Disclaimers: To respect the privacy of my family/friends who travel with me, my blog posts are usually written as if I traveled solo. Publishing dates don't reflect when the travel actually occurred. Some posts contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission for having referred you. It's partly how I finance my travels so THANK YOU!

Hello! How would you like to hear about my experience staying at the San Simeon Lodge in San Simeon, California in 2026? It's on Highway 1 between the historical Hearst Castle and the small beach town of Cambria.

Address: 9520 Castillo Dr, San Simeon, CA 93452
Phone: 805.927.4601

Maybe you're planning a trip to California's Central Coast and you're not sure where to stay. This is the perfect review for you!

San Simeon Lodge: Don't Expect Anything Too Fancy Schwa Schwa

TL;DR Yes, it's a 2-star hotel. So don't expect luxury or perfection, mm kay?? But I'm a frugal traveler who stays mainly at economy hotels. The less I spend per night, the more I can travel yo!!

If that's you too, you'll love the San Simeon Lodge. However, if you need 3 or more stars, just do a Pageant Girl Wave as you drive on by, maybe head on down to J. Patrick House in KOMMM-bree-uh or something, okay, Fancy Pants? 😉

A Bonus "Best" Thing About the San Simeon Lodge Hotel

I'll list out the 5 Best and 5 Worst things about this hotel. But there was one feature that was SOOOO freakin' awesome that putting it in the Best list just doesn't do it justice ⚖️.

You wanna' know??

... It's the sights and sounds of the ocean 🌊☀️🌴

SUPER AMAZING!! Talk about location, location, location!

The San Simeon Lodge sits essentially 2 blocks back from the Pacific Ocean. You can hear the waves crashing, and see all shades of blue, green, and grey water out to the horizon. There are lots of palm trees framing the views. The smell of the salt air is so soothing and yummy. 

It's really just magical to be this close to the water. As you walk around the property, it kind of slowly inclines as it goes back to the east. This makes for great views from most anywhere on site.

Tip: You may want to see if you can get a room on the 2nd floor on either of the ocean-facing sections - so you can enjoy all these great views from your room, too.

I worked on my laptop in my room a lot while at San Simeon Lodge. It was such a joy to look at that view all day!

Nearby Attractions / Things to Do - San Simeon Lodge

William Randolph Hearst State Park
San Simeon Pier
William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach
Hearst Ranch Winery
Hearst Castle
Elephant Seal Rookery
Piedras Blancas Lighthouse

Yeah, you could play a drinking game. "Hearst, Hearst, Hearst!" He was a rich, popular guy.

He built a castle with a truly impressive cache of fine art. And exotic animals like zebras. Oh, and an MTV Cribs-worthy swimming pool! He used to fly up here from Hollywood back in the day, landing on his private air strip. So they named a lot of stuff after him.

Quite a fascinating story; here's a book about Hearst Castle if you'd like to learn more before you visit.

When the Best and the Worst About San Simeon Lodge Are the Same Thing

Now that we're in between the Worst and Best Things About San Simeon Lodge, I have to sneak in one that was both: The restaurant and food.

Best: It's a great menu and everything I had there was good 😊
Worst: The prices were SO high that it almost ruined my trip ☹️

Here's a menu that was current when I visited so you can see for yourself. But in general, breakfasts were $xx-xx, lunches were $xx-xx, appetizers were $18-20, dinners were $20-30, and deserts $8-10. 

[menu photos]

I never sat down and ate in the bar or restaurant but I ordered food To Go 3 times.

1. Late evening - artichoke appetizer = $30 w/tax & tip
2. Dinner - bacon-wrapped prawns w/order of fries (not included) = $xx w/tax & tip
3. Lunch time - artichoke appetizer and garlic cheese bread = $30 with tax/tip

I think artichokes were less in #3 because it was still 'lunch menu' time. They were delicious, cooked perfectly both times and a generous serving. Prawns were great though a small serving (4) for the price. No cheese detected on the bread but good garlic bread.

Hmm, Low Room Prices + High Restaurant Prices = A Calculated Tactic?

The food was overpriced overall, in my mind. So I was REALLY glad I'd stayed well under budget on the room! Otherwise, that $100+ I'd spent on 2.5 "light" meals for 1 person would've really pissed me off.

