Hotel Atwater

Avalon, United States

3.6

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

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Telephone:
+1 877-778-8322
Website:
www.visitcatalinaisland.com
Address:
120 Sumner St, Avalon, CA, 90704
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
360 ftCatalina Airport Sbuttle Bus
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Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Wi-Fi
Free

Today

Today –
Local time (Avalon) 12:59 Sunday, 13 July 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Newly remodeled and more comfortable than ever, the Hotel Atwater is one of Avalon’s largest and best located Catalina Island hotels. With 91 rooms, four different room types and new furnishings, the Hotel Atwater has something for all our Island guests. Located in the heart of Avalon, only footsteps away from the beach and Island Tour Plaza, your activity headquarters, makes this hotel the ideal place for those wishing to see more of Avalon.

History

Established in 1920.

The historic Hotel Atwater was built in the 1920’s and offers a wide variety of room types from Economy Rooms, Standard Rooms to Suites. All rooms are on the second and third floor of the property and accessible by stairs only. This hotel fits any budget and is perfect for active couples, families and large groups.

Meet the Manager

Lubos P.

Manager

Lubos Pech brings to the Hotel Atwater more than two decades of experience at some of the world’s finest resorts. Most recently, he was food and beverage director at Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Hotel, a member of the leading hotels of the world. He also has served as the hotel manager of The Ritz-​Carlton in Marina del Rey, California, the Food and Beverage Director at the Ritz-​Carlton, Georgetown, and the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage at The Ritz-​Carlton, Laguna, Niguel.

