River Lodge Paso - 21 & Over Pool

The hotel charged $11.50 per night for parking, which future guests should know about. We were also disappointed that the on-site restaurant wasn’t open for breakfast one day, though the staff kindly put out complimentary coffee and muffins. We chose the Bella Serra Hotel for a wine-tasting trip, and its location in the heart of Paso Robles made it easy to get around. The property is beautiful, the area around it is quiet, and our room was extremely comfortable, with soft pillows and plush bedding that helped us sleep well. Front desk staff were welcoming and helpful, and check-in and checkout were seamless. It’s a superb choice for a stay in Paso Robles, with great comfort and welcoming service.

We’ve stayed here several times and used to consider it five-star worthy, but our stay from 10/12-17 was disappointing. The location is still five star and the property is beautifully renovated, but room rates have gone up and we’ll stay elsewhere next time. The online information says parking is free, but there’s a $15 nightly fee. WiFi was intermittent at best and out for most of our stay. We raised it with the front desk several times and were told it had been checked the week before and was working fine. The bathroom had no handheld shower head, and the rain shower had little pressure. There was no makeup mirror either. Preston was very helpful with the television issues we had, and exceeded our expectations.

The spacious, clean room seemed recently updated, and I liked it, but the jet tub was a real problem. The drain was broken, so water wouldn’t drain. I had to keep pulling the very tight drain cover up with my fingertips, which was annoying and painful. The jets also switched on loudly several times at night and woke me up scared. I told the front receptionist about it while checking out. He said sorry once and mentioned having a maintenance guy look at it, but seemed to treat it like it wasn’t serious. I wanted the problem addressed and a sincere apology. It felt like he couldn’t care less. Would he have taken it more seriously if he’d had to pull that cover up himself and been woken in the night several times? I left feeling bitter, and I would never come back.

The rooms have lovely interior design and comfortable beds, and the lobby restaurant is great. Staff were great overall too. The snack bar was a bit lacking, but not enough to be a deal breaker. Since it’s in the middle of Paso Robles, anywhere you want to go is less than 20 minutes away.