we rented this hotel thinking it was close to the beach, but no, its a perfect view of the freeway. I mean we are visitors to san clemente and it didnt mention on website it was by a freeway and not to mention the breakfast was low quality although the rooms were clean.

My daughter and her family was hosting the Christmas get-together this year, She lives right up the hill from The Little Inn at the Beach and I had seen how attractive it looks, so I booked a three-night stay there to ease the overcrowding at my daughter's house. I was there from Wednesday, December 23, till check-out the morning of Saturday, December 26, 2009.

The room was very clean and pleasant, though basic. Like all the rooms, it has a nice west-facing view of the ocean. The motel advertises that all the rooms are non-smoking. However -- and this is was a big how-ever for me -- the doors of all the rooms open onto a terrace or veranda outside each level, and the windows of each room are right on the terrace. On the terraces are tables with chairs and ashtrays, plus big urns full of sand which serve as ashtrays. The result is that people were outside the windows of the room, talking loudly on cell phones and smoking, from early morning to late at night. The conversations and the smoke found their way into my room quite easily.

Another negative was that on Thursday, Christmas Eve, I returned to my room to find that the beds had been made but the bathroom had not been cleaned and no fresh towels had been provided.

The day, Christmas Day, I returned in late afternoon and the room had not been touched. I found a plastic garbage bag full of towels tied to the doorknob, along with a note saying that the motel staff had been given the day off so they could spend Christmas with their families. I had brought several friends and relatives back to my room so they could shower and fix their hair and dress for dinner, and I was embarrassed to bring them into a room of unmade beds and damp, used towels.

Giving the staff the day off is very kind of the management, but I wish I had been told of this plan in advance. I expected housekeeping service each day I was there, and I feel I did not get what I was charged for.

I will not be staying at the Little Inn in the future.

This hotel is perfect! Great price and awesome staff, maybe family owned. May not be your 5 star hotel(little dated), but clean rooms with everything you need. Rooms have miniature fridge and microwave, which is great when you have kiddos. The perfect hotel for beach going. (It is not walking distance to beach, however there is plenty of parking for a low fee.) Great room for kids and very roomy. Breakfast is nice too. Not the hot breakfast with waffles & eggs, but they offer bagels, toast,coffee and an array of items from Costco or somewhere similar. Juice boxes, breakfast bars, fresh fruit, etc. Will definitely come back !

Bottom line, you can't beat the price for a no-frills place to lay your head in a great beach town. Don't ask me how this place is only $75-90/night when a Motel 6 in a ghetto costs more.

WARNING: High-maintenance, pretencious snobs will NOT like this place. They expect the Ritz for $80. Fine soliders are dying for their freedom and they whine about needing a fancy toilet that shoots water to clean their undercarriage?

I digress. This place is simple, practical, and minutes from laid-back beach frolic. A few things to know: 1) Despite the name of the hotel, it's not a short walk to the main beach, so most will drive. 2) Any big SUV will barely fit in the small parking spots. 3) The continental breakfast takes a minimilist approach -- looks like they go to 7-11 every morning with the goal of spending no more than $4 on the day's sugary catch. (But your large rear end probably could benefit from a skipped meal.)

The walls are thin and I heard someone laughing loudly, boasting about the money they saved at the Little Inn, and having, um , relations.
AND THAT SOMEONE WAS ME!