I have visited San Clemente a few times in the past and it my favorite place to go. This city really is the perfect little town to kick back and live the beach life like a local. Everything you need is within walking distance of the Casa Tropicana - a couple cute breakfast places, a souvenir shop, mini mart, pizza place, and an amazing fresh seafood restaurant and bar. If you feel like getting in your car, less than a mile away are some cute antique shops, spas, and eclectic high-end restaurants.

When I visited San Clemente in the past, I opted to stay at a cheaper hotel down the street. We decided to splurge this time because it was our honeymoon and I am so glad that we did. The $550 midweek price point for the penthouse "Casa Del Ray" is more I usually spend on a hotel room, but this is the absolute best hotel room in San Clemente and is worth every penny. We stayed 4 nights and it was absolute heaven.

The view from the patio is spectacular and you can enjoy this view from your own private hot tub. There is a wet bar on the patio with a mini fridge where we were able to chill our champagne. The views from the patio will take your breath away - totally unobstructed 180 degree views of the waves breaking, beautiful palm trees, and the charming pier. The street in front of the hotel is pretty quiet and practically dead at night, so all you really hear is the sound of the ocean and of course the train. I have stayed this area a few times before, so I was expecting the train and it did not bother me. However, the construction a couple doors down from the hotel was pretty disappointing. I know the hotel has no control over this, but anyone who is staying here within the next couple months should be prepared for the construction that creates a good amount of noise from 7am to 4pm. When the construction finishes, there will probably be another restaurant or retail space which will be a plus when I go back.

The room and patio looked bigger in real life than the pictures. The bed was incredibly comfortable and the sheets were so soft. The bed was raised high (so high that I had a hard time getting in and out) and you can see the ocean while lying in bed. There really needs to be a bed step stool or something to get in the bed though. I am 5'5" and I had a hard time getting in. My husband is taller at 5'11" and he did not have a problem.

The bathroom is HUGE with two sinks, makeup counter area, super large bathtub with ocean view and a double shower. The water pressure was not great so it made rinsing off from the hot tub harder, but it's a California thing so I go with it. The room has a very big flat screen TV and good selection of cable channels including lots of music channels. There was a good selection of snacks that is included with the room too. They really thought of everything to make your stay more comfortable including extra large soft towels, small packages of makeup wipes, high quality lotions and shampoos, and ear plugs for the train noise.

Unfortunately, the hotel does not include parking in their published rates. Every night you will be charged $10 for parking that is about 250 feet away at a nearby hotel's parking garage. It was not very convenient and for the price we paid I strongly feel that parking should have been included. This nickel and diming for parking did not match with the overall experience you can tell the inn owners worked hard to create. I am hoping the owners reconsider this charge if we ever come back to stay in the future.

An important thing to keep in mind if you decide to book the Casa Del Ray is that is on the 5th floor and there is no elevator. The back entrance of the hotel is at the 3rd floor level, so it's only two flights up - but they are exceptionally steep stairs. The hotel manager Marjorie did an amazing job carrying up our heaviest piece of luggage up these stairs and also helping up with our luggage on the way out. I can't say enough nice things about Marjorie - she does an amazing job and provides five star service from reservation to check out. If you have any mobility issues, you will have a hard time enjoying this room.

So to sum up my long review, the Casa Del Ray is absolutely worth the money. It may be the best hotel room in Orange County and it will always hold a special place in my heart. This is the perfect spot for a romantic trip or honeymoon and I am hoping to go back one day.

Just returned from beautiful san clemente. Spent Father's Day weekend there. Stayed in the casita clemente, very comfortable king bed with sofa bed. It was a nice perk to have a mini frig filled with FREE drinks (soft drinks, juice, water etc.) also a lovely basket with yogurt, hard boiled eggs, cheese, and muffins. Beer & wine were an extra cost. They also put out a snack basket with cookies and candy. All these items were refilled every day at no charge. Lush towels and bath robes provided Even the toliet paper was of high quality. They seem to really think of everything, beach towels, chairs, blanket and umbrella were all there for their guests to use. I loved the pot of French press coffee on the balcony overlooking the pier each morning. The owner would deliver the newspaper every morning to my husband while we sat on the balcony. The view is fantastic and it is in the perfect location. A great cafe and pizza shop next door also. The owners, and staff are very friendly and helpful. The parking garage is a needed plus as parking is tough by the pier. Also comes with free wifi that's works really well. The only con was the train whistle, there is a train stop directly in front of the hotel and the train blows it's whistle several times as it goes passed. But, the owners supply ear plugs and after the first night we didn't ever notice the train. It also doesn't run as much on the weekends. We loved this place, it's expensive but worth it. They made us feel at home, Thanks. J

We stayed here for three nights and it was what I mostly expected just from viewing the pictures on the website. The property has become dated especially the bathroom - the shower was some sort of make shift system over the spa tub. The water pressure was awful and we could never get the temp set to a normal temp it was either hot or cold. The bedroom part was comfortable - it was cool when we were there so we could sleep with the window closed and use a fan that we had brought with us and we were comfortable.

If you like to be near the beach then this location is for you. Having a glass of wine from the deck and the view of the pier and the ocean was great. It is quite a walk up the hill ( not that far just a steep walk up) to town to the shopping and restaurants.


The staff was very nice and friendly so everything good there. So really except for the shower it was not a bad stay but just not for us.