By light I mean I didn't have steak or anything, no drinks, no desert. All appetizer items, no meals because of cost.

Yes, you're right. It's a free country. 🇺🇸  I could've eaten elsewhere. But San Simeon is a small, fairly remote town. Not a lot of choices and, per the bartender, no DoorDash or UberEats comes out this far. So you're kinda' captive and I'm sure they know that. Sigh.

5 Best Things About San Simeon Lodge

Okay, I'm finally to the part where I tell you my 5 best things about SSL (other than the ocean).

1. Very Reasonable Room Pricing

The way I found San Simeon Lodge was with my current favorite app called Hotel Tonight. You can download the app or use the web version here.

If you're curious how the app works, check out my blog post, Review: Hotel Tonight App for Discounts on Hotels ... Tonight. [But really, you can find rooms for other dates in the future; doesn't have to be tonight].

For a nice-sized room with 2 queen beds, the pricing ranged from $89 to $134, depending on the day of the week. Over the course of my several-day stay, it averaged $xx/night including 12.5% total tax.

2. Restaurant, Bar, and Mini-Mart on Site

Why do I list this as a Best Thing? Check out my article, "Solo Travel Tip: Find a Hotel with a Bar and/or Restaurant On Site."

The San Simeon Lodge isn't just a hotel, more like a mini-campus with lots of amenities. In the main building, you'll find: 

• Check-in counter
• Gym - with treadmills, stairclimbers, and weights
• The Beach Bar and Grill - with indoor and outdoor seating facing the ocean
• Mini-mart - with drinks, food, souvenirs, (lite) camping/fishing gear, etc

The gym looks out on a patio with tables and chairs, a large grassy area kids would love, a good-sized swimming pool, another patio area, and 2 of the 3 hotel room banks.

All 3 sections have 2 floors. Some of the downstairs rooms have patio doors that open to outdoor seating; others don't.

If you get a 2nd story room, be aware there are stairs only, no elevators and no luggage carts. Luckily, you should be able to park pretty close to any of the rooms, depending on how busy it is when you arrive. 

[stairs photo]

No running on the stairs! Dang! Ruined all my plans ...

Wanna' Kabab and Some Liquor? (Wait, that sounds like a dirty joke setup!)

In addition to the SSL amenities, across the parking lot, there's a liquor store called, erm, "San Simeon Liquor". I visited twice for waters and an adult bev.

Like the mini-mart attached to the San Simeon Lodge, it was nothing special, a little dark and pokey, but full to the brim of things you might need while traveling. The employees were chatty and helpful. Neither had the small Buzz Balls just the big ones. ("That's what SHE said! 😆)

This store (possibly)(allegedly)(maybe) has been brushed with pixie dust though. According to a review on Yelp!:

Even Lady Gaga & her crew stopped & shopped while they filmed her music video at Hearst Castle!

One day, I saw there was a food truck outside called xxx. I don't know if it's the "usual" day they come but it was a Tuesday if that's helpful! I thought about checking them out for lunch (see Overpriced Restaurant Food) and looked up xxx online.

Unfortunately, the Yelp! reviews mentioned a "$30 entree" and "if you like spicy food ..." and that's where they for sure lost me. I'm one of those who believes you should not experience pain while eating 🔥🧯😆

I also noticed this in a Yelp! review:

Nice stop off PCH for a cold drink ...

Just funny because we don't call it "PCH" here like they do in LA. We just say "Highway 1" or "One". 

Anywhoozits ...

3. Heated Swimming Pool

I'll have to take San Simeon Lodge's word for it, that the pool was heated. I never made it down there and never saw anyone swimming, probably due to the time of year. But it sure was pretty all lit up at night. I did get a cool pic from the 2nd-floor landing. I mean, it's no Hearst Castle rich-person Cribs pool - but it's a nice amenity.

4. Useable Room Configurations

This may seem like a wonky choice to include but I find it very important when choosing where to stay. For instance, a hotel I love and went to for DECADES - The Shoreline in Cayucos, CA - remodeled several years ago.

The way they reconfigured the rooms made them totally unusable for our family. I don't know if it was a money grab or just thoughtless design but it literally made us stop going there and spending sizable amounts to stay. It was a sad end to a longstanding family tradition 😢

Anyway, as you can see on San Simeon Lodge's site, they have rooms that vary from 1 King, 2 Queens, and a Family Suite. Wha t I loved about the Queen room was how the beds were in separate parts of the room.

