Sands by the Sea Motel

We loved that it was right on the coast. Beautiful sunsets right behind the hotel. Firepits and outdoor games made the back of the hotel a great hang out. Best part of the place!

Spent one night at Sands by the Sea and had a great time. Right by the water, and at night they had fires going and games during the day. Would definitely come back.

The property is great all the convenience of the main hotel Cavalier with 1/3 of the price

This is an older property, but it's managed by its upscale neighbor (Cavalier Oceanfront Resort) and provides amenities (fancy toiletries, room service, attentive staff, beach access) that you would not expect in its price range. Definitely attractive for a short stay, for a longer stay visit its neighbor.

Great facilities shared with Cavalier. Close to ocean and beach. Fun area with cornhole, giant chess.checkers,tic tac toe. Fire pits lit every night. Pools and sand tennis court! Easy access down bluffs to beach. Scenic views and not crowded.

The room had no AC just a ceiling fan would have been ok if we could open the window more than 2”. The room was warm to hot the air in the room was dead. We had to keep the door to the room open which some drunk neighbors almost came into our room. The view of the ocean in the morning was beautiful. Kids had fun with the heated pool and checkers board. Fire pits at night where nice.

Great place to stay beautiful ocean view with fire pits that the staff will bring wood down to. Cant wait to go nack

I stayed at the property with my daughter and grandson and it was great to be able to walk to the beach, use the heated pool and enjoy s’mores by the fire. We had an excellent time and felt safe/ the staff person who checked us in was nice and very informative.

We enjoyed our stay! Check in at cavalier resort, then we stayed in a clean but admittedly outdated room on the sands by the sea side. The property had a restaurant which we dined out- nothing fancy but it was up to my standard and a fair priced. The property was awesome and we loved sitting by the fireplace after sunset. Convenient location for visiting Hearst castle and Cambria. I would definitely stay here again- good experience and good value!

The staff is amazing and almost worth coming. As is the view and the chance to have smores at the firepit. The hotel is very dated. Very poor circulation in the room and the inability to open the window was very frustrating. Bath is very small and is only compounded by the shower curtain being so close you lose a 1/3 for the space. For the price you get what you get but could use some basic upgrades. Also the gym is not open until 9 am which kind of sucks.

The room itself was dirty. The desk was dusty. It needs a good deep cleaning. Carpet was really dark which almost looked normal until you saw the light colored carpet under the ledge of the nightstand.

Floor was so dirty, carpets were stained and sticky. No one would come to clean or bring towels. Ran out of toilet paper. Fan in room dirty old and didn't work. The carpet was so dirty that we didn't let our kids walk barefoot on it. The walls hand grim all over them from dirty hands. The parking is very tight. We felt that since our race and we had kids that they didn't care for us. They treated us like poor trash compared to the others. We even called and asked if they could clean our room and no one showed. The restaurant next door is over priced and bland. The musty smell was so bad we had to sleep with the window wide open. Shower was so short I'm 5'2 and had to duck down. Toilet is very low to ground like a school size toilet for kids . The guests were all nice. I liked how the dogs were so welcomed and the beach access was nice. Hotel needs to be remodeled and they need staff to be taught to treat all with respect. They have a private indoor pool closed to guests and the outdoor pools are very cold not heated as stated.

The room was so dirty. Fan was falling off ceiling, mold in the shower.

Good location and near the beach but carpet in room was very very stained and bad condition.

I'll first start by saying the area is lovely for going on walks along the beach, walking to nearby restaurants, and hanging out by the fire pits at night. The heated pools add a nice touch as well. The rooms were in need of a remodel. The carpets had that sticky feeling and the shower head was to low. There was no handsoap in our room and when we called they did not answer their phone so we walked to the front desk and asked for soap so they gave us face soap and said they would bring the handsoap later. An hour later they still did not bring any handsoap so we tried calling again and after 2 minutes of ringing they finally answered and said they would call the room service lady again. They came and handed us 2 face soaps. I guess there is no handsoap and they just give face soap. Then the shower walls were dirty and the chair in our room had the leather all worn off. Other than those things it was a nice stay. The area and everything soo close by made the trip fun. They just need to make some minor fixes and changes and this hotel can easily be a better stay.

Parking was free and safe. Easy to access the property. The room was generally clean. There is not air conditioning at this property and it had a musty smell. The carpet was filthy! My socks turned dirty from the bathroom to the bed. The room keys deactivated every single day and we were locked out of our room every night of our 3 day stay!

Carpet was so dirty that we had to wash our feet - which turned the cloth brown - after showering. Carpet was stained and felt wet in spots. We travel frequently and have never had a room that had carpet this disgusting.

