San Simeon - Accommodations?
 

I hope to visit San Simeon for 2 nights on September 28 & 29. Any suggestions for accommodations? I hope to see the Hearst Castle on the 29th.

Lots of B&B's up there, from budget to luxury...not sure just what you're looking for

we stayed here and it was fine:

www.sspines.com

I'm considering anything in the range of $79 to $189. What's convenient? Pleasant? Near restaurants?

My favorite in this area is the Best Western Cavalier Oceanfront Resort. It's an older motel, gradually being refurbished into a more upscale property, which means there is a wide variety of rooms and price levels, several within the range you indicated.

It is among the cluster of motels at San Simeon closest to the Castle, but what has always made it special to me (I first stayed there many years ago) is that it is one of the few lodgings on the Coast directly on the oceanfront, not across the highway as many of the "ocean view" properties even in this area are.

They have their own restaurant, are near others, and notice that their website (below) describes lodging/Castle tour/dinner packages which might make sense for you:

http://www.cavalierresort.com/

They are the #1 ranked lodging in San Simeon in the user reviews at Tripadvisor.com. There are a lot of pretty detailed reviews of the property there, and you might want to read them even if you don't choose to stay here, for their general comments and advice about San Simeon:

http://tinyurl.com/72vzo

Thanks for the info JBC411. I will certainly check the website.

One suggestion: you say you "hope" to see Hearst Castle on the 29th. You definitely need to make reservations, as the place sells out for the early tours (all those tour buses...). Don't wait til you get there to do it.
((S))((*))

i second the best western- we stayed there not too long ago- just stopped with no reservation and we're so happy with our room directly on the ocean at a very reasonable price

I would recommend going into Cambria to eat. The Sow's Ear, Sea Chest and Moonstone Bar & Grill are all very good. Enjoy the coast! ***kim*** ((#))

We just got back from Cambria. We stayed at Moonstone Landing. Very nice, clean, friendly, on the ocean (balconies if you want) fireplaces in rooms, nice continental breakfast and snacks at 4pm, cute town to shop and very nice walks on boardwalk.
The Hearst castle is amazing. Give yourself time to do more than one tour. It's so worth it. We took a last minute 9:10am Tour 2 and we were the only ones on it. I would make reservations to be safe.

DO you know that this isn't the only castle that Hearst owned? He bought a castle in Wales called St. Donats. It's a 12th century castle that he added bits and pieces to from England and all over Europe.

I had been to San Simeon, and then discovered this other castle when I began working there in June. It's an amazing place...

Once again, all you fodorites are the greatest - many fonts of useful info.

The Best Western looks great, and I definitely plan to reserve the tours in advance and probably schedule one in a.m. and one in the p.m.

JBC411 - thanks for your replies to all my different messages.

And Kimamom - I think you were among the many helpful fodorites when I planned my trip to the Portland/Olympic Pen./Seattle last year. Thanks again.

You're welcome, woodstockguy. And since you wrote your thanks, I've also added to your Yosemite thread.

Playmak, I'm sure many of the Moonstone Beach, Cambria places like the one you stayed are fine and people enjoy them, but there is one distinction that's not clear from your account which I think is important: like most oceanview lodgings in California, the Moonstone properties are NOT on the ocean, but across the road from them. That's a different experience from being on the ocean side, with no road or traffic between you and the surf, which is why I thought the Best Western was a special find when I first discovered it years ago, and still do.

fairfax: At one point Hearst owned EIGHT castles. Actually the largest, I think, was Wyntoon, in a very remote location in the Mount Shasta area of Northern California. But he tended to go there less and less because his companion Marion Davies hated its isolation, referring to it as "Spittoon," preferring to party with her Hollywood friends at San Simeon. I believe the family still owns Wyntoon, although I doubt even they can afford to keep it fully open and operational.

At one time, I worked for a company in San Francisco for which W.R.Hearst's grandson and namesake, W.R. III, was on the Board. I remember finding myself alone in an elevator with him once when I could have introduced myself and truthfully said, "I was walking around in your Grandpa's house just last weekend," but that seemed tacky somehow.

JBC411: We stayed overnight on a Sunday, so everything was very quiet. I hardly even noticed the road since there was very little traffic. It feels like a small side street but instead of neighbors you have an ocean. Next time, I'll check out the Best Western. Also, thanks for extra info on Hearst. It's so fancinating.

I'm surprised by the enthusiasm for the Best Western Cavalier. When I stayed there the rooms were clean but badly in need of refurbishing.

