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Avila Hot Springs Rv Resort
Category: Hotels & Travel Guest Houses Guest Houses [Edit]
250 Avila Beach DrAvila Beach, CA 93424
(805) 595-2114
17 reviews for Avila Hot Springs Rv Resort
17 reviews in English
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Review from Tania A.
Ojai, CA
8/22/2010
3 stars...BUT you have to know what you are getting....I can see where people have very mixed reviews.
This is NOT a resort. It does have a great clean pool with water slides for kids, mineral soaking pool, camping, cabins, a snack-bar/restaurant and arcade.
Tent Camping: I would not recommend this for tent camping. The front lawn has small spaces near the main road on the grass. The grass is nice and green, but it's like camping in your backyard or a park.
The upper spaces (A1-A7) look ok. They have fire pits and picnic tables. They are pretty close together - but your best shot for tent camping here. (Though the freeway will be loud in the morning.)
RV Camping: If you have a full service RV, then anywhere you park is home. But if you have to rely on hook-ups there are only five 20ft spots. Those spots are also located in a parking lot (spots A-E). It looks like they converted the parking spaces into RV slots. Also, we were in a tent trailer and needed to use their facilities which were not the best - read more below. The nicer RV spaces are up on the hill (H-Q). R-X spots are at the end of a dusty dirt parking lot next to the freeway. (But these spots will accommodate any size RV). We stayed in sites A-E and were told that each site had a picnic table - but there was only one for the five spots.
Cabins: Mobile, pre-fab, cabin trailers. We did not go inside, but they looked to be a good size. It also appears that there are quite a few long term residents in these cabins. A bit single-wide and WT.
Campers' bathrooms are shabby. The stalls are tiny, old and had graffiti. ALL plumbing fixtures are reversed - cold is hot and hot is cold! The girls' showers have no hooks and are tiny - but the space in pool showers was much nicer. Same for the mens. Also - only one camper shower worked in the men's (out of the two), it was missing it's shower head.
The hot soaking pool was about 25 x 25 feet but only 16 inches deep. Despite this, the water was very hot and had good mineral content. It was quite enjoyable .
The movie was fantastic for the kids. It is shown on the wall of the hot soaking pool, but you can watch it from the patio as well.
Front desk staff was friendly and accommodating - but the restaurant cashier was quite rude. We only got coffee and beer (24 oz PBR for $4 :) ) and did not try the food.
There is also an arcade/game room for the kids.
This place is definitely OLD - but for the money, if you know what to expect - I would recommend it. Especially for families. If you want a high-end resort Sycamore is across the way and will give you a much different experience. -
Review from Latham W.
San Anselmo, CA
4/15/2011
To be fair we checked in but didn't stay here. We booked a tent camp site
for two nights based on the website and description of the facility.
First thing I have to say is that if you are traveling with kids and are planning to tent camp, this site is not secure from a security standpoint, and is way too close to HWY 101 and the road to Avila Beach. In fact if a car lost control above the tent sites it would go straight into the tents. No barriers, no fence. We judged it not safe.
They get two stars for their very kind , understanding and accommodating staff, and the fact that they do have the facilities kids love: Game room, water slides, and a pool.
I think with some hard work this place could be a winner, but not right now. -
Review from Mark P.
Fremont, CA
1/2/2011
Not as bad as the reviews.
Even though I'm only giving two stars my experience was not bad. Two stars is "Meh, I've experienced better." which is true in this case.
First of all the bathrooms were always clean, the shower was just fine and I had no problems noise.
Why two stars? The full hookup RV spots are a jumble, there used to be some lines on the ground but for all practical purposed you have to figure out the hookups and then try and decide how to back in so everything reaches. Once you find them they work fine, good cable TV and looks like modern sewer hookups.
Expect to be RIGHT next to your neighbors, I'd say we could have opened the windows on either side of the rig and touched our neighbors and my RV is only 8 feet wide. Don't even try to camp here in anything longer than 25' and my class "B" was the ideal size.
The so called hot spring is a nasty looking shallow pool with cracked concrete to sit on. No benches, just a bunch of folks sitting in 16" deep mineral water. The swimming pool is advertised as 85 degrees, I tried it after getting out of the hot tub and I'm pretty sure it was more like 70 degrees.
They make mud here, really. I guess the outflow from the mineral water is just routed out to the parking lot and runs continuously. Walking around is guaranteed to have you tracking mud into your RV, annoying at best. -
Review from M D.
Capitola, CA
11/27/2010
The mineral springs, as in the actual water and naturally occurring solid chemical substances? 4 stars. Because it feels good and is good for you. The business entity called Avila Hot Springs? 1 star. So it averages out to about 2 stars.
