Mar Mel Inn

We love Mar Mel Inn! We have been taking our dog here for both boarding and grooming since we adopted her in 2011 and we have never been disappointed! The staff is the best, friendly, reliable, resonably priced, and love our fur baby as much as we do! I highly recommend them!

Just picked up my two dogs from 10 days at Mar Mel Inn. Yet another great visit! We have been bringing our pets here for around 25 years and have always had great service. The staff is friendly and treat our furry babies with care and kindness. Over the years we have brought young and very old dogs and cats here… and they have all always come home happy and healthy. If you’re looking for a reliable, safe place to leave your beloved pets, this is it!

A big concern in moving from the Pittsburgh area was finding a kennel and a groomer as great as we had there. Fortunately, we found Mar Mel and Barbara and the warm and caring staff. Our two dogs love going there. Each visit they wait impatiently at the gate, anxious to meet and greet their human and canine friends, whether it’s for grooming or a stay. Barbara is a very talented groomer and if our dogs stay over we know that they are well cared for by a trained and competent staff in a safe and comfortable environment.

I have boarded my dogs in many different places because there is always something I don’t like (not to mention how outrageous the cost is here in SoCal). Mar Mel Inn is, really, a superb option for boarding for my two dogs. No, it isn’t fancy and your puppies will need a bath after you return home but my guys seemed super happy after 2 weeks here. I have no complaints and applaud them for their straightforward business practices and really decent pricing. We will be back!

I love this place except for one element… BARB!!! The staff is awesome and truly love the dogs and cats. Always clean spaces, fresh water and food. The staff always seems interactive and attentive. Not to mention my dogs love Kel, Rosa, Kendra and Aly. Always greeted with a smile and happy pups during pick up. Besides the horrible attitude from barb this place is top notch. Hire a new groomer pleeeeease

I highly recommend Mar Mel! My Labrador Retriever, as much as she loves people, never liked being groomed. I took her to a top-​rated groomer I found on Unilocal and actually had to pick her up after about 30 minutes because she was so upset. That’s when a friend recommended Mar Mel. Mar Mel is great because unlike other places, your dog does not have to be crated. If you dog is social, they get the run of the yard with other dogs while they wait. The rest of the magic is Barbara and her staff. My Lab hasn’t had a problem since I started taking her to Mar Mel– she comes home clean and happy.

I drive from Huntington Beach to Long Beach to have my Newfoundlands groomed as well as boarded at Mar Mel Inn. The price for grooming as well as boarding is very reasonable, especially when you live in Orange County. My dogs have ranged from all ages… young puppy to old mellow senior dog and all of them have loved Mar Mel Inn. Barbara is one of the best groomers that I have encountered in all of my years owning dogs. She is precise and efficient, knows how to handle the dogs and asks the right questions before grooming your dog. The staff at Mar Mel Inn really love dogs and it shows!

I have 3 dogs, one which is very fearful of people so it took me a long time to find a place I could trust to take good care of them. I researched and called many boarding places, and decided Mar Mel Inn was the best place where all my dogs would be safe and comfortable. John the owner, and the office staff Barbara and Kel are very nice and accommodating. The kennel staff, Dana and Rosa are extremely kind and caring.
This is an outdoor facility that is kept very clean. The dogs are kept in kennels and get
playtime in the morning and afternoon. this is perfect for my dogs, since they loved to play hard and then enjoy a good nap undisturbed.
They provide bedding and blankets, which was great for the summer, but I was worried that it might be too cold for my dogs last week when the temp was below 50 degrees. I asked Barbara if I could bring their beds and crates and she was fine with it. Like I said, they are very accommodating.
Love this place!

My dogs were not fans of this place and neither was I. I have a Malty-​poo, male, 15 pounds and Lab Mix, Female, 32 pounds.
The dogs are boarded in an outdoor facility. Warning: This is not an indoor kennel. And the kennels are similar to that of a shelter. If you go, you will notice that the staff wears ear plugs because of the loud barking. The dogs get only about 2 hours of playtime which is quite disappointing. I usually leave my dogs with Petsmart Day Care where they are playing for a solid 8 hours.
On another note, my dog apparently rolled in some poo while she was there (I’m not really surprised, she does that sometimes). What bothered me is that the lady running the place decided she was going to bathe the dog and charge me without even telling me ahead of time. She had my number, she could have called.
Final Review: they are good for grooming. In the summer, when it’s warm at night, probably not that bad for overnight, but terrible in the winter when it can reach below 50.

I drive from Huntington Beach to bring my pets to the Mar Mel Inn! Barbara the groomer and her staff are amazing and take such great care of the pets brought in! It’s very clean environment and the staff rocks! Barbara will even try to get you in for a spur of the moment groom. Won’t take my pets anywhere else!!!

I don’t recommend them and won’t leave my dogs there again. They were rude and didnt provide good service.

Great as a groomer! I was able to bring my dog in extremely last minute the day before Christmas Eve (extremely busy time) and they washed and cut my dog perfectly! My dog was calm & happy, too. They even sent me home with a Christmas bag of dog treats. Very sweet and gave a personal touch. Glad I finally found my Long Beach groomer. :)

She was nice, has affordable prices and her facility is clean and organized. I forgot I was in a boarding facility. She took him out of his box and handled him just like a vet would. I felt confidant leaving my cat in her care. He was very pleased with his haircut! Thank you!

