We’ll be in and near Paso Robles on Dec 30, leaving the 31st, on the way back down from SF to LA, then home to OC. We plan to do some tasting (Linda, are you around?), of course (dah), and need a place to stay.
A quick look at hotels pisses me off, essentially. The prices are as much, or more, than downtown San Francisco’s hotels, and good ones, like W, Westin, etc. WTF?
So…what’s the secret in that area? Where to stay? Should I try to get in the Tobin James guest house? ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
I guess it depends on what you are looking for.
If you are looking for something nice. La Bellasera is fairly new, and its one of the nicer hotels in town. I really like the fact that the pool is open 24hrs.
I like the best western for the price. While its no frills its clean, and comfortable. They have a pool area which is nice, and while its not a short walk, its still walkable to downtown.
Paso Inn is downtown and is very popular. I can’t see why though. IMHO its no better than the best western and they charge more.
Ask Leeenda if there is room in the tank for 2 more.
I suspect it will be pricey at that time of year, but check on Hotel Cheval; we really enjoyed it a couple years back.
What about the Adelaide Inn, the place you stayed with the Cabots for HdR?
Paso? Really? I guess you’re done with making good impressions? 
Also check out Atascadero / SLO / Pismo areas if Paso doesn’t work out.
You can afford it, being the wine berserkers admin and all. Gotta put that “donation” money to good use!
We stayed at Moonstone Landing in Cambria…don’t know if this is too far away from Paso Robles for you…we loved it.
Todd - We are actually heading up to Paso on Sunday for a couple of days. It is about 45 minutes away, but we love the Best Western Cavalier in San Simeon. The hotel is nothing spectacular, but you are in a gorgeous spot, and there is no better way to end the day than with a nice glass of wine watching the sun set over the ocean by their firepits.
Sounds nice, but that’s the opposite way we need to go. We’re going up the coast on the way up, and stopping to see T-bone and others in SB wine area (but Bone is probably traveling, again), and on the way down we’re hitting the non-coast route, down the 5, primarily. So on the way down we’ll stick to 101 until around Paso and then head inland.
While you’re up there, go to Bistrot Laurent. Laurent Grangien is the most underachieving Franch chef in the country. He is a genuine chef, starting at the age of around 14, working at Michel Guerard and Michel Rostang. He came over 25 years ago to run a French restaurant in LA set up by 4 great French chefs in France (The initial idea was that they would rotate through). He has toned down his menu for the “locals” but is a true master saucier. Ask him to cook what he does for me, not the menu stuff.
This is where Ashley and I always stay when we visit Paso. Nothing fancy, but always quiet, clean, and well-priced. Like that they have a hot tub (where there’s usually a small party at night), but don’t like that it closes relatively early.
I assume your plan is to take Hwy 46 East from Paso to I-5, and then South on I-5. I have driven Hwy 46 quite a few times, and I think this route might actually be longer than just staying on 101 all the way to 405, and it is a whole lot less scenic. Guess it would depend on time of day and traffic.
Don’t be tempted by any of the secondary roads heading East from 101 over the mountains, it’ll take you three hours + on any one of them to get to I-5.