K G15 days agoFrom
We love Banning lodge and stay there whenever we are on Catalina Island. The Old fashioned atmosphere is lovely and the rooms are all different from each other. The ones with a patio are the best. No TV, Phone or WiFI. Cell service isn't bad though if you need to check on things. ||||What we love; || Great self serve breakfast included which is yogurts, cereals, pastries, cheeses, meats, hard boiled eggs, toast, coffee, juice, etc. The staff can also make you a fancy coffee if you like. Ice is available on request, which is handy if you take a small cooler of food for other times. Evening wine and cheese hour is included. Stunning location atop a hill just up from the marina and restaurant/bar/ beach. Very convenient for hiking the local hills. Great view of both sides of the island and easy walk to the Pacific side. The staff are fantastic and will pick you up and take you down to the little village if you don't feel like walking. They also store your luggage and take it down to the pier for you if you have a late ferry back to the mainland.||||Now for what could be a little better:||The lovely outdoor patio with tables and chairs seems to be rarely if ever cleaned. We usually wipe down the table and chairs if we want to sit out there and enjoy the view with some food and wine.||The lights on that patio are nice but shine into the rooms at night. The rooms need blinds or something to block the light.||The beds are in need of replacement. Not the most comfortable and only a Queen size. A King bed would fit just fine and really is the standard, so that would make us want to stay longer!||
Jennifer Conrad15 days agoFrom
Excellent visit to the beloved Banning House! While we have visited several times for events, this was our first stay. Grace, Samantha, Russ and crew presented delicious breakfasts each day and ensured a fantastic experience. We will be back soon.
Punky Sullivan15 days agoFrom
First time at The Banning House. Samantha is the glue there. She keeps all the plates spinning. She was over and above the best customer service we may have ever had anywhere. We wanted to experience the isthmus before the end of summer but as a treat for our anniversary and the whole staff made it magical. Thank you Samantha for the champagne. We may not do a 'shared' patio again because it's a roll of the dice who you share it with and we're just really private people. Wish the window facing the very bright courtyard had a velvet curtain or roller shade for at night. I commend the look outside, it's beautiful! Just the room was more bright then we are used to. Russ, the Manager, was kind enough to provide an extra floor fan for the rooms although the ceiling fan did a great job. Thanks Russ for seeing us off at the end of our stay. We hope to see you all soon. I think I wanna come back til I've stayed in every room. What a great escape just that boat ride away.
