Descanso Beach Club

This was a very affordable and relaxing resort. If you end up going to this place ask for Robert because he was one of the best servers we have ever had. He was a joy to have and was very professional. I will be coming back soon

ROBERTO and his team were amazing! We Will be coming back cabana #17 was perfect for our family And The Staff was super attentive, service was outstanding and food/​drinks were great! Pls let your staff know they are all doing a great job! Roberto helped us figure out some logistics prior to our arrival and was very helpful from the moment we reserved the cabana to the moment we left!

It was the first time my partner and I visited Catalina Island, and it was a perfectly romantic place to celebrate our engagement. This beach club especially was one of our favorite parts of it. We read the reviews and knew this scene was right up our alley. We stopped in Friday and made a reservation for two chairs on Saturday. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we returned the next day. The service and staff was exceptional and the food and drinks were top notch. (I may have had the buffalo burger three days in a row) Roberto, specifically went above and beyond to make our special weekend extra special. We will definitely be back again, soon!

The 5 stars are for the great view and great hangout spot.
My boyfriend and I were there on June 18,2016. We sat on the beach; as we saw the party next to us asked if they can open a tab so we then asked if we can have one too but BRIAN stated he was just too busy and that we can go get them ourselves. Obviously we could have gotten them ourselves but then why would we have asked to open a tab? Not short after a new group of people join in on the beach and what does Brain do? He takes their order! I’m sorry but being too busy is not an excuse when you are working.

Came down for a friend’s bday to descano beach club, I wish the OC had a beach hang out spot like this. Our server here Mike really made a difference, really cool and nice. Sitting here drinking some beers

WHOA!
Who knew just around the corner from the Casino Point area on Catalina/​Avalon was the beautiful Descanso Beach Club???
My friends has rented a cabana for the day and since we were running a little bit late, it was super amazing that they were able to hold it for us still without charing us more. We got to our cabana and we had cold water waiting for us and as well as a smoothie brought to our area. The sun had just peaked out so it was a beautiful day on the beach. The water was a little chilly so we didn’t go snorkeling but we dipped our feet in the water. There are a lot of bigger rocks here, not pebbles, but rocks, so if you are heading to the water, make sure you wear your water shoes or flip flops!
Tre was our cabana host/​server and this guy is amazing! He’s super friendly, has a great smile and really was an over all amazing guy! I know being with my friends, we couldn’t stop laughing with Tre so I must give big props to him for being such a cool person.
PS — Tre, did you ever find out if that host guy who just started is single and which team he plays for!?! Curious minds need to know!

Frat boys and deadeye servers in a beautiful setting. Take a walk here from the town, have a drink and head back to the El Galleon.

The views are fantastic … The Waite staff is uninterested .we had to pay as soon as we got our drinks .we thought our waitress was leaving .an Hour later she was still there hanging with the other waiters …
The menu was boring. Chips and salsa, fries
Etc
great people watching. not such great service
Still great outdoor seating right on the beach

This place is always the best place to hang out at. The disadvantages are the high-​priced food and drinks (what would you expect, at a «club» on the beach, of an island? Duh.), the rocky beach (bring water shoes), and the very expensive private area for lounge chair, table, and cabana rental. They can reach $ 80 for 2 chairs and a table, which only include water, smoothies, and a waiter, to $ 375 for the cabana. Ouch. See if you can split the latter (small groups), or try and go early for a free spot on where sand is left! They may still charge if you don’t order food or drink. Unsure how strict they are, for the almight dollar, come peak time.
The Buffalo Milk is nasty, but it’s like In N Out, you gotta order it once (although In N Out tastes great!). They have clean bathrooms and the grounds are maintained well. There’s a rock climbing wall and zip line, nearby, if you want to pay extra. It’s a long, but doable walk, from the pier.

We had Easter brunch here. We purchased a package that included hotel, the Catalina Express, and brunch at Descanso Beach club. When we arrived for brunch, it was a bit disorganized. No one was around to tell you where to go. They ran out of hats except for one left for the hat decorating activity for the kids. The Easter egg hunt was okay. However the inside of the eggs were not really filled with anything worth having. Brunch was upstairs and there was a lovely view. The main entrée was the prime rib and the rest were fruit, bread, cheese, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and a few desserts. The overall setting is nice however, the beach is so rocky, we didn’t even try to go in the water.

Went in March & was sad to find out the cabana area was closed for the season. No fires on the beach until summer. Generally when a cruise ship comes in for the day they keep the bar open till late. The day my group went there, they stayed open till 1pm. The bartender was very attentive. Gorgeous views from the bar. You can also rent snorkeling gear & kayaks there.
We had lunch there along with Destroyers and Cucumber Margaritas. Very strong and yummy.

