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Reviews of The Saga Motor Hotel

The Saga Motor Hotel
1633 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA

Reviews

8.4

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 31 out of 105 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 64 out of 105 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 7 out of 105 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 105 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 105 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Old fashioned motor court in good condition
Our room had alot of space even with the king size bed. The towels were snowy white. The shower had good water pressure. There wasn't a coffee maker in the room, but there was a mini fridge. The free breakfast had fresh fruit and real milk and cream for the coffee and cereal. There we're English muffins, and bagels muffins and sweet rolls...something for everyone. It was a longish walk to Old Passadena, but we did it. The staff was helpful.

10/10 Excellent

Aitch, Denver

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great price, location and clean
Everyone on the staff was friendly and helpful. Asked for a room on the top floor and got one! This doesn't always happen in traveling! Hotel is quiet and no noisy party people stayed here when I did anyway!
West side of Saga

8/10 Good

MIke B, San Diego

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect for a quick trip to Pasadena Area
Surprisingly clean facility for the age. Nice old-style motor lodge, right in the heart of Pasadena. Price for a March weekend was excellent. We gave serious consideration to booking a night for 12/31, but those prices were just a little too high for us.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Nick, Las Vegas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Nice central Pasadena hotel across from PCC.
The front desk people were friendly and polite during our check in/out. The check in process was quick and we received 2 old-style keys which is a quaint feature. The elevator is small and slow, you could barely fit one person and their bags into it. The stairs and hallways are older, which adds to the surprise when you make it into your room. The rooms are way above average and have a pleasant ambiance; they have a fridge but it would be nice if they had a microwave, too. The TV is modern and large, with a LCD flat screen and many channels to choose from including HBO. The bathroom was large and clean, with a bath/shower combo.

8/10 Good

Grumpy, Phoenix

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Comfortable, clean and convenient..
Staff very helpful at check in and local information with regard to activities and restaurants.

8/10 Good

Kayla, small town, Ca.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Dated delight
The place was quiet and the pool was warm. The room was dated but even the fake plants were quaint. The breakfast was unacceptable at least for me. I don't like weak coffee, or GMO cheap cereals. It was very cheaply done so I ate none of it. It wasn't close to Old Town but it was great having free parking and free wifi. The rooms were also spacious and the bed comfortable and shampoo of some quality.

8/10 Good

Mary, Anaheim, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Nostalgic Hotel

10/10 Excellent

Emmanuel, Anaheim, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Couldn't ask for any better!!
Very cozy and comfortable stay. The place isn't outdated it's retro-fitted!! Had a very pleasant stay. Taxi rides to Downtown Pasadena are max $20.00 (w/ tip ;) )! Very friendly and informative staff. I would recommend this hotel to those who like the atmosphere as opposed to over-the-top luxuries. You really can't ask for anything better!!

6/10 Okay

micky, california

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Nice friendly dog hotel.
If you have a dog and want to travel with your dog, this is a good hotel for you. You might want to ask hotel directly about bringing a dog with you to stay at the hotel as they normally allow a small dog weight around 15 lbs only, but our dog is a medium lab about 45 lbs and they let us to stay so that is a plus thing for this hotel. Everything else are nice and clean as it should be, very convenient for restaurants within walking distant, only one thing that should beware about is an ice from their ice machine, you might not want to drink them as it was not that clean and we found some residue of oily and dirt on the ice water after it melted, that's all. Over all it is a good and convenient place to stay with your loving dog.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We were pleased at the cleanliness and attention to upkeep,for a smaller,older hotel.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Close to f

8/10 Good

Gordon, Maryland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Convenient to JPL and Caltech
A three-night stay was affordable, convenient and pleasant. The property is old but clean and cheery. The morning breakfasts were simple but added to the value. It's a great way to stay in Pasadena affordably.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel
The room was clean and quiet; the bed was very comfortable.

