The Morgan San Simeon - Cambria by Hearst Castle — Hotel in Cambria

I booked this Hotel for a birthday weekend for me and my husband. This hotel clearly suffers from a lack of "ownership pride." It's old, musty, and filled with mismatched, dirty furniture. The front of the property is uninviting and in desperate need of upkeep.

The photos on the company's website are highly misleading and should be updated to reflect the reality: the hotel is split into two separate buildings with a Mexican restaurant in between. But that’s just the start of the problems.

At check-in, I was told the Corner Jr Suite – Ocean Side (Partial View) I reserved was in the "North Building," and we were instructed to drive over. When I asked about security, I was assured the building had keycard access and was secured at all times. However, the building had no signage indicating it was part of the Morgan Hotel, except for a small sign directing us to register at the main building. The external lighting was erratic, with some lights turning on long after dark, and there was a large discarded appliance on pallets in the parking lot, suggesting it had been abandoned for some time.

The building itself was old, gloomy, and poorly maintained. The main hallway had dirty carpets and skylights partially covered by strange outdoor netting—possibly to address leaks. Despite being assured of secure entry, we found the doors wide open, leaving the building accessible to anyone. There is no lobby, no staff present, and the building did not feel safe. We were the only occupants on a Thursday night, and the lack of security was alarming, especially with unhoused individuals lingering in the adjacent restaurant parking lot.

Inside the room, the conditions were appalling. The carpet was filthy, the king mattress sloped unnaturally toward the headboard, and the windows were so dirty and clouded that it was almost impossible to see out of them. (I reserved a Partial View Room, not expecting that it was referring to the condition of the windows!) The upholstered chairs by the window were dirty, damp, and should have been replaced years ago. The drapes were equally filthy, with a torn blackout lining and an unsettling waxy substance on them.

It's evident that no effort or pride has been put into maintaining this property.

To the hotel management/owners: With such a prime location, neglecting this property is not only a missed opportunity but a bad business decision. At the very least, make your hotel safe for paying guests. You owe it to your customers and your employees to do better.

To travelers: Spend a little more and stay a few miles away on Moonstone Beach Drive, where you'll find properties with true ownership pride. Don't be misled by the photos or glowing reviews on Google or the hotel's...

I booked this Hotel for a birthday weekend for me and my husband. This hotel clearly suffers from a lack of "ownership pride." It's old, musty, and filled with mismatched, dirty furniture. The front of the property is uninviting and in desperate need of upkeep.|The photos on the company's website are highly misleading and should be updated to reflect the reality: the hotel is split into two separate buildings with a Mexican restaurant in between. But that’s just the start of the problems.|At check-in, I was told the Corner Jr Suite – Ocean Side (Partial View) I reserved was in the "North Building," and we were instructed to drive over. When I asked about security, I was assured the building had keycard access and was secured at all times. However, the building had no signage indicating it was part of the Morgan Hotel, except for a small sign directing us to register at the main building. The external lighting was erratic, with some lights turning on long after dark, and there was a large discarded appliance on pallets in the parking lot, suggesting it had been abandoned for some time.|The building itself was old, gloomy, and poorly maintained. The main hallway had dirty carpets and skylights partially covered by strange outdoor netting—possibly to address leaks. Despite being assured of secure entry, we found the doors wide open, leaving the building accessible to anyone. There is no lobby, no staff present, and the building did not feel safe. We were the only occupants on a Thursday night, and the lack of security was alarming, especially with unhoused individuals lingering in the adjacent restaurant parking lot.|Inside the room, the conditions were appalling. The carpet was filthy, the king mattress sloped unnaturally toward the headboard, and the windows were so dirty and clouded that it was almost impossible to see out of them. (I reserved a Partial View Room, not expecting that it was referring to the condition of the windows!) The upholstered chairs by the window were dirty, damp, and should have been replaced years ago. The drapes were equally filthy, with a torn blackout lining and an unsettling waxy substance on them.|It's evident that no effort or pride has been put into maintaining this property.|To the hotel management/owners: With such a prime location, neglecting this property is not only a missed opportunity but a bad business decision. At the very least, make your hotel safe for paying guests. You owe it to your customers and your employees to do better.|To travelers: Spend a little more and stay a few miles away on Moonstone Beach Drive, where you'll find properties with true ownership pride. Don't be misled by the photos or glowing reviews on Google or the hotel's...

Overall, a nice experience, however, a few things to note for would-be travelers... Good stuff: Everyone we dealt with on the staff was very friendly and accommodating. The water pressure in the shower was AMAZING! (Not common to find these days.) This, and the quaint fireplace in the room were our favorite features. The room was very clean and you can tell the owners are doing a good job of keeping it fresh and modern(ish). The bed was clean and quite comfortable. We slept very well. It's conveniently located near the Hearst Castle Visitors Center - about a 5 minute drive. Not so great stuff: If you value a quiet experience, you must get a room on the second floor. When we first checked in, we were assigned a room on the first floor. There were kids running around in the room above us and the noise was unbearable, so we immediately requested a move and the desk agent happily reassigned us to a room on the second floor. We got the impression this is a common request. The biggest downside to the move was the fact that there are no elevators, so we had to haul a lot of heavy luggage up a rather narrow staircase to our new room. We were very happy to not have a heard of elephants parading above us any more. The walls are rather thin, as we were able to hear chatter from the rooms on either side. Not enough to make out the conversations, but enough to be noticeable. Overall: Once moved, we really enjoyed the stay. It's obviously an older hotel, but not run-down by any means. The price was reasonable, the room was clean, the staff was friendly, and that water pressure! Unbelievable. I wish my own home had it that good. I would definitely recommend staying here if you don't mind carrying your luggage up the stairs to have a quieter stay.

P.S. - The pool looked inviting, but we were there over the Holidays, so a bit chilly to try out. I bet it's great...