Matt K.
Yelp
We picked Metropole for its central location in Avalon, but also for the ocean front suite that we were able to obtain at a discount for a week's stay.
The hotel is not directly on the ocean - but then very little here is - more like across the street, however the views from our one bedroom suite in the VIP section on all sides were great. This was their "VIP Ocean Front Suite" which is right on the corner of Crescent (which is the ocean front street in Avalon) and Metropole Avenues. It may get a tad noisy as the tourists walk by or drink it up in one or more of the adjacent restaurants or bars (including Coney Island West which was right below our suite), but the effect isn't so very bad and it got quiet by about 8:30pm at least on Sundays and weekdays when we stayed here a full week in late February.
The suite itself is very modernly appointed, has a great vaulted ceiling in the living room area, two siding glass doors in the living room area plus one in the bedroom, with two narrow standing room only balconies and one patio balcony. Even the bedroom ceiling is a partial vault. Flip a switch on gas ceramic log fireplace.
King sized bed, jacuzzi tub and walk in shower. There is a small microwave oven, bar sized refrigerator and Keurig coffee machine supplied with some coffee and hot chocolate pods (we used it to make hot water for our tea, although with a microwave present, it wasn't really needed). Two ceramic teacups are provided. The bedroom has a great Marshall portable bluetooth and plug in speaker which fills the suite with music.
Friendly check in, and valet service to the room on request. We arrived early and they checked and stored our luggage and had it in our suite by the time the room was ready for us (about 2:30pm).
Robes on request. Complimentary bottle of champagne on first night of check in. The complimentary Continental breakfast is not happening during the coronavirus pandemic, but I understand that breakfast is available in town for 20% off.
She had a massage at their day spa and it was very good and professionally done.
WiFi was spotty - would go out from time to time, including one entire night when it was not working. Our shower has fairly low water pressure and is set not to get very hot (I checked this - at the same time that turning the shower to max doesn't produce a very hot water flow, the hot water tap in the sink was flowing scalding hot water). The king sized bed has an out of place motel style blanket, but at least covered by a thin comforter inside a duvet cover.
Did have maintenance take a look at the shower, but the adjustment to make it hotter would require plumbing work so we left it alone. Hope they deal with it later.
The remotes didn't seem to work properly for the televisions. We waited until the second day of our stay to mention this. While maintenance was here, he did manage to get the remotes working on the TVs.
On two nights a humming sound started in the wall next to the bedroom and kept going most of the night, some kind of machinery or fan. The second night the hotel came to check it out to see what was going on, but couldn't shut down the sound, which might have been some kind of air conditioning compressor on the roof. As an accommodation they gave us a late (6pm) checkout on the last day of our stay, which was nice, and useful, as our ferry left at 6:30pm that day.
No housekeeping due to coronavirus pandemic - housekeeping will not enter your room - towel exchange service only.
Front desk closes at 8pm. They are consciousness about trying to help, and one time when I phoned and no one answered a few minutes later they called me back on their own.
No room service - the day spa is open for treatments at this time.
Avalon has a lot to do and see if you're into hiking, visiting tourist attractions (although the Catalina Casino was closed for tours when we were here), and dining - plus taking in the general seaside atmosphere. The weather here seems warmer than the counterpart across the ocean (Long Beach). Very few cars, lots of golf carts (some noisy (gas powered), some silent (electric)), bicycles, electric scooters too.
It's a good getaway, but be prepared to spend if you want to stay in a very nice place and enjoy yourself. Avalon is after all a tourist destination - not without comparison to Monte-Carlo, Monaco, La Jolla, California, or Kailua-Kona, Hawaii but with a much higher density of pure tourists and far fewer residents. When compared to some of these aforementioned travel spots Avalon isn't so very expensive.
You'll quickly figure out if Avalon is for you after visiting once, but in any case, the Hotel Metropole is definitely a nice way to do it. I gave them four stars even with the problems and noise we experienced in the suite.