After arriving at our Airbnb in Warner Springs, we discovered that their internet wasn’t working and likely wouldn’t be back up for at least a couple of days. It was an RV in a rural area, so we couldn’t tether to our phones either because those had no signal.
I had a video meeting that night and both of us had to work online during our stay, so having no internet was a deal breaker. We therefore packed everything back up in our car and drove until we had signal again on our phones. Once we had 4G on our phones again, I managed to book a stay at the Staybridge Suites Temecula using a reasonable number of points which was amazing given how expensive the rooms there normally cost and the fact that we were booking at the last minute.
Having that problem with the Airbnb ended up working in our favor because we loved it in Temecula and had a good stay at the Staybridge Suites. It was a nice and new property (it opened in March 2021), it was comfortable and pretty close to everything. There were some aspects that could be improved though like our shower, the quality of the breakfast, the hefty pet fee and the fact that they charge you extra if there’s more than one person staying in your room.
Here’s a review of our stay at the Staybridge Suites Temecula.
Check-In
The check-in process was a little confusing. Well, the process itself wasn’t confusing – finding the lobby was. We arrived at the hotel and drove all around the parking lot trying to find the entrance.
It turns out we’d already passed it as soon as we arrived. In the photo above, you can see the road from which you turn into the hotel. As you drive into the parking lot, the hotel entrance is behind you which is why we missed it. It wasn’t just us; we saw many seemingly-arriving guests do the exact same thing during our stay.
You therefore have to temporarily park along the yellow curb and go through the doors there. You then have to walk down the hallway a little to the right and you’ll find the front desk on the left. Considering it’s a fairly new hotel, it’s strange that they decided to have a layout like that.
We’d booked a king studio suite as that was the only room type available when using points when I’d booked it about an hour earlier. I asked if we could get an upgrade to a one or two bedroom suite due to having Spire Elite status (IHG’s top status level), but was told they couldn’t do that despite the fact that they had two bedroom suites still available for booking. IHG properties in the US are awful about giving room upgrades to members with status and so it wasn’t a surprise, but it was disappointing nonetheless.
King Studio Suite
We were assigned room 404 which is on the top floor of the hotel. When entering our suite the kitchen was on the left, the living area straight ahead and bedroom ahead to the left. The bathroom was off the bedroom behind where the kitchen was located.
Kitchen
Every suite at the Staybridge Suites Temecula – and every Staybridge Suites nationwide – has a full kitchen. That included a fridge-freezer, microwave, dishwasher and stove top.
The cupboards contained plates, bowls, glasses, mugs, silverware and cookware.
Living Area
The living area contained a sleeper sofa, ottoman, table and side table.
To the right of that was a desk and office chair.
Back by the kitchen there was a coat rack mounted to the wall which was also useful for hanging Truffles’ leash and our masks.
Something that was lacking in the kitchen/living room areas were trash cans. The living area didn’t have one and the kitchen only had a tiny one under the sink which became filled when adding a couple of small pieces of trash.
Bedroom
The bedroom area had a comfortable king size bed with tables on each side. Both sides of the bed also had power outlets which was useful for charging our phones overnight.
At the foot of the bed by the wall was a dresser with the room’s TV on top.
To the left of the bed was a closet containing bedding for the sofa bed, a luggage rack, iron, ironing board and laundry basket.
The view from our room wasn’t amazing as it overlooked the parking lot and a Hobby Lobby just across the road, although there were mountains in the distance.
Bathroom
The bathroom had a walk-in shower. The water pressure of the shower was fine, but it took five minutes or more – literally – for the water to heat up when having a shower. We’d therefore turn the shower on, go off and do something else, then return and even then it’d often still be cold.
Rather than having small toiletry bottles, the Staybridge Suites Temecula provides refillable bottles which we’re fine with.
Between the bathroom and bedroom was the sink and vanity.
Breakfast
Breakfast is complimentary for all guests at the Staybridge Suites Temecula. It was served from 6:30am-9:30am from Monday-Friday and 7:30am-10:30am on Saturday and Sunday.
They had a couple of hot options each morning, along with waffles, bagels, breads, muffins, yogurt and more. The overall selection was OK, but their scrambled eggs were mediocre. It was also a shame that they provided canned fruit cocktail rather than freshly cut fruit like some other hotels offer with their breakfast buffets.
Social Hour
From 5:30pm-7pm Monday-Wednesday the hotel runs a social hour which provides complimentary beer, wine and appetizers. I forgot all about it on a couple of days and we were out the other evening, so I’m afraid I didn’t get a chance to take photos of what was on offer.
Amenities
Staybridge Suites is an extended stay hotel brand and so they have a number of amenities that help ensure people staying for a week or more have a more pleasant stay.
There’s a guest laundry room with six washing machines and six dryers, so there’s less risk that they’ll all be in use when you try to do laundry. Even better, these are all complimentary.
