Our first stay was this past week at the Sea Otter Inn and we liked it enough to plan to visit again soon with our pet. Here are my thoughts about our stay: We selected Cambria as our home base for a visit to SLO County's wine country and beaches. Its convenient location at Moonstone Beach means that we were able to split the difference between the inland wineries and a relaxing seaside vacation. The room itself had a comfortable shabby chic vibe. Despite facing the road, we were not troubled by street or parking noise. It came with a basic instant hot water maker and teabags and instant coffee bags with sugar and creamer. The refrigerator was an adequate mini fridge but disappointingly did not have a freezer. The bathroom and spacious shower were nice as expected and there was no shortage of towels and towel hooks. Our room had an ocean view and connected to an open-ground level patio with reserved chairs facing Moonstone Beach. We were greeted at the front desk with the bad news that the swimming pool was out of order. The staff were polite and responsive to questions including an issue with a clogged shampoo dispenser via text or in person, which was appreciated. Overall, we were very happy with our short visit and look forward to a future visit (when the swimming pool is repaired and all of the courtesy soap/shampoo/conditioner dispensers are working). read more

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This is one of the best lodging establishments that I have ever stayed at for the following reasons: 1. Check in was pleasant and easy 2. A code was needed to open door, so I don't actually have to return key to check out like other places 3. There was parking available 4. It was surprisingly quiet, and I didn't hear noises from outside or next door 5. Bed was comfortable, and I had a very good sleep 6. Spacious room and plenty of chairs 7. Across the street is the best spot for the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk Deck to watch the sunset and sunrise I highly recommend this place if staying in Cambria! read more

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We were on the road heading toward Santa Cruz and we needed a place to stay in the Cambria area. We contacted friends who know the area and they recommended The Sea Otter Inn. We pulled into the parking area and were greeted by sweeping ocean views and towering cypresses. Gorgeous surroundings! The person in the office was very welcoming and friendly. We placed our order for breakfast while checking in. We were fortunate to secure a reservation in one of their prime ocean view suites! The room was a delight! Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fenced in patio with two deck chairs and an outdoor patio with deck chairs facing the expanse of ocean a short distance away across the street from the inn. The rooms were decorated in wonderful beach art pieces. This creates, what the son would say, "A great vibe." The bed was very comfortable and there is something very relaxing about sleeping with the sound of the ocean waves crashing on the shore in the background. We woke to a picnic basket delivered to our room, hanging on a hook outside our door, with our breakfast order inside. We ate our breakfast out on the patio under the canopy of the surrounding cypress trees. The Sea Otter Inn is an idyllic place to stay if you are visiting the Cambria area. read more

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This is my first time staying in Cambria as we usually stay in Cayucos but I wanted to be a little closer to town. I booked this hotel just by looking at pictures and trying to find something that would accommodate my husband and myself with our dog. It's always hard to tell if a hotel is good from its photos but this one far exceeded the photos that I saw. The room is spacious and this one had an adorable patio. There is a pool in a Jacuzzi as well as fire pits that everyone gathers around at night to chat and have a glass of wine. You are literally right across the street from the Moonstone boardwalk and beach. I happen to be a rock collector so I had a great time looking for rocks and seashells especially at night while my husband was watching baseball playoffs. The fireplace is actually a heater as well so it warm the room perfectly. The breakfast that came every morning was amazing and with the little handle and the picnic basket made it even more charming. I told my husband he's going to have to buy one and make me breakfast every day lol. As a matter fact we ended up meeting some people at the castle Inn and I have now talked them into staying at the sea otter Inn because I told him about the rooms and the breakfast. Finally exceptional customer service by Doug and by Wendy (she's the best ) who both listen to my needs and went above and beyond to accommodate me! I had a brutal year last year with an illness that kept me bedridden followed by a shattered wrist that requires surgery so this was a much needed getaway and I was thrilled with my room and the entire staff who go out of their way to make everything so nice, clean and special. I wouldn't stay anywhere else. The only downside to the location which is by far NO fault of the Sea Otter Inn is that T-Mobile is almost impossible to use in Cambria but thanks to Doug he told me where I could stand to get reception to call my mom and also Moonstone Beach is not dog friendly only the boardwalk which kind of stinks but again not the fault of the hotel! read more

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Since last year, they scaled back on the amenities. If you do not book direct, they don't offer the complimentary breakfast which was part of the charm. Not a big deal, except my wife did book direct from their website, which routed her to a 3rd party. LOL. The pool was out of commission during our last visit, which sucked since we had friends also book and had planned to have our kids play in the pool together. Like others have said, the only redeeming feature is the location, directly across from the beach. Unfortunately, the nickel and diming was a turn off. Having stayed here for a few years now, they have lost our loyalty and we will consider other places while in Cambria. read more

