Aurora Hotel

Bright rooms, a roof terrace facing the ocean and a lobby with a cosmopolitan feel set the tone here. You stay in a boutique hotel in Avalon, with enough character to make the return from the waterfront feel like part of the day rather than a journey back to an anonymous resort.

The useful comforts are well chosen for a proper island break: air conditioning, free WiFi, tea and coffee-making facilities, a fridge, microwave and a bathrobe in every room. Friday brings a wine and cheese hour, while weekends add a mimosa bar. It is a sociable place, but the practical sort of sociable — a drink, a bite and then back to your room when the day has caught up with you.

Aurora Hotel sits in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island, California, with the town's restaurants, cafés and shops close by. Catalina Coffee & Cookie and Coney Island West are about 150 metres away, Antonio's Pizzeria on Avalon Bay is at a similar distance, and Naughty Fox is roughly 250 metres from the hotel. You can make dinner plans without turning the evening into an expedition.

Descanso Beach is about half a mile away on foot, while the Catalina Casino is an eight-minute walk from the hotel. Old Ben Park is around 400 metres away, and Peoples Park is about half a mile away. For a longer outing, Whitleys Peak is roughly 3.3 miles from the property and rises to 396 metres.

Arrival requires a little planning because the island setting is part of the deal. Long Beach Airport is about 33 miles away, John Wayne Airport about 34 miles and Hawthorne Municipal Airport about 39 miles. The Catalina Express dock is a ten-minute walk from the hotel.

The standard rooms suit a couple who want a straightforward base close to Avalon, with a king-size bed and the choice of a full or partial ocean view. The view matters here: you can choose whether the Pacific should be part of the room or merely part of the walk outside. For more space, the Junior Suites and the King Suite give you a better place to spread out, with the latter adding a sofa bed for groups of up to four.

Every room is air-conditioned and includes a flat-screen cable television, tea and coffee-making facilities, a fridge and a microwave. That fridge is useful for cold water when you come back tired, while the microwave gives you an option beyond a full restaurant meal. A spa-quality bathrobe, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer keep the post-shower routine simple.

The rooms are non-smoking and have heating as well as air conditioning. You also get a desk, a safe and an alarm clock. Upper floors are reached by stairs only, so factor that into your choice if you would rather not carry a case up steps.

Breakfast is a continental spread included with your stay, giving you a practical start before heading out into Avalon. The hotel does not turn the morning into a ceremony: coffee, something to eat and away you go. That suits an island day better than a long negotiation with a buffet.

The hotel's own social touches are the Friday wine and cheese hour and the weekend mimosa bar. They give you a reason to linger in the lobby or on the roof terrace with its ocean views. For a proper lunch or dinner, you have nearby options including Antonio's Pizzeria on Avalon Bay, Coney Island West and Naughty Fox, all within roughly 250 metres.

The roof terrace and sun terrace are the natural places to stop for a while, with outdoor furniture and a view towards the ocean. You can keep the afternoon simple: sit down, let the island breeze do the work and avoid pretending that every hour needs an organised activity.

When you do want to move, the hotel offers access to walking tours, local culture tours, cycling, hiking, fishing and snorkelling. A golf course is within 3 km. Pub crawls are also available for evenings when a quiet night has been ruled out by the group vote. The surrounding parks add shorter walks, while Haypress Reservoir is about 2 miles away and can be reached on foot or by car.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out runs until 11:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at arrival, and card payment is required because cash is not accepted. A shuttle service is available, while concierge assistance and luggage storage are also provided — useful if your island transport and your room times do not line up neatly.

WiFi is available throughout the hotel, and daily housekeeping is included. Children of all ages are welcome; a cot can be requested for children aged up to three, subject to the accommodation option, while extra beds are not available. Pets are not allowed. The property is non-smoking, and upper floors can only be reached by stairs.