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The Madonna Inn - San Luis Obisbo, CA
photo: Jill Pixley
Looking for a unique and festive destination for your next road trip getaway? Follow Highway 101 south from SF for 3.5 hours (much of it through glorious Steinbeck Country) to San Luis Obispo, where you'll find yourself face-to-facade with the Madonna Inn. Built by Alex and Phyllis Madonna in the late 1950s, the Inn is located minutes from downtown and features 110 guest rooms, each sporting its own theme and distinct decor. If you're channeling your inner Wilma or Fred Flintstone, you might want to check out the Caveman room. Just Heaven is just perfect if you're looking for a private tower from which to view the sun and stars. The Austrian Suite features two separate balconies, and its 4th floor hillside location is accessible by an outdoor spiral staircase. Fireplaces, rock waterfall showers and stained glass windows are just some of the fun features that await your arrival.
Be sure to check out the slide show below for a glimpse inside...
World-famous Pink Champagne cake at the Madonna Inn
photo: Jill Pixley
Oh, and did I mention the cakes? Made daily at the Inn's world-famous bakery, you can choose from Black Forest, Pink Champagne or Toffee Crunch (to name just a few). One taste and you'll be forever changed. After eating a piece of the Black Forest cake, my husband had a dream that night of a forest filled with cakes. No joke, they're that good.
Pool and fitness center - Madonna Inn
photo: Jill Pixley
In addition to the exceptional guestrooms and bakery, the Inn features a day spa, a European-style pool and fitness center, two restaurants and a bar, and several banquet rooms. If you're planning a fiesta grande, the Alex Madonna Expo Center is onsite and available for weddings, concerts and trade shows.
Since a picture is indeed worth a thousand words, spend a little time browsing through the slide show below to enjoy some of the details that put this Inn in a class by itself.
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Comments
Glad you included a photo of the 'famous' restroom! The Madonna is a fun stop along the LA-SF trek.
Sounds like a great place to visit!
Oh jeeez... do I remember seeing that Inn like it was yesterday or what? It's on the way to The Hearst Castle, right? Shoulda stayed there instead of the creepy Mariott- where I locked my car keys in my car. Ugh!
Wow.....the cakes! They look fantastic, along with the rest of The Madonna. Next time we head north - we will definitely make a stop. Thanks for the info.
Would love to visit The Madonna. Certainly not the typical hotel/motel--and--those cakes!!! Thanks!
..nine yrs ago acquired a 1000lb touring motorcycle to scoot up that entire highway and visit several wacky places(this one in particular) on the way to visiting, ahem, certain S.F. denizens, then a farm in Seattle.
Instead drove the brute off the back of 9000ft mountain down 4wd trac, stayed in A-frame motel room at bottom with, erm, its own themed bathroom.
There is no real accounting for the supposed Male Brain, but thanks for this account of The Madonna.
Whats truly better than many cakes to sample, and a themed bathroom waiting, hmmm?
More please.
Hahahaha -- "face to façade" -- love it! I always thought Madonna Inn was an only-in-California sort of thing until I read about St. Louis' Cheshire Lodge and Inn (which I subsequently wrote about in my "Up In The Air meets them in St. Louis" article). Great pix and article, Jill!
Jill--thanks for doing this article! I stayed there a few years ago (in one of the rock rooms) and it was a lot of fun. And the cakes are definitely as good as they look.
I have friends that stayed there recently, and loved it.
I visited the Madonna Inn in the 80's, and it is actually really comforting to see that some things do not change! A bit garish, maybe? but fun and so unique. And now we're also excited about visiting Steinbeck country!
Thanks for bringing back a great old memory and for igniting our fires to visit and learn more about the great northern California area.
Carry on!!!
We'll be waiting...
I hope they keep this famous landmark going forever. There's no reason hotels need to be boring, cookie cutter places.
We are planning a monster road trip up the CA coast so this is just what we need to include in our itinerary!
We were there last week. What an amazing place. A bit gaudy, perhaps, but still amazing.
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