Old room. Old worn out furniture. Actuall rips in the chair. Curtain hanging off the rod. Mold and rust around shower. Computers not working when I checked out. So im still awaiting an invoice. Current pending charge, is $ 100. 00 more than my reservation price? With that said overall stay was fine. Property and beach enjoyed.

My room wasn't very clean. The carpet and the bathroom floor were both dirty and my drapes were broken and torn. I happened to have a clip with me which I used to keep the drapes closed. The outdoor area was nice and family friendly. I appreciated the dog friendly policy. I would search around before staying in the hotel again.

The room was disgusting. Mold was all over the baseboard behind the toilet. The carpet smelled like worn socks. Bathroom door wouldn't close. I could go on and on. The staff is nice but this place is a dump and the breakfast is not a breakfast. It's basically Twinkies and orange juice.

The room had dirty carpet and no AC. A sealing fan was available, but when I tried to leave it on during night time, the light would dim but I was not able to turn it off completely. So I ended turning off the fan, although it was hot in the room.

Way to noisy, bad shower

The staff checking in are great. Colleen and Roxy know how to make a guest feel welcome. The room is extremely outdated and needs to be upgraded badly. The curtains didn't close all the way, the window barely opened, the microwave the buttons all didn't work, the heater made a horrible sound that kept me up most of the night. I complained about these issues the next day was told they would see about changing my room and they would call me. Never got a call. Appears the staff does not communicate with each other and just will give lip service to a guest so they go away and become someone else's problem.

The room was just ok. There was no air conditioning and the room was musty. I woke with a headache. Coffee was not available in reception until 7:00 a.m. The outside area around the beach was excellent. The lady who checked us in was very friendly and made recommendations for shopping and eating.

Nice place to stay. Kund of weird to have to check into hotel next door. Room was decent. No a/c. A little problem getting the fan to work. Water backed up in the bathtub after each shower. Took 10-20 minutes for it to go down. Nice beds. Very nice amenities near the ocean. Nice restaurant nearby. We would stay here again.

Ok, needs some upgrades

Rooms need an update

Didn’t sleep well very noisy building I can hear the stairs all night and peoples conversations. At one point someone tried to walk into my room. I will not return

The room we had was in urgent need of a refresh. The aircon unit was rusted and the carpet had several unsightly stains. The beds were comfy and the shower was great. The staff were helpful at the cavalier hotel which is part of the same hotel. We were definitely the poor relative, their rooms looked lovely. The grounds of the cavalier were amazing! The views were spectacular- right on the beach and the two pools that you have access to were great. Breakfast was just a pastry and coffee so we used our vouchers to get $5 off each.

The staff is amazing and almost worth coming. As is the view and the chance to have smores at the firepit. The hotel is very dated. Very poor circulation in the room and the inability to open the window was very frustrating. Bath is very small and is only compounded by the shower curtain being so close you lose a 1/3 for the space. For the price you get what you get but could use some basic upgrades. Also the gym is not open until 9 am which kind of sucks.

The place is amazing!! The staff is super friendly especially Roxy!!

Amazing staff Especially Roxy!!

The staff at check in made me feel welcomed, they were attentive to my questions, professional, coupled with that home town hospitality. Made me feel like a regular although it was my first visit. Made an impression on me.

The staff checking in are great. Colleen and Roxy know how to make a guest feel welcome. The room is extremely outdated and needs to be upgraded badly. The curtains didn't close all the way, the window barely opened, the microwave the buttons all didn't work, the heater made a horrible sound that kept me up most of the night. I complained about these issues the next day was told they would see about changing my room and they would call me. Never got a call. Appears the staff does not communicate with each other and just will give lip service to a guest so they go away and become someone else's problem.

The staff was very friendly and helpful! Thank you for a wonderful stay.

The staff at this hotel went above and beyond for our family with some extra needs. Patrice was absolutely wonderful in helping me fix a mistake I made. She made our stay as great as it was. I truly can’t sing her praises enough. The grounds are perfect for wheelchairs as well! Can’t beat being just steps from the Pacific!

The best staff!

Rude staff, poor cleaning. Hotel is older and looks like it. Needs maintenance. Will not stay again.

The coffee was not very good,reception was not very pleasant,a little rude,but otherwise good.

