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Visiting SLO? The K&K Approved List of Where to Stay
Updated: 2 days ago
Every week someone asks us where to stay in SLO County. Sometimes it is a client flying in to look at homes, sometimes a friend's parents, sometimes a family deciding whether to move here at all. The answer always starts with a question back: what kind of trip is this?
San Luis Obispo County has a wide range of places to stay, and the right one depends on whether you want to be downtown, on a bluff, in wine country, or in a town you are seriously considering calling home. Here is our working list.
DOWNTOWN SAN LUIS OBISPO
If you want to be in the middle of San Luis Obispo
For a first visit, or a house-hunting trip that will range across the county, staying in the city of San Luis Obispo makes sense. It is central, it has the most restaurants, and it puts you within a reasonable drive of every town on your list.
Hotel San Luis Obispo. Downtown, walkable to everything on Higuera and Monterey Street, with a rooftop that has become a local gathering spot. This is where we send clients who want to feel the energy of downtown.
Granada Hotel & Bistro. A small, historic hotel a block off the main drag, with a restaurant locals actually go to. Quieter than it sounds for being downtown.
The Madonna Inn. You have to do it once. The famously themed rooms, the pink dining room, the bakery, and the sheer commitment of the place make it a Central Coast landmark. It is also a good base for the south side of the city and the drive to the Five Cities.
Apple Farm Inn. On the north edge of downtown near the creek, comfortable, and a favorite of visiting parents who want something calm with easy parking.
Our guide to a weekend in San Luis Obispo pairs well with any of these.
SHELL BEACH · PISMO BEACH · AVILA BEACH
If you want the ocean outside your window
The stretch from Shell Beach through Pismo and Avila has the county's best-known coastal hotels, and the bluff-top ones are worth the premium for a scouting trip if the coast is what you are here for.
Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa in Shell Beach. Suites on the bluffs above the coves, a good restaurant, and the neighborhood we use as a reference point for living in Shell Beach. Walk the coastal path in the morning and you will understand the appeal of the area in about ten minutes.
The Cliffs Hotel and Spa. On the bluff between Shell Beach and Pismo, with a stairway down to the beach and a lawn that looks straight out at the water.
SeaVenture Beach Hotel in Pismo. Directly on the sand at the south end of town, with the pier a short walk up the beach. If you want to test the Pismo lifestyle, this is the address.
Avila Lighthouse Suites. On the promenade in Avila Beach, facing the cove. Avila's sheltered, south-facing setting often means sun when the rest of the coast is gray, and the town is small enough to walk end to end.
Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort. In the Avila Valley, back from the beach among the sycamores, with private hot-spring tubs on the hillside. This is where we send people who want to unwind after a long travel day, and it is a good base for exploring the Avila Valley and See Canyon on the way to the beach.
MORRO BAY · CAYUCOS · CAMBRIA
If you are drawn to the north coast
Morro Bay, Cayucos, and Cambria each have their own character, and staying in one of them is the best way to learn it.
Inn at Morro Bay. Inside Morro Bay State Park on the edge of the estuary, with the golf course and the bay trail nearby and the rock in view. Quiet, birdy, and a good picture of the calm side of Morro Bay.
Cass House in Cayucos. A restored historic inn in the heart of the little town, a short walk from the pier and the beach. Cayucos does not have many places to stay, and this is the one we recommend.
Cambria Pines Lodge. On the hill above the village, in the pines, with gardens and the Christmas Market in December. It is the largest property in Cambria and the easiest to book.
The inns along Moonstone Beach Drive. Cambria's oceanfront row of small hotels faces the boardwalk and the bluffs, and the Fogcatcher Inn is one we have sent people to happily. Ask for an ocean-facing room and plan on fog in early summer.
Cavalier Oceanfront Resort in San Simeon. Right on the bluff, with fire pits looking out at the water, and the closest comfortable base for Hearst Castle and the elephant seals.
DOWNTOWN PASO ROBLES AND THE VINEYARDS
If wine country is the point
Paso Robles has become a serious hotel town, and staying downtown lets you walk to dinner and the tasting rooms around the City Park.
Hotel Cheval. Small, refined, and on the square. This is our first recommendation for a couple's weekend in Paso.
Paso Robles Inn. The historic hotel on the park, with gardens, a long history, and mineral spring tubs in some rooms. It is the traditional choice and still a good one.
Allegretto Vineyard Resort. On the east side of town among its own vines, larger and resort-like, with grounds that reward a slow morning.
Piccolo. A newer boutique hotel downtown with a rooftop bar that has become a favorite gathering spot.
For the full plan, see a weekend in Paso Robles.
Stay in the town you are actually considering. Waking up there, getting coffee there, and driving to the grocery store from there tells you more than any showing.
The house-hunter's rule
If your visit is a scouting trip rather than a vacation, we break the rule about staying centrally. Stay in the town you are most serious about, even if it is less convenient, because the mornings and evenings there are the data you came for. A client deciding between Templeton and Arroyo Grande should spend two nights in each, not four nights in downtown SLO. And if you are weighing a short-term rental against a hotel, a rental in a residential neighborhood can be the most honest preview of all, with the parking, the neighbors, and the morning light included.
Our post on 48 hours in SLO County for house hunters lays out how to spend the days once you have chosen where to sleep, and if you tell us your dates and the towns on your list, we will suggest which of these places lines up with your showings. Reach out with your travel dates and we will start there.
Talk With Kim & Kristen
We are Kim San Jule and Kristen Gentry, Broker Associates with Real Broker, serving San Luis Obispo County and the Central Coast. Whether you are buying, selling, or simply thinking ahead, we are glad to be a resource.
Kim San Jule · Broker Associate, DRE 01948144 · 805-345-8303 · kimsanjule@gmail.com
Kristen Gentry · Broker Associate, DRE 01968754 · 805-441-4618 · kristengentryslo@gmail.com
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