The Cardiff-By-The-Sea Lodge

The sunset view from the rooftop was amazing! The room decor was a bit outdated but not horrible. The breakfast was good. Not much to do walking distance.

Service was very hospitable! José gave us the complete rundown and carried my bag to the Southwest room! Top deck with charming seating areas. Perfect for sunset cocktails! Gardens a delight-all harmonious!

Staff was wonderful and extremely helpful, they accommodated me dropping off flowers in the morning and placing them in the room for me before we checked in. I'm extremely thankful for the hospitality and great service. We'll be back soon, for the facilities are wonderful here.

Absolutely beautiful views, and a charming place to stay. Children are charged extra - for a cot with no sheets, towels and breakfast. My children were also reprimanded twice by the innkeeper. Basically they were not welcome. So leave your children home and go as a couple.

This was our second stay at the Cardiff Lodge - we love it! The service and friendliness of the owners and staff were outstanding. They couldn't make you feel more comfortable. The location of the lodge is perfect, and the view of the ocean from the beautiful rooftop garden is amazing. We would highly recommend the Cardiff By the Sea Lodge to anyone - you will not be disappointed. We certainly plan to return.

Cardiff and the lodge aren't far from San Diego or Oceanside, but it seems like a world away. You can go back to the outlets just minutes away or just enjoy being away from it all. I am enjoying the tasty extended continental breakfast (including hard-boiled eggs, fruit, incredible pastries) as I write. Come and check this place out!

This was my second stay at The Cardiff By The Sea Lodge and it is an absolutely wonderful place to stay! The rooms are incredibly comfortable and private. The grounds and views are gorgeous. Very friendly staff. I'm looking forward to the next time we get to go!

We look for excuses to get away to the San Diego area so that we can stay at the Cardiff by the sea lodge. The location is perfect. In a friendly, welcoming little town right by the ocean. And the staff at the lodge treat us like family and not just customers.

I was taken here by my husband to celebrate the completion of 7 years of homeschooling. What a great place for relaxation, recuperation, and romance! We were greeted by friendly staff. We enjoyed the beautiful roof top garden area and our whimsical paradise room. Loved our stay...hope to come again!

All in all we had a good experience at Cardiff-by-the-Sea Lodge. The people were friendly, the room was nice....though I would definitely choose another room for a future stay. Ours was probably the bottom-of-the line room, but still nice. Easy walk to the beach and restaurants. LOVE the rooftop garden....great for early morning breakfast or late night relaxing in the hot tub. Would definitely stay here again.

The phone on the front desk to contact the owner did not preform properly. When trying to dial 9, then 1 & then the number the 1st time I got a a message to dial 1 before makking a call. On my next attempt, the phone registered 911 when I only dialed the first 91 and connected my to emergency services. I would suggest a better contact process. The bed in the Cullen room needs a new mattress. Very soft in the middle causing everything to roll to the center. The roof deck was wonderful!

Male caregiver had some preconceived notions upon seeing my girlfriend and I coming into his B&B in beach clothes. We had been surfing all morning and we both wearing beach type clothes (shorts, T-shirt, sandals) and were slightly sunburnt. He seemed surprised we actually had reservations and looked ready to turn us away. He did not show us around the property or do anything besides open the door to our room and made sure we knew "The roof closes at promptly 10PM! so dont try after that time." The rooms were nice enough and views spectacular, but the service was nothing compared to most places in this price range. Probably will not return,

This is the second time we stayed at the lodge. One each occasion, my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the stay. We love the unique, distinctive decorations and setup of the room. It's so different from the normal hotel setting. The roof top garden overlooking the ocean provides us the wonderful view of the sunset. We also love the breakfast, especially the fruit-salad.

Not really "steps to the beach" but a few blocks. Converted Apartment complex with subterranean parking. Decent rooms but weird bathroom door solution. Picture swinging saloon-type doors that offer little privacy. Really don't think the rooms are worth the price and it sits in the middle of an average neighborhood complete with noisy bar next door and a 7-11 across the street. Not at all what we expected and a bit disappointing. Very friendly staff though. Breakfast was more like snack-time.

