Ocean Views, Complimentary Wine & Genuine Small-Town Hospitality
Finding a hotel near Hearst Castle is easy. Finding one where the staff treats you like family, the wine keeps flowing and the beach is just outside your room is something else entirely. Here’s why this became one of my favorite places to stay on California’s Central Coast.
By Kevin Wilkerson, Editor & Publisher, PubClub.com
The general manager likes to surf.
The morning desk clerk likes to cook.
The afternoon desk clerk likes to talk. And pour wine.
On The Beach B&B in Cayucos, CA, along the Central California Coast in San Luis Obispo County, is not your ordinary place for accommodations. What it is, is a top place to say for visiting Hearst Castle just half an hour away and for exploring the whole area known as the Highway 1 Discovery Route.
That is, of course, provided you can ever manage to leave your room and the hotel.
After all, the beach is right there, just out the door, and is visible from back-room balconies. There’s a fireplace in the room, comfortable reading chairs in which to kick back and relax, a ceiling fan and the bathroom has a Jacuzzi-jet tub. There are also ample wall outlets (a travel pet peeve of mine are hotel rooms without enough outlets).
The hallways are decorated with beachy artwork and photos – including one of GM Richard Shannon surfing – and the lobby smells like fresh-baked goods because each morning and afternoon the staff makes gourmet-style breakfast and appetizers.
Plus, there’s all that wine, liberally poured during the nightly Social Hour (5-6 p.m), usually by the very entertaining Suzie. For beer lovers, there are also local brews from local craft breweries.
Being at On The Beach B&B is less like being in a hotel and more like being a visitor at that friendly relative’s house where your aunt waits on you hand and foot and keeps giving you food and drink. “Oh ,I shan’t,” you say initially, before quickly giving in to all their offerings.
The hotel is an excellent combination of old and new. It’s made mostly of wood (which I like and fits into this time-stands-still community) with some historic photos on the walls and an old-fashioned service attitude, yet has three car-charging stations in its garage and complimentary and hassle-free Internet service.
The rooms are large – almost the size of which you get in Vegas. I had a double and it had two queen-sized beds with 5-star bedding and pillows so comfortable I wanted to take a couple home with me (tho I settled for the bath salts and almond hand-and-body lotion from the bathroom, haha).
Our room also had had a mini-fridge (kept the beers ice cold, quite literally, as I turned it up too high!), the fireplace, a small desk and three comfortable chairs for sitting and relaxing and for checking e-mail and such on a laptop.
Naturally, I peeked into a few other rooms when the maids were cleaning and they appeared to be identical to ours.
The location is at the far end of town, which means it’s about a 2-3 minute walk from anywhere in town.
This includes the famous Butter Brown Cookie Company with its highly sought-after sea salt cookie (written up in the New York Times!), the awesome The Grill at Cass House (right across the street) with its fantastic grilled meats, the locals’ favorite breakfast spot called Sea Shanty, a place bursting with character for food and drinks over the ocean called Schooners and the town’s saloon, the Old Cayucos Tavern.
It is also right in front of Cayucos Pier.
Rates start at about $200.
What I Liked Most
- Genuinely friendly staff
- Complimentary wine
- On-the-beach location
- Breakfast
- Spacious rooms
- Location to Hearst Castle, Cambria and wine tasting
Would I Stay Here Again?
Absolutely. If I were planning another trip to Hearst Castle or California’s Central Coast, I’d stay here again without hesitation. The combination of the location, welcoming staff, complimentary wine homemade breakfast and easy walk to Cayucos restaurants made it feel less like a hotel and more like spending a few days at a friend’s beach house.
Q&A
- Is On The Beach Bed & Breakfast within walking distance of downtown Cayucos? Yes; it’s five minutes at most to everywhere.
- Is breakfast included? Yes.
- How far is it from Hearst Castle? About half an hour
- Is it a good base for exploring Highway 1? Absoutely along the Central California coast.
- Is parking available? Yes, it has on-site parking.
On The Beach B&B Information
Website: californiaonthebeach.com
Phone: (805) 995-3200
E-mail: info@californiaonthebeach.com
Address: 181 N. Ocean Avenue – Cayucos, CA
Next Stops On The PubClub Party Bus!
• The California Beach Town That Time Forgot
• Three Days Along The Central California Coast
• Wine Tasting Near Hearst Castle
• Hearst Castle, The PubClub Tour
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