Marbella San Marcos

I want to leave a huge praising for Marissa at the Front Desk. Marissa is truly an unsung hero! Everytime I walk in, she welcomes me by name with a warm attitude, and I see her bring the same kindness and attentiveness to every resident and visitor she interacts with. She keeps things running smoothly by welcoming guests, managing mail, answering phones, helping residents with questions, managing work order requests - and she does it all with a calm and friendly presence. Her ability to juggle so much while still making everyone seen and cared for is remarkable! People like Marissa are the heart of the community and she makes a difference every single day. I’m grateful for all she does!

As a senior living placement professional, I’ve toured many communities, and Marbella in San Marcos made a great impression. Marisa was especially attentive and thoughtful in how she engaged with the potential resident, taking time to listen, ask meaningful questions, and ensure they felt comfortable and respected. The ambassador program is intentional and aimed to make every resident feel at ease and welcomed into the community. Great job, Marisa and team!

My review is not about the frontline caregivers but about the management, which has been nothing short of untrustworthy. My mom is in a wheelchair, and when we toured the facility, it was clear she is disabled and cannot stand. Despite this, we were pressured into rushing endless medical paperwork, detailing her paralysis. Two days after moving her in, their head nurse and Amber (the director) came into her room and admitted they had not actually read the paperwork. They informed us that they could not bathe her because they “did not realize she cannot stand.” To me, this was obvious from the beginning. They also claimed they “did not realize she required so much care” and raised her costs by $2,000 more than the agreed-upon rate. Amber admitted multiple times that this was their mistake. She apologized and agreed to refund the community fee and waive care charges, leaving only rent. That never happened. Here we are a month later, and not only has nothing been refunded, but the cost of moving my mom and finding a new placement has been thousands of dollars out of pocket. On top of that, Amber ignores most of my emails—I’m lucky if I get a response one out of three times. This entire situation has caused enormous financial, emotional, and logistical stress on my mom and our family. Honestly, I’m busy and would not normally take the time to leave a negative review, but this has been handled so poorly that I feel I have to warn others. If you want your loved one’s care to be managed with competence, transparency, and accountability, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere. Brookdale San Marcos management has shown us they are not in the business of making things right, even when they clearly admit fault.

I've been working with Marisa in the sales office and the nursing team to assess my father while he considers options for assisted living. It's been a real pleasure working with the team over there. They have been very kind, supportive, and responsive. Thank you!