8/10 Good

Roberto, Washington, DC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great location
Very good location and affordable price. Nice pool (although I did not use it). Very friendly staff. It was a nice stay. Recommended!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
In the center of Pasadena
Stayed with 2 children. The room was perfect. The price affordable. The food was kid friendly and the pool was 87 degrees. I've stayed at the Saga many times and I will continue.

8/10 Good

Chad, US

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice older hotel good location
Very comfortable and relaxing stay close to all amenities. Nice area of Pasadena Ca.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Staying at Saga Motor Hotel
It was nice staying at Saga Motor Hotel. It was located at the convenient location and has a good atmostphere.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Basic accommodations.
Location was excellent, it was clean, and staff was nice.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good value for money, very clean
I enjoyed my stay here. The decor is a little bit dated but better than it looks in the photos. Everything was very clean and the staff were friendly.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Cute vintage motor hotel
We made reservations at the Saga Motor Hotel based on online ratings and the photographs. The exterior is vintage and cool, with nice landscaping. Free breakfast has limited offerings (we're used to Hampton Inns), but glad that it's available. Free wi-fi and a fridge in the room. A microwave would be nice for reheating leftovers. Staff was very pleasant and helpful. Our reservation had gotten messed up - my fault - and they did everything to accommodate us. Our room and the property were clean. The old wallpaper and borders are quaint, and although they made me smile, the hallways and rooms could stand refreshing with "new" mid-century decor. Rates are downright inexpensive compared with other nearby locations. We'd stay there again.

10/10 Excellent

MargieH, Omaha, NE

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Very Comfy Hotel
First glance of hotel was dated, but looks are deceiving. Hotel was very quaint for it's age and our room was VERY comfy. Staff was extremely helpful, parking was ample even when we got back from our wedding at 2:00 am.. parked right outside our room area. Pool was very nice as well. Would stay here again, price was amazing also.

4/10 Poor

Max, Las Vegas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Old old
tax not included, but web say it does. Very old motel

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great for a stop over
we spent 2 nights here and had a very good experience, the staff were very friendly and I have to say the free breakfast was the best we had through all of our trip, I would definitely recommend this hotel to any friends and would re-visit if we were there again, it was not all whistles & bells but for what we wanted as a stopover for 2 nights was just the job

8/10 Good

Sus, Boston

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Retro relaxing oasis
I stayed for 3 nights while visiting friends around LA and Pasadena was a good base ( as central as anywhere in LA can be). The Saga was a nice change from the chain motels and somewhere that I will remember. It was charming and genuinely retro. Although not luxurious, it had all that I needed with a few extra pleasant details included: books available, a fridge, nicely maintained pool area and landscaping. My ground floor room had a front and back door which was very handy, as the parking spaces are at the back,keeping any exhaust fumes away from the pool area. My only negative comment would be about the pillows which were not the best, and are overdue for replacement. However, that would not stop me staying at the Saga again.

8/10 Good

Steve, Pacifica CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Centrally located
The hotel is centrally located in Pasadena, right across from City College. Easy access to freeways and bus lines. Continental breakfast is average - cereals, bagels, pastries. Breakfast area is very small - no big tables. Desk staff is helpful.

8/10 Good

Brian, Maryland

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
An excellent value for the money
Our room was very clean, with a fine bed. This is an old hotel, maybe 1950s vintage, but it has character. There is a very pleasant area by the pool where you can have breakfast when the weather is good. Compared to other nearby hotels, this is an excellent value.

8/10 Good

Pauline

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Good location - lots of restaurants close by easy
Stayed 3 nights. Good accommodations, the staff was attentive. We arrived one hour before check-in but they got our room ready within 5 minutes. We appreciated that since we had been on the road for 7 hours.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
a comfortable motel
Comfortable, convenient, nice pool, a bit close to the road so you hear street traffic.

