J Patrick Inn

We really enjoyed this relaxing short stay. The bed was comfy, and the fun breakfast basket was a hit. The country-style decor and friendly cat, nana, were lovely touches. It's a quiet spot near moonstone beach and Hearst castle.

The property was very quiet at night, and I slept well. Still, I was disappointed by how my request for real honey was handled. Before we arrived, they asked several times about special needs and requests. I explained I needed real honey for blood sugar and health reasons, and was assured they'd provide it. When it wasn't there, I followed up and was given packets that were mostly sucrose or sugar. The next morning, I was simply told it wasn't possible, with no acknowledgment of the earlier requests or my health concerns, and no attempt to find a solution. If I'd known, I would have brought my own. At $300 a night, I hoped they could provide a bit of honey.

They didn't have to refund us, but they did, and I really appreciate that. On our coastal highway trip through CA, we misjudged the distances and called on the day of our stay to cancel. We understood when they refused since we were outside the cancellation window. Later, the road was closed halfway up Big Sur, so we had to turn around and come back to Cambria late in the day. We called to see if we could undo the cancellation and keep our original room, but they were sold out and couldn't accommodate us. Since they'd resold our room, they refunded us. That was a decent, sensible choice by a stand-up company. Much appreciated!!!

The room was cozy and nice, with a decent bathroom, though the shower towels were small at 30" by 40". There were plenty of them. Room access was convenient and didn't require a key, and the location worked perfectly for Christmas Lights at the Pines Lodge, right across the street, so we avoided much of the parking mess there. Say hi to the greeter cat Nana! The room had a fireplace. Housekeeping was good, and the breakfast was okay, with the same warm quiche, sausages, muffins, orange juice, and yogurt parfait both mornings. We skipped it on the second day and went into town instead. The customer service felt like an AI or ChatGBT prompt, very impersonal. All communication was by text. We left the room at 9:30 AM and at 10 AM got a message saying to text if we needed towels or anything. But neither that Saturday morning text nor the welcome message said we had to ask for the room to be tidied or the bed made. For a two-night stay, I expected at least the bed to be made and the trash picked up. That's very bad, and they should tell guests if they don't do that. It kept this from being five stars. I got the feeling they do the bare minimum. At a cute B&B on the central coast, I hoped for some personal service. If you're self-sufficient, book here. If you want to speak with a person and get personalized service, I'd go across the street.