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20 reviews of Hotel Atwater

No registration required
Place rating: 3
Laguna Beach, CA
We booked this hotel online because of the location. The location is the reason this hotel is getting a 3 instead of a 1. The other good thing about this hotel is that the beds are comfortable. This is an old hotel. There is no elevator and the location of the stairs is confusing and there are no arrows to show you where to go. You could hear every noise from the street and the hallways. I felt like we were in a frat house rather than a hotel.
Place rating: 4
El Cajon, CA
Stayed at AtWater this weekend and was pleased with my experience. I read the reviews before hand and was fully prepared with ear plugs for the thin walls and slamming doors. There is also Club Chi close by which plays music until about 2−3am. But thanks to my ear plugs I slept like a baby in the fairly comfy beds. The room was small, but we spent majority of our time out and about and it served its purpose. The location was great! It was close to everything and made it super convenient to get to all the tourist attractions. Also the staff was very friendly.
Place rating: 3
Avalon, CA
The Hotel Atwater was basically as advertised. Great location, clean simple room, lots of older building charm. The bed was a true king size and very comfy.
Checkout was at 11am but staff was very helpful in letting us check bags in till the boat left at 5:45.
My only negative was a rather loud, drunken «lovers’s» quarrel that took place over the course of 2 hours one night we were there. I put quotes around lover’s because while they frequently screamed their love at each other, It was usually followed by far less tender exclamations used most often on the freeway or playing golf. The staff did not really step in and shut it down, nor did they call the island police whose station is literally next door.
That was the only reason it is 3 instead of 4 stars. I would not hesitate to stay again.
If you do stay here try to request 3rd floor facing the water for a great view.
Place rating: 5
Tustin, CA
We have stayed at many of the hotels in Avalon. This may not be the most luxurious. However, the staff was by far the friendliest staff we have encountered, and they were amazing. In addition, the room was very clean and comfortable and the proximity to the amenities were amazing.
Place rating: 5
Yorba Linda, CA
One of the best places to stay on the island for my boyfriend and I. Absolute perfect location. Each time I called leading up to our trip they were very professional and kind in the information they gave me.
Check in was not till 3pm but they were very quick to store our bags and alert the housekeeping we arrived. We were able to grab a bite waiting just an hour until they texted us that our room was ready. Our room overlooked a street facing the north and we enjoyed listening to the hustle and bustle keeping our window open the entire stay.
The room was quaint and small but thats expected for an older hotel. Shower was hot, bed was comfortable, and lighting was perfect. We spent a few hours just relaxing in the room enjoying the fact we were able to do nothing. Every time we entered or exited the hotel we were made welcome. The breakfast voucher gave us the opportunity to have a small quick breakfast to get out and about. Recommend the sticky bun.
Warning: No elevator
Place rating: 5
Hemet, CA
Look, the rooms are small and basic, but the price is great. The bed was SUPER comfy with down pillows and blankets, the AC was cold and the shower, while small was hot. I rented the room for 4 days and it was great. I rent a room to rest and sleep, the rest of the time I plan to be OUT there, I’m on the beach! Why stay in the room all day! I got 4 days on the beach for under $ 500. The staff is helpful and very polite, I recommend it to those who don’t plan to spend the vacation in the room!
Place rating: 1
Burbank, CA
UPDATE — 5÷24÷2016:
I stayed at the Hotel Atwater in 2013 and gave it a ‘charitable’ 3 star rating, mainly on account of its location and the courteousness of the hotel staff. The hotel itself is… not good.
I assume the location has not changed, but the courteousness certainly has!
I made the mistake of reserving a room thinking that it was my preferred choice — the nearby Glenmore Plaza Hotel, a much better hotel — and attempted to cancel once I realized the error. When I called to cancel my reservation the man on the other end of the line haughtily told me that cancellation meant forfeiting my entire deposit due to the pricing having been discounted, then chided me for not having read the fine print.
I did not know that my reservation was at a special rate (why, other than to trap unwary customers, should this even matter?) and their customer-​hostile cancellation policy wasn’t prominently displayed when I made the reservation.
If Hotel Atwater is content to force someone to pay for a room they don’t want because of some fine print that selectively penalizes people who happened to find a decent rate when they’d (presumedly) cancel a reservation without penalty for someone who paid more, it says a lot about how much they value the happiness of people who do business with them and what their priorities are.
If you’re looking for a cramped, musty room with tiny bathrooms and nothing in the way of amenities, maybe give Hotel Atwater a look … IF you can stand the sort of customer service akin to that of your cable company or Department of Motor Vehicles. Otherwise, give the Glenmore Plaza Hotel a look for a superior in every way alternative.
Note: I’ll update this review upon completion of my can’t-back-out-now stay. Maybe take a photo or two.
ORIGINAL REVIEW — 10÷7÷2013:
We stayed at the Hotel Atwater in Avalon for an extended, 3 night weekend. It was, overall, a reasonably pleasant experience.
My biggest complaint is that our room was rather smaller than I would have expected or hoped for given the price. The bathroom was also very small, and — instead of a tub — it had a small shower more akin in size to what you’d find in an RV. The room was clean, though, but I’d have hoped for something a bit nicer for what was paid.
The location is perfect, within walking distance of just about any place of note. Then again, this is Avalon we’re talking about. Just about everything is within walking distance of everything else.
