We recently spent three nights at Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa and left with some mixed feelings about our experience.
We’ve enjoyed dining at Lido Restaurant several times over the years and have always had wonderful experiences, so we were looking forward to staying at the resort.
When I called to extend our original reservation by an additional night, the gentleman I spoke with discovered that our one-bedroom oceanfront condo wasn’t available and placed me on hold to see what he could arrange. He was able to accommodate us, but never mentioned that we would be upgraded to a two-bedroom oceanfront condo. We didn’t learn about the upgrade until check-in, which was a wonderful surprise and a thoughtful gesture we genuinely appreciated.
The customer service upon arrival was excellent. The valet team was truly the highlight of our stay! Every gentleman we encountered was incredibly kind, attentive, and helpful. From assisting with luggage to parking and retrieving our vehicle, they consistently provided exceptional service and made us feel welcome. The front desk staff was also wonderful during check-in.
Our condo was spacious, had a beautiful ocean view, and was generally very clean. However, the living room couch and carpet underneath the coffee table were covered in dog hair, which was disappointing given the caliber and price of the resort. We also experienced issues with the televisions in the living room and one of the bedrooms. The television in our primary bedroom worked fine, but we would have appreciated being able to use the one in the main living area.
We reported these concerns Friday evening. Since our young son was already asleep, we requested that maintenance come Saturday morning after 9:30. Unfortunately, nobody showed up. By Sunday afternoon, I had to call again, and maintenance finally came to fix the television. However, by Monday morning, it had stopped working again. Since we were checking out, I didn’t bother calling another time. At checkout, the front desk acknowledged they had recently installed a new television system and were experiencing issues. While understandable, it was frustrating that the problem was never fully resolved during our stay. I also never bothered following up on the dog hair.
Another disappointment was the noise Friday and Saturday nights. Guests in neighboring condos were partying on their balconies and were extremely loud until after 3 a.m. both nights. We understand people are on vacation, but traveling with a toddler makes those disturbances more difficult. We chose not to complain, although perhaps we should have. Sunday night was wonderfully peaceful and exactly the atmosphere we had hoped for throughout our stay.
What disappointed me most was the lack of follow-through and how our concerns were handled at checkout. When I expressed my disappointment, the front desk employee simply responded, “Thank you for the feedback. We can only get better.” While I understand they may not have the authority to make adjustments, I would have appreciated a more thoughtful acknowledgment or an offer to involve management.
Dolphin Bay is undeniably a beautiful property, and the valet team deserves special recognition for their outstanding hospitality. However, at these premium prices, I expected better attention to detail and responsiveness when issues arose.
Unfortunately, given the cost and the many other wonderful accommodations available in the Pismo Beach area, I don’t anticipate we will stay here again. We would absolutely return to Lido Restaurant, but the overall overnight experience simply didn’t justify the price for us. I hope management takes this feedback seriously because the property has so much to offer.