We love the location--walking distance to the beach and fine restaurants. Rooftop garden is beautiful. Rooms could use some TLC. Breakfast isn't available until 8:30 a.m., which is not good for early risers. It offers sweet baked goods along with fruit hard-boiled eggs, cold cereal, coffee, tea, milk & juice.

The paradise room was awesome. We loved the detail and all the amenities, Large Flat Screen tv. It was very comfortable & roomy. The Spa on the upper deck was great with view of the ocean & private. The only complaint would be the Spa Bath tub in the room that was not working. Hopefully they can get that fixed quickly. Definitely looking forward to a return trip love the area. Thanks

My Mom and my sister and I enjoyed our stay at Cardiff-by-the-sea tremendously. The room was very nice and facilities with the spa and firepit and excellant breakfast selections on the outside patios. Thanks to the nice staff. The proximity to the beach was the icing on the cake.

My wife and I recently spent two relaxing days and nights at Cardiff-by-the-Sea Lodge. The location is great (only a block from the ocean), the views from the rooftop deck are spectacular, and there are a number of great little local restaurants nearby. We loved the quiet and unhurried pace of the Inn and of the community. Highly recommend it.

We loved staying at Cardiff-by-the-Sea Lodge. The ocean was a stone's throw away from the ocean, we spent time walking on the sand and watching the surfers. The room was very nice, we ate breakfast on the rooftop terrace. All and all very very enjoyable stay!

We had a chance to get away and went to one of our favorite areas... and found a wonderful new place to stay! The Cardiff-by-the-Sea Lodge is outstanding. We were shown 4 different rooms to choose from, checked it and started to relax and enjoy. The next morning we had a wonderful chat with the owner on the rooftop terrace, overlooking the ocean. Cannot wait to get back!!!!

We had to take an unexpected trip to San Diego area, and we found this beautiful place the night before we headed down from the Central Valley. The amazing beach was located just 2 blocks from our room.The Innkeepers offered us our choice of rooms even after we had reserved one and were most gracious. The photos on the website matched what we saw on our arrival.The close walk to a quaint town and variety of restaurant choices for dinner made our last minute trip perfect to rekindle a spark in our 9 year marriage.The Bowen's

went mid-week in march. flowers were beautiful. lodge was quiet and peaceful. rooftop was a pleasant place to hang out. continental breakfast was better than many. trains go by frequently but we rather liked it. beach was within convenient walking distance and easier to get to than i thought it might be with a highway in between. roadways/intersections between lodge and beach were easy to cross. beach wasn't crowded although access points were undergoing reconstruction/maintenance. didn't have the feel of being crowded, closed in or everything on top of everything else like some california beach towns. would have liked to stay longer. would definitely go back.

I love how each room has a different theme and the design and decor were so well thought out! We stayed in the sweetheart room that has a beautiful dome ceiling, and a sweetheart shaped jacuzzi. We loved the ocean views, great breakfast, and relaxing atmosphere. The fountain, relaxing music, and rooftop jacuzzi and terrace are wonderful! Even the hand stenciling throughout our room is so beautiful! We will definitely recommend this to others! What a great place to spend our Valentine's get-away!

This is a wonderful establishment, in a great location, wonderful innkeepers. If you want a low key get away, close to the beach, restaurants, and some shopping, this is the place for you. There is a absolute wonderful roof top garden area, complete with jazzcui tub, firepit, and terrific views of the surf. Relaxing, relaxing, and more relaxtion!!

My husband and I stayed here this past weekend and found it to be delightful. I told my husband on the way out that this is where I wanted to go for our next "special occasion." The grounds are beautiful and the beach is about 2 minutes away!

