Known and loved for its laid-back pace of life and proximity to beautiful beaches and award-winning wineries, the charming Central Coast town of San Luis Obispo is a place where surfing and ranch culture still very much intersect. Sitting in a sweet halfway spot between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it makes the perfect base for a long weekend or overnight stop when road-tripping the famed Pacific Coast Highway. Within easy walking distance of downtown SLO’s shops, galleries, restaurants, and weekly Farmer’s Market, the newly reimagined San Luis Creek Lodge on Monterey Street is a chic boutique option for all types of travelers.
The Queen of California Cool
Owned and operated by PRG Hospitality Group since 2015 (whose award-winning portfolio includes The Prospect Hollywood and Sparrows Lodge in Palm Springs), Los Angeles-based architect and interior designer Nina Freudenberger was tapped to work her magic across the 25-room property. With countless residential projects and features in glossies like Architectural Digest and Elle Décor, plus best-selling coffee table books under her belt (including Bibliostyle and Surf Shack: Laid-Back Living by the Water), the project marked Freudenberger’s first foray into hospitality design.
Under her commanding eye, the inn's once dark “Old English” style interiors have been replaced with a modern California aesthetic. Strong architectural lines are softened by layered textures and a subtle color palette. Vintage and modern elements mixed with expert ease. The now light-filled rooms showcase plenty of gorgeous natural elements too, including rattan chairs, grasscloth wallpaper, and handmade tiles.
Central Coast flavor
With a longstanding affinity for the SLO region, its culture and quality of life, PRG Hospitality Group co-founder and managing partner David Dittmer says a gap in the market for a design-forward hotel that felt authentic to the Central Coast experience were driving factors behind the remodel. Blending contemporary farmhouse aesthetics with a bohemian coastal flair certainly speaks to the area’s elevated yet easygoing allure.
Accented by bold black elements the white-clad exterior comprises four separate buildings one of which plays host to the lobby. Less hotel more luxe private residential, the 25 rooms are finished in three distinct styles, all complementing the local landscape with saturated blue, green and black tones. Custom furnishing by Haus Interior and original artwork by Los Angeles-based Block Shop Textiles also feature.
A lodge for the sophisticated traveler
Bathrooms come stocked with yummy Aesop products, and complimentary Linus bikes are available for guests to use whenever they feel. Local makers are championed too – treats from health food mini-chain Erewhon are included in the mini-bar, while complimentary local HoneyCo coffee and fresh pastries are delivered to guest rooms each morning in a reusable keepsake tote. While the Premiere King and Queen rooms feature a cozy gas fireplace, all beds are made up with plush Fili D’Oro linens, which means the toughest part of any stay might be dragging yourself away from these charming spaces in order to get out and explore.
A minute’s drive from US Highway 101 at 1941 Monterey Street, nightly rates for the San Luis Creek Lodge start at $169.
All interior photography by Jonny Valiant courtesy of San Luis Creek Lodge.