We had an ocean view, but we drove into very nearby Cambria for meals.

We much prefer to stay at one of the places on Moonstone Beach Drive in Cambria. Most rooms there don't have ocean views, but they do have easy access to a beautiful walk along the coast and they are near restaurants and a short drive to the Hearst mansion.

Cambria is the much better place to stay, and it's a close and easy drive to San Simeon. We stayed in San Simeon years ago, and regretted it.
Check out the fogcatcherinn.
Agree w/ Happytrails!

I am not affiliated in any way with the Best Western Cavalier, with the San Simeon Chamber of Commerce or tourism bureau, or with any business involved in tourism.

However, the two or three posts which show up with tiresome regularity on any thread about staying in the vicinity of Hearst Castle, touting ANYPLACE in Cambria over ANYPLACE in San Simeon and trashing the Best Western Cavalier as run down in particular, always using the same familiar phrases, make me wonder if someone at the Cambria chamber or tourism office is assigned to monitor the board and chime in when the Castle area is discussed.

I'm sure some people sincerely like Cambria and prefer some of the accommodations there to the Best Western, and the couple of posts above may well genuinely be from such people.

But no where else in this forum have I seen such a predictable, repetitive, vague and general touting of one tourist area and trashing of the next door one, targeting its most successful establishment in particular, as I've seen for Cambria over San Simeon. I am becoming convinced it should be taken with a grain of salt.

While I am unimpressed with Cambria as a place, I never run down any specific lodgings or restaurants there, and I am sure they are many fine establishments there and people enjoy them.

I speak up about the Best Western Cavalier when I see Hearst Castle area threads to alert others who, like me, especially like finding the few Central and Northern California coast lodgings which are genuinely oceanside, as opposed to across the street from the ocean, like Cambria's Moonstone Drive places.

That is important plus to some of us in our enjoyment of a property, for reasons that have only partly to do with traffic noise, and are in major part psychological. For many others, that's not an important distinction, and they'll go on to the next recommendation. These differences in taste and preference are a lot of what these forums are about.

As far as the specific trashing of the Best Western, again I'd refer the reader to Tripadvisor.com, where such a multitude of recent enthusiastic user reviews by people from many different areas, in a great variety of writing styles, is convincing that the enthusiasm of many people for this property is genuine, and not the product of a manufactured campaign.

While I made clear above, as does the property's website, that a refubishing is ongoing and some rooms are more updated (and more expensive) than others, reading all of these many reviews makes it clear that if any actual customers react to the property as run down, as the Cambria touters repetively characterize it, that's a small minority view.

What a bunch of hot air from JBC411. Anybody who has driven past the motels in San Simeon AND the motels in Cambria can see that one is much more appealing than the other.

Cambria is a delightful town, San Simeon isn't.

The Best Western Cavalier is OK if dated and in need of refurbishing. Woodstockguy can verify what he reads here when he gets to the Hearst Castle neighborhood.

Happytrails, the more sweeping and dogmatic the statement, the more suspect the source.

Seems you disagree with me that people's tastes legititmately differ, and want to pound into the ground that "anyone" would agree with you over the absolute superiority of every lodging in one of these towns over every one in the other.

I think it's only reasonable to believe that even though my own favorite lodging in the area is in San Simeon, some other people would find their favorite in Cambria. I just lay out my preference for questioners' consideration, in case their priorites are like mine.

And though I'm not too fond of Cambria, it's almost certain that I'd prefer some motels in Cambria to some in San Simeon. And I'll say so, because my loyalty is to the readers here, not to the property owners of a particular town.

How about letting woodstockguy go and tell us his own impressions, rather than "verifying what he has read" of your decrees? "Verifying" implies your preferences are absolute truth to be followed by everyone and "anyone".

Here's a Tripadvisor reviewer of the BW Cavalier from Dallas who came away with a different perspective from yours:

"I remember being thankful I chose not to book our stay 5 minutes further down the coast in Cambria which seemed like a crowded tourist trap with Holly Hobby-like country chic stores."

But because this person's tastes are different from yours, happytrails, I guess he or she doesn't qualify as "anyone."

We just spent two nights @ BW Cavalier last month and couldn't have been more happy with our choice. Agonized over staying here or Cambria not knowing the area. Oceanfront bargain. Enjoy the fire pits in the evening. Pick up smore's fixings at the store across the street. Nice three (not four) star accomodations.