I would highly recommend this place - I spent a few nights with my wife and we had such a great time. From the room to the service, our experience was one to remember! Do yourself a favor, stay a night at the Cardiff-by-the-sea-lodge...I promise you, you will not regret it...

Refreshing views from room and rooftop garden! Superb breakfast, charming room with sea breeze! Short jaunts to beach, Starbucks, restaurants! Delightful, friendly staff! Perfect for fun, relaxed,romantic getaway!

A perfect getaway.. We spent a lot of time on the rooftop area. We watched the sunset go down with a great ocean view by the firepit and then relaxed in the jacuzzi. Really close to a huge selection of excellent restaurants.

Cardiff by the Sea Lodge rates in the top 5% of all the best places we have stayed. We have traveled the entire Pacific Coast from Canada to Mexico and stayed in dozens of wonderful places, and they are at the top. They are very friendly and accommodating. Each of their theme based rooms are uniquely decorated including Jacuzzi tubs, original artwork murals and upgraded furnishings. Many rooms have ocean views, and they are conveniently located across Coast Highway from the beach. The sunset views from the rooftop garden are the best you will find. The rooftop fire pit and Jacuzzi provide a great place to gather. The Lodge is designed to be both a beautiful place and has been carefully constructed to ensure guest room privacy and quite. We have stayed there a dozen times and will definitely return.

My boyfriend and I both live in Carlsbad, CA, just 15 minutes away from Cardiff by the Sea, however we did not discover Cardiff by the Sea Lodge until last year. On October 1, 2008, our one year anniversary, I wanted to do something special for my boyfriend, Dave. I wanted to do an outdoor romantic dinner with candles and ocean sunset view- and I found Cardiff by the Sea Lodge's roof top. Since we lived so close, at first I just planned on having dinner and head home, but when Laurie, the lodge representative showed me their Paradise room (because she heard that Dave and I love the tropical theme), and the room had beautiful decor', a amazingly comfortable bed and bedding (beats Westin or Sheraton San Diego in my opinion), built in wine chiller, and a RAIN SHOWER (I am a sucker for rain showers)- I was sold! So I got the room for a night, and the owners were very accommodating and agreed to let me use the entire roof to set up for the surprise romantic dinner I planned for Dave. The Cardiff by the Sea Lodge staff went out of their way to make sure our stay was special and it truly was. THANK YOU! Be sure to check out Cardiff by the Sea Lodge. It’s really a hidden Gem. Be sure to talk to Laurie as well, she’s one of the best I’ve encountered in the hospitality industry.

We've been going to the Cardiff Lodge every year since 2003 and will continue to go back as much as possible. We believe that a get-away is what you bring to it as much as what your environment is. We go there knowing that we'll have the beach right there and can enjoy the soothing ocean sounds. We go there knowing that we won't be disturbed by unruly guests or loud city noises. We go there knowing our room will be beautifully decorated, romantic, and peaceful. We even love the sound of the train that runs thru Cardiff...when we're elsewhere and hear a train, it automatically makes us smile and remember our wonderful times at Cardiff by the Sea. The Staff is fantastic to us and have given us "special" ways to keep making our beautiful memories. We go there knowing the love we share with each other will be complimented by the specialness of the Cardiff by the Sea Lodge...

Our 3 nights here were extremely relaxing and refreshing. The view was outstanding on the rooftop terrace for breakfast and the sunset indescribable! Excellent service from the staff and really personal care. Our room had a view of the ocean and the fireplace made it so cozy. Loved the markets nearby and outstanding restaurants. You will love this place and we want to return! (Would have liked a more substantial breakfast, but adequate.)