6/10 Okay

Shawn, Santa Cruz, CA, USA

OK FOR THE PRICE AND THE AGE OF THE MOTEL.
The place was built in the mid 1950's and had some retro sense to it. The place could use more electrical outlets. Our room had no windows in the bathroom and no bathroom ceiling fan. I noticed a vent cover in the ceiling so I removed it and found an unplugged ceiling vent fan inside. I plugged it in and found it to be out of balance and very noisy so I see why it was unplugged. when I reported it to the desk, I was told that the place was too old to have a fan and that the vent was just a non-fan vent. I corrected them when I explained that it just wasn't plugged in and needs replacing. They made note of it for correction.

8/10 Good

Sue, Oakhurst, CA, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great motel near Playhouse and Old Town areas!
A great place to stay, especially for the price! I enjoyed that it was not a chain type motel and had a great old Pasadena ambiance about it.

8/10 Good

Trish, So Cal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Anniversary
To start out. It's an old motor lodge. Iconic. Which is cool, but on flip side, noise travels. Breakfast was a nice feature, but not a good selection. Hard boiled eggs were offered on Easter, only. Otherwise a ton of carbs were presented. Overall. Enjoyed.

10/10 Excellent

Emii, San Francisco, CA, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great quality; reasonable price.
I loved everything but the pillows. Needs new pillows. I enjoyed my stay very much. Great location.

8/10 Good

Steve D, Santa Cruz CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great With a Retro Flare
Old Motel, "retro" is the best way to explain it. Kept up very well, nice gardens and lots of parking. Older rooms but clean and neat, bed as a little too firm, but much better than some of mushy ones. Breakfast is normal stuff, coffee isn't good, but there is a Starbucks about 300' away. Several places to eat also within a block. City College is across the street. Stayed there in the mid-80s and in 2013 and both times a good place to stay, especially for the price and location.

8/10 Good

2HOT2HANDLE, St Louis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Good Value
We wanted a clean quiet reasonbly priced room close to Santa Anita racetrack. The Saga met all of our requirements. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We will book our next trip to the area with Saga

8/10 Good

Joanie, Bremerton, WA, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great older motel with character.
I was looking for a motel with character and did not want a chain. This motel is exactly as described. Built in the 1950's and is right on Route 66. Our room on the 3rd floor was very comfortable, with an "at home" feel. It was very clean, nice shutters on the windows which you can actually open. I also made use of the free guest laundry which was very nice. The room had a frig and iron/board, however, did not have microwave or coffeemaker. We now carry our own 4-cup pot, since this is not the only motel we have run into without one. The neighborhood is also very nice and easily accessible to freeways. I would definitely stay here again.

8/10 Good

ST, San Diego

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable and walking distance to CalTech
This is one of three older motels that are all within walking distance of CalTech. Between my husband, my colleagues, and myself, I've learned a bit about all of them, and I think they're all fine. The Saga has friendly desk staff, free WiFi which was sufficiently fast for me to do the work I needed to do, and quiet rooms. There's also free continental breakfast, but it's nothing to write home about.

8/10 Good

Lcls, Palm Desert, CA, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A pleasant place to stay
This is the third time I've stayed at this motor hotel and find it very comfortable as well as it's being in a convenient location for my activities in Pasadena. The rooms are very pleasing in that the decor tends to give a little more "homey" atmosphere than a standard motel room. And - nice shutters on the windows.

