Bissell House 1887 - South Pasadena, California

Megan O.

Everything was amazing!! Walking inside for the first time was absolutely magical, there was soft piano music playing and all the lights cast a soft glow. The Halloween decorations were amazing and hilarious. The bed was super comfortable, the food was amazing. If I’m ever in California again, this is definitely where I’ll be staying.

Sarah J.

We received a text message a few hours before checkin time (3pm) with instructions for self checkin. We showed up just after three and had no trouble following the instructions.||The downstairs area was nice. There was a fairly large assortment of teas and a pretty lounging area. They also had carafes of water in a mini fridge, which was great for bringing to our room.||We stayed in the Garden Room. It didn’t look quite as nice as the website, but it’s normal for photographers to make a space look fantastic. Our room had an unlocked door to an attic, which was a little strange. The bed was comfortable and not noisy, which is nice for a romantic weekend. My husband thought the pillows sank too much, but he is particular about pillows.||The bathroom was separated from the room with glass paneled french doors with a sheer fabric over the class. It was a little strange being able to see each other on the toilet while lying in bed, but it was at least obscured somewhat. I think they did that to get natural light into the room, which was nice during the day.||The shower head is at a lower height, which is not my preference, but there is decorative glass above it which I assume influenced that choice. The jacuzzi tub worked well. No issues with water temperature. I was disappointed to find during my shower that the body wash bottle was completely empty. My husband texted the staff and we got a response and a bottle about half an hour later, which wasn’t bad for 10pm at night. You can tell that the bottle is empty from the outside, so I think this could have been caught during room turn over.||There were some maintenance things I think the owner should address, namely the crack-turned-hole in the bathroom ceiling, the noisy bathroom fan, some missing caulk around where the tub meets the tile, and the ripped paper around the window AC unit. The bathtub jets also looked like they may need a deeper clean.||The AC kept the room cool, but we turned it down at night and had trouble keeping the room at a comfortable temperature. Neither of us slept well as a result, but that could have been user error.||Breakfast was nice and the place setting pretty. They had a fancier nespresso machine as well as drip coffee, and quite a few fixings for the coffee. They had milk types to meet the needs of every diet and allergy I know of. Breakfast was quite good. We had French toast and a pomegranate seed and chocolate shavings yogurt and granola parfait. There were two tables which was helpful because my husband wasn’t feeling social. We only saw the host, Will, for a few minutes, but we had what we needed. If I had to leave early and eat the continental options, I would have been satisfied.||The pool is unheated, which it does say on the website, but I hadn’t seen that. It was cold, but invigorating. The plants on the grounds were pretty and created a calming environment.||I could see this being a nice place for two couples traveling together to stay and relax.||Location was great. We walked to Raymond’s for dinner. Shops, grocery stores, and other restaurants were less than ten minutes away. The drive from the Huntington Gardens to the Bissel House was straightforward and pretty. There are also lots of churches close by (3 Catholic churches within ten minutes of the house).

Steph G.

I never write reviews but I loved this place so much I have to! I stayed in the English Holiday Room which was SO adorable. It was even cuter in person than in the photos. The bed was incredibly cozy, the blackout curtains were on point, they had a wireless charging dock which came in handy because I forgot my AirPod charger at home. The breakfast was phenomenal. The service was perfect (super friendly and available but no hovering that sometimes happens at bnbs) And the atmosphere - oh my gosh, bnb cozy perfection complete with games, tea, wine and pre-chilled water carafes. I wish I could have stayed longer, and will definitely be coming back here for future trips!

M H.

Absolutely beautiful property, a classic Bed and Breakfast, "Airbnb" type places are just not like this today. This home is lovely, like taking a step into history. So many indulgent amenities like a huge variety of teas and always available coffee, cool water and continental breakfast and snacks in the dining room all day. The hosts are delightful, never overbearing but available in the morning and by text. And the breakfasts were chef prepared and fantastic, like dining out every morning. They encourage the guests to share breakfast together and chat, I'm not normally social that early but we had a lovely time meeting other travelers. Otherwise it's a very quiet place, so cozy! Keep in mind it is a historic old house with all the quirks an old house would have, it is not 'pristine' like a brand new hotel. Make sure your expectations are set (it seems some people don't understand what staying in a home based bed and breakfast is like) and you will love this place as much as we did. It's so close to the south pasadena station so we got here easily from the airport.

Navigate596310

What a cool place. Best night's sleep I had during our entire 10 days on the road. Hung out at the pool with my daughter and son-in-law one night late...very nice. The Bissell House could use a little TLC here and there, but not so much that it takes away from the patina.

Victoria O.

We absolutely loved our stay at Bissell House!

We were looking for something more charming than a big-box hotel, and Airbnbs have become too much work quite frankly with all of the “rules” that come with them. Bissell House was absolutely perfect – the owners put so much care and thought into the place. I couldn’t stop taking pictures and videos – the whole place was decorated to perfection and made you feel like you were right at home.

The complementary breakfast was also incredible! We had a yogurt parfait and French toast. The service was incredible – we didn’t have to lift a finger.

I highly recommend Bissell House. It is well worth the price (which honestly wasn’t bad and is comparable to what hotels are today with all of their added fees). I hope anyone who stays there has as magical a time as we did.

Anne Y.

The Bissell House offers incredible luxury and attention to detail. It went far beyond our expectations in every way. The staff was very thoughtful and the space was well stocked with conveniences. Breakfast was delicious. We enjoyed chatting with the friendly guests very much. My daughter was delighted by the neighborhood parrots too.

Scott G.

We felt as if we were staying at a friends house during our visit to Bissell House; tucked into a beautiful residential neighborhood, we woke to fresh coffee and (many kinds of) tea awaiting us downstairs, along with a delicious breakfast including fresh squeezed orange juice from orange trees on the property! All this before we headed off for a day of hiking or running in the nearby park. The host was always available to answer questions while also giving us our own space. It was all so easy, as though it were our own place! We look forward to our next visit.