Always Inn San Clemente Bed & Breakfast

This B&B is exactly what I look for when traveling. It feels like home and like I’m part of «the village». The room I stayed in was cozy, clean, and pretty quiet. The owner, Freda, is charming and kind. She clearly has a love and respect for the people who stay here. She’s also talented in the kitchen and a wonderful host. I must also say that when I contacted her a couple times to notify her I’d arrive later that expected, she was patient and flexible. I will definitely come back if I have the chance!

My husband and I stayed with Freda for our sixth wedding anniversary. We had a lovely time staying at the Always Inn. Her breakfasts exceeded expectations, even after reading everyone’s rave reviews about her amazing cooking. Freda herself was a delight; kind, thoughtful and generous. She cooks for her community and has a huge heart! She gave great recommendations for restaurants in walking distance and as well as shops to find vinyl (which was a goal for our anniversary). We will be back for sure!

I just love this little slice of heaven! Frieda is the best! Great location near downtown but quiet, a short pleasant walk to the pier. Frieda is very accommodating and flexible about making your stay wonderful. Her rates are very low she just loves what she does. Knows everyone in town and is delighted to help you. It’s a delightful experience far from the chain hotels that charge twice as much or more. And her breakfasts are fabulous clearly she loves to cook and it shows. If you’re on a long trip and need TLC, this is the place!

We had a very nice stay at Always Inn over a long weekend in the summer. Enormous, rich breakfasts provided enough food to last us most of the day, plus snacks and fruit available all day, and the location of the Inn can’t be beat. The room was small, but quieter than I had expected — a great bonus being so close to downtown — and the little patio out back (shared with the guests in the next room) was a real bonus.

There is something to be said about caring personable people. I honestly haven’t stayed here but I parked in the parking lot on my way to the pier. When we got out of the car, the owner Freda stopped us and asked if I would like to borrow a hat because the sun was so strong! I thought that was so sweet, considering we were just strangers to her. She ran in and grabbed one of her hats for me to use while on our walk.
When we were leaving the pier and lunch I stopped by to give her back her hat and use her bathroom. The ambience was super cute and beachy and makes it feel like you are at home. The bathroom was clean and everything was well stocked, from soap to shampoo to fresh new towels.
Needless to say if I ever need a place to stay in San Clemente I would definitely stay here. She is a small bed & breakfast so she doesn’t compete with the prices of a hotel/​motel chain.

Nothing better can be said than that it felt like we were at home our entire stay. Freda was such an amazing host. We had never met until our stay and when we walked in the door her smile and warmth made it feel like we had knew her our entire lives. Our room was very nice with snacks a other little comforts.
Breakfast was amazing, ask her about a few of the cooking awards she has won! We got to take home food because there was so much and we loved it all!
The BnB is literally a few steps from the main shopping drag and only a couple more min to drive down to the pier.
If you are looking for an experience and not a sterile hotel room, we highly suggest you stay here. We were introduced to multiple shop owners and honestly got the most unique experience that we were not expecting. We cannot wait to stay again.

What an AMAZING weekend! We had a problem with or booking on
but Frieda helped resolve the situation so that my husband could keep our plans. But that was simply beginning. Freida was the perfect hostess. She was full of wonderful recommendations for everything from restaurants to shopping to a perfect beach day, she even provide the beach towels and chairs! But the best part of the stay was her wonderful meals! Wonderful «comfort gourmet» breakfast. Here breakfast casseroles were delicious and never ending! We enjoyed ours on her lovely patio but the private patios are also amazing! So in closing let me just say don’t miss an opportunity to stay with Frieda at her wonderful B&B. We are all ready planning for our next visit!

My husband and I took the train up to San Clemente from San Diego to stay at the Always Inn for our anniversary. It was a pleasant walk up the hill and we were delighted by the gardens surrounding the Inn. The inside was even more interesting with eclectic art adorning the charming house. Our comfortable room opened out onto a garden patio. The breakfasts were superb and Freda went out of her way to accommodate my vegetarian and egg-​free diet. We spent time on 3 different lovely patios surrounded by lush vegetation. Her sweet dog, Indy, often accompanied us. The unique shops, boutiques and eateries were right around the corner. We had a fabulous time and will certainly return.

My wife and I spent two nights here celebrating our 7^th anniversary. Great place with incredible artsy things throughout the house. Our room was nice as were all the outside sitting areas. Be prepared to have a huge breakfast Freda will prepare, she is an incredible chef. Indy, the sweet dog, was fun to be with. Also, nice to be so close to the nice shops and eateries just around the corner.

We loved the eclectic décor with local seashell art mingled with pieces from Freda’s travels. As a botanist, I was particularly enthralled by the garden areas which also reflected her eclectic tastes and interests with an amazing collection of tropical and succulent plants. Freda extended a warm and welcoming nature from the moment we arrived. Her willingness to share her knowledge of the area began even before we arrived with a multiple page email containing information on sights that helped us in planning our visit. The breakfasts were bountiful and delicious. Every breakfast included fresh fruit, pastries and a main course that was a scrumptious surprise every morning. Our bed was comfy and we loved having a refrigerator in the room. Freda gave us a real sense of a charming small village community as she intoduced us to neighboring shopkeepers. We are looking forward to our next visit.

Loved my first stay at Always Inn, and look forward to going back. Freda warmly welcomes her guests as friends. If you leave the breakfast table hungry, it’s your own fault, because she puts on a spread that can keep a person full until dinner time! The location is ideal, walking distance to restaurants, shopping, and the pier.

I can’t say enough good things about our experience here! I was looking for an Airbnb rental in the area for our anniversary, and kept getting «oops! Our calendar says we’re open, but we’re not.» So I called around and found this gem. The rate was great, location perfect, and innkeeper absolutely amazing. She had great recommendations for restaurants, and made us a breakfast to beat any of the cafes in town. She even sent us home with clippings from her succulent garden! We’ll be back, you should stay here too!