Tucked away from the busy-ness of the San Diego area, Cardiff-by the sea was amazing! Everything was wonderful. We were greeted by the friendly, helpful staff, and escorted to our Sweetheart room. It was lovely! a panoramic view of the ocean, fireplace, loveseat, jacuzzi (heart shaped). We felt so pampered! Before dinner we went to the rooftop garden where the view was unbelieveable, and watched the sunset & night sky while keeping warm next to a fireplace. We didn't try the hot tub, but it would also have a marvelous view of the ocean and sky. The bed was very comfortable, and the continental breakfast the next morning was delicious and very plentiful... from cereal and coffee to fresh fruit and pastries. It was so peaceful to eat our breakfast in one of the secluded and flowered garden areas. There were so many unusual, nice touches.. make sure to follow the paths to see "hidden" , so charming garden areas.. The staff had many good recommendations for dinner (even within walking distance).The hotel was close to the beach and provides a great location for walking to the beach or taking a short trip to San diego or the environs. We look forward to our next visit!!

My girlfiend spotted a flyer about CBTSL, and looked it up on the internet. The photos on the website looked promising and she was looking for something special for our 1st anniversary. She booked a visit a month in advance. The room was lovely, even though a train would come by at least 15 times a day and during the night, blowing a very LOUD horn as it neared our location. The bar next door was also very loud with people laughing and talking all night, Harley's blasting by, etc. As far as the room, many things went wrong and we were verbally abused by Trevor, the owner's son, to the extent that we will never return and want to warn everyone else who could possibly be thinking of visiting to think twice. A window shade broke as I was opening the blinds, crashing down and nearly splitting my skull. Then one of the sinks didn't work and water was shut off without notice or a note. When it did come back pressure was very low, and the faucet spit out black gunk all over my toothbrush. Finally the AC condensation soaked the countertop where all my receipts were, rendering them illegible. In the process my laptop's power cord was soaked as well, which I tried when I got home and it fried my laptop. During check out, we tried to explain all these things to Trevor, the owner's son. He didn't address the soaked power cord. When I showed him the soaked and blurry receipts, he just smiled. He said we must've left the windows open, which would've caused condensation. We did no such thing. When we said the water had been cut off and the sink didn't work, he said he knew but no note was left for us when we arrived. Similarly, no note had been attaced to the blinds, warning us not to touch them, even though he said "the parts have been on order for a month." The parts are 2 end brackets that could be picked up at Home Depot for under $4. Worst of all, Trevor was hostile during the entire check out process. He was incredibly argumentative, never once apologizing about a thing. He even accused us of "nitpicking" and called us "low class," which infuriated both of us. My girlfriend had planned this for months and we had a great time until Trevor's horrible comment upset her. She cried in the car for 25 minutes as we drove back to OC. IT'S A SHAME that all the work the father Strasser has done to build a lovely place is left in the hands of his incompetent son, who has zer0 social or customer service skills. During our conversation, he actually got up and left the office for nearly 5 minutes, without asking us to wait, saying where he was going, or asking us to accompany him. Who does that? If I ever did such a thing I'd be fired. It's a good thing daddy's given him a job, because he couldn't possibly get away with that anywhere else. Our recommendation: Don't go there unless you want to be treated like dirt.

[Resource Id: innkeeperresponse, Set: reviews]
We were saddened to read this review which contained so many negative remarks. We love our Cardiff by the Sea Lodge, and we take great pride in the property and the operation. We are sorry that the guests had what they described as such an unpleasant experience. They were here for two nights and on the morning of their departure they asked for a late check-out which they were given. Both Jane and Laurie who worked that weekend have told us that they had had pleasant conversations with the guests. Jane said that they came to the front desk with concerns which she addressed. She said hey were very friendly and seemed happy with the accommodations. Their reservation included a discounted rate and a dinner voucher to a very nice local Italian restaurant which they complimented. Trevor came on duty at noon on their departure day. Jane told him about their concerns and that she had given them a courtesy late check out. Their written description seemed to exaggerate what went on during their stay. We would never want our guests to feel that they had not been treated with respect. We all care deeply for the success and reputation of the Lodge. The Sweetheart room has recently been refurbished with new drapes and shutters which highlight the panoramic ocean view. We like to think that it is the signature room of the Lodge. Sincerely, James and Jeanette Statser