This is a post written by me for Pavilion Hotel. All opinions are our own.

Welcome to our Santa Catalina Island Adventure Series. One of the things that we worry about the most when we’re on the island is our luggage. What do we do with our luggage when check-in is not until 3 pm? Do we roll it around with us for the rest of the day? Of course, we could always check it at our hotel, but what if it’s on the other side of the bay? Everywhere in Avalon, California is within walking distance, but when you have kids, traveling light is not an option and you want to be as efficient as possible especially when those little legs tire easily.

As mentioned earlier, we took the 8:30 am trip out of Long Beach Downtown Landing on the Catalina Express and arrived around 10 am. We were pleasantly surprised to find a friendly face from our hotel holding a sign which read, “Pavilion Hotel” and was happy to take our luggage. The hotel provides this service complimentary! Note: This service is first come first serve. Not familiar how far we had to walk, the gentleman reassures us that the hotel is close-by, and he will show us exactly where.

When he said close, it is literally super close and centrally located! See the circled property below. We were so happy. All the activities on our agenda was within the next block or two and we were so close to the waterfront and beaches.

Checking-In:

As we checked in, we knew that our room would not be ready, but they happily took our luggage and promised to call us when our room was available. I have to especially point out that they have Changing Rooms with Showers! We were able to freshen up before our next activity without having to do it in the lobby restroom. (Remember we’ve been up since 6 am and still in lounge wear). I want to say we used it at least twice during our stay there. This was a unique amenity that we truly appreciated, and we used it again the next day after we checked-out.

Complimentary Services Offered in Their Library:

• Complimentary Continental Breakfast offered every morning until 10:30 am.
• FREE Wine & Cheese Samplings every evening 4:30 pm until 5:30 pm.

For their family-friendly continental breakfast, we found varieties like breads, bagels, pastries, boiled eggs, deli meats, cheese, yogurt, oatmeal, fresh fruit, and cereal. For beverages, you can ask a staff member to make you a latte or espresso. They also offer tea and juice.

Other Amenities:

Pavilion Hotel offers nicely shaded outdoor seating for their hotel guests. You can enjoy the nice open ocean breeze while you wait or catch up on your emails with their free Wifi.

If a nap is what you really need, look for reclining chairs in the courtyard.

In the evening, if you’re feeling social, join other hotel guests by the fire-pit!

Checking Out:

They have a standard check-out time of 11 am. However, there are a limited amount of rooms available for late check-outs at 12:00 pm, but you have to call first thing in the morning. Here’s the problem: Our boarding time wasn’t until 3:15 pm, and we had two activities that day.