On our way back from spending a week in Yosemite and stopping by Hearst Castle, we settled down for the night at a unique inn in San Luis Obispo called Madonna Inn. It was Anna that recommended this inn, as she found it on a “Best Of” list that I can’t quite remember.
What makes Madonna Inn special is its very-over-the-top kitsch decor and its “110 whimsical guestrooms”, each decorated to a specific theme. Let’s just say that this inn is not afraid of busy patterns, loud colors, gaudy furnitures, or busy decor. Initially, my mind said “yikes!”.
But the more I spent time in this Madonna Inn world, the more I appreciated the time and effort they put into building a unique experience for their guests.
We got there late in the night, so I’m sorry for the somewhat unflattering photos. Actually, walking around the property at night felt enchanting as the dim lights gave us a soft glimmer into the cottage-style building.
I believe our room ended up being called something like “stone cave” because, as you can see, the walls were lined with real stone. It felt like we were actually living in the Flintstones age! With chandelier lights, vintage furniture, exposed closet, and HGTV on t.v., what more could a girl ask for?
The shower was also inside a completely stone-walled enclosure, and was one of the main reasons we wanted to try this room versus any other unique rooms they offered. Plus look at that sink!
To top it off, they had a high-tech toilet. It’s like we’re living way back in the past, but also way forward in the future (unless you’re in Japan).
We walked around the property that night and came across this beautiful public restroom.
The next morning, Anna and I decided to book a massage at their spa. We walked by the pool on our way to the spa, and the amazing view from the pool overlooking San Luis Obispo definitely made us want to hit the waters afterwards (it ended up being an amazing swim, btw!).
The massage was cool, calm, and relaxing. So relaxing that I fell asleep pretty quickly into the session! Haha. Just how I like spa sessions to be.
After waking up in a dreamy haze with a completely relaxed body and mind, hot tea and pastries with fruits was a nice addition to end our spa experience.
Here’s what the exterior looks like in the daytime! Seems like something from a fairy tale, doesn’t it?
All in all, it was an amazing experience in a very unique inn. As we were checking out, the office space had racks of postcards, all with different photos of their different rooms. They say some come back on a yearly basis just to try out a different room. And with rooms that are completely covered in pink, while some others look like rooms straight out of a Disney princess movie, I might just have to make another reservation or two in the future.
