We found that the staff weren't so helpful. They returned a letter sent to us, writing "Not here" on the return slip, and never forwarded messages, unless we happened to come by the reception. The caretaker, however, and the manager, were extremely kind and helpful. But all in all, it is a nice place, close to the beach and with the marina on the other side, with the lighthouse of Oceanside just outside. Lots of restaurants on the Marina.
The town itself is not "quaint" as some have said- There are lots of soldiers there, and military shops selling uniforms and accessories. Maybe some people find that "charming"? The shops and cafes were also not very interesting. The mall is quite far away. The cinema was good, and also the library.
I will recommend this because the price of the condo was quite ok.

Situated at the west end of Oceanside Harbour, across the street just 50 yards from the Pacific Ocean and a lovely public beach in the quaint city of Oceanside, California, is Marina del Mar Resort Condominium Rentals. You simply will not get a better location if you are looking to be on or near the ocean (with the ocean on one side and the old village Marina -- with many shops and restaurants -- on the other side).

The Marina del Mar Resort Condominium Rentals development is old and appears to have built in the 1970s (or earlier). Do not expect a modern condominium development with modern facilities; you are renting an old style apartment in an old style development. However, I did regularly see an on-site maintenance guy so I assume the Marina del Mar Resort Condominium Rentals development is well taken care of.

I am glad that we selected a Marina view unit, as I suspect the Oceanside is not only more expensive, but noisier too! Quiet at night (of course, it was Easter weekend, not summer time, so I cannot comment on noise during the summer...); our unit 305B had a fair sized peaceful balcony overlooking the picturesque Oceanside Harbour and Yacht Club. And remember, this place is all about location, location, location....

As mentioned above, we stayed in unit 305B, a two bedroom, two washroom condo on the top floor of the Marina side of the complex. Approximately 700 square feet in size, unit 305B is decorated like my grandmother’s house was in the 1970s and early 1980s. It clearly has not been updated since the 1980s. Unit 305B has vinyl flooring throughout, a kitchen with original worn cabinets and 20 year old plus appliances (and a sign above the sink warning not to use the sink's waste disposal Insinkerator). Wicker furniture and seaside pictures completed the decorating. I should mention, as a positive, that the unit does have a 32 inch (or perhaps even larger?) traditional television in the living room with 70 plus channels! A small washroom with shower was located off the hallway while the main washroom was located as an ensuite to the master bedroom (which included a large closet, sink, toilet and bathtub with shower).

The master bedroom had a queen size bed in it and the second bedroom had two single beds. The queen bed in the master bedroom was rock hard. Both my wife and I woke up the first morning with painful backs and my wife also had a stiff neck and headache. No luxury or pillow top mattress here! The pillows were also pathetic -- two skinny little things that could not have supported a rabbit’s head, never mind a human head. We did find additional pillows and a foam mattress (the type backpackers would utilize in the bush while camping), so for the remainder of our trip we made use of multiple pillows and the foam mattress on top of the bed’s mattress. Not ideal, but manageable. And while we did get assigned secured parking, our parking stall was so small that I could barely park our mid-sized Pontiac Grand Prix rental car in the allotted space.

We stayed five nights (April 8 to 13, 2009). Our room rate was $157 for three of the nights and $101 for the remaining two nights. With taxes, the total came to $990.30 (of which $250 is a refundable deposit that I have been told will be mailed back to me in due course).

Pros:

1. Excellent location at the west end of the Marina in beautiful Oceanside, California. You can walk to many different restaurants/pubs at the Marina, so you do not have to drive into town at night.

2. Far enough away from the I 5 freeway that you do not hear the cars speeding by (approximately one mile from the freeway to the Marina del Mar Resort Condominium Rentals). Also, far enough from the trains that you do not hear them either -- unlike with some of the other condo rentals in the area, where road and/or train noise is an issue.

3. Moderately priced for a two bedroom unit in Southern California.

4. Has a small pool and hot tub.

5. It is literally 50 yards from the door of your rental unit to the Pacific Ocean (which has a wonderful wide soft sand beach).

6. Full kitchen in every unit.

7. Family oriented (kid friendly!).

8. Easy access to San Diego to the south or Los Angeles to the north.

9. Secured parking.

10. Nearest Starbucks Coffeehouse is 3 miles away.

Cons:

1. Unit 305B (Marina side) needed new mattresses. A rock hard bed is no way to treat money paying guests!

2. Large, feather pillows would have been a nice touch.

3. Feels like you’re trapped in the 1970s because of the style and decor.

4. No maid service and no fresh linens or towels during our five night stay (and the towels we did have were few and small – not the luxurious towels that would leave one ranting and raving about how great the place is).

5. Parking stall was too small.

6. Nearest Starbucks Coffeehouse is 3 miles away.

Conclusion:

Overall, I would rate Marina del Mar Resort Condominium Rentals as a 7 out of 10. Given Marina del Mar Resort Condominium Rentals’ age and the lack of a decent mattress on our bed, it would be difficult to rate Marina del Mar Resort Condominium Rentals any higher. But as I have said in previous reviews, the true test is whether or not I’d return to Marina del Mar Resort Condominium Rentals? And the answer is “yes”, with a caveat -- I would either insist that unit 305B had a new quality mattress on the queen size bed, or else I’d request a different unit with an assurance from management that the bed was comfortable and the linens/towels plentiful.

My family and I have been coming here for a long time and every time we stay it's amazing! Janet and Renee are awesome in the office and they make us feel right at home. We love them!!! Pam and Diane are very nice and friendly. Our rooms are always clean! We love it!!! These 4 people are the main reason we continue to stay at the Marina Del Mar.

We have been to Marina Del Mar 8 of 10 years and have enjoyed the entire area. We try to escape the cold of Southern Idaho so spend about 6 weeks there.
We have had nothing but good times there from watching the "Galleons" mock battles off of the the nice beach to riding the "Coaster" train to San Diego. As we get older,we are very comfortable with the nice places to eat and walk.
We have enjoyed the staff that have been helpfull in any things we need with directions or to find entertainment.