Shell Beach Inn — Hotel in Pismo Beach

Stayed here on a Monday night in September, 2022.

It's a two-star hotel but it's better than that. It's a really cute, quaint, little place. And I mean little. There are only about eight rooms around a small parking lot. It's all one level.

We had a two-person room. It has a queen bed. The room is small. There is room for one chair alongside the bed. It's pretty tight but for two people, it was fine. The room was clean.

The bed was pretty good. I like a firm bed. It was fairly flat (not saggy). It seemed like it had a pillow top. The pillows are the usual hotel pillows that don't support your head.

There was a fridge, microwave and coffee maker. They all worked fine.

Shower was fine. Decent water pressure. Shampoo and rinse supplied in a dispenser. There was the usual hotel bar soap. Although the sink was small, it had a wide flat rim around it that was wide enough to place a glass, toothbrush, etc.

The room had electrical ports and charging ports built into the lamp on one side of the bed. Lighting was decent in the room.

The front desk woman was very nice and efficient. She walked us to our room (I told you it was a small place). She recommended the take-out place next door for dinner and it was great. It was a Meditranean take-out counter in a liquor store - believe it or not. Five stars for that place, too.

We got take-out from the Meditranean place next door. There wasn't enough space in our room to comfortably eat but there was a small table and two chairs right outside our door (all room doors). The housekeeper saw us and pointed out that the tables around the pool were better for eating. Impressive since she didn't have to say anything.

It's close to Hwy 101 and you hear road noise. They supply ear plugs but I didn't use them. You hear traffic on 101 but the road must be fairly smooth because you don't hear any banging or thumping over cracks and holes even when truck went by. It's really more like white noise but if you're a light sleeper, I guess you should use the earplugs.

There is a pool, which we didn't use but they say they keep it at 85 degrees. No spa. The pool has some decent seating around it. Towels are provided in the pool enclosure.

Would...

It was our first time staying at this location me and my wife are coming back for a 1-year anniversary the first time we came to Pismo Beach we stayed at a hotel that was a little bit up the Ways I really like the hotel when I first saw it and I really like that the sweet was up by the road right next to the office we are kind of by ourselves in the room at night it was pretty quiet some rooms are obviously louder than others because of traffic and you're very close to the freeway but I don't mind that because I grew up near the freeway a bother my wife a little but not too much the bedroom was very quiet and relaxing they had this little machine if you wanted to drown out the noise of the cars I'm guessing but we thought it was pretty quiet on its own the hotel is like living in a little apartment we really liked it it basically had everything you needed could have more usb chargers but that's okay I really like the kitchen because I'm not used to having a TV in there and me and my wife spend a lot of time in the kitchen I love the outside patio area it was small but just enough room and had a lot of privacy I spent a lot of time out there I love the succulents that's my one of my favorite plants there was a lot of white gnats outside but that was only during the day at night and evening wasn't too bad plenty of parking out front the hotel is not packed on our second day we went for a dip in the pool because it said it was heated online it is not piping hot but it's definitely enough to get in the water when the air is only 50°the pool area was really cool and accommodating it would definitely be fun to come back there in the summer I definitely recommend staying here and checking this place out Thank you for taking the time to read my...

Shell Beach Inn: A Near-Great Escape a bit glitchy||Shell Beach Inn should be a dream—a charming, low-key boutique stay nestled in a perfect location. A stone’s throw from some of the best coastal eats and watering holes, it’s the kind of place you want to love. You step out your door, smell the salt air, and know you’re somewhere special. The rooms? Small but well done, cozy, comfortable, with a touch of effortless California cool. Thoughtful amenities like a mini-fridge and microwave make it feel like home. It’s a place that gets a lot right—until it doesn’t.||See, this is where it gets tricky. Nine rooms, each with its own quirks, and no 24-hour front desk. If something goes wrong, you’re dialing a number and hoping for the best. And here’s the thing—it’s happened every single time I’ve stayed here.||First, check-in after hours is a minefield—expect mix-ups, lockouts, and key confusion. Then there’s the TV debacle—twice now, I’ve been in a room where the television refused to work. A 7 p.m. call led to voicemails, then indifference. Solution? Move rooms mid-stay. Not exactly the laid-back retreat I had in mind. Parking? A free-for-all. You leave, someone else takes your spot. Multiple guests per room, multiple cars—it’s not easy. ||And yet, I keep coming back. Why? Because when it works, it’s kind of perfect. The staff—when you catch them—are warm, helpful, the kind of people who make you want to root for the place. If they could just tighten up the logistics, this would be the undisputed gem of Shell Beach. Until then? Stay, enjoy, just be prepared to roll with the punches.||Woulda, coulda, shoulda be a...