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Reviews of Secret Garden Inn

3 out of 5
Secret Garden Inn
1140 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 57 out of 101 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 28 out of 101 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 101 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 9 out of 101 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 101 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.4/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Kevin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Cute and eclectic. Perfect location. Delicious breakfast.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Aimee

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

8/10 Good

Lena

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Darren

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Funky and perfect
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

6/10 Okay

Mark

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Eric

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Bob

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

Thomas, Descanso

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
There are just a few issues that if resolved could make this better. 1. The coffee bar was not stocked all the time. Breakfast was good but it would have been nice to have a cup of juice or mike with the meal. 2. The Microwave was broken. 3. One day we had no hot water. It was fixed not sure why it was a problem. All in all we had a good stay just need some finishing touches.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Would stay there again!
This is a cozy little hideaway that I thoroughly enjoyed staying at. Location is excellent. And the included breakfast comes from an amazing little Peruvian restaurant. I would stay there again.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023

4/10 Poor

Pawel

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Place has lot's of potential but seems neglected
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Shannen, Henderson

Travelled with family, Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This place is a little hidden gem! You check in at their sister property, Les Artists Inn, and they show you the way to this property approximately 2 blocks away. It only has 4 rooms total. The vibe is a very Bali/zen type of decor. It is attached to a wonderful Peruvian restaurant where you get your FREE breakfast. Their empanadas are to die for! Don't forget to tip your chef!! He will take care of you! This place is in the heart of del mar within walking distance to all restaurants, shops, and the beach. We will definitely stay here again!!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Cybill

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
this was the cutest little gem in downtown Del Mar, but I didn't feel like I was in the middle of downtown.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

8/10 Good

David

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great choice
The room was very nice. Rustic room that was very comfortable. Great value for the area and close to the beach.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Gene

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location was great and the unique way that the grounds and room were decorated added to the enjoyment of the stay. Natana, who was our personal contact person if we needed anything was awesome.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dennis

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This hideaway is a gem. This place is beautiful, clean, quaint, and comfortable. There’s a balcony with a view of the ocean. Has a small tub/jacuzzi in the room. A coffee station is just outside the room. Secure parking is very close to the room. You won’t be disappointed.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2022

10/10 Excellent

Nikki

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Charming and unique and a great deal!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Isobel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A quiet hotel
The room in which I stayed was beautifully decorated with Knick nacks . The bed was extremely comfortable. Despite what other reviews said about this hotel being noisy, I found the Secret Garden Inn quiet. The breakfast included was delicious . I would definitely stay at The Secret Garden Inn again .
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kelly

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kristine

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
So cute, bohemian. The breakfast was excellent, convenient coffee maker, the jacuzzi tub drain stopper did not work, so we could not use it other than to shower, the manager is kind of rude, but the owner is sweet and a very talented architect and designer. Will stay at this one or Les Artiste - owned by same owner - again.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

6/10 Okay

Jamie

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022

4/10 Poor

lisa

Travelled with partner
Liked: Amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
WE loved the place when we arrived but when we went to bed I woke to bites on my legs...maybe fleas??? We also noticed that the sheets were full of sand and crumbs. Spoke to the manager and he said that clean sheets were placed but he has been very short on staff for the cleaning. This is not what I expected and we are very disappointed.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2022
Response from John Halper- Manager on 8 Jul 2022
I was able to inspect the room after speaking to the guest and listening to the complaint. I found the complaint to be accurate (except for not finding any evidence of fleas) and we have issued a full refund to the guest with our apologies.

8/10 Good

yasamin

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property is super cute. We loved that we could walk to grab a coffee then walk over to the beach. It was a unique and comfortable stay. The only downside to the property was the noise from the upstairs room. It gets extremely loud. We were not able to fall asleep and if we did, the noise would wake us up. Just hope the upstairs isn't rented out during your stay!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Fun, Unique, and Relaxing Place in Del Mar
This is a fun and funky place for a few days when in Del Mar. The location is great, near shopping and dining and only a five minute walk to the ocean. Our room, the Lotus room had a partial view of the water. Our innkeeper, John, was very friendly and helpful. Included is a great, made-to-order breakfast, provided by the attached Peruvian Cafe. Choose from about half a dozen delicious options. The croissant sandwich was so tasty that I had it both mornings. The room was not overly large but had everything we needed. It reminded us of some laid-back places we have stayed in the Caribbean.There are only four rooms so it doesn’t feel like a big corporate hotel. The Secret Garden Inn has a sister property in the next block, Les Artistes Inn, and it looks equally unique and fun. We would recommend it and would return if our travels take us to the Del Mar area.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022

