We recently stayed at the Best Western Plus Dana Point Inn By The Sea for a short mini vacation. What a wonderful surprise! Great location minutes from the beach, free continental breakfast, caring staff, and soothing gardens. Convenient to adjacent cities--Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente. Ear plugs are provided just in case the Amtrack doesnt lull you to sleep. What is nice is that the rooms have a balcony with views of ocean and you dont have to walk forever to get to your room. Rooms are tastefully updated and comfortable. You could take the overhead walkway to get to the beach quickly. All in all, a nice stay.

To be fair the rooms are well appointed and clean. The staff was very helpful. The garden [less expensive rooms away from the highway] were much quieter and cooler. The high price rooms [facing the ocean] were noisy and hot. Every time the folks in the room above us took a step it sounded like a drum beat. The hotel is removed from the beach by both railroad tracks and the Pacific Coast Highway. The tracks serve both passenger and freight so can be quite noisy both day and night.

I have had better breakfasts at much lower price and quality motels.

I booked this hotel over the St. Regis because of it's great and consistent reviews and thought that there was a value play here. Everyone who rated this hotel highly must be deep sleepers and don't care about their freedoms.

Upon checking in, Fernando, who I'm assuming is the proprietor, wanted to scan my driver's license. As a staunch believer in my privacy, I refused. He gives me this BS about how it is for my protection. We compromised and I let him enter my D/L number in the computer. Then he wanted the license plate of my car. What next? My blood type? You allow yourself to give up a little bit of freedom each day until you wake up one day without any.

The garage was woefully short on parking. Worst of all, there was a trailer parked in the handicap spot which we utilize.

The room was actually nice for a Best Western (and hence a 2 star rating instead of 1 star). There's a nice flat screen TV with minifridge and microwave. The ceilings however are very thin. Any footsteps from people above you are heard very loudly. Also, I counted at least 6 trains passing by throughout the evening and night.

Breakfast was ok - scrambled eggs and sausages were the hot food items along with your typical continental breakfast items.

We loved this place! We are use to large hotels with big lobbies and lots of amenities, but we did not miss them as this quaint little hotel was comfy, quiet, and pleasant. The small sitting areas are surrounded by well kept gardens. The beds were a true Queen size, and the location was close to everything we wanted to do. The staff was pleasant and helpful from the time we called to make reservations until we checked out. The 'warm breakfast' is simple so don't expect a big buffet. Added plus: no hidden cost - free parking, and a staff that gave perfect recommendations and directions to the best beaches, restaurants, etc.