Wonderful stay at the Sea Otter Inn. Right off Hwy 1. The staff was amazing! I enjoyed my stay so much, I stayed an extra day :) The breakfast basket each morning was a very nice touch! The room was nice and cozy and it was nice to go out and sit in the private patio to soak up the sun. The beach was literally in walking distance; a great way to start the day by enjoying a walk along the beach. read more

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We found room at the inn after leaving nearby terrible motel. We were able to bring our dogs and check-in and out was easy and staff were polite and helpful. The room was comfortable, clean, and surprisingly quiet despite the inn being well booked with families and dogs. Close to the sea and easy to take the dogs on beautiful walks. A complete opposite experience from the motel we'd run from. We were able to continue on our road trip well rested and happy. 10/10 would stay again. read more

Sea Otter Inn - Sunset over the ocean - Hotels Near Me - Cambria, California

This is a gem of an inn. The location is fantastic. The staff is friendly and VERY helpful. Our room was immaculate and nicely appointed with a beautifully remodeled bath and a cozy patio. We weren't prepared to take advantage of the spa or pool but will be the next time we visit! read more

Sea Otter Inn - Hotels Near Me - Cambria, California

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Outdated and drab. Bare bones and expensive. The "coffee maker" is actually a plug-in old tea kettle! There are other choices on Moonstone Beach that far surpass this property. read more

I booked a one night stay here and was actually really looking forward to it based on the ad they had on their Instagram, but this was a classic case of Instagram vs. Reality. The room (119) I booked via a third party was underwhelming. It was very basic without any frills and definitely outdated. The windows in this room had no screens so we didn't even feel comfortable leaving the windows open when we left our room. It would have been nice as the room felt very stuffy and the only other window besides the bathroom one didn't open. There is no mini fridge or coffee maker in this room. If you want any of this, you need to pay for the premium rooms. Also, since we booked with a third party the cute little picnic basket breakfast they advertise wasn't included. With an additional $10 pp, you can add it on. I also could not get over how dirty the runner was in the middle of this room. You could tell it has seen better days from how worn out and stained it was. This just made me feel dirty to walk around bare feet. One of the best features of this hotel is that you are across the street from a beautiful walking path that is easy to access. We did enjoy sitting out front at the two chairs they had in front of the hotel to watch the sunset. We also utilized the fire pit. You need to ask someone to turn these on and can only them until 9:00. Overall, it was OK, but I just expected more for the price we paid. Over $200 for a one night stay in the middle of the week. It might be a good idea to just book directly through them for all the perks. I looked at this after we already arrived. Their website did say the price match, so that's a good thing. read more

This was our first time staying in Cambria, we selected this hotel because it included admission to the Cambria Christmas market. The location was nice, but I had some major issues with the hotel itself. First off the mattress had to have been the original mattress from when the hotel was built it was incredibly uncomfortable, making it difficult to sleep. One of the mornings I went for a nice run on Moonstone Beach and came back to shower. When I turned the shower on, it had the strength of the mist setting of a garden hose. It is unacceptable to be freezing cold while taking a hot shower because I could not get any hot water to actually warm myself. I have no other hotels to compare this one too, so at the moment I would be reluctant to say I would stay at this establishment again. read more

Pros: Location, pet friendly, heated pool, free parking, breakfast included, friendly staff (Thomas), good office coffee Cons: Room could've been cleaner, the electric fireplace made loud sounds, the barn style door for the bathroom meant you could hear everything read more

Super thankful we were able to get a last minute room here after a nightmare stay at Azul motel. Dog friendly, across from beach, fireplaces in room, pool and jacuzzi, big tv, parking in front of unit, friendly staff, good wifi, breakfast basket brought to door in morning read more

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This place used to be nice and clean and fairly priced. Not anymore. The pillows are awful , flat and lumpy and their front desk people are rude with no personality.. the fireplace did not work , and hate that there are no screens on the windows. There are lots of places to stay on moonstone drive , maybe not sand pebble inn, they are just as rude at the front desk. All in all the location is nice, the cookies at 3pm are nice, but the rooms need more attention and the front desk people need a nicer personality. read more

Last week was my wife and I's anniversary and we had planned awhile back for a trip to Cambria for some quiet and relaxation. After perusing a few different hotels in the area I came across the Sea Otter Inn and quickly booked us a couple nights. The online booking process was easy but at the completion of it when trying to pay the site timed out and pushed me back and made me resubmit. Upon completion I noticed that the booking went through but had reverted back to the default of 1 room and 1 adult. I quickly texted them my confirmation and informed them of the issue that there should be 2 