The front desk staff were VERY courteous and friendly, though, and that means a lot to me. I did feel welcome and attended to during our stay, so if that’s important to you I think you’ll be happy.
If you’re looking for a no-​frills place to stay, the Hotel Atwater might be worth checking out — especially if you get a good deal. Otherwise, I’d recommend staying at the Glenmore Plaza hotel across the street instead.
Place rating: 5
Grand Terrace, CA
Very impressed! It is on the older side, but when every building there was built sometime in the 1920s I think that is pretty standard; although some people might have a problem with that. It was very comfortable. I will admit, our room was on the smaller side… but our corner room with a view definitely made up for the size.
Location is right in the center of everything all in definite walking distance fer sure. WiFi is pretty strong and fast. Breakfast is continental from the coffee shop two doors down, the croissant I had was quite good. The staff absolutely professional and courteous. All in all quite a wonderful experience!
Place rating: 1
Paso Robles, CA
Stayed their for our Anniversary, bathroom was disgusting with the tiles all chipped, the plastic mat had black spots with mold. The bathroom had very little lighting. The toilet would not flush properly. The windows in the bathroom do not lock, so if your a woman by yourself I would not stay there. The sink to brush your teeth was in the bedroom no where near the bathroom so getting ready was a pain. No mini refrigerator. Overall for the price they charge I will not stay there again. I only give them one star for the bed which was comfy.
Place rating: 4
Fontana, CA
The hotel was clean and the staff was friendly. We aren’t needy people, so we did not have to ask for anything, but I am sure they would have been accommodating, as every encounter was greeted with a friendly hello and a smile. They don’t have coffee in the rooms or the hotel, but they do give you vouchers for your morning coffee and a breakfast snack at a café next door. My only complaint, and it is not the hotel’s fault… mornings are noisy. The hotel is downtown, which I thought would be what I wanted. I would not stay downtown next time. Trucks beeping, people talking outside. Hearimg the hustle and bustle at 7am was not my idea of relaxing. This is not a complaint, though. More of a head’s up if you are not an early riser.
Place rating: 4
Oceanside, CA
The location for this hotel is good and the fact that it’s parent company owns most of the tours and several restaurants on Catalina Island means they have access to a lot of the activities and packages. The package we bought was a top one, and it was definitely oversold, with several unmet promises, but Juan at the front desk worked hard to make up for the issues. He was great. Without him I might have been very unhappy. The pillows were very comfortable, the bed was decent. The room was clean. It was simply, not fancy but clean, which is important to me. They promised a bellman to pick up luggage at the dock, which they did not provide, so we had to carry our bags a couple of blocks. Not a big deal but not the best way to start. When I called the number on my reservation a woman suggested I use blueline luggage to get my bags to the hotel (they charge about $ 5) but the booth was empty. There was not coffee/​tea in the lobby in the morning as the check-​in letter promised. They do have a voucher for a breakfast beverage at Ben’s Bakery (not all of their beverages qualify and it was so/​so coffee) but no coffee in the room or lobby and you have to leave the hotel for it. Bring ear plugs, it’s very loud on the street quite early in the morning, and rather loud in the hotel by 6:30am and the rooms are not soundproof at all. The coupon book the hotel offered us ended up being expired and unusable. We bought a package with tours. Three of our tours ended up getting canceled, so we were frequently regrouping, but that is where Juan worked hard to help us out and get us on other tours. The brochure, website and staff indicated that several features were open or available but they were not. My friend wanted to try the rock wall, but it is apparently only open on the weekends even though everyone kept telling us we should try it anytime. The lobby bathroom had an issue part of our stay and was overflowing. Their computer systems seem to go down a lot too, adding inconvenience and taking up time.
In general, the location, good pillows, and Juan boosted my rating of the Atwater hotel.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Very impressed by the service and professionalism of this hotel as well as the comfort of the room!
The service was great from the initial booking all the way through the end of the trip. Everything was simple and the room was clean/​beds were very comfortable. The double queen sized room has a pretty small restroom but it was functional for me. If you like larger restrooms, you may want to reconsider. There was a bit of wear and tear on the walls and lining of the restroom but the rest of the room looked okay. There’s AC in the room and a TV with many options. We had a problem with our first room key but it was fixed right away. Furthermore, it felt like someone at the front desk greeted me every time I walked out or walked back into the hotel which was very friendly in my opinion. They were also very good about helping us book activities and I would definitely come back here!
Place rating: 2
Santee, CA
Stayed here for 2 nights, and sorry to say but the worst sleep I’ve ever had on vacation. It was extremely noisy! You can hear every step the people above you are making. The doors in rooms don’t close properly, so they slam all night. No elevator, so people are stomping up the stairs drunk and loud at 2am. There is only a very small 2X2’ shower, no tub.
I will say, the location was great and the employees were very kind. That’s why I gave them 2 stars.
Place rating: 2
Ventura, CA
This hotel was far far too expensive for what it was. Three hundred dollars a night for a stuffy, musty smelling room. The AC didn’t work well, the shower was weak and I could barely get the shampoo out of my hair, the toilet would run water because when you flush, the handle stayed stuck down unless you moved it up (not good when they are in extreme drought conditions), and the wifi didn’t even work (as the front desk attendant even told us checking in that it was not the best and didn’t really work well). There’s no amenities… no mini fridge, no microwave, no pool, no jacuzzi… basically bed and bathroom. No views of anything.