We stayed in Temecula in February 2022 which meant it got much cooler in the evenings than it was during the day. As a result we didn’t sit outside in the evenings, although they did have a very nice outdoor seating area which had a couple of grills for guests to use and a large fire pit.
Next to that outdoor area was the hotel’s outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool.
The hotel has a good-sized fitness room with several pieces of equipment and weights.
If you’d like somewhere to hang out inside, there’s a lot of seating in a large lobby area which is also used for breakfast.
Between that seating area and the front desk is a business center with one computer and a printer.
Back by the front desk is a pantry area with lots of drinks, snacks and frozen meals available for purchase.
Staybridge Suites Temecula Pet Policy
The Staybridge Suites Temecula is a pet-friendly hotel. There’s a hefty pet fee of $150 per stay, only one dog is allowed per room and they have to be under 30 lbs.
It’s a shame that the pet fee is so high. We stayed nine nights which meant the fee was effectively $16.67 per night, but that’s an obscenely high fee – especially for people who are only staying one or two nights seeing as you have to pay $150 no matter how long you’re staying.
The hotel has a miniature pet area in the parking lot, although there are mulchy areas around the hotel where your pup can also do their business.
There’s a sidewalk immediately outside the hotel, so you can easily and safely take your dog for a longer walk. There are a few dog parks in the Temecula area too. We took Truffles to Torrey Pines Dog Park which was a very nice dog park with separate sections for small and large dogs. Unlike some dog parks where the small dog section is tiny, Truffles had lots of space to run around.
Service
Service during our stay was good. We declined housekeeping service and so I can’t comment on that. However, the front desk staff members were always friendly.
Wi-Fi
Unlike the internet issues we had at the Airbnb we’d tried to stay at first, Wi-Fi at the Staybridge Suites in Temecula was very good. The connection was solid and the speed was good.
Check-In & Check-Out Times
Check-in at the Staybridge Suites Temecula is 3pm and check-out is at 11am.
Location
The hotel is in a decent location. It’s just off I-15 which means it’s easy to get to from the highway, while it’s only a couple of miles from historic old town Temecula which is a cute area to walk around.
There are many restaurants and grocery stores within a five minute drive and you only have to drive about five miles east before you start hitting all the wineries that Temecula has to offer. If you’re traveling with your dog – or even if you’re not – be sure to check out our list of five great pet-friendly wineries in Temecula.
Parking
It’s free to park at the hotel and they have a very large parking lot with plenty of spaces. That includes eight spaces with charging for electric cars.
Cost
Staybridge Suites is part of IHG Rewards and we booked our stay using points. IHG Rewards uses dynamic pricing which means that the number of points required can vary each night.
During our stay the pricing ranged from 19,000 to 23,000 points per night. I have the IHG Rewards Premier card which offers every 4th night free on award stays, so with us staying nine nights we got both the 4th and 8th nights free. That reduced the total cost of our stay to 145,000 points.
It got better than that though. I also have the old IHG Select credit card (no longer available for new applicants) which provides a 10% rebate of points on award stays. With our total cost being 145,000 points, we got 14,500 points back recently. That means that the net cost of our stay was 130,500 points, or only 14,500 points per night.
IHG Rewards frequently sells their points for half a cent apiece. Shae and I bought a million points between our two accounts last year for times such as these because having those points saved us a substantial amount. Buying points at half a cent each means 14,500 points per night only cost us $72.50 per night. If we’d paid cash for the stay we would’ve had to pay $258.81 per night including tax, so using points saved us $186.31 per night or $1,676.79 for the entire nine night stay.
If you’re booking a paid stay at the Staybridge Suites Temecula, be aware that they charge $5 per night per guest from the second guest which is an absurd policy. I can just about understand them charging more from the third guest in a room, but having to pay more because you’re a couple traveling together or a parent staying with a child is ridiculous. That extra fee isn’t added on award stays though.
Final Thoughts
Shae and I enjoyed our stay at the Staybridge Suites Temecula. With it being less than a year old when we stayed, it still felt nice and new and was in great condition. Our room was clean and comfortable, the hotel was close to wineries and it was fantastic value when using points during the dates we stayed.
It wasn’t perfect though. It took 5+ minutes for the shower to heat up, they charge extra for having more than one person in your room, their scrambled eggs at breakfast were very poor and the pet fee they charge is very high. Although it had those negative points, we’d happily stay there again if the points price was right.
Truffles Approval Rating
Truffles awards this hotel three paws out of four – pawsome! We were on the top floor and so Truffles appreciated not having anyone stomping around above us. She liked that we could easily go on longer walks straight out of the hotel, but the $150 pet fee was very high and the pet area was tiny.
Our Rating
Room = 4.4 / 5
Hotel Amenities = 4.7 / 5
Food = 3.9 / 5
Location = 4.4 / 5
Service = 4.2 / 5
Overall Value = 4.5 / 5 (based on the points price; we’d never have paid $250+ per night)
Total = 4.35 / 5
Address
Staybridge Suites, 27500 Jefferson Ave, Temecula, CA 92590
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