I was just at the Inn last weekend and I loved the place! The owner Frieda is so warm and kind, she makes you feel like you are at your favorite Aunt’s place! The garden around the Inn is charming and the artwork inside and out is lovely, eclectic and original.
The food was delicious and healthy (Frieda is a wonderful cook)!
Frieda gives you tips on what to do and where to go from restaurants to the farmer’s market. I have travelled extensively and I value quiet and friendly places.
I look forward to staying there again.

I had read all the great reviews here on Unilocal,about the Inn keeper Freda, and her great cooking, and was really looking forward to an authentic B&B experience. Unfortunately, that’s not what we got at the Always Inn in San Clemente.
I had booked our room through Priceline. When we arrived we were not greeted by Freda, but by a house-​sitting host. Seems Freda was away traveling in India. Our guest-​host had no idea we had a reservation. Lucky for me, I had my receipt with me, and that there was a room available. Once she got over the fact that she had another guest to deal with that Freda had not told her about, our guest-​host showed us our room and around the Inn. NOT A GREAT START!
The Inn is adorable! Very beach chic, with nice local-​artist artwork on the walls, and lush patios surrounding the Inn. Our room was small, but clean and very artsy! A sliding door opened onto one of the relaxing patios. The drawbacks — it has one of the smallest bathrooms I’ve ever seen, including the child-​size Jacuzzi tub! Also, the Inn backs up to a public parking lot that is brightly lit all night long. Couple that with the fact that the window blinds are missing a few slates, and you’ve got bright lights coming in your room all night long. Black-​out blinds are really needed here.
Our guest-​host left the Inn for the night. I had asked her what time she was serving breakfast in the morning and she told me 9:00am. She showed back up the next morning around 9:00am and then began cooking. She finally served breakfast at 10:00am. I had been looking forward to the breakfast as other reviewers wrote that Freda was a wonderful cook. Our guest-​host was competent at eggs, potatoes and ham, but it was certainly nothing to brag about. Neither were the grocery-​store bought muffins. DISAPPOINTING
You can’t beat the location of this Inn. It is in walking distance of the ocean, and kitty-​corner to downtown San Clemente. However, if you are looking for quite and tranquility, the Inn is a bit too close to all the night-​life and action. But if you want to party at the beach, the Inn is perfect, including beach towels and all the sunscreen you could ask for!
It’s a shame that Freda left her Inn so poorly managed, including the reservations. While her guest-​host did try to be friendly and accommodating, it was as obvious as her showing up late in the morning, that she was just not into it.

Wonderful place. Food is amazing (Frida is a wonderful cook), Accommodations are in a great area right in the heart of SC. Frida treated my boyfriend and I like family and was a superb hostess and even more of a superb woman and now friend. If you are looking for generic, starchy and cold hotel like accommodations, look elsewhere. Always Inn is quaint, eclectic, interesting and original. One of the best places I’ve ever visited. Cheers to Always Inn and Frida !

Felt like I was checking in to home on the weekend my wife and I spent here with Freda and the other guests/​temporary family members. Amazing food cooked with tremendous amounts of TLC and skill. Freda runs this place in an incredibly personable and caring way. She even sent us on our way at the end of the weekend with fresh organic local produce left over from the meals she’d prepared. If you’re looking for lots of solitude and privacy with just your partner, don’t choose this or any other B&B, but if you’re open to meeting great new people and feeling cared for in a way that only a mother could, this is a great choice. Easily walkable to the beach and train station down the main drag, consider going on Metrolink or Amtrak as all you’ll need for a beautiful, abundant weekend is right there.

We stayed at this B&B this past weekend and had a wonderful time! Freda is so warm and welcoming, down to earth and easy going, non pretentious
and an amazing cook! We will be returning! She made our stay so enjoyable, had great recommendations of what to do, (including dollar days at the local thrift store), where to eat and sights to see. We loved eating breakfast amongst the gorgeous plants on the front patio. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a place to feel like you are a welcomed guest in San Clemente, that you consider this charming place.

This was my girlfriend and I’s first experience with a B&B since moving to the west coast. We are celebrating our third anniversary out here since moving from NY. We booked Always Inn from Groupon and it was just as quant, romantic and intimate as we expected. Freda is amazing, very welcoming and caring. A true B&B owner.
On site parking was even cute– we had a spot right out our back patio. The patio is adorable, even though it is on a busy corner with public parking Freda has put in a fence, palm trees and garden which not only looks quant and peaceful, but also blocks out all the noise. Whether inside your room or out on the patio you always feel at home.
We also took her advice on where to eat, South of Nicks, amazing! But we were so full we could not enjoy Freda ’ s breakfast the next morning. As a chef and knowing she learned to cook in France, I could tell just by how amazing the house smelled when we woke up that her food is as amazing as the rest of Always Inn.
I am so glad we discovered this little Inn, we will surely be back when we are in the area.

Loved this place and so will you! The owner is so friendly & nice. Would love to come back. Location is perfect, walking distance to shops, restaurants & beach. Rooms are smaller than what you would get at a regular hotel but very cozy & comfy. Patio area very relaxing. Breakfast is bomb! Home-​made, delicious!

My first experience in a bed and breakfast and it was most amazing! John and I felt right at home, Freda our host, made us feel so cozy and we now have a new friend! For sure — we can’t wait to come back and see you! I am still thinking about the amazing breakfast, your home is truly a home away from home for both of us! In the heart of San Clemente, CA. Many attractions with-​in walking distance and the stunning view from the beautiful beach is right down the street! We played in the sand and watched a breathtaking sunset. Thanks for everything!