Why?
Cleanliness or lack of.
Seriously folks, put a few dollars back into your business. Have some pride. Clean the place up.
The bathrooms are just disgusting. I was afraid to have my bare feet touch the floor - or anything for that matter. And forget changing in the bathroom because there is NO ROOM.
The pool? I saw a band-aid at the bottom and other tiny debris floating around. You cannot tell me that the pool had been cleaned within the last few days. The pool was also in serious need of a paint job.
The hot tub was HOT! Which is awesome. And it felt sooooooo good. The minerals really are therapeutic. But its best enjoyed with your eyes closed because the hot tub is as ugly as the pool. And it's just a big tub - there really is nowhere to sit except on the floor of the tub. Odd.
Anyway, as bad as it was I'd likely return but I would not use the bathrooms. -
Review from Rat a tat R.
San Francisco, CA
10/7/2009
The hot springs are pretty awesome. I used to pet-sit for a woman who lived here, and we'd pretend I was her guest so I could use the hot springs for free while I was petsitting for her. The hot spring is pretty nice. You can fit a good number of people in here, and people are usually pretty respectful and keep to themselves while in there. There's also a nice pool with a water slide after you've had your fill of the amazing natural hot springs.
The cabins themselves are a little ghetto - bunk beds in the middle of the hallway anyone? - but I suppose they serve their purpose. Hey, they seemed clean and had running water, which is what counts when you're spending your time in the hot springs and at the nearby beach. I don't think I could live in one like the woman I pet-sat for, but for a weekend I think it'd be just fine.Listed in: Fun and Tastiness in SLO…
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Review from Ramsey M.
Fair Oaks, CA
8/4/2009
I wish there was an option for no stars. This place was terrible, I would have rather slept in my car.
First off the pictures on the web site are pretty deceiving or must have been taken on a day when they actually picked up the trash. This place was a joke.
My girlfriend and I decided to camp for one night before staying in Pismo Beach. Boy was this a mistake. Let us just go through the the problems that could easily be taken care of by one maintenance person. But whatever.
First off the so called "resort" was located right off the exit ramp from the 101, so if you love the sound of a semi truck's Jake brake, then let's just say you are going to be in paradise.
Next the campsites which the guy at the front desk told me were 20 by 20 were mor like 10 by 8 and they stuffed 20+ tents into an area you could park a dozen or so cars!
Once we realized that we could not find camping in the area we decided to accept the fact that we had to stay there for a night we went and put up our tent. We then noticed that there were no tables or seating, our fire pit was full of trash and used diapers, and the ground might of well have been the road we drove in on due to the huge rocks that were everywhere.
The rest rooms were filthy and were out of paper towels, toilet paper, and soap! They were sold out of firewood but luckly because of their poor clean up skills, we were able to find enough scrap lumber to make a decent fire, which I really didn't care about because of the horrible service I had already paid for.
To finish things off, there was no sort of noise patrols after dark. My girlfriend and I are not the quietest of people but there were people up partying and screaming until 3am! I am pretty sure the majority of them were underage but hey that's really not my issue. At least the noise of the screaming underage drinkers muffled the sounds of the man snoring less than 10 ft from our tent!
I will sum it up for you. Worst camping experience ever! Sleep in your car, go into town and get a room, not even worth doing as a last minute deal. We didn't even get near the pool because the bathrooms looked hideous and who wants to smell like sulfur and then shower in what might as well have been a toilet. No thanks. -
Review from Robert H.
WOODLAND HLS, CA
7/3/2011
We love to camp, and we are tent campers.
The town of Avila Beach is a hidden gem in CA. The Friday Night Farmer's Market is more than just a market. It is more like a street festival with live music and lots of very good food and drinks. I would recommend getting there early, because it shuts down at sunset.
My only complaint about the campground is the noise. It is right next to the 101, and you hear trucks, cars, and motorcycles as they drive by. Thanks to the advice posted on this website, we prepared for this by bringing earplugs. I cannot imagine how loud it would have been without them.
The hot spring and pool are a big plus. The staff and Saturday Night movie are also great, BUT and it is a big BUT, the noise is tough. I would probably go back again to soak in the hot spring, but I do not think that I would tent camp here again. -
Review from Jessica G.
San Marcos, CA
9/12/2010
Avila! I used to work here so I know the INS and outs of this place. My review is for the POOL and HOT SPRINGS:It's a great place for kids and families in the summer and an awesome place for relaxation in the early mornings and during the winter. Sometimes your the only one there! My suggestion would be if you want a place for quiet and relaxation, don't go during the summer season. It's just music, kids screaming and people celebrating summer. Love it there though!
