Halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo has a dedicated following. Commonly known as SLO, the popular college boasts a downtown designed for wandering. If you’re interested in staying in the heart of it all, Hotel San Luis Obispo should be on your radar.
Piazza Hospitality’s first property on California’s scenic Central Coast, Hotel San Luis Obispo has a trio of sister properties a few hours to the north in Sonoma wine country. Like h2hotel, Harmon Guest House, and Hotel Healdsburg, the boutique hotel prioritizes sustainable elements including key cards systems that switch on electricity when guests enter the room, charging stations for electric vehicles, in-room refillable glass water bottles and water refill stations throughout the hotel. Travelers who have stayed at any of the sister properties may experience moments of deja vu here and there, finding enjoyable similarities as they explore.
The 78-room hotel is sophisticated and colorful — take the stairs at some point or you’ll miss out — but still relaxed and welcoming. I stayed in a Paseo King room on the third floor. The room featured a king bed, small circular table and chair, and a streamlined loveseat. All rooms at Hotel San Luis Obispo have a balcony or terrace; my balcony provided downtown SLO and mountain views.
The bathroom offered a large walk-in shower and vanity with a single sink. It wasn’t what I would consider spacious, but there was enough room for the toiletries that tend to travel with two guests.
Near the entrance to the room was a Nespresso machine, electric tea kettle, refrigerator, (stocked with water in in reusable, glass bottles) and a couple of complimentary packaged snacks.
Hotel San Luis Obispo has two onsite restaurants, Piadina and Ox + Anchor. The latter is a self-proclaimed “modern spin on a steakhouse” that’s open for dinner only, Wednesday through Sunday.
Three-meal Piadina offers Italian cuisine with California flair. I split the Ahi Tuna Sashimi, but didn’t want to share when it arrived at the table. The salad topped Blue Cheese and Brussels Sprout Pizza was also a hit.
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Assorted small bites, pizza, and drinks are served at the property’s rooftop eatery, high bar. The views, bocce court, and heat lamps make it a popular spot from afternoon until well after sunset.
Coffee and grab and go breakfast-style offerings including bagels and pastries are available for purchase from a counter adjacent to the lobby front desk.
Other hotel amenities include a pool, hot tub, spa and fitness center. Complimentary bikes are available for guests who prefer exercising while seeing the neighborhood.
Rates for a Paseo King room start at $299. There is no daily resort charge. Valet parking is available for an additional fee. Complimentary charging is available for folks with electric cars. You can also compare rates and make a reservation through Hotels.com.
Hotel San Luis Obispo is dog-friendly property. There is a fee of $90 per dog, for the duration of your stay, with a maximum of three dogs per room.
Parents of Cal Poly students that join the hotel’s Poly Parent Perks program get access to discounted rates and other benefits.
A smoke-free property, smoking is not permitted anywhere within the hotel, including balconies.
Review and photos by San Francisco Bay Area travel writer and television correspondent Dana Rebmann. Her stay was organized by Hotel San Luis Obispo, but as always her thoughts and opinions are her own.
