Hello, my wife and I stayed at the Hotel Mac Rae for her birthday in
August 2010. This was our first trip to Catalina Island and we were only staying for a couple of days.

We wanted a hotel that was reasonably priced and close to the water. All of the hotels in Avalon are relatively close to the beach but the Hotel Mac Rae is literally right across the street from it. And the " street " really wasn't a street at all but more of a boardwalk open only to pedestrians. From the front of the hotel to the sand is about 25 - 30 feet. There are a ton of shops, restuarants and bars located on the boardwalk on each side of the hotel which made playing tourist very easy.

Almost everything on Catalina Island is expensive and the hotels are no exception. The Mac Rae is the least expensive and we were able secure a Courtroom View room for about $100 a night.

You enter the hotel via an archway and short corridor right off the boardwalk This was neat because it gives you the feeling that you're " getting away " from the hustle and bustle of the boardwalk. You then climb a short flight of steps to the second level ( the hotel is on the 2nd and 3rd stories ). Check in was easy and our room was ready. Next to the office they had a variety of bagels and donuts and orange juice for free. I would suggest getting them early because the hotel staff leaves them there for a few hours and they get hard after awhile.

If your room is not ready then you can leave your belongings in an un-secured shelf next to the office. Personally I would not recommend this because there is a room right next to the shelf and your belongings could develop legs.

Our room was very small, but very clean and well maintained. It had a queen bed, small round table with a single chair, small TV hung on the wall and a dresser located in a closet with two mirrored sliding doors. The bathroom was recently re-done and was pretty cool. The tile was brand new and had cool designs on them. The toilet and the sink were also brand new. There was no bathtub, only a shower with a curtain. The shower's warm water was a welcome delight after swimming in the cold ocean. The room had a skylight in the bathroom for better lighting and a single window that looked out onto the hotel's courtyard.

You can rent a variety of DVDs for a small fee from the main office until 8pm which you can play in your room. There is a bar next to the hotel that has Karaoke at night that I know some people have complained about. We honestly could barely hear it and so it did not bother us at all. The only real complaint we had about the room was the small size, but it suited our needs.

Overall, the Hotel Mac Rae was a nice place to stay on Catalina. The hotel is not fancy by any means but we enjoyed ourselves and recommend it to others. We will stay there again on our next trip.

Stayed here two nights 12/26 & 12/27/2010. Both my wife and I have wanted to go to Catalina Island for a long time. We wanted to stay in a hotel right in the middle of town and on the beach. This is a nice older hotel, but the price was right and it was very clean. Small rooms, but good king bed, and very small bathroom. Lots of steps so if that is a problem, avoid it. Catalina Island is part of Los Angeles County, but you would think that you are in another part of the world while there. Sort of old world. We were not that impressed with the half submerged boat ride to view the fish. The Wrigley Memorial Botanical Garden was a very nice three hour self guided tour. The ride to the "Airport in the Sky" in a 50's era restored bus was fun. Renting a golf cart and touring around ourselves was a blast. The "Casino" is not a gambling establishment, but houses a fantastic 1200 seat restored movie theater and a beautiful ball room upstairs. GO!!!

This (I believe) is the oldest hotel in Avalon. It's not much from the outside (street) but inside it has a nice courtyard with lounge chairs,tables & umbrellas. For the most part it was quiet & very clean & comfortable. The rooms are very small & no fills, just the basics & the walls are thin. If you opt for the rooms with an ocean view, beware, there are 2 restaurant directly downstairs (one has kareoke) & at night can be very noisy on the street. If you are a night owl or partier you'll be just fine. Our room (#213) was right next to the ice & soda machines so we did hear that at night. We asked for a different room when we first got there but it there were none available. You may want to ask not to be in that room when you make your reservation. Rooms 214, 215 & 217 are also next to or adjacent the machines.They have a continental breakfast in the moring, coffee (no decaf) juice, danish & mini muffins. Overall we enjoyed our stay.

Would not come back to this hotel. The room was run down and dirty. Mold in the showers. Tiny tiny bathroom (the shower door hits the sink when you open it). No telephone. Went to the front desk to get an extra blanket but no one there. Lots of narrow stairs to get to the hotel. There were dead bugs inside the faded framed prints on the walls. It was depressing. Stale vending machine type rolls for breakfast. Stains on the sheets. Lumpy bed. Flat pillows. Only good thing about it is that it is conveniently located.