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Review from calivanilla c.
San Jose, CA
1/7/2007
it's a pilgrimage that every mom/daughter duo w/in a 3hr driving radius will make.
in fact, you are not considered a true korean daughter, until your mom dresses you in a one piece nina ricci swimsuit, cap, and goggles, and tells you to immerse your face into the hot spring water.
'but uhmah, i can't breath when my face is in the water.'
'doesn't matter, it's good for you.'
stars for accessibility, affordability, and mystic beautifying powers. i could however, do w/o the floating items & sometimes eccentric characters you meet poolside. -
Review from total l.
San Mateo, CA
7/15/2008
pretty sweet. probably a little trailer park/408 for some of the snobbier spa aficionados out there, but the pool is NICE - big, outdoors, the waterslides are actually OK. for kids they are great, your under 8 boy will do it again and again. and again. and again.
the mineral tub is very interesting. kind of shallow, doesn't go above knee high. but it's definitely mineral water -- later at night it seems to be hotter, and milkier/cloudy. why is that? don't want to know, but the night sessions here are friggin awesome. the new-age, kinda hott couple with kids entourage cracked out some underwater yoga and shadow dancing. SWEET.
cabins are cheap, and kind of sick. i mean, the toilet wasn't even cleaned, but, the swab thingie was right there, so i used it. gahhh, that was ill. other than that, a great deal, if you''ve ever lived in a double wide you'll feel right at home.
talent is also hit and miss. your standard mix of jailbait, kritters, and the kitten-to-cougar range. i give it 2 bones for a somewhat bone-worthy experience. -
Review from Frances Q.
Bakersfield, CA
8/15/2011
Family of 5~ kids ages 19, 13 & 11. Just came back from the beach and stayed @ Avila Hot Springs. We tent camped in the overflow area, which is in the front near the 101 Freeway, and had no problems. They're regular tent camping area was filled, but we did drive through that area, which was past the "lodges" and they looked good. We had a WONDERFUL time. Everything was accessible, pool (heated) and hot spring area was nice. Kids loved the arcade........ had a blast. Absolutely nothing to complain about. Almost didn't use this place due to some of the comments, but so glad we did. This is a place I would go back to again and again!
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Review from c e.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2007
the little cabins for rent here are fairly priced (considering hotel rates in the area)
natural mineral hot spring can seat probably 30 people comfortably...
for the weekends it a cozy lil spot if you come early & snag a bbq pit near the parking lot
a lil overpriced if your just coming for an hour or two, plan on making it an all day hang-out... come & go as your please...
snack bar is icky,... bring an ice chest & food -
Review from Melissa L.
Pismo Beach, CA
8/4/2010
Not sure why my last review was removed.
Let's try again!
I've been coming here since I was a kid. Thankfully they got rid of the Mama's Meatball sit down place that totally did not work with what this place is. It now serves pizza, hamburgers, frito boats, fountain soda, fries, sandwiches and onion rings. THANK YOU for having appropriate food. There are also vending machines if you are so inclined.
This is NOT a fancy resort. I know it says resort, but it's not fancy. This is an old place and despite the paint, and the renovations, it shows.
There is a huge regular swimming pool that all the local kids take swimming lessons in in the summer, and the local high school and college kids get a gig as a lifegaurd at.
There are two waterslides. They used to have 1 tiny waterslide, and a diving board. The diving board has been removed, which is kind of weird.
The hot tub portion is a shallow pool of hot springs water. It smells like rotten eggs. It is super hot. But it feels amazing and is the only pool of hot sulfur spring water in the area. I don't know why they took off the old movie screen that was painted on the wall, since it looked a lot better and added charm to the place.
It gets super super crowded in the summers, and there are never enough seats for everyone.
The lockers are use at your own risk. My friend and I had our SHOES stolen about a decade ago, and apparently not much has changed, since my neighbor who is in high school just got his shoes stolen out of his locker last week.
There are no locks on them, they're just stacked milk crates. I have no clue why they remodeled the locker rooms and actually ended up making them a million times worse. There is less space than their used to be and the layout is awkward. The shower water smelled like algea, and the toilet stalls don't actually close anymore due to the wood warping.
There is a locker room for each gender, complete with showers. The showers get slippery. So slippery that people have fallen in them when I was in the locker room. Be careful. They finally put in slip mats, but still.
This is not a fancy place. This is a come and hang out in the summer run down locals kind of place. If you come here expecting some fancy pants thing you will be severely disappointed.
That said, I personally love the hot spring pool here. It's hotter and bigger than the tubs at Sycamore. The swimming pool is gigantic, so there is plenty of room to actually move around. It's a great place to come and relax on a summers day, which is what my friends and I have been doing since I was a kid.
