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Expect to pay top dollar for rooms along the shore, especially in summer. Moderately priced hotels and motels do exist—most just a short drive inland from their higher-price counterparts. Make your reservations as early as possible, and take advantage of midweek specials to get the best rates. It's common for lodgings to require two-day minimum stays on holidays and some weekends, especially in summer, and to double rates during festivals and other events.
Families, honeymooners, and business travelers all find respite at this two-story oceanfront hotel, where some of the stylish nautical-theme suites have fireplaces and ocean views and all have private patios and balconies. Swim in the outdoor heated pool, play checkers on a life-size board, or practice putting on the on-site green—this place is about full-on beachside R&R.
The lodge's modern, motel-style cottages with Mission-style furnishings and vaulted ceilings sit in a meadow surrounded by redwood trees and flowering shrubbery. Some rooms have fireplaces, and some have kitchens; all have a deck or a patio. The larger, multibed rooms and suites are a good choice for families.
In summer at this rustic property you can sip drinks beside—or in—the Big Sur River fronted by the inn's wooded grounds, and, if you're here on a Sunday afternoon between May and September, you can enjoy live music on the restaurant's deck. The eight suites in the main building have king beds in the bedroom, trundle beds in the living room, and decks overlooking the river. The standard rooms in the motel building across the road have one or two queen beds and either porches or patios.
Accommodations at this 25-acre retreat up the hill from the East Village range from basic fireplace cabins to motel-style standard rooms to large fireplace suites and deluxe suites with spa tubs. The lodge is always busy, as its extensive gardens are popular with wedding parties; groups and conferences are big business; and bands play rock, folk, and jazz in the lounge every night.
A favorite among Channel Islands visitors, this quiet, comfortable, lodge-inspired property sits right at the Ventura Harbor entrance. The guest quarters are spacious retreats with flat-screen TVs and puffy duvets. The south side of the hotel overlooks the marinas. For the best views, ask for an upperfloor harborside room or suite.
On the site of an old spa hotel of the same name, this inn has various buildings clustered around a lush, shaded garden with a pool. Each of the 18 Deluxe Spa rooms has a hot tub in its bathroom or on its balcony, and bears the name of a local winery that supplied the room's photography, artwork, and other special touches. The Piccolo at the Paso Robles Inn is a four-story luxury hotel with a rooftop bar adjacent to the historic property.
While not a fancy place, this hidden oasis has many perks that merit a stay, including a convenient location between the airport/UCSB and downtown; lush gardens around a lagoon with ducks, turtles, and koi; a solar-heated outdoor pool and hot tub; a fitness center; free parking and Wi-Fi; and relatively affordable rates for the region. This is a particularly good choice for families and is close to many restaurants and services.
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