We recently returned from 2 nights at Inn at Churon on a TravelZoo special.
We spend a least 2 weekends a year in Temecula, usually at South Coast, and were happy to give this place a try.

After reading many of the recent complaints about the hotel we were concerned...but decided to go with a good attitude and "make the best of it" - even though the weather was forecast to be blisteringly hot.

I have to say the Inn at Churon is a complex juxtaposition of good and bad...pretty and ugly...classic and tacky.

The good:
We found the staff to be STELLAR in their customer service...from the registration desk, to the housekeeping staff, to the wait staff. We saw none of the negative issues others have reported.
The Inn is in a gorgeous location with a fabulous view and beautiful landscaping. It is obvious they've recently spent many thousands of dollars on a wedding venue that rivals Disney.
Strangely, the run-down rooms have some high-end upgrades, including a wall-mounted large flat-screen TV and good quality, comfortable mattresses.

The bad:
The Inn was built in 1995. It appears that there is serious deferred maintenance - from cracking plaster to broken doors to water damage to peeling paint and wall-paper. The whole feeling is of a beautiful movie star who has lost her "edge" and is letting herself go.
It is good that the discount with TravelZoo was so substantial - there is no reason to pay the rack rate on this hotel.

The Inn at Churon has stiff competition from South Coast and the new Ponte Winery hotel - and South Coast is now adding a new multi-story hotel complex. Hopefully the Churon owners will see these comments and make a concerted effort to repair this beautiful yet tired gem.

Based on the photo of the Inn and their description I was happy to book their basic room for the regular room rate of $333 per night, including taxes and fees.

BUT!! Upon arrival we walked into a sparse lobby with a few tables with dead flowers in vases on them. Not dried flowers, dead flowers. To be fair there were a couple of tables with dying flowers on them. There was a couch facing the fireplace. I approached the front desk to check in. I was met by a bitter woman that seemed very put out to have to stop what she was doing to check us in. She took my name, shuffled some papers and then asked for my name again. Found the reservation and checked us in.

The room had a beautiful and very comfortable King size bed. It also had paint peeling off of the ceiling near the airconditioning vent, accompanied with water stains on the ceiling. The main dresser had ants, in modest numbers, crawling over it. There were baby spiders in the room as well.. I eventually tracked them back to a very large nest attached to one of the two silk plants on the mantel of the fire place. I took a photo, I don't see where I can post it here in my review. Having to retrieve something from my car late in the evening I passed by the "Champagne Suite", the dirty door was open, the smell inside was quite nasty. It was a horrible clutter of miscellaneous tools, rags, cans, and dirt everywhere. It filled the hallway with the oder of grease and dirt. Back to the room, the fridge sounded like a small toy electric airplane waiting for take off. I could handle the fridge noise, it was after all a white noise. The NOISE that did bother me was whenever we or a neighboring room would flush the toilet, or turn on the water there would follow a wop wop wop sound that sounded like a helicopter hovering outside the Inn. That noise made for a very difficult nights sleep, even though the bed was very comfortable.

In the morning when I spoke with the not so cheerful woman at the front desk from the day before and told here of the issues I had with my stay she said she had ants at her home too. No apology for the noises, lack of sleep, the odor outside the open door to the Champagne Suite, not even a thank you for bringing the issues to her attention.

The view from the room was very nice. It could have been a wonderful place to stay, but it simply wasn't. And sadly I was left with the feeling that Churon Inn does not rely on repeat customers. It is not that difficult to keep spiders and ants out of a room and to keep the hallways odor free by keeping certain doors closed. And it is not too much to expect for a B&B to at least fake their appreciation for your visit.

I predict the Churon Inn will be under new management or ownership within the next few years. Maybe then I can try another visit. But until then I would avoid staying at the Churon Inn. At least room #101.

P.S. Besides the bed being very comfortable, the breakfast was quite good. Also the Churon Winery makes some excellent wines.

Checked in to French Chateau style room, with high bed, rose wallpaper and a huge bathroom with a spa bath, however no plug on either of the two handbasins.
No evening meals available on site, so purchased a picnic at the local supermarket, which was consumed sitting out on the balcony following the complimentary wine tasting. Very convivial hour working our way through the wine tasting menu and felt distinctly 'pink' by the time we got to our al fresco dinner.
The air conditioning in the room was very noisy and the curtain rail for the drapes had parted company with the wall, a fact we discovered when we drew the curtains across at night. Other guests were discussing similar problems at breakfast the following morning.
Breakfast was cooked to order and portion size was adequate rather than generous.
General impression was 'shabby chic' - a bit of housekeeping attention could improve the experience.

I selected the Inn at Churon for my birthday weekend somewhat at the last minute, and fortunately they had a cancellation and were able to accommodate my husband and me. I am happy to report that their air conditioning issues have been resolved. Although temperatures were well over 100 degrees, our room was cool and comfortable. I loved the decor, king sized four poster bed, luxe linens, ginormous bathroom with jacuzzi tub. Since we stayed over a Saturday we qualified for a free bottle of wine. However all guests receive a complimentary tasting and glass of wine every night. While there is no restaurant, or food served with the tasting, every room has a mini fridge, so it is quite simple to bring/stock tasty snacks for your stay. A coffe pot and coffee was provided for early morning coffee, and we purchased cream and stored it in that handy mini fridge. The balcony is large, shaded, and equipped with a charming wine themed table and chair set.
Each morning we were able to enjoy coffee on our private balcony with a wonderful view of the hot air balloon launch, every evening we enjoyed our complimentary wine with the crackers and cheese we brought from home.

There is really no need for an on site restaurant with the dozens of amazing choices nearby. Enid at the front desk made recommendations and handled our dinner reservations for us. There is a small dining room that serves a cooked to order breakfast each morning that was very delicious. There were healthy choices, such as a poached egg atop fresh spinach and sliced tomatoes, and also French toast for those with a sweet tooth.

This a real working winery and we were able to observe the harvest and crush up close while having our lovely breakfast served to us outdoors on the patio.

While it does not have the amenities or atmosphere of a five star resort, neither does it have the price tag. It was the perfect choice for us and I plan to return next month with friends.