Pelican Inn & Suites

We came back for a second stay, this time with family for NYE and NYDay, and we’ll definitely return. The hotel has so much character and couldn’t be better placed, across a small street from the ocean and beach walk. Sea Chest Restaurant is a three-minute walk, and downtown Cambria is a four-minute drive. Sam, the General Mgr, gave impeccable service, and Carmen at the front desk was great too. I highly recommend suite #426.

We stopped in Cambria, CA for one night on the way to Half Moon Bay and another on the way home, staying at the Pelican Inn and Suites just across Moonstone Beach Drive from the coast. The two nights were very different, and at this point it feels like a gamble. There are plenty of places to stay in Cambria, so I don’t see Pelican Inn making the cut. On the way out, we’d booked both nights directly with Pelican Inn. The woman checking us in was friendly and showed us parking near Building 3, room #313. It was clean and nice, with a comfortable bed and a decent ground-floor view of the ocean across the street. The very low toilet disappointed me, and the $5 water bottles annoyed me. Who do they think they are, an airport? Still, it was a decent stay. Coming home, the young woman checking us in seemed like she didn’t want to be there. We got room #314 and were told without any apology that Building 3’s lot was being paved, so we’d have to park at Building 1 or 2, or use public parking across the street. We found the last space in Building 2 and skipped dinner so we wouldn’t lose it. Our room was next to the one from our first stay, and the rooms were identical in layout but in very different condition. I’m guessing #313 had been renovated and #314 hadn’t. It had the same low toilet, plus a cracked sink, grubby baseboards, outlets that needed attention, and a bathroom door that didn’t close all the way. The paving crew started spreading the slurry coat early the next morning. We went to breakfast, then came back to check out and use the bathroom. While one of us was in there, a staff member came to the door. That was uncomfortable, especially with the bathroom door not fully closing. For the price, the second room wasn’t at all what you’d expect. If I were the manager, I’d have comped us.

We really enjoyed the Pelican Inn and will be back. We had both a family suite and a king suite, and both had comfortable beds, good showers, and jacuzzi tubs that the kids enjoyed. The service was great when we needed to move rooms, which wasn’t their fault. They gave us a late checkout and had the next room ready early. The location right on the beach is amazing.

We love the hotel’s oceanfront rooms along Moonstone beach. Xiomara at the front desk was the best, recommending great restaurants and helping us find another room so we could stay an extra night.