I haven't read anything about the Crown Plaza Ventura , California since the recent rebranding and remodel so I figured I'd give it a try. The hotel description on the ICH website indicates that the last remodel was in 2005, but this is definitely misleading because remodeling is still going on all over the property.

I usually stay at either the Four Points Ventura just down the street or at the Holiday Inn Express in Carpinteria for my current job site, but they were sold out tonight so here I am. Prices have increased pretty dramatically compared to last summer and fall. My AAA rate was $107 plus tax, plus $8/day for parking, while last summer/fall, I could reserve a room for ~$59-69/nt, and I could occasionally get the Entertainement rate for $47/nt. For comparison, the AAA rate at the nearby Four Points is $99 + tax w/free parking ($85/nt for local businesses corporate rate code, while the HIX in Carpinteria is ~$85/nt + tax w/free parking. Just the other night the only rate available at the CP was ~$279.

There is A LOT OF REMODELING CONSTRUCTION going on, with a projected completion date of sometime this summer. Almost half of the small parking lot is taken over by construction containers which you have to walk around to get to the front entrance. After entering, for all intents and purposes, the lobby is completely sealed off behind construction barriers except for the front desk. I arrived at the hotel around 8:45 p.m. and check-in was quick and pleasant. The front desk clerks were very helpful and friendly. The desk clerk asked to see my AAA card (1st time this has happened to me in all my life). She said she saw my Priority Club card in the system and noted that I was a Platinum. There isn't a club lounge or anything similar where a Platinum could get free breakfast or evening drinks, but I was told that right now they are working on something, but that at the moment Platinums do not receive any special treatment. I was however given coupons for a free drink in the bar and $5 off any dinner entree of $15.95 or higher. On your check-in folio, besides initialing the rate and check in/out dates, you have to initial a red stamped statement that says you understand that the hotel is being remodeled (as if it were possible for you to not have notived already).

I was given room x13 on a middle level floor. No mention of a room upgrade, other than that I had been given the best room available. Room x13 is right in the middle of the floor, across from the elevators. There are two suites per floor (10 guest floors), but whomever designed the hotel must have been asleep at the wheel because the suites, while larger than the regular rooms, are wrapped around the elevators (three elevators in the middle of the floor on the north side). Wrapped around the elevators?!?! You would think the suites would be at the end of the floor with the stupendous view of the pacific ocean? The carpets and wall coverings in the hallways looked to have been recently replaced and the halogen ceiling and wall lighting fixtures in the hallway were new and quite stylish.

All of the other rooms are the same size and calling the rooms smallish would be a generous description. My room had two double beds (not queen size as in most hotel rooms), four regular size pillows per bed (to give you perspective about the bed, the bed is only two regular pillows wide) a sitting chair, a writing desk and a 20 in. tv in an anwar that also contained your generic ice bucket with plastic bag liner. The closet is the smallest I have ever seen in a hotel. You could probaby hang a suit and two shirts comfortably. Any more and you really risk the shirts wrinkling. No luggage stand was available and it wouldn't fit in the closet anyway. A iron and ironing board filled out the rest of the closet.

The bathroom was small (I counted the ceiling tiles and at 5x7 I couldn't lie and call it smallish) to match the size of the room. Two people would have a very tough time being in the bathroom together, unless one was in the tub. The shower curtain rod was one of those curved ones, which while it gave you more room in the shower, the curtain intruded on the bathroom throne. If your SO is in the shower, you definitely couldn't read the morning newspaper during your morning throne time. The toiletries were generic and nothing to write home about. The towels were of average size and plushness.

The room was very nicely remodeled in neutral medium browns & beiges. The furniture looked to be new as thee were no scratches, chips or edge scuffs. The carpet had a nice pattern and was a tanish sort of color. The writing desk is avout two chairs wide and has power plugs on the front so you won't throw out your back crawling under the desk trying to plug in your computer. The bed covers and pillow cases were white which helped make the room look a bit bigger. I couldn't tell if the mattresses had been replaced during the remodel. Each room had individual air conditioners, which is reasonable considering that the ocean is just about 30 yards away. A single serve instant coffee maker was on the writing desk. On the nightstand between the beds, there was a new Timex AM/FM/CD clock radio. On the bed was placed a Crown Plaza Sleep Advantage welcome pack that contained ear plugs, an eye mask, a small bottle of lavender linen spray and a Sleep Soundly CD. Very nice framed nondescript prints and a nicel looking framed mirror were hung on the wall. The furnishings are about what I would expect at a Four Points or Holiday Inn, but not at a Crown Plaza.

There is free high speed internet access in the rooms, but I have only been averaging "low" signal strength. Hopefully the signal strength is better in other rooms.

The best and the worst thing about the hotel is it's location. You can't beat the hotel's beach side location, with beautiful white water views, but the rail line and freeway just on the other side of the hotel (and yes, you can defininely hear both in your room) is a distraction.

The bar is on the 12th floor, but since I arrive so late I didn't have an opportunity to check it out.

I'll try and take a look at the pool on my way out in the morning.

In my opinion, for the same price (including parking), the CP and the 4 Pts are a toss up (with a tie going to the 4 Pts), depending on where you have status and if you need the nights to requalify to status. But for the $30/nt + tax difference, I'd take the 4 Pts hands down. The 4 Pts rooms are 50% larger, as a SPG Platinum I get upgraded to a spacious sweet virtually all the time (CP suites are wrapped around the elevator ), as for a Platinum amenity I get my choice of 250 points or a free movie and I also get hot or continental free breakfast.

If you are planning on staying here with the family to visit the area, the rooms are going to be very tight, but the beach location is nice. I wouldn't spend more than $100 for a room and definitely don't waste the 25k PC points redeeming for free night. If your budget is a bit higher, the nearby Marriott is the best choice.