The New York Times placed the film on its Best 1000 Movies Ever list. Film critic
Vincent Canby called
California Suite "the most agreeably realized
Simon film in years", and added, "Here is Mr. Simon in top form, under the direction of
Herbert Ross, one of the few directors...who can cope with the particular demands of material that simultaneously means to be touching and so nonstop clever one sometimes wants to gag him. It all works in
California Suite, not only because the material is superior Simon, but also because the writer and the director have assembled a dream cast."
Variety observed, "Neil Simon and Herbert Ross have gambled in radically altering the successful format of
California Suite as it appeared on stage. Instead of four separate playlets, there is now one semi-cohesive narrative revolving around visitors to the Beverly Hills Hotel...The technique is less than successful, veering from poignant emotionalism to broad slapstick in sudden shifts." David Pirie from
Time Out described the film as a "quick and varied comedy, highly suited to Neil Simon's machine-gun gag-writing", and added, "Fonda provides the film with its centre, giving another performance of unnerving sureness. Also on the credit side is a bedroom farce of epic proportions from
Matthau and
May. The other vignettes are a bit glum." Melvin Frankel from
Gay Community News wrote that "on the surface of it, Neil Simon seems to be adventurous, this time, expanding his art, to the point of including a somewhat unusual portrait of a gay man; but the film gets stranded midway between hard social commentary and the aim to please those he's criticizing." In his annual
movie guide,
Leonard Maltin gave the film three stars out of four, and described it as a "pleasant time-filler, with a nice
jazz score by
Claude Bolling". He also felt that "gently bickering" Smith and Caine came off best, while "unfunnily combative"
Richard Pryor and
Bill Cosby came off worst. ==Awards and nominations==