Cambria Shores Inn — Hotel in Cambria

Overall, a few very minor gripes but mostly an excellent stay. Bear with me...

My girlfriend and I came out to California to do the coastal drive from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. Most everyone had recommended Carmel as the best place to stay overnight during such a drive. However, with a tight schedule and expensive car rental prices, we extended the first day's drive to Cambria. This hotel received a wealth of very positive reviews so it was quite easy to make the decision to stay here.

The hotel is expensive but I factored in its prime location directly across from the beach. What kind of put me off is that it's not one of the nicer hotel properties on the strip. It looks very dated and you kind of wonder how one can be charged so much for an overnight stay. Again, I think location dictates the price.

We picked the cheapest room, a king bed with a partial ocean view. The room was very nice, clean, and comfortable. The rooms have a cabin-like feel. It was kind of odd that the bathroom has no sink. I found it a bit offputting that one has to use the only sink located in the mini kitchen for brushing your teeth or other hygienic needs. Other than that, we found the fireplace was a nice added touch and we mostly had a restful sleep.

I say we mostly had a restful sleep because we were woken up late by a constantly barking dog in the next room late in the evening. This brings me to this point...

I am a huge dog lover. Have two of my own, though I did not bring them on this trip. It's great that there are hotels that allow you to bring your dog overnight and I must say, they were all over the property. Everyone had a dog. Just be aware of this if you are looking for a restful sleep. Dogs get anxious in strange locations. They will bark. We were woken up at night. It's okay, we understood, but just want readers of this review to know what to expect.

Another slight disappointment was that while free coffee is available -- which is a great thing to offer -- you can't get it until 8 am. Same thing with the included breakfast. It comes a little late in the morning for those looking to get an early start. Breakfast isn't handed out until 8:30-9:00 am. We were looking to head south around 7:30. You can't request special delivery times, either. We decided to delay our departure to see what would arrive.

The breakfast basket is a terrific idea, but it's not much if you are looking to fill up. My girlfriend and I saw two small pastries in the basket, two pieces of fruit, and a small carafe of orange juice. It's a nice offering. It's cute. However, we ended up getting breakfast on the road.

I will say that the Cambria Shores Inn does deserve a 5-star review because, overall, it is a great place to stay. Additionally, first impressions are everything and we were really blown away by the staff here. They are very friendly. I wasn't the only person who locked our key in the room during our stay and the woman in the office was only eager to replace it. On top of that, there was a tray of brownies made available for the guests around 6 pm.

We aren't drinkers so we didn't take advantage of the free glass of wine but another nice added touch to those that stay here.

So, overall, a very positive review for a...

We stayed at this motel for only one night. It is ideally situated on Moonstone Drive across from the beach. The room was spacious and clean. The fireplace was pretty much for atmosphere. The best thing going for this motel is their friendly staff. The landscaping is very appealing, taking advantage of the lovely view of the ocean at sunset. There are two very good restaurants within walking distance. We were told about the cookies and brownies in the afternoon, but I think they must be a premium as we smelled them, but never saw them. The complimentary glass of wine for the evening was a nice touch. The breakfast basket was as others described…not all that impressive, but a nice thought. The way the motel is arranged is in a U-shape. Because of this, cars park in front of the unit. The space is not reserved for your car so, if the lot is full, someone may be parking in front of your room. Also, because of this configuration people walk in front of your room’s large window. The large window is a plus, not a negative. The people walking back and forth in front of it, well, not so much. This is indeed a dog friendly motel. While we love dogs, the barking in the middle of the night can get irritating. If I had known more of the configuration of the motel, a set of earplugs would have taken care of this issue. This was a lovely motel with a great staff. I would...

We stayed at this motel for only one night. It is ideally situated on Moonstone Drive across from the beach. The room was spacious and clean. The fireplace was pretty much for atmosphere. The best thing going for this motel is their friendly staff. The landscaping is very appealing, taking advantage of the lovely view of the ocean at sunset. There are two very good restaurants within walking distance. We were told about the cookies and brownies in the afternoon, but I think they must be a premium as we smelled them, but never saw them. The complimentary glass of wine for the evening was a nice touch. The breakfast basket was as others described…not all that impressive, but a nice thought. The way the motel is arranged is in a U-shape. Because of this, cars park in front of the unit. The space is not reserved for your car so, if the lot is full, someone may be parking in front of your room. Also, because of this configuration people walk in front of your room’s large window. The large window is a plus, not a negative. The people walking back and forth in front of it, well, not so much. This is indeed a dog friendly motel. While we love dogs, the barking in the middle of the night can get irritating. If I had known more of the configuration of the motel, a set of earplugs would have taken care of this issue. This was a lovely motel with a great staff. I would...