I'd planned a special visit to San Simeon with my elderly parents, possibly their last trip together. My father is ill and wheelchair-bound, every detail mattered. I reserved 3 rooms at Sands by the Sea, hoping to create a memorable moment for my family. Upon arrival, I found the rooms in extremely poor condition, by far the most unpleasant accommodations I've encountered. I travel frequently around the world and I've never experienced anything quite like it. I was shocked and saddened, especially given the emotional significance of this trip. Roxie at reception was kind, understanding, and professional. She acknowledged the condition of the rooms and agreed that the property wasn't being properly maintained. She offered to upgrade us to The Cavalier, which I appreciated very much. Her customer service was outstanding, and I'm truly grateful for her support during a stressful moment. During the transfer between rooms, I left a ($160 new special gift) jacket. I quickly reported it to the front desk. The manager promised to follow up with housekeeping and get back to me. I received no updates. I followed up the next day and again before we left, only to be told the jacket wasn't found. I'm absolutely certain I left it in the room. The way this situation was handled was frustrating and deeply disappointing. The manager wasn't only unhelpful but rude and dismissive, her lack of empathy and accountability is unacceptable especially in a hospitality setting.

Good location, near Cambria and the Elephant Seal Viewpoint.

Great location to the beach. Beautiful ocean front grounds and cozy fire pits.

Pleasant stay. Nothing fancy but reasonable price for stay near the ocean.

Hotel is right on the water, Beautiful sunset!!!

San Simeon is a beautiful place to visit. The hotel is close to Hearst Castle, The Elephant Seals, and walking trails. Moon Stone beach and lovely boardwalk are also nearby. At the hotel, the grassy area over looking the Sea was beautiful. The fire pits and giant sized board games like chess, checkers and tic tack toe, along with corn hole made the environment family friendly. The guests were friendly. On New Years Eve the guests received a bucket of champagne, hats and party favors. It was a kind and unexpected surprise from the staff. What I didn't like about it was the condition of the room. The bathroom water faucet had no aerator; the water splashed across the counter, the floor and on us. There was a nasty stain at the foot of the down comforter that we hadn't noticed. The hair dryer sparked a flame and burned out. I call for a replacement but never received it.

Location

Great location!

Hotel located right at the California highway 1 with an amazing view over the Pacific Ocean. A great option for a one night stay.

Close to the beach

We wanted a hotel close to Hearst Castle and this hotel was a great option. It was fairly priced compared to staying in Carmel which was more expensive. Not many dinner options around.

The front desk staff was so friendly and welcoming. They were helpful when my husband lost a $1 in the vending machine. We heard them talking to the couple next to us who just got married and were doing anything they could to make their experience a memorable one. We love to see this. The room was too hot and very uncomfortable. The restuarant was the worst - the service was not great at all and the food was not worth the $$ we paid. Maybe it was what we ordered but it was not great. If the service was better, the food may not have mattered as much.

Very nice place operated by the Cavalier Resort next door. Grounds are a delight, the Cavalier restaurant was great. The free breakfast amounts to either coffee or juice with toast. A coupon is given to for $5 off any breakfast item at the restaurant, which is great, however only effective if you remember to give your server the coupon. As you might guess, I didn't. Would be helpful if they improve how that is handled.

Great location. Great landscaping with expansive lawns right by the ocean. Friendly and efficient staff. Rooms are average with no sea view option. Breakfast inclusion is a joke with only toast or English muffin option with Coffee/Juice. Not value for money unless you want to pay just for the location.

Great location. Great area. Great access to all pools and grounds. Great price. This is the older ,furniture worn,no view, building behind the oceanview ,200-400 a night rooms. Rooms are nice. Price is worth walking around the building to beach. Free continental breakfast or $5 off adjacent restaurant

Breakfast is waste .It’s just a muffin!

Hard to find at night sign was dark, no light. Arrived but check in closed at normal hours, sign directed me to go to hotel next door. Ok but u could have sent me an email. Breakfast was a bunch of prepackaged donuts or you could go to restaurant and get $5 off Stay was good except for these inconveniences!

We loved our stay at Sands by The Sea and the Cavalier amenities so much we stayed an extra night. The perfect combo of price, location and amenities for us. Definitely recommend. We also enjoyed and recommend the Cavalier Coastal Kitchen restaurant. The food was great and the staff was friendly. Danny our server set us up at a window and mentioned we might even see some whales. We did and watched a very active pod for over 45mins out at the horizon as we enjoyed our meal. Dinner and a show, awesome!

We enjoyed our stay! Check in at cavalier resort, then we stayed in a clean but admittedly outdated room on the sands by the sea side. The property had a restaurant which we dined out- nothing fancy but it was up to my standard and a fair priced. The property was awesome and we loved sitting by the fireplace after sunset. Convenient location for visiting Hearst castle and Cambria. I would definitely stay here again- good experience and good value!

This place was ok. For only $100 a night it’s hard to complain. Showers are stand in and barely fit one person. Bathrooms are out dated. The free breakfast was terrible. Front desk was the hotel next door. They were nice and let me cancel a night without fees.

I was disappointed to learn that their "breakfast" was ONLY a continental breakfast. It did not say that when I booked it on Expedia. Had I have known this, I would have stayed somewhere else. Disappointed in Expedia and Sands motel.