We much prefer Cambria over San Simeon. I think the BW property looks very run down and neglected. The inns on Moonstone Beach drive are very nice. :)

There is also a very nice BW property in Cambria that we enjoy, the Fireside Inn. It is right across the street from Moonstone Beach and has recently been remodeled. Cambria has many nice places to dine and has a very relaxed, beach feel to the town. We like to have tea at the Tea Cozy there and wine taste at Fermentations. Seekers, the glass store has some beautiful pieces of work in there. www.seekers.com ***kim*** ((*))

www.seekersglass.com is the website for the glass art store in Cambria! I like to purchase the gorgeous ornaments for birthday and Christmas presents! ***kim*** ((*))

We recently returned from our 3.5 week cross country trip and staying at Cambria's Moonstone Landing Inn... it was our favorite lodging of the trip! After much research we were thrilled with our choice.

We also considered the BW Cavalier and it looked fine when we went by, but for our nights it was close to $300 for oceanfront. The Moonstone Landing Inn was absolutely lovely, new within the last five years, immaculate with excellent ammenities (incl. fireplace and jacuzzi) and approx. $200. Wine, cheese, crackers & dips plus cookies at check in were a great touch, plus their continental breakfast included wonderful FRESH pastries from a local bakery and a fruit bowl a cut above the rest (blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, etc). Yum. I soo wanna go back right now! :(

Best of all, it had a TOTALLY unobstructed view of the ocean from our balcony. While there's a little street in front, beyond that there are no trees, shrubs etc, unlike many (most) of the other places.

I know this because i had my best run there (back and forth many times) and checked out each property i'd considered (for months, i might add.)

By the way, check out the Shell station for some great sweatshirts etc. at half the cost of the shoppes (thanks for the tip, ***Kim***!)

BTW, thank you JBC411 for excellent advice also re: the central coast. Wow, we had another trip of a lifetime and appreciate all the help from Fodorites. We absolutely hated to coming home and are still re-entering....(full trip report forthcoming!)

LOL, I forgot all about that Shell station. They have some great souvenirs there! Glad you enjoyed Cambria. A couple of years ago we stayed at the Blue Whale Inn, right next to the Fireside. A great little B&B, but no oceanview from the rooms there. Sounds like you had a great time in Cambria! Did you make it to Linn's for some ollalieberry goodies? ***kim*** ((#))

You're welcome, ellen_griswold, and I look forward eagerly to reading your trip report. I am glad that you found a lodging in Cambria that you really enjoyed.

It is accounts like yours--and of DaveS a little further above--that I take at face value and respect, ones in which you tell about a property you liked and why, without indulging in ridiculous, sweeping assertions that all lodgings in a competing next door community are grossly inferior and that its most expensive and popular property would be recognized by any passerby as an obvious dump.

When I see so many repetitive and predictable posts of the latter type, all having the same elements and talking points, like a couple or three examples above, it does make me wonder if the openness of this forum is being abused by a particular group of property owners.

How paranoid! San Francisco is a great place to visit, Fresno isn't. Ditto with the Cambria vs. San Simeon comparison.

San Simeon does have a very nice pier that we like to walk on and the ocean beach there is nice, I just prefer Moonstone Beach in Cambria. Different strokes for different folks kind of thing! ***kim*** ((#))

**kim** You always find the bright side. Thanks. I meant to add that I find all the places in the Hearst Castle area to be over-priced.

Thanks, happy! :) San Simeon or Cambria, it's all a gorgeous piece of coast there. We have stayed at three different properties on Moonstone Drive and my favorite so far has been the Cypress Cove Inn. Their sister property, Fogcatcher was full but I would love to stay there sometime, also!

Still have to make it over to Black Cat Bistro. I heard Bistro Sole closed. We like to tour the wine country in Paso Robles on our way over this area. I think their Fall Harvest Wine Tour is in October. We will probably do this again, if it isn't on our son's wedding day. Cheers! ***kim*** ((*))

Wow, all you guys are amazing, giving this post a life of its own and providing endless information. I'll be sure to report back when I've made the trip.

Keep the advice coming!!

Just wanted to add that many of the properties mentioned here on this post have winter specials! BW Cavalier in the winter... $79.00 to 130.00. Cambria Pines Lodge and Fogcatcher... $99.99 including wine upon arrival, dinner at the Cambria Pines Lodge, and a continental breakfast in the lobby. Try coming Nov, Dec, Jan and Feb and you'll love the prices!