Loved everything about Descanso Beach club. I’m glad my second time in Catalina I walked all the way passed the casino and found this gem. Once you pass the Casino that’s where all the good stuff is happening ie canoeing/​snorkeling/​zip lining/​massages and lots of drinking or delicious ice cream with liquor at Descanso fresh.
Back to Descanso beach club. We sat and had a couple of drinks, mojitos were on point and the food was good too. What made it the best was our server Fabiola, very attentive and very sweet. She made sure to constantly check on us to see if we’re pleased with everything. I hope the pictures illustrate how heavenly this place is. Right on the beach drinking mojitos and some bob Marley in the background… love!!!

Descanso is a great spot to sit back, relax and enjoy some sunshine. Oh, we can’t forget the booze!
There’s plenty of tables, chairs, and beach for all to enjoy. I wasn’t feeling too great that day so I chilled out by the bar and enjoyed a Bloody Mary which was quite spicy. The bathrooms are really clean and water’s $ 0.50 a bottle. In case you didn’t know, this is because the island is practically in a constant drought.
My visit was short but sweet. Service was excellent and the prices were pretty reasonable considering. I’ll definitely come back if I’m in the area.

This area of Catalina is a stark difference, at least during the week from the Avalon area! It was incredibly quite and beautiful and the atmosphere was so calming. It has rained the evening before so everything was wet and felt so fresh, there were only two people at the bar and no one on the beach and all you could hear was the waves.
Sat down with my family who ordered a couple drinks and ordered a carne Asada quessadila for breakfast, something quick before we hit up the zip lining near by. Usually bar food is just okay, but I must say this was absolutely one of the best quesadillas I’ve ever had! It was delicious!
Overall a wonderful little place to enjoy and recommend seeing while on Catalina, only reason it didn’t get 5 stars, like everything on Catalina it’s rather expensive for what you get.

Disclaimer: no food eaten.
This place is a beautiful walk out of town. Happy hour runs during the week from 4 to 6 (though I saw it advertised until 7…) offering 6 dollar drinks of every color and stripe. Service was friendly, drinks delicious, views spectacular. You can rent cabanas or lounge chairs at exorbitant prices or just hang out on the sand or on their patio. Reggae music matched the tempo of the surf, a very chill way to end a day.

My friends and I have been here before but had a sort of mediocre experience. This time was different but only because of our server, Charles (or Charlie as he likes to be called). I really can’t say enough good things about him!
We arrived around 1pm and were on the beach for about five minutes before he introduced himself and took our first order. We ended up spending about four hours here because he was there anytime our drinks were half full asking if we needed another round. For several adults on a Monday afternoon in Avalon, that’s all we had in mind, having drinks and getting sun.
He was friendly, knew the menu well, and was extremely attentive. He seemed to be taking care of a few different areas but was never too far, which made ordering easy.
In general, the staff as a whole seemed friendly and professional. The 4 starts instead of 5 is because our drinks tasted like little to no alcohol was present in them. The Buffalo Milk was fine, but we ordered vodka/​water mixtures that seemed to be only water and this was the same with a few other drinks we had.
Other than that, the beach was clean, the staff was friendly (especially Charles!!!), and the food was out quick! Definitely go here for a relaxing afternoon!

Their HH is definitely one of the best on the island (for quality and value). I thought my $ 11 bill for two drinks at one of the priciest joints on the island was because I had just batted my eyelashes the right way at our bartender Scott or had impressed him with my request of an extra spicy margarita as opposed to some fruity spritzer number… turns out their cocktails and beer are half off from 5−7pm! Not sure if that’s all year long or just seasonally, but it was true on this day on the 11^th of June.
The drinks were treated with respect and as if we had paid full price and for that, my liver and my tastebuds say thank you, Descanso!

Fantastic view with comfortable chairs to lounge, drink, munch, and relax. Food was average.
I ordered poke and pineapple chicken wings. Poke was good. The rice was hard in some places though. Chicken wings lacked flavor so I had to dunk in ranch. I wish there were more pineapple chunks too. The few pineapple bits were tasty and sweet.
I was surprised that for such a nice looking restaurant, they provided plastic utensils. Still, the view is the best and the beach sand is a foot step away… so these counter the so-​so food.

Despite some mediocre reviews, we had a grand ol’ time at Descanso, especially when we needed a moment away from all craziness down on main street.
We were able to find seating easily, the servers were great and the drinks were unique and fun.
My friends really enjoyed the passion fruit fizz which they ordered a handful of times during our two day stay. I liked the blueberry vodka drink quite a bit as well.
Sadly, their chips, guac and salsa were a big miss.
Overall, love the beach side dining, service and definitely their cocktails!

This place is great and is exactly what the island needs. An awesome location with cabanas, beach chairs, fire pits, bar, and patio. Great cocktail options and a solid beer selection. You have to try the buffalo milk. Yes it’s basically dessert, but it’s delicious and it has vodka in it. What’s not to love? I suggest hitting up the zip line where you will get a 10% off coupon to use at the Bach club. Work up your appetite and then hit the beach or fire pit (depending on the weather) and order yourself a couple drinks. They also have food– wings, fries, chips and salsa… Plus some entrees.
I do wish they had more of a snack/​happy hour menu. Also, prices aren’t cheap.
But this is the best place to spend your afternoon!