Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa — Hotel in Pismo Beach

There are resorts, and then there is the Dolphin Bay Resort. Over my years, of which are plenty, I have stayed at many fine resorts, and while most of them had great service and beautiful grounds, the staff at the Dolphin Bay Resort make this place extra special.

Of course, I have had the benefit of receiving fine service at a number of fine and expensive resorts at which I have stayed over my life, but I have never actually encountered staff of this nature. You see, at most places, staff assists you and they try to ensure that the stay is pleasant, (if not amazing when such times occur); but you never really get to know them as people. It's a passing, if you will. You never really feel a sense of belonging.

This is not the same for the Dolphin Bay Resort because there you feel like a family member of those there to ensure that your stay is amazing. When I placed my reservation, I met Kyle. Kyle is a wonderful young man who shared my enthusiasm for an event that had to be perfect. Kyle not only listened to my needs; but he went out of his way to ensure that my suite would be the perfect suite for my event, and it really was the perfect suite. Not simply because it was beautiful, (because it was beautiful); but mostly because of the energy Kyle took to not only listen to my story, but to then take that information to match me with the perfect suite, and it was the perfect suite thanks to Kyle and the rest of the staff at the Dolphin Bay Resort over the course of our stay.

As I scheduled the reservation significantly in advance of our stay, I wanted to confirm some of the particulars. It was at this time that I met Cody, who not only assured me that everything would be perfect; but he was also able to extend our reservation as a result of a late change in our travel plans. We would later meet Cody in person, who was just as amazing as he was when he accommodated our late change in our travel plans.

Upon arriving at the Resort, we were met by Jay, a great bellhop beaming with smiles and kindness. I thereafter finally met Kyle in person, who once again assured me that everything would be handled to perfection, and I mean everything, and which it was.

Later during the stay, we met Delaney, a wonderfully charming young woman who we also spent time getting to know. We also met Patrick, a delightful fellow who was always accommodating and always ensured that our vacation was going amazingly well.

In addition to getting to know the staff, I also got to meet their supervisor, Lisa, who was also remarkable and accommodating, ensuring that the main event planned out by Kyle would go as planned. Kyle even took time while he was off to ensure that the main event went according to plan. This, my friends, is the very definition of commitment to your craft.

Now back to how you are treated like family. I got to know each and every person with whom we interacted. I do not mean like a "Hey, do you live locally?" sort of thing, I mean we got to actually know about them. We learned about their lives and their families; their commitment their jobs and their futures. While their stories are theirs to tell, not mine, it was their vulnerability to share about themselves that made each of them individually special and also made the stay feel more like you were staying with family instead of being tended to by superficially trained and robotic staff only appearing concerned with what their tip might be.

The staff at the Dolphin Bay Resort endeavor to make everyone who stays at the Dolphin Bay Resort feel special, which they all did effortlessly because they were real people with real lives and a real commitment to ensuring that when you stay with them, you are staying with family, without the family drama, of course.

Thank you Kyle, Cody, Jay, Delaney, Patrick, and Lisa, (and to any other staff member I may have forgotten in this list) for the most...

There actually were dolphins in the water! The ambiance of the Inn is a refuge of sorts. The shrubbery, elevations and courtyard focal point with ocean view achieve this. Dress during my stay was California casual. There is a lot to like about Doplhin Bay Inn. The building and outdoor pool are well kept and in good repair. The pool is warmed salt water and by all reports great fun. The first human contact is the valet and I give high praise for that young man. He knew his job and was a perfect ambassador for the Inn. Since I was a guest of another person, I did not interact with the desk. His party reserved two adjacent suites. Both were uniformly clean, well furnished and comfortable. There was both deep tub and shower separately and two separate bathrooms. I know not how the other was appointed, The beds were excellent and we had real blankets and enough good pillows, not flimsy coverlets and pancake pillows. We had an upstairs via elevator top floor, that is to say a third floor ocean view suite. The vista was unobstructed and lovely. Housekeeping were quiet, polite and busy. There is a path on the seaward side of the property winding past green lawns and available recliners of the Inn.The path ends at a 98 step staircase which descends to the shoreline below the cliffs. In quick summary, all the thing that were done right were very good indeed. However, there were issues.To summarize, each member of the Inn has a role to play. If they falter, it cascades. First, the Inn only issued a single room key per suite. For multiple adult guests, this is inexcusable. Too, being pet friendly meant that from our balcony we could see dead grass patches where dogs burned the grass. It must anger management who try so hard in a competitive market to achieve perfection.I, for one, did not have a spa treatment, but I understood that at least one of those who did, remarked about getting oil in their hair. If it isn't an issue, then they wouldn't have squawked, yes? On the second night of our stay, there was no hot water for a shower! The most troublesome issue was on the first evening when our table waiter managed to lose half of a $1,200 dinner order causing our half of the party an hour and a half wait. Grrr! It too was comical to see outdoor diners forced to use telephone flashlights to read the high priced menu in the dark. The space heaters felt good when they came on, In defence of the Inn, drinks and deserts were comped for the first night goof up. The Maitre was competent and she addressed the matter with great concern. The second night's repast went without a hitch. Everyone was satisfied and complimentary about the flavor and doneness of their selections. The kitchen seemed slow, but not like the debacle of the previous night. I suppose that translates into an unhurried dining experience. We now have a funny story to add to our ongoing conversation about the possible outcomes for our forgetful waiter. Personally, I do wish the Inn had a prix fix menu because I think it anachronistic to serve a rather small, but good steak that can hide a pair of string beans and a spoon full of mashed underneath and charge a lot only to walk away hungry, but that's just me. It seems desperate to extract a hundred to two hundred per meal per person this way. I can't believe the Lido runs in the black with so many other dining options in the area. But overall, I get it. Dolphin Bay Inn is your two week vacation in a weekend for people on the go. In that regard, they know their market...

After visiting Pismo Beach previously I really wasn't expecting to find such a gem of a hotel like Dolphin Bay. After reading all the positive reviews here on Trip Advisor I was in a bit of disbelief but decided to give it a try and book a stay here for spring break. Well, I can tell you the positives reviews are all true. The hotel is truly wonderful. ||First of all, the hotel is situated about 1-2 miles north of Pismo Beach which I LOVED because you are away from the crowds and traffic. It's quieter on this end and gives you a sense of being a bit more secluded. The hotel is well kept up and I was surprised it's been around since 2003 because it was so nice,well kept and clean. Plus, I had never heard of it. They offer daily free valet which is awesome and convenient if you are in the North building. And check in was a breeze. They even had a cute little beach gift waiting for our daughter in the room which was really thoughtful . We opted for the ocean view, 2 bedroom suite which had the master bed and bath with most gorgeous view, large bathroom with a spa tub and walk in closet. The 2nd bedroom was a king with a walk in closet too but it had no view, only a window facing walkway which I have to say was the only bummer. You really had to keep the black out windows closed at all times to keep people from looking in. But no biggie since we had the kids in that room. The suite was giant. Bigger than some apartments I've been in so I was completely blown away by that. There was a fully supplied kitchen & dining room with everything you needed to cook a decent meal. You would just need to bring your own ingredients. Oh, and there's a laundry room too. ||The restaurant Lido was very good for both dinner and breakfast. The oysters were fresh! And they had an espresso machine for my morning lattes so that was greatly appreciated. Everyone who helped us from the restaurant to the front desk to valet were EXTREMELY nice and helpful. I couldn't recommend this hotel more and look forward to visiting again sometime soon. ||Be sure to go outside and take the many stairs down to the beach below. There isn't much sand but it is beautiful and worth checking out the...