Elegant landmark property on 23 acres, offering a day spa, refined dining options, a pool & tennis.
Hotel is cool for its historical value but it really just is a massive Marriott with more crown molding… checking in was subpar, the rooms are old and smelly, we had a gigantic baby crib in the room we had to move ourselves (did not request it), elevators are always down, had to take our luggage up via service staircases filled with smelly old room service trays… walls are extremely thin and we can hear everything happening in next door rooms which is so unfortunate if you’re trying to sleep and they’re talking or watching TV. Breakfast start is 7am (6:30am would be better). We were there 3 nights and each night had a huge event (weddings) which means lots of noise and lots of noisy guests screaming down the hallways in the middle of the night. Definitely regret booking this resort that looked awesome on the website, but so disappointing in real life.
The Langham Pasadena is a beautiful property with stunning gardens and architecture, which makes this experience even more disappointing. During my stay, the hotel chose to replace its irrigation system, leaving the entire front entrance of the resort torn up with dirt, trenches, and heavy machinery. It is difficult to understand why management would schedule such a major construction project during one of the busiest times of the year rather than during the off-season when it would have had far less impact on guests. For a property that markets itself as a five-star luxury resort, this demonstrated a surprising lack of planning and consideration for the guest experience.
Unfortunately, the service also fell well below expectations. At the Royce Pool, the staff was consistently unfriendly, drinks often took close to an hour to arrive, and food service was even slower. The level of hospitality did not reflect the standards one would expect from a luxury resort.
The most concerning issue, however, was discovering bed bugs in my room. Rather than taking accountability and working toward a reasonable resolution, the hotel has been unwilling to address the situation appropriately. This turned what should have been a relaxing stay into an extremely stressful and frustrating experience.
A five-star rating should represent exceptional service, thoughtful management, cleanliness, and a commitment to guest safety. While the property itself is beautiful, my experience fell far short of the standards that a hotel of this reputation should uphold.
What a beautiful property. I spent a few days here and honestly loved every minute of it. The grounds are gorgeous, the hotel is well maintained, and there are so many places to just sit, relax, and enjoy the scenery. Between the gardens, pools, spa, and club lounge, I never felt like I needed to leave the property.
One thing that really stood out was the staff. Everyone we encountered was genuinely kind and welcoming.
A special thank you to Javier. My guest and I were asking him for recommendations and he surprised us with a complimentary drink. It was such a thoughtful gesture and completely unexpected. He was professional, friendly, and made us feel taken care of.
Little moments like that are what make a stay memorable. Looking forward to coming back.
See my full review on Instagram & TikTok @travelnistaonthemove
We booked this hotel for a special girls' weekend with my mom and daughter and expected a 5-star experience.
The highlights: the housekeeping team (especially Fami) was wonderful, the heated pool was great for kids, and the breakfast buffet was excellent.
Unfortunately, the service fell short in several areas. I called ahead to discuss EV charging and mention that I was traveling with my elderly mother. Despite this, we were assigned an upstairs room with no elevator access, and no one asked about accessibility needs.
Dining was also disappointing. One restaurant was closed, so our dinner option at the pool restaurant took over 80 minutes to arrive. Staff cited short staffing, but it didn't feel like a luxury hotel experience.
The biggest issue was EV charging. I requested it in advance before chosing to drive our EV, again at arrival, and confirmed it at checkout. After leaving, I discovered the car had never been charged and I would need to change plans to find and chathr. I drove back and Valet then explained charging is not guaranteed. Had that been communicated earlier, I could have planned accordingly.
There were also small service misses, such as being told there were no scavenger hunt prizes left for my daughter, only to have me asking others like concierge to find one immediately.
The property has some great amenities, but luxury hotels are defined by service. While some staff were excellent, the overall experience was marked by poor communication and lack of follow-through.
We had a very disappointing breakfast experience during our stay at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena.
The restaurant was extremely busy, and we were told that the wait for breakfast would be over an hour because we did not have a reservation. However, no one informed us at check-in that breakfast reservations were strongly recommended or practically necessary during busy periods. As hotel guests, we reasonably assumed that we could simply go downstairs for breakfast.
What made the experience even more frustrating was the way the restaurant manager handled our concerns. Instead of first acknowledging the lack of communication or apologizing for the inconvenience, she repeatedly emphasized that it was a busy holiday weekend, that “we are a resort,” and that we should have made a reservation. She also kept pointing out that we could use our breakfast credit for to-go items, but that completely missed the point. We were not simply looking for something to eat—we wanted to sit down and enjoy breakfast at the hotel we were paying to stay at.
I even suggested that, during particularly busy periods, the restaurant could communicate with the front desk so hotel guests could be informed at check-in and encouraged to make reservations in advance. The manager responded that she was “just a restaurant manager,” which was surprising to hear from someone in a management position. Cross-department communication should be a basic part of providing a seamless guest experience at a luxury hotel.
The restaurant also appeared to be seriously understaffed. We were told that there were not enough tables because the restaurant was so busy, yet several tables remained uncleared and unused for an extended period. We personally observed one table sitting dirty and empty for approximately 20 minutes without being cleaned. This made it difficult to understand why guests were being told there were simply no tables available when the restaurant’s capacity was not being efficiently managed.
The issue was not simply that the restaurant was busy. Busy holiday weekends happen, and reservations are perfectly reasonable. The problem was the lack of communication with hotel guests, the apparent staffing and operational issues, and, most importantly, a manager who seemed more interested in defending the situation than listening to constructive feedback or acknowledging a poor guest experience.
For a hotel positioned as a luxury resort, I expected much better communication, service recovery, and hospitality.
