Recent stay San Simeon budget motels? Silver Surf, Inns of Cal, Sands by Sea, San Simeon Lodge, El Rey, Motel 6
 

Looks like from the advice I've gotten on this board I can head down to Hearst Castle for the evening tour and perhaps see elephant seals along the way! Two sights I didn't see last time we drove Hwy 1 years ago.<BR><BR>Need to find motel &lt;$100 per night that will let me stay just Saturday night. Looks like my choices are as listed--Silver Surf $78, Inns of California $68, and Motel 6 $34 (AAA 2 diamond) and Sands by the Sea $45(westside of highway) and San Simeon Lodge $59 (1 diamond) and El Rey Garden Inn $84. Alternately, Bluebird motel in downtown Cambria (2 diamond) may let me have a standard room for one night.<BR><BR>I usually use AAA 3 diamonds, but know there are some OK clean and safe basic motels. I had a couple of really bad experiences with Motel 6 years ago and have avoided them since. Since the San Simeon motels are all on Hwy 1, would any be quieter than the others? There's no advantage to being on the ocean side of the highway in that area, is there?

Might want to look at Morro Bay. A bit farther, but it'll give you more options. And it's a neat place....

Hi again, I posted previously about your trip. Unless you have your heart set on being by the ocean, try the McCall Farm. It is charming!

Thanks, Michelle.<BR>The B&amp;B is just too expensive for my budget just now--$125 and up.<BR>I've never gotten so many pop-up windows as when I accessed their website!

I second the recommendation to check Morro Bay. It's a little bit down the road, but a nice place. Also, it tends to be less expensive than Cambria. <BR><BR>A few years ago my husband and I stayed at the Ascot Inn and it was clean, basic lodging, only a couple blocks from the water. I think we paid $65 or $70 a night. That was a few years ago, so the rates have probably gone up, but I remember there were many motels in the area to choose from.

I've stayed at Silver Surf before and it was perfectly acceptable, definitely a step up from Motel 6. It's not right on the highway so you won't have that kind of noise. Some rooms do face the parking lot, you might want to ask for a quieter room.<BR><BR>More recently I've stayed at San Simeon Pines which was great, especially if you want a quieter location. Not sure if it is below $100 but probably close.<BR><BR>Have a great time!

Dear Kay2:<BR><BR>Too bad McCall Farm is not in your budget this time. Sorry I cannot help you with the other places. Just this past weekend, the Sacramento Bee travel section featured Hearst Castle. The evening tours are only offered March-May and Sept-Dec on Fridays and Saturdays. Hopefully you find a place and be sure to reserve ahead at Hearst Castle.

I ended up at the Inns of California because it had interior corridors (I feel safer and its usually quieter--important to a light sleeper traveling alone) and hair dryers (didn't want to pack one for just that night as my other hotel would have one). Turns out the hotels that wouldn't take my one night reservation lost some money--they all had vacancies they didn't fill! <BR><BR>San Simeon is really just a wide place in the road, isn't it? I don't think I needed to worry so much about highway noise as Hwy 1 was practically deserted.<BR><BR>The motel was OK. It was a basic budget motel that seemed clean. The heater was a wall mounted unit (it was cold and windy outside). The clock didn't work. The towels were soft and the water hot. Avoid the offer of a discount to the nearby restaurant breakfast buffet ($4.75, I think). The hotel owner said that even a cup of coffee would cost that much in San Simeon. The buffet seemed to consist of a glorified continental breakfast--cereal, toast, fruit, scrambled eggs, and pancakes. I'd prefer to bring my own bakery item from another town and eat on the beach.

I stayed at the Blue Bird Motel in 1994. It was a nice motel. At the time very clean and quaint. Didn't have that negative &quot;motel&quot; feel. Cambria is a sleepy town where everything closes pretty much at 8:30. But a nice little artist area.

Places to stay in Morro Bay MAY be a little cheaper but now that it is almost Easter their prices will have gone up.There are more motels and some good restaurants. If you just want a place to sleep stay in San Simeon...

Search Cambria - there are many along Moonstone Beach Rd.