On top of that, there was a club near by or something because at 10p they are lining up to get in and at 3am they are all stumbling out drunk and LOUD. The walls were super thin and you could hear everything.
Mostly I was upset at the price we paid for this!
Ok so the good thing is that it is located right in the heart of Avalon and it’s easy to access. Also the staff was very friendly and they check your bags if you are waiting to check in or even after you check out and have time until you depart. It was clean enough also but I’m sorry, I just don’t think it was worth $ 300 a night.
Place rating: 4
Fullerton, CA
My friends and I went on a trip to Catalina for Spring Break. We got to the hotel around 11:00AM and dropped off our luggages. Then, we went exploring! The hotel is super close to everything. In general, we walked everywhere from the hotel.
On the day that we got there, their system went down. However, we still got to checked in by 3PM, which is our promised checked in time. We got a 2 standard queen bedroom hotel. It was a fairly small room, but it was spacious enough to feel comfortable. I don’t like rooms that are too big anyways. Everything was clean.
As for the staff, everyone was super duper nice and very helpful. We were pretty needy because we always ask for towels and beach towels. And the shower was confusing for us at first and one off the staff helped!
Overall, it was a pleasant experience!
Place rating: 2
Costa Mesa, CA
The walls here are very, very thin. You can hear entire conversations from next door and from outside. You can also hear the constant buzzing of golf carts, which kind of sounds like lawn mowers going all day and all night long. I had to wake up in he middle of the night because of people having sex next door. It only lasted for about five minutes, luckily.
The hotel itself is pretty old with lots of ugly fluorescent lighting to really highlight the falling apart charms of this hotel. There’s no elevator and no one even offered to help with our bags. If you’re going to Catalina, spend a little bit more money and stay somewhere else.
Place rating: 5
San Marcos, CA
Surprisingly delighted with this hotel.
After reading mixed reviews, I was a little skeptical about staying here but oh so happy we did. The room was reasonably priced, clean and very welcoming.
Check in and out was conveniently fast and very much appreciated. The staff was courteous and professional. I loved the big grand staircase leading to the second floor, although it did make carrying a large suitcase difficult with all of the steps but well worth it for a comfortable, ocean view room. Bonus was that it is centrally located and walking distance from the pier.
Place rating: 4
Thousand Oaks, CA
Stayed here two nights in May and my experience was quite wonderful. The rates are budget friendly which I truly appreciated. So my overall experience: It took a bit to check in since there was a line of people waiting to do so and only one person at the check in desk. Other than that, check in was easy and we headed to our room. It was of decent size and our window faced the ocean. The bathroom was tiny and it was a bit difficult trying to get ready in it. But the cleanliness and the home-​like feeling of the hotel made up for the small room size. The last day, we checked out at 12 and they offer a free service to take our luggage Down to the port before we take the ferry. That was quite awesome. Thank you to the staff at Hotel Atwater for making my experience at Catalina island spectacular !
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I was afraid to go there after I read the reviews, but I decided to go because it was the only one available as I booked the previous day of my check in.
Upon my check in, I decided to take several photos, I uploaded them because they deserved a true opinion based on an actual experience. I postponed my review until I see how the crew treat their customers, I found them helpful, smile people although they are busy as I arrived in Thanksgiving day.
After I arrived I was amazed of the condition of the room. I found it perfect & clean. It is okay with what we pay for, nice & affordable hotel!
I found the previous reviews unfair, may be there were from another competitor in the same area or they considered to correct the complains of their previous guest. Anyway I am happy me and my family.
I spoke about the family room 334 & 336
1 king bed & 2 Queen Beds
1 bath room & 1 sink in each room
Thank you guys for your service!
Place rating: 2
Irvine, CA
The main lobby was clean and nice. We did not experience any problems with the hotel staff. They were efficient and friendly. They were willing to store our luggage before check in time and after we checked out at no charge. That was very convenient. The hotel is located in the perfect spot close to the pier, beach, and shops.
My only complaint I have is toward the condition of the hotel. It is very dirty and in desperate need of upgrades. While walking up the stairs to get to the third floor, we noticed the old, filthy carpet and dust filled window screens. The window screens were so dusty that guests started writing messages on it like «clean me»…clearly it hasn’t been cleaned in decades! The rooms are bare and a little stuffy. We opened the windows to let fresh air in, but our room faced the roof top of another building where all the loud fans were. It was pretty loud. The bathroom is tiny. The shower can barely fit one person comfortably, and the water pressure is weak. The paint is chipping and the hinges on the door are rusting. The sink is ridiculously small and uncomfortable to use. The drain instantly gets clogged and it takes a while for the water in the sink to go down. Not very charming at all.
The bed and pillows were, however, very comfortable! This, in combination with the hotel’s location is the only reason this hotel earned 2 stars instead of 1 from me!
Sadly, most of the hotels in Catalina are old and in need of updates. It doesn’t stop them from charging people a lot of money per night.