I can't vouch for the cabins, the campgrounds or the "resort" portion as I have never used those services. I come here for the pool and the hot springs pool and that's it! It's a great place to spend a day in the summer, whether you are a kid with your friends, or an adult wanting to relax. -
Review from Steve M.
Brisbane, CA
12/1/2009 1 photo
More of a family fun center than a romantic get away, this place is right off of highway 101 and offers a huge pool and mineral bath. The hot bath is concrete and shallow but you can submerge yourself easily and adjust temperature by how close you get to the water pipes. The pool has a couple of twisting slides for the kids and a large shallow section. There's also a casual restaurant, snack bar and video/pinball arcade. The trailer cabins in back are a bit pricy but entrance to the bath and pool is only $5 (bring your own towel)
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Review from Erica L.
Loma Linda, CA
2/21/2010
This resort was a total disappointment! My boyfriend and I had a 1 night reservation for cabin and hot springs,and ended up leaving without staying there!
First of all, when we entered our cabins, we found 2 towels in the cabinets that were barely big enough to dry/cover half of my 5'4" body, AND they were damp! We proceeded to take these to the front desk to be exchanged for DRY towels, but the towels they gave us in return were equally damp.
Second, I expected the hot springs to be larger than it was. It was slightly bigger than your average jacuzzi spa off to the side of the normal pool which was about 4x as large as the hot springs are. There really wasn't enough room to sit along the sides of the hot springs area,and I had to crouch and balance myself in the middle of the water.
Third, and most irritating of all (it killed the night so much we left to stay at a much more accommodating and friendly Best Western nearby) was when we had finished using the hot springs, we made the 5 minute walk back to our cabin eager to finish the night off with a hot relaxing shower. Within (I exaggerate not!) 2 minutes of our shower, the water turned a freezing cold--this was not fun especially when it's 40 degrees outside at night. We reluctantly finished the cold shower, and called management to let them know. They acknowledged they had been having problems with their small water heater, and said they'd try and turn it up. We gave it another test run to see if it worked, but nope, within literally 2 minutes, the water again turned an icy cold! After wasting 2 hours giving Avila Hot Springs a chance to provide hot water, we up and left, and didn't even stay the night there...
I'm not sure how this run down place without hot water got 3.5 stars, it is DEFINITELY NOT WORTH THE VALUE. -
Review from Marco B.
Redondo Beach, CA
7/23/2010
resort- my hairy crack... this place looks like 100 overfed midgets in hanggliders flew overhead and shart massacred the entire place. kids waterslide, gym like bathroom but we didnt stay at all. reason for visiting "bike rentals". wow what a selection- 5 bikes to choose from, rusty halfway working, flat tired bikes. small kids bmx, 2 self peddled carriages that reminded me i was mary fu-king poppins heading down the rocky path, and 2 helmet boy tard bikes they call "3 wheeled choppers". the only bike rental place around the vastly spread out hiking and biking area. you would think that captain obvious places in avila would open up a couple more of these rather than relying on the jethro engineer guy taking an hour weed puffing break in the tool shed, to fix the bikes at this single rental sh-thole rental place. we waited a while for him to fix 1 of them since there were 4 of us. as we switched off, i realized that pippy longstocking chitty chitty bang bang carriage was difficult to pedal. almost like attempting to tow a boat via mountain bike instead of a car. that fu-kin metal deathtrap weighed at least 150 lbs. and with 2 people, you got yourself a good workout especially pushing that shit up the hill due to pedal malfunction and lockup. would have been awesome if my goddamn 1989 hot tub worked at the hotel i stayed at that weekend. great talk
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Review from Jill K.
San Francisco, CA
8/23/2010
Upon looking at the website pitcures, my boyfriend and I thought this would be the perfect mini getaway! Once arriving we quickly saw that this would not be what we were expecting! We were to be camping in one of the last camping spots (away from the reserve runoff spots), which we quickly saw how untrue this was. Along with extrememly loud neighbors on both sides of our tent (in which we had to get out of the tent at 1AM in order to respectfully tell the children shrilly screaming and the large group of foreign tourists to be quiet!) and the disappointing "hot springs (if you want to call it that) our trip was a poor experience of a mini vacation aside from soaking in 104 degree water (pretty cool esides the chipping paint and children running and splashing in and out of the box of a hot springs tub), ability to take your dog (pretty cool and why I am giving it one star), and the neighboring San Luis Obispo town to shop, eat, and stroll in (very cool...saved the trip!) Do not be lured to this establishment not worth it!