6/10 Okay

Lisa, San Luis Obispo, CA

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Somewhat Apathetic Glum Accomodations
We did not get the 5-point stay - not one smile,barely a friendly greeting. Arrived 3 PM on a Sun to be greeted w/a slightly snarky attitude. I asked if it was possible to get a room on the upper floor in a quiet location. Promptly told no way because of other guests staying during that time. (By the looks of the parking lot in the mornings, the place was not sold out.) Told we'd be in a room on the 2nd floor, facing the busy street out front, told that it would be quiet – as though it would be because the lady at the desk said so. Paper work plopped in front of me, abruptly told “sign here” and “sign here” with a pointed finger. The attitude discouraged us from asking if we could move to a room facing the back when one became vacant. Street noise is quieter than fellow guests walking above us around 11 PM, then 5:45-8 AM. Tromp, tromp, squeak, creak, tromp. There is an odd urine-like smell in the room. We bought some air freshener to try to cover it up. The room is outdated in many ways (no computer outlet plugs at the desk, no microwave, old fridge, old school key to unlock the door, stained carpets), but they do some improvements. New heater/AC unit works well. Room is very clean. Kudos to the housekeeping staff! I hope they get the appreciation their hard work deserves. The mattress was also quite good for a hotel mattress, with nice clean sheets and soft blankies on top. Yay, no duvet! Boo, plastic mattress covers. Wi-fi is hit and miss, seems to cycle in and out.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location, Quaint hotel
Nice 50's style hotel in a great location. Good restaurants nearby and easy access, by California standards, to alot of activities

8/10 Good

Scarlett, ca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
affordable
nothing fancy but affordable for the area and 1.4 miles from convention center

4/10 Poor

Gai, Sydney, Australia

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Find somewhere else if you can.
We walked in to the foyer and there was a TripAdvisor 4 star rating, sorry but this is certainly not the case, it is very run down and dirty and the rooms smell bad, the Wifi was really unreliable, stay somewhere else.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Great place for a weekend in Pasadena.
The hotel is a solid 3 star. Considering where it is located, in downtown Pasadena, the weekend rate was very good. If I had to review it on price only I would give it 4 1/2 stars.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great price and clean!
It was clean and for the price the best place for me.

8/10 Good

GrandmaJean, Indiana, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
I enjoyed my stay at the Saga.
This was my first time staying at the Saga. I have stayed at other motels in the area and the Saga is the cleanest and best maintained. I asked about extending my stay due to illness and the manager was very accommodating. All the staff was friendly. I used the computer room to print boarding passes and to check email. I enjoyed breakfast by the pool each morning. It would be nice to have a little more variety for breakfast, perhaps some yogurt and other fruit. Our room was small, but very adequate. Overall, it was a good stay and I would recommend the Saga.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very nice hotel
This hotel has very nice clean rooms and is at a good location. The staff is friendly and it is a very good value.

10/10 Excellent

Jim, California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pleasant place to stay for visiting Caltech or PCC
I have been staying at the Saga regularly for sixteen years now and always find it very pleasant. It is very handy for visitors to Caltech or Pasadena City College, though a bit farther from downtown ('Old') Pasadena. The immediate surroundings have improved over the years, and there are several reasonable restaurants and coffe places within a couple of minutes walk. It is, of course, on the route for the Rose Bowl parade, so prices jump at that time. There is a reasonable breakfast in the foyer, included in the room price. The only reason for me to discourage anyone going there is so there is still space for me!

10/10 Excellent

Audrey, Modesto, CA, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel for a really good price
This is the third time I have stayed at this hotel in the past few months. The hotel is old but very well maintained and very clean. I will continue to stay at this hotel over the next four years when visiting my son who attends a local college. One issue I did notice this trip was the lack of grounded outlets in the room to plug in a computer. There was one grounded outlet in the room is just wasn't near the bed making it hard to charge a computer while lying in bed and using the computer. Definitely not a deal breaker. This was not an issue when we stayed in a different room last month so it may have just been the particular room I was in on this trip.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
My choice for Pasadena and Great Location
The Saga is a Very Nice Hotel. It also has a great location in Pasadena close to everything.

8/10 Good

avid astronomer, Joshua Tree, CA 92252, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worth it! Do again for sure.
There are always going to be better places to stay, but for the money, you could certainly get stuck with a bad experience. This place is dated but comfortable. We are fine with a few issues that don't show disregard. The Saga was very pleasant and the staff was very nice! The neighborhood was nice and lots of things of interest were within walking distance. The English pub down the street had great food and there were students everywhere since this is right across the street from Pasadena City College. Noise was minimal and rates, thanks to Expedia, were excellent for the proximity to other venues in Pasadena. We would book again.