HOTEL CERRO, Autograph Collection — Hotel in San Luis Obispo

Our Memorial Day weekend stay at the relatively new Hotel Cerro Autograph Collection hotel in downtown San Luis Obispo was very pleasant and comfortable, if a bit lacking in sense of place and character. (The hotel opened in summer 2020 but only joined Marriott in June 2024.) We were in town for a friend’s faculty retirement from nearby Cal Poly San Luis Obispo after having spent 3 nights beforehand at Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur (about a 3 hr drive), also celebrating our anniversary.|#sanluisobispo #autographcollection #hotelcerro #calpolyslo #gardensuite #earlycheckin #latecheckout #AmbassadorStatusMatters ||The boutique hotel has only 65 rooms and suites but felt larger to us. It’s very modern and clean, and certainly includes all the bells and whistles of a larger hotel — but it just felt a bit sterile to us. To be fair, we also had dinner at and checked out the nearby Hotel San Luis Obispo, supposedly the best hotel in town, and it felt just as modern and sterile (and much more massive). So it’s all relative. ||The Hotel Cerro building apparently used to be a live music venue, and the restaurant and bar area still include some of that ambience. It’s right downtown and has a wonderfully central location for walking around SLO. It also has a lovely rooftop pool deck and bar, even as we never spent any time there. It’s just a 5-10 min drive to the Cal Poly SLO campus. ||Our booked Garden Suite was spacious and comfortable but very curiously laid out, opening into the toilet area and then bathroom sinks and shower/tub area before entering into the spacious junior suite bedroom, seating area, and small outdoor patio. The arrangement was very odd to us, so we likely wouldn’t book that room category again. That being said, the air con worked great and held a very comfortable 65 F or so for our stay — something the hotel had updated and confirmed only a few days before our arrival. ||Shower pressure was good. WiFi was a very respectable 50 Mbps up and down.||The hotel also graciously had a welcome amenity on arrival of chocolate covered strawberries and sparking wine. That’s pretty impressive for a non-luxury hotel IME. They missed on the extra bottles of water and fan they’d previously confirmed, but we had no problem getting extra water from the front desk (and we didn’t need a fan because the air con worked so well). ||Our 1 pm early arrival and 4 pm late checkout both were confirmed, even as we arrived a bit later and left a few hours earlier. But we appreciated the flexibility. The very friendly GM, Matt, was there to greet us on arrival, as well. ||The hotel’s Oak Grill bar and restaurant were a highlight. The bartender made some fantastic cocktails for our friends and us, and they also had some great appetizers. Much better drinks and food even than those at the supposedly better Hotel San Luis Obispo’s much lauded Ox and Anchor bar and steakhouse — which rather disappointed all of us, actually. ||Breakfast at the Oak Grill was solid and included a continental breakfast allowance of $20 per person IIRC. ||Service was always friendly and helpful. Everyone clearly wanted to make my Ambassador stay as nice as possible. ||While it isn’t the most charming of boutique hotels, and it was a bit pricey, it still is a very nice modern hotel and we certainly enjoyed our stay. We definitely would stay here again whenever in SLO — especially after seeing how sterile (and larger and more expensive) the more lauded Hotel San Luis Obispo is. But we’d likely ask for a different room or room category with a better layout for us. The fact we enjoyed it so much after staying at the famous and vastly more expensive Post Ranch Inn also speaks volumes.||Between the Hotel Cerro and the Vespera Autograph property in nearby Pismo Beach, it’s also nice to see such quality Marriott options along the...

5-Star Appreciation

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Cerro in San Luis Obispo after being displaced by the fires in Los Angeles, and I cannot say enough about how incredible our experience was. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with warmth and professionalism by Marco and his exceptional valet team, who made our arrival and departures seamless and stress-free.

The front desk and concierge staff—Vance, Katherine, Kelsey, Ryan, and Alfredo—deserve a special shoutout for their outstanding service. They went above and beyond to ensure our stay was comfortable, personalized, and memorable. We were tired when we arrived, but they were able to usher smiles of gratitude as they each took time to help us make the most out of our stay.

The attached restaurant, The Oak Grill, is a gem of calming ambiance and satiating deliciousness. Brooke and Olivia, our waitresses, were delightful and attentive, making each meal feel like a special occasion. The food was masterful and I will have to meet the chef’s and pick their brains next time we stay here.

The hotel itself is a masterpiece. The design of the space is both elegant and inviting, with attention to detail everywhere you look. The garden area is a peaceful oasis that feels like a hidden retreat, perfect for a morning coffee or evening unwind. Our room was stunning—spacious, beautifully designed, and thoughtfully equipped for maximum comfort. I suspect a mad genius designed the building from top to bottom. You’ll understand when you stay here.

The highlight, however, was the rooftop pool. Watching the sunset from up there was nothing short of magical. The views, paired with the serene atmosphere, provided the perfect ending to each day. I know other reviews said that the local bar scene can get loud. We stayed during the week days, so I can’t attest to the weekend noise level. But each night was restful and cozy for us and it was sorely needed.

The sauna and spa were top tier, without a doubt. One of the most thoughtfully created spaces I’ve ever seen and the staff member (whose name I’ve embarrassingly forgotten immediately after the sauna relaxation-induced amnesia) was incredibly knowledgable and she was immeasurably kind. A perfect person to usher road-weary travelers to the nirvana that awaited within. I can’t overstate it enough, the sauna was so relaxing I nearly forgot my own name.

Hotel Cerro was a rare respite for my wife and I, and every staff member we interacted with contributed to making it an unforgettable experience. Thank you all for your kindness and hospitality. We will...

Hotel Cerro was a beautiful place to stay for a number of reasons. There were a couple small hiccups overall, but I would definitely stay there again.

Location: The spot is perfect if you want to just arrive and take full advantage of the downtown area and all the great places to shop, eat, do activities. We honestly parked our car and only bothered driving when we wanted to go outside SLO. The con to the location is that they don't have much parking, so as many have pointed out... you need to park a couple blocks away. Be Aware! You need to pay the parking toll each day to avoid getting a nice little present on your car...

Spa: Me and my wife had an excellent time in the spa. They have very very nice staff who make the experience even better. The relaxation area is beautiful and so calming I almost fell asleep in there.

Pool: The rooftop pool and lounge area is nice (not huge, but nice) and obviously the pool is super clean as is the whole area. They do have music and it does get loud sometimes, but depending on who you are / what you like... that's how it goes. In my opinion, it was pretty great.

Noise Level: I read a lot about the noise and I did not experience this at all... Honestly, i believe it was for a couple reasons. (1) I got a room facing the "garden" which means away from the main drag and (2) college students were not around much. I'm not sure how we managed it, but it seemed very calm and quiet in August (which was surprising to me) cause the weather was perfect and we didn't have any massive crowds anywhere. I've been to SLO before and it was a bit crazy downtown, but we got lucky with the timing.

Long story short (tldr): Excellent Hotel. It's not the cheapest but good bang for your buck based on amazing location...