Redondo Beach Hotel Review: A Hilton Garden Inn with Lipstick

My dad and I stayed at the Redondo Beach Hotel, which is part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton. Overall, I would say our stay was average. The staff was quite indifferent, and the elite benefits weren’t all that generous. But, the location is incredible and is what would make me stay here again in the future. In this Redondo Beach hotel review, I’ll discuss the room, amenities, location, food and beverage, and service.

Booking the Redondo Beach Hotel

I booked the Redondo Beach Hotel for the morning of our stay for one night, so it was a very last-minute booking. I first searched for the hotel about 11 hours before our stay, and there was only a 1 bedroom suite available. Fortunately, I checked again about 3 hours later, and there was a 2 queen room available.

On points the Redondo Beach Hotel costs 60,000 points per night, but we paid $136 + 30,000 points utilizing points + cash. Points + cash is a rate that is always allowed by Hilton, unlike Hyatt, and I could pay with cash or with points in 1,000-point increments. The regular rate was $272, so I got a value of 0.47 cents per point, which is about average for Hilton Honors points.

This hotel consistently goes for about 60,000 points year-round, though it can drop to as low as 50,000 points depending on the cash rate. Fortunately, unlike many beach hotels, there are not any resort fees, though parking is $12 per night, which is on the lower end for hotels near the coast. Then again, this hotel doesn’t have that much to offer as far as amenities go.

What is Tapestry?

You might be thinking, what is Tapestry? This was also my first time staying at this hotel, and I was thinking the same way. I have also stayed at a Curio hotel before, which was the Niepce Paris, and the service was out of this world. The primary goal of the different hotel brands is to attract franchisees to affiliate with Hilton, which in turn makes Hilton more money. This is why there seems to be a new brand every 6 months.

The way I think of it, after staying at a Tapestry hotel, is that it is basically the same thing as a Hilton Garden Inn, albeit with a few more local touches. But, the Curio is similar to a regular Hilton, with a few more local touches, and is also full service. This allows the hotel to remain more independent, and it also does not have to conform to some of Hilton’s brand standards, such as specific furniture, amenities, etc.

Location

The Redondo Beach hotel is in, you guessed it, Redondo Beach! In my opinion, although there is a pier, Redondo Beach is not that interesting. That said, the hotel is near Hermosa Beach, which is probably my favorite beach on the West Coast, and possibly even in the US. There are a lot of restaurants in the small area, and there is also an excellent ice cream shop, called The Baked Bear that serves over-the-top ice cream sandwiches.

I also highly recommend renting bikes, as you can bike on the boardwalk as far as Santa Monica, and there is so much to see. Because of this location alone, I really enjoyed this hotel a lot, and it is probably the only reason I’d stay here again.

Redondo Beach Hotel Review – Check-in

I called the hotel around noon to see if there were any upgrades available, and the front desk agent told me that she already upgraded us to a marina view room. There were still 1 bedroom suites available, but domestically, trying to get a hotel to upgrade to that room is like pulling teeth, and since it was just my dad and me, we didn’t really need the extra room.

We showed up around 6 pm and were given room 338. The front desk agent was very robotic, but she got us checked in quite fast, so I don’t really have anything to complain about. She also gave us our two free water bottles, which were bigger than our previous hotel stay at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach.

Room

Our room, 338, was located at the beginning of the second hallway. This hotel has a rather odd layout, as the room numbers ascend on the right side and descend on the left side. The hallways are also connected in an odd way, so it meant I was a bit confused about finding our room each time I walked down the hallway. Where the first hallway begins, there is a single elevator, and there is also another hallway where the second hallway begins.

As far as the room goes, it was… average. In my opinion, it really wasn’t any better than a 3-star hotel; such as a Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, etc. But, it did have all of the basics. When you enter, on the right, there was a desk, along with a TV on a drawer set. The drawer set had an ice chest, along with a mini fridge, a coffee maker, and a microwave. Further down was a table with a chair on either side. There is also a (very small) balcony that overlooks the marina.

To the left, when you enter, is a closet and a bathroom. The closet just had a safe, along with some clothes hangers. In the bathroom, there was a shower/bathtub combo, along with a toilet and sink. The toiletries were from Lather, which is a brand I have never heard of.

Thoughts On The Room

Overall, I found the room to be fine. The bed was very comfy, and there were also four pillows. The decor and furniture were quite old, but I didn’t find any scratches, so I thought the room was in good shape. My dad called this room a “standard shoe box” since the room is shaped like a rectangle and small. I tend to agree! 😉

One thing I found a bit odd was the Wi-Fi situation. While it was about 15 Mbps, which is average, it was $15 extra for premium internet, even after entering our room number. I’m sure I could’ve “bought” the internet and then fought the charge later, but I didn’t feel like it was worth it for one night.

Amenities

For a Hilton Garden Innish property, I found these amenities to be fine. The pool and hot tub were located at the end of the second hallway. Although you couldn’t see the ocean, the pool and jacuzzi were definitely large for this size of a hotel.

There was also a (very small) gym located near the back entrance of the lobby. It had all of the basic gym equipment, though not much more. It was also possible to rent bikes for either $30 for the full day, or $15 for a half day. These prices were high, though I’d expect that at a hotel.

Redondo Beach Hotel Review – Food and Beverage

There is only one food and beverage outlet, which is called Azul. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner via a limited menu. By the time my dad and I left the room, it was almost 11 AM. Because of that, they were only serving brunch.

I was given the menu, and although I was thinking about getting a smoothie, they were out of strawberries. I then decided on a turkey sandwich, which was made quickly, and given to me in a to-go box. It ended up being quite good. The cost was $12, and my dad also got one, and liked it as well.

Above the front hotel entrance, there is also a nice terrace that overlooks the marina. This wasn’t crowded in the middle of the day, though I could imagine it being crowded at night.

Redondo Beach Hotel Review – Service

I found the service to be average for an American hotel. Most of the employees seemed to just go through the motions, and nothing more. This was fine, though I wasn’t used to it coming from Bangkok a week earlier.

Check Out

We only checked in around 6 PM. So I called the front desk to see if we could check out later. They said the latest they could do was 1 PM. I asked again and asked if we could check out later as Diamond members. They just repeated themselves. The standard check-out time is noon, so I reluctantly said 1 PM works.

Redondo Beach Hotel Review – Final Thoughts

Overall, I think this hotel was fine. It wasn’t very memorable, but the location was incredible. It reminded me a lot of a Hilton Garden Inn for sure. I think that, for the right reason and price, I would definitely stay here again. I recommend it, but I would not recommend going out of your way to stay here.

What are your thoughts on the Redondo Beach Hotel? Have you stayed here before? Let me know in the comments below!