Hotel Review: Ocean Palms Beach Resort

Posted on May 27, 2014 by The Hummels

Happy Travel Tuesday! We’re writing from Oahu, Hawaii today – where are you? We love tropical travel – and, speaking of beautiful beachside destinations, we recently had the opportunity to stay at Ocean Palms Beach Resort in Carlsbad, CA. It ‘s one of our favorite dog friendly attractions in Carlsbad – our stay there was kind of like visiting a little piece of Hawaii right in our own backyard. See why we loved it – and why our little four-legged baby, Mishka, did too…

Ocean-Palms-Beach-Resort-Dog-Friendly-Carlsbad

LOCATION

Where is the hotel located?
Ocean Palms Beach Resort is located in the beautiful coastal town of Carlsbad, CA in Southern California. We always say location is one of the most important things to consider when booking a hotel – it really can make or break a trip. And we’re pleased to say that the location of Ocean Palms Beach Resort does not disappoint. Positioned at the intersection of Ocean Street and Carlsbad Village Drive, this resort is just steps to the beach and walking distance to most major shops and restaurants in the area. We didn’t have to get in our car once during our entire stay – now that’s some prime real estate.

What was our first impression when we arrived?
We loved the relaxed and charming atmosphere of the resort as soon as we arrived – from the gorgeous palm trees to the tikis and tropical foliage throughout the property, this hotel felt like a little piece of paradise.

SERVICE

How easy was check-in?
Easy and stress-free – just the way we like it. The resort was easy to find and signage out front helped direct us to the right place. Resort staff were very friendly and greeted us with a smile. They were relaxed and casual while still being professional. The Ocean Palms Beach resort is a family-owned business and the staff takes great level of pride in providing quality customer service to guests. There was another couple in the lobby checking out as we checked in and they seemed sorely disappointed to be leaving – always a good sign of a promising stay.

Were we offered a room upgrade or any other complimentary perks?
We already had one of the best rooms in the resort – the Luxury Ocean View Suite. We were really pleased with the room and highly recommend it to other travelers, especially those with pets.

How was the service throughout our stay?
Service was great – we didn’t encounter the staff too often during our stay (we spent a lot of time out exploring the local area), but when we did, they were courteous, helpful and friendly.

OUR ROOM

What was our first impression of our room?
Bright, clean, and welcoming!

How was the view from our room?
Gorgeous – we enjoyed having a view of the ocean from our room – we even saw dolphins swimming by while we relaxed on the couch with a glass of wine. It couldn’t have been more picture perfect! We also had a great view of the street below – we love how active Carlsbad is. Between surfers, skateboarders and friendly locals, there was some fun people watching to be had!

Bathrobe, slippers, and bath amenities?
No bathrobe or slippers, but we honestly didn’t need them. There was, however, a lovely array of bath products and a nice spa-like bathroom.

Beverages?
We loved that the staff left a complimentary bottle of delicious red wine waiting for us in our room – great way to kick-off our relaxing beach weekend in Carlsbad!

Wifi / Phone Charging Station
Yes to both – the phone docking station came in handy, but we didn’t spend much time using Wifi – we were too busy out enjoying the local sights like this sunset…

Food
There’s no restaurant on property at this resort, but one isn’t really needed because the resort is so close to all of the best restaurants in the local area. There are BBQ grills throughout the property for those who’d prefer to do their own cooking.

Tables with umbrellas are available throughout the resort – great for enjoying a meal or relaxing with a good book.

Our room came with a fully equipped kitchen – we didn’t use it, as we decided to partake in the local dog friendly restaurants, but it was nice to have on hand.

RECAP

Cost:
Nightly rates for the Luxury Ocean View Suite start at approximately $359 per night. Rooms are available at a variety of price points – visit www.oceanpalms.com for the latest rates. Please note not all rooms are pet friendly and not all pets are accepted at the resort – call the hotel to confirm your pet can be accommodated before booking.

Would we stay there again?
Definitely! Great for a weekend getaway for couples with pets who want a fun place to relax and enjoy a charming, small-town community.

Would we recommend it to a friend?
Absolutely – and we’re sure they would enjoy their stay! As you might have heard, Carlsbad was affected by some pretty terrible fires recently, and the staff at Ocean Palms Beach Resort generously offered up rooms at a discounted rate for locals with pets. We love pet friendly places who care about their local community, and this thoughtful gesture made us love this resort even more. We can’t wait to return – and we hope you’ll check it for yourself sometime too.

If you could visit any beach destination, where would you go?
Tell us in the comments below! We love to hear about your travel dreams!

Disclosure: We were guests of Ocean Palms Beach Resort for this stay. We only share vacation destinations and resorts that we believe our readers will enjoy. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do! 🙂