The Pacific Motel — Hotel in Cayucos

Awesome.... the one word to describe our experience. Its not about if, it is about when we will be back again. We were traveling with another couple and they echo our sentiment.

When we first pulled into the ‘motel’, at a quick glance, it seemed like a nicely renovated motel (compared to the others on S. Ocean Ave which seemed like the typical, older, beach-town-you-are-going-for-location-and-not-for-the-lodging). We were excited to see there were 2 Tesla chargers and eagerly plugged our car in for a drink.

Once we walked into the lobby, right away the vibe went up a notch. The decor and items displayed for purchase, the lounging area, wall displays the coffee area, beverage fridge, was all very cool. Our eyes were drinking it all in. We were greeted by Ryan (one of the owners) who exuded the Californa Beach dude vibe. From his look, demeanor, friendliness, he just made us feel super welcome and at home. We spent so much time chatting and joking around with him. He was a very refreshing open book.

The rooms looked super new and super clean. The “mini bar” had some pretty cool snack offerings. Things exuded organic, sustainable, eco-friendly, hip, trendy, etc. The towels, linen, duvet, bed were super comfortable.  Even the leather chair, etc were super comfortable. They had cool dog-art (which we later found out was created by one of the family members (daughter) of the owners) in the rooms.  Interesting but not an issue was a lack of a closet in our king bed room, but instead was a set of hangers (they looked bamboo, again, the eco friendly vibe) available.  We didn’t miss the closet at all and there were open air tables to put our clothes if we wanted to, but we just used our small suitcase on the rack that was available. The room didn't have AC but it was not missed as cooler beach town temperatures were such that heat was more needed.  And the room provided that readily, with a extra special option for heat in the bathroom which felt wonderfully luxurious when coming out of the shower.  The soap, shampoo and conditioner smelled amazing. We actually ended up buying some to take home.  The bed was so comfortable we had a super nights sleep.  I asked about the pillow, because its time to change my “Fairmont Hotel” pillow (I find hotels are a great source of “trying before buying” of such things). The typical iron/ironing board wasn't present, but we didn't need one and I suspect they probably had one we could have borrowed.

Outside we looked at everything with new awareness. There was a few nice outdoor sitting areas (some with tables for picnic/snacking),  bikes for us the borrow, a ping pong table, and an outdoor shower for everyone to use (I guess if you're coming back from the beach and want to rinse yourself/stuff off). A couple of fire pits (we made use of the one near the lobby to drink some beer and wine we got from the cozy and funky (in a nice way) decorated “bar”) were on site.

By definition this might have been a motel, but its renovation, amenities, and clear eco-friendly, sustainablility,  creative artistry,  beautiful landscaping, and luxuries room amenities, really puts this way beyond that.

In short, it was an awesome experience. Little touches made everyting feel luxurious but still eco-friendly with sustainability being important, creative artistry everywhere you look. We bought some of the really nice abalone decorations that Marisa created.  Our friends bought many other things as well.

This may sound silly, but even the slow close and slow open of the barn door style bathroom door shows the extent of high end thinking that was put into the renovation.  Even the box of tissues felt super soft and not “paper thin” like many places usually provide.

Ryan and Marisa, we will be back !!  We will be recommending this to our local and non-local family and friends.  What a great experience you guys...

Beware of Room Rate Trickery!

I had a nice two-night stay at the Pacific Motel however that nice stay was dampened once I received my invoice via email (they did not offer a printed copy at the time of check-out). The motel itself is nice. Grounds are nice. Smallish room was clean; furnishings were minimal. Queen bed, two night tables, narrow console table. No chair for reading, no table/chairs for eating. The bed is comfortable, bedding is nice. Bathroom has soft towels. There is no room safe and no air conditioning. Unfortunately during my visit, the weather was very hot (86+ degrees) and although there is a ceiling fan, it was unbearably hot in the room. My biggest beef was the room rate I was charged. The motel’s website stated the room I chose (Vaulted Queen) was $199 the “price for one night(s)” excluding taxes and fees. I received my invoice via email after I checked out and that’s when I noticed I was charged $299 a night (excluding taxes and fees). Taxes and fees for my two night stay were $210 (what?!). That included a $30 daily resort fee. The amenities on the property are a couple of fire pits and sitting areas, coffee station in the office, and a ping pong table. $30 seems a little high when there is no pool, no spa, no gym. When I called the motel to ask about the difference in room rates, I was told it had something to do with “algorithms”. I said their website clearly stated the nightly charge was I spoke to told me she had to speak to her manager regarding any refund. She called me back about an hour later and said there would be no refund. She said that a confirmation email was sent prior to my arrival and the $299 room rate was on the confirmation. Unfortunately, since my friend made the reservation, the confirmation was sent to her and not to me. So bottom line, the Pacific Motel can state one rate on their website then randomly increase that price at will. Great business practice. I was comfortable paying $199 for the Queen Vaulted room but at $299, it’s overpriced and not worth $299. The Pacific Motel will not get my business on my next trip to Cayucos. On another note…be sure to stop by the Brown Butter Cookie Company. BEST...

Staying at The Pacific, you'd think it was run by the hippest boutique hotel group in the business. Nope. They're just a solid local crew that knows what's up — in other words, the best hosts imaginable for an authentic beach sojourn.

Let's start with the place itself. It's aesthetic, thoughtful, and inviting, not to mention immaculately kept. All the design aspects, branding included, are simply top shelf. Not one detail was overlooked, from the proprietary coffee blend put out every morning (from Spearhead in Paso Robles) to indulgent bath amenities (from Fablerune in Morro Bay). Big local energy, no Airbnb nonsense: check.

We booked a king bungalow for three nights, wanting to be close to SLO and everyone we were visiting but also catch some salt air while avoiding the tourist-trappiness along 101. What we got: Our own four walls, a gas fireplace, and even a cozy back terrace. A Pinterest-perfect surf shack to call our own. As fun as the bars were, we loved just sitting fireside with some Pizza Port cans we'd stashed in the fridge. Also, did I close my eyes in that giant shower, steamed and lathered up in piney body wash, pretending it was raining in the redwoods? Maybe.

Then there's Cayucos itself. I've always enjoyed passing through, but staying here through the lens of The Pacific unlocked a whole new level of infatuation. While some beach towns have too little or too much, we learned quickly that Cayucos has just the right balance of things. It's small enough to walk to everything, but large enough to have variety. The crowd wasn't too old, or too young to make you feel old. Everything was on point.

Add in a chill but 200% professional and on it staff to round out why The Pacific is an absolute winner. We can't...