the beach and it's a nice place to bring some wine and watch the sunset!. We did not use the pool or hot tub, but I did see people in the poolat 6am, so I am assuming it is heated....or they have more fortitude than I do since the outside temps were in the 50's.

Beach: Not too crowded when we were there. The water is not too rough, I am not sure how it is on the summer. The resort gives out beach chairs in the activities room in 4 hour increments.

Pros: Lots of places to eat in the surrounding area. Lots of activities, we took advantage of several including the bus trip to Ensenada and also went sailing. smoke free resort. There are a few designated smoking areas. No smoking in the rooms, open areas and balconies.

Cons: this is a smoke free resort. There are a few designated smoking areas. No smoking in the rooms, open areas and balconies. The outdoor gas grills did not work well. Wireless internet in the lobby only!!!

The elevators worked very well and there is ample parking in the underground garage.

will go back again!!

We had a great experience here. It is child friendly, yet not overrun by teenagers. The two drawbacks are the very long, steep steps to the beach and the fact that there is only one elevator per wing and it was broken a lot of the time during our week. Otherwise, the rooms are comfy and clean and the staff is very accommodating. We will definitely go back!

We met up with other family members and their children in June of '04 and just loved our stay at the Carlsbad Inn!! Our favorite place to be was just steps away at the beach. They have towels and beach chairs for you to grab on your way down. We loved having a kitchen and had many of our meals there. There is a great mexican restaurant on-site, as well as an ice- cream shop which my daughter loved. We're going back in '06 and can't wait!!

Great Location. I've owned a great summer week here for years. It is my 2nd favorite place to vacation with my family. My favorite is Southern California Beach Club in Oceanside.

Resort is on the beach and in the heart of the Carlsbad Village. It's a great little area to shop, eat and have fun.

Carlsbad Inn is clean, roomy, staff is great. Pool is typical hotel sized, not usually very crowded. They have a kids spa and a very large adult spa.

Our 2 bedroom was beautiful, newly remodeled, sparkling clean and very comfortable. The staff was friendly and helpful.

The activities weren't a good fit for us, but we came without kids. The resort activities are more oriented toward families and retirees (karioke, bingo, day tours to Mexico, crafts). But the location is terrific - fun shopping, restaurants - and the beach is just down the steps. I would definitely stay there again.

The Carlsbad Inn is located in an awesome Village with excellent restaurants and boutique shopping ( all within walking distance) .The resort itself is on the ocean and has a varied assortment of activities daily for everyone. The staff is friendly and efficient. The units are attractive and comfortable with a balcony or patio view. Adjoining the resort is an excellent Mexican Restaurant "Fidels" don't miss it.

Our family stayed here for a week in late June 2004. We found the unit and amenities were excellent. The resort staff that we dealt with were lacking in helpful advice for travellers who did not have their own transport. The resort at this time did not have a competent concierge available and this made our daily planning for non resort activities difficult.

McDonald Family, Taranaki, New Zealand.

I traded into this location, and loved it! It is steps to the beach, wonderful accommodations and beautiful landscaping. Highly recommend it.

In my opinion, the key ingredient of this resort is it's fantastic location. The best located resort in Carlsbad because of it's easy proximity to the ocean, the shops and restaurants of quaint downtown Carlsbad.

It also has a great ambiance, the grounds are very nice and the architecture is very pleasing.

It has a nice activity program for owners, bicycles for little side trips, beach equipment and gazebo on the beach for Carlsbad Inn owners.

The units are well decorated and the resort has been completely remodeled, including air conditioning.

Many people who live in Carlsbad own at the Carlsbad Inn if for no other reason than the great day use privileges.

Probably the only thing lacking is the size of the pool, way too small for this sized resort. But, the ocean is a pretty good sized pool. <grin>

Article submitted by Larry Hayden, owner at Carlsbad Inn, and timeshare resales broker located right across the street from the Carlsbad Inn. Let me know if you have any questions about any resort in California.

I have voluminous information on my website at WWW.ALLTIMESHARE.COM

Very nice accomocations. Not many amenities on site. Close to the beach. Rooms are nice. Personnel is helpful. Very small swimming pool and limited workout facilities.

We found this resort to be well located for our purposes. Easy walking to the beach, shops & restaurants. Resort is well maintained and staff is very good. Parking is excellent. You can walk to the Coaster station and enjoy a nice ride to San Diego

My family traded into this property last September. We enjoyed it a lot. As other say, it's got the best location for Carlsbad timeshares since it's in the center of old Carlsbad's downtown. It is in easy walking distance to restaurants and across the street from the beach.

Have stayed at the other Carlsbad timeshares too but the access to downtown shops / restaraunts makes this the best. Beautiful grounds, nice activities.

Location to beat all! Well appointed units with magnificent "lawn" area to hang out on and enjoy the ocean breeze. Walk to everything. Can't beat the "live music" afternoon parties for all guests and the multitude of supervised activities for children during the Summer months.

This resort is comfortable, centrally located, and we had a great week. The restaurants and shops on the grounds and nearby were excellent. The beach was easy to access and the pool is great. The playground is very small, but okay. Spend an afternoon fishing, take the kid(s) to Legoland, take a sight-seeing drive. Be sure to stop by the ocean for lunch... the fresh fish is fantastic. Carlsbad Inn is a wonderful place to have as a base for visiting Southern CA. We liked it so much we are going back next year.