Stayed two nights In the Sea Shell room weekend of Catalina Tri (in town to participate in event). Have never stayed in a B&B so didn't quite know what to expect.

The positives:
-Great location - 1 block from beach & easy walk to bars & restaurants.
-Great oversized bathtub for two
-Easy check in & check out - owner made that easy

The negatives:
-Thin walls - could hear road noise & awoke at 3:00 am to neighbor's creaking bed & moaning. Unfortunately they had stamina, so we listened to the production for a good 45 minutes.
-Bed covers were dusty, which caused sneezing fits at night.
-Top sheet had hole in it.

Ultimately it was a nice convent place to stay, but probably the wrong choice for Triathlon participants, as not as restful as we needed. Probably good spot for people hitting the town who want to be close to nightlife & beach action.

I am really shocked at how fantastic these reviews are. It was my first time staying on Catalina Island so maybe the bar is really, really low (hence, the 3 stars. compared to other small, intimate vacation spots and owner-operated inns around the world, I would give it 1). Here is the easy stuff:

-towels were threadbare
-warnings/threats posted all over the room with a cheap label-maker
-dirty (the refrigerator in the common area on the roof has a soot on the top that could only be missed by months for nothing but laziness....host should know that there are guests taller than 5'10" who do not have to strain to see it).
-housekeeping started running the dryer next to our room at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. Nice.
-Tube televisions and VHS players? Cheap
-Costco bagels, cellophane wrapped pastry (not kidding....the wrapper said "Apple, Cheese or Raspberry") and bulk cereal.....couldn't find a banana to save my life.....forget oatmeal.

Now the more complicated:

-booked on Orbitz where "rules" were highlighted and specifically said "0% deposit"...they charged my card (NOT authorization but charge) $50 at time of booking...contacted Orbitz and, after 20-30 minutes of nonsense got little more than an "oh, well, tough...."

-$250/night after taxes? I could have staying in a deluxe tent at a nearby campground for less than 1/2 that and been just as comfortable

-property seems to be family-owned...there are a couple "family" names on various pieces of literature and around the property, but don't be fooled. The two "hosts" were nice enough (when they were there) but the property is owned by a corporate commercial real estate management company that I am certain have a board of director or two that thought it would be nice to own a property on Catalina for their private use...hence the purchase and operation of this property (they operate no other hotel properties).

If this is typical, save the money, do a day trip, camp or (for longer visits) rent a property.

Catalina Island Seacrest Inn was just a short walk from the dock and we arrived just a little after 11am on Monday. Roger, the manager,said it was no problem and let us store our luggage in the room while we took off to wander the quiet streets of Avalon. Roger called about a hour later saying we could use the room now that it was made up. That night after a great dinner at Steve's Steakhouse we settled in our room with a bottle of champagne (we picked it up at Von's on short walk back to the Seacrest) to enjoy the in room Jacuzzi for two by candlelight. The inn is less than a five minute stroll from most of the places to eat and drink. The place is clean and the rooftop patio is a great place to have breakfast/ morning coffee and watch the town come to life. The place is relaxed and laid back.

The island is NOT quiet Tuesday when the cruise ship disgorges a thousand or more adventure seekers renting bikes/golfcarts, swarming the tourist attractions and looky looing in the shops. We found the front counter bar at the Cantina was the ideal spot for drinks, lunch and people watching. We will return.

I chose this little B&B for our anniversary trip this october, and was pleasantly surprised! Roger was very helpful, and hooked me up with the largest unit they had, the "Loft" which is actually the owners unit when they are visiting the island. When we arrived, i had flowers and a bottle of champagne waiting for our romantic getaway. We were on the 3rd floor which was nice, with views of the bay. The room wasn't too big, but comfy... and had a 50" flat screen, comfy clean queen size bed, ac unit, kitchenette and mini bar, and our favorite was the jacuzzi tub for two with mini flat screen tv! Also the shower had double shower heads which was another perk !! Pretty nice for around $240/ night !
And very close to the main strip (quater block away) and was also walking distance from the landing dock.

I would stay here again, especially for the price and location!