It doesn't matter so much when you have little kids and their parents, for example, in beds right next to each other. But once the kids are older and want a modicum of privacy, or when you're traveling with friends or other relatives - it's REALLY nice to have that separation. 

5. Kind and Helpful Staff

Without exception, everyone I dealt with during my several-day stay was great. The bartender during Happy Hour put up with about 5 requests from 5 different patrons about which sports to put on which televisions.

Now I attend my share of baseball games in bars and usually the bar-person throws up their hands after 2 or 3 requests - plus they don't know how to operate the TVs and moving games around. This guy (Manny) knew what he was doing and never got frustrated with us, lol. 

Almost every time I went to the front counter, it was a different person who helped us. I don't know if this is the case but it seemed like perhaps a family-run business where everyone could wear multiple hats.

For instance, at one point, I went down and ordered lunch to go. While waiting for my food, I went to the front desk to get a new battery for the remote. And who was there to assist me but the guy I ordered lunch from, lol. 

5 Worst Things About San Simeon Lodge

1. No - and I Can't Stress This Enough - NO MICROWAVE in the Room

When you combine that with the overpriced meals from the restaurant/bar or food truck, God forbid you got a hot entree because no reason to keep leftovers with no way to reheat them.

So the few times I ordered takeout from the restaurant, I felt like I had to scarf it all down even past the point of being full. Because you know I'm one who does all I can to get my money's worth! #almostfrugal

I suppose if you got a salad or something cold, it could work. But who orders salad on vacation! Not this girl 🤌🏼👎🏼

If you have little kids who will only eat chicken dinos, you want a microwave. If you want to warm up the coffee you picked up 5 miles and 20 minutes ago in Cambria, you want a microwave. If you're on a tight budget, have food allergies, or just like to bring your own food, you want a microwave. 

A review I read before staying at San Simeon Lodge said they assume the desk would loan out a microwave if you needed. But I asked and he said the only microwave on the premises was in the mini-mart, ha! Btw, I also saw one in the nearby liquor store. So if you get DESPERATE to radiate your food or beverage, those are there in an emergency. I gotchu'. 

So yeah, if I were giving out stars, I'd take a few off just for no microwaves. With all the other amenities they have, I can't fathom why not. They aren't even expensive to buy anymore. Make it make sense! /rant

2. Claustrophobia-Inducing Showers

I don't know if all the rooms are the same but mine had a shower that gave me nightmares. It was made of older tile, in the shape of a box, and so tightly-spaced that it left left than a foot above my head and 1/2 a foot around me. 

And yes, the water pressure was not great. I think that's a universal hotel rule: All hotel room showers must have low water pressure, run out of hot water 5 minutes in, have impossible to figure out dials, or all of the above.

Anyhow, I am more claustrophobic than the average bear - but I'd assume even a well-adjusted normal person wouldn't want to take a shower in there.

Tip: If you're claustrophobic as well, maybe ask at check-in if you can have a different shower configuration.

3. No Air-Conditioning in Guest Rooms

I'm not gonna' harp on this one. I've lived and traveled on the Central Coast for 30 years and most homes and businesses this close to the water don't have A/C. The theory is that the weather is mild enough year-round that they're not required.

For the most part, that's true but there are occasionally days into the 70s, 80s, even 90s down to the shoreline. There was a portable fan in the room. If it's a warm day when you're here, just prop open the door, put the fan in the doorway, and let 'er rip!! You'll be fine :)

4. Old Carpet

If I owned this and could afford any upgrades, I'd start with the carpet in the guest rooms. I'm like a 7 out of 10 germaphobe/handwasher type and let's just say I wore my socks or flip-flops the entire time I was in the room.

5. NOT Shift-Worker or Late Sleeper-Friendly

Look, I know people gotta do their jobs, right? And that housekeeping only has a limited amount of time to prep rooms before the next wave of guests come in.

But suffice it to say, I saw several opportunities where they could've easily accommodated us late sleepers. Oh well. It's a lifetime cross I bear. We're universally hated. I'm used to it.

I will say the blackout curtains were perfect. They even met in the middle with no strip of sun coming through! That in itself is a miracle ✨✨✨

Photos either taken by me or courtesy of Unsplash.com (CC0 images)