Just picked up Olive from her first kennel stay. I was nervous about boarding her because she is not the sweetest dog and other kennels said no since she tends to nip if she’s scared.
The attendant told me that it took a couple days for her to get comfortable but after that she was very pleasant. She came out of the kennel wagging her tail, energetic and happy, letting the attendants pet and play with her! Even on her walk tonight she seemed more friendly and confident around strangers.
The Mar Mel’s rates are excellent and the entire staff is very friendly. I would highly recommend this place to anyone with a difficult pup or one that needs socialization.
The common area that the dogs play in is a dirt mound, so make sure you include a bath with your dog’s stay.

I have a two year old shih tzu and I just relocated back to Long Beach about 6 months ago. Since then, I have tried 4 dog groomers.
I had a pretty sweet groomer in Sacramento who had been grooming dogs for years ad years and charged a fairly cheap price for quality work. They would always charge me $ 40 for full grooming — bath, nails, hair cut and de-​matting no matter how matted my dog was and he would always come home looking fabulous!
I keep my Shih Tzu’s hair long, very long, so when he does to the groomers, its not so much that he needs a hair cut, his knots just need to be brushed out. So when I moved back down here I didn’t think it would be hard to find a groomer who knows how to groom a shih tzu.
Well, I was wrong. The last three times were disasters. Basically, they didn’t listen to anything that I told them about how I wanted my dog’s hair cut and they were inexperienced and young groomers. One tried to give my dog a puppy cut and chopped off my dog’s black tips on his ears — he used to be tri-​colored, now he is only beige and white. I was horrified. The same groomer shaved off his eye lashes and if anyone owns a shih tzu, you know they have very long eye lashes. I also kept his hair around his nose long so it drapes down the side of his mouth like a mustache, well, she cut that off too — even after I told her not to touch his face.
Time for another grooming so I went back to Unilocal,I came across Mar Mel last night, checked out their website, and thought I’d give this place a try because it really reminded me of the place I used to take my dog to in Sacramento. One, because Barbara has been grooming dogs for 20 years so she must know a thing or two, and two, because the price was right.
I got my shih tzu groomed for $ 46 and that included the de-​matting. I’ve been to some really nice dog grooming places in Long Beach with great service but they were just too overpriced. Last time I shelled out $ 80 — not worth it when my dog doesn’t require a major hair cut.
I am satisfied and will return!
They take CASH or CHECK only.

I loved this place. It is very affordable, specially if you have more than one dog. I left my two silky terriers and my westie with them for four days. It was really cheap since they allow up to three dogs in the same kennel ($ 50.00 per day for the three of them). The only catch is they have dirt for the playgroung. So, if you don’t pay for the extra bath, your pups will be dirty as heck when you pick them up. The fee includes the play time, food, and «housing».
My pups were supper happy when I picked them up. However, they were dirty. Just keep in mind you are getting what you pay for. I loved my experience with them and I would highly recommend them to anyone who doesn’t mind bathing their pups after they pick them up.

I took my small dog to this Bed and Breakfast for Dogs when my husband and I went on a cruise in February. I wanted to spend as few away from my li’l one as possible, so my husband and I made arrangements with them — last minute, too! They were very accommodating and asked me to fax all the paperwork in beforehand, so that when we got there we wouldn’t be late for boarding the cruise ship.
I found a lot of comfort in knowing that while I was cruising, my dog was in great hands! She was there for 4 days, 3 nights. She was clean, groomed and very happy when we picked her up.
I highly recommend Mar Mel Inn! So convenient for when you’re cruising out of Long Beach, just a short drive, and really, you can be confident that your dog will be in very good hands.
Thanks, Mar Mel Inn!

We’ve taken Madden here before while my boyfriend and I took a trip to Vegas he loved it! He was so happy to leave us and still energetic when we came to pick him up. For the price it was well worth it, I think. We even paid for a bath (which he absolutely loathes) and the woman who gave him a bath said he seemed to have no problem.
Today we took him in for a very long overdue nail clipping. We’ve been trying and failing to do this at home. At first he was cautious and extremely uneasy but he calmed down and just let it ride. It’s a dollar more expensive than what it would cost at Petsmart but its worth it just to keep the place in business. The only downside is that the hours that you can take your pet in are the same for drop-​off and pick-​up times for their boarding service. Other than it being slightly inconvenient the service they provide is high quality.
I highly recommend Mar Mel Inn. And I do plan on returning again.

I was out of the country for 10 days. I boarded my dog here for the second time. My dog was returned to me energetic and smelling fresh.
On my last visit, I had them clip my dog’s nails. This time I had them bath my dog.
Unfortunately, another dog bit my dog and my dog ended up with few staples on her face. Mar Mel Inn did the right thing by taking my dog to the vet for proper care, informed me of the incident, and apologized. They didn’t charge me for the vet visit. (I don’t blame Mar Mel Inn for any of this.)
What ever shampoo they used did wonders to my dog. My dog looks much darker and shiny. Awesome!
Would I use Mar Mel Inn again? You bet I will.

We’ve been lucky enough to always have pals willing to take care of Charlie when we’re out of town. But, things have changed with the addition of the wild pup named Penny. I don’t think anyone would enjoy cleaning up whatever crazy messes Penny made while we were out.
So, this time we decided to put the dogs up in a doggie hotel. Here’s the thing though — doggy hotels are goddamn expensive. Good news though — Mar Mel Inn is not so expensive. Charlie and Penny got to share a bunk for $ 40/​day. Not too shabby.
The staff there was super friendly, and I felt quite comfortable entrusting them to take care of the pups for the weekend. Unfortunately this isn’t exactly the Four Seasons of pup hotels. No lush gardens or relaxing jacuzzis here. Nope. Just a dirt lot and the kennels. But still, for the price, it was well worth it, and they even put up with me be annoying and calling to make sure all was well with Penny and Charlie. …good news — all was good, and Penny was causing trouble. Business as usual.