4/10 Poor

Carmen, Topanga

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
Stayed 1 night in May 2022

8/10 Good

Richard

Stayed 2 nights in May 2022

10/10 Excellent

Kelby

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property is quiet, quaint, within walking distance to the stores, beaches and restaurants. The property is clean and eclectic.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

Mary A

Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022

4/10 Poor

Sara

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
Property was not as advertised. First staff member was extremely RUDE, second staff member was beyond helpful & kind young woman name started with a N (sorry can’t remember). Floor in room was filthy dirty, toilet was in a closet like room, shower ran out of hot water, there was no one on staff at the location so you have to walk two blocks to another location for assistance. Rooms are in back of a restaurant that has tables in the courtyard in front of your room. Very loud and smells like food all hours of the night. The kitchen is outdoors where you share a mini fridge, coffee pot, and ice cube trays that you fill yourself. Parking is very tight and has trash bins from restaurant lined up in front of your car.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

sheila

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2022

8/10 Good

James

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The room and location were very tranquil. Loved the balcony and closeness (6 min walking distance) to many fine restaurants as well as more casual ones located even closer.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022

10/10 Excellent

Suzy

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2021

8/10 Good

david

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Rooms are beautifully designed but very small.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location and overall nice stay
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Patrick

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We had a wonderful stay. The staff was very friendly, and the room was clean and comfortable. Breakfast on the balcony with a view of the ocean in the morning was great. I'm looking forward to my next stay there
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property is unique, it has many plants and it has charm. The room was clean with a nice partial ocean view. The hotel is in a very quiet street and overall excellent place to stay!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Filthy. The ceiling fan is covered in dirt about 1/4 in. thick. There are spider webs everywhere and there were ants in the bed. Apparently no one cleans behind the sink either, really gross. The tub had gross build up in the jets, so no bath. The noise from the restaurant was really bad. The breakfast doesn’t open until 8am (if they are on time) and there are very few choices from an unfriendly person. It was not good. Your only amenity is the breakfast, the spa is for the suite only. And the noise from the suite was unbearable. Sounded like they were constantly moving furniture around, but it was probably just thin walls. Don’t plan on a good partial view of the ocean either.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2021

8/10 Good

Pablo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great spot! Good vibes!
Stayed 1 night in May 2021

10/10 Excellent

Carolina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great b&b!
Secret garden inn was really nice, clean, comfortable bed and very nice decorated. I recommend this place 100%!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very eclectic room with effort put in every corner to make the room unique
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2021

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Hidden Retreat in Del Mar
We had a wonderful time at the Secret Garden Inn. It is a quaint little B&B in Del Mar. The Lotus Room was very unique and reminded me of places I had stayed in Asia. The Peruvian restaurant served us a wonderful dinner and breakfast. The staff of the hotel were most friendly and helpful. I highly recommend The Secret Garden Inn to anyone visiting San Diego, especially couples as it was quite the romantic staycation for us!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2020

10/10 Excellent

Jack

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2020

8/10 Good

Travis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2020

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
This place was ok. I thought for the price it would have been nicer. The size of the balcony and view are deceiving from the pictures. It was much smaller and overlooked the alley with a peekaboo view of the ocean. The furniture on the balcony was very uncomfortable. I also was not expecting the layout of the room to be as it was. The shower was not in a bathroom but within the room itself, same with the sink. The toilet did have it's own room with a door. The service was fine I would have just expected nicer accommodations for the price. But I guess you are paying for the location, oh and it's Del Mar, so there is that.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Cozy, great feel, comfortable. Right in the heart of pedestrian zone of Del Mar, lots of shops and eateries walking distance. Close to the ocean (but not on the beach). The penthouse suite we rented had huge patio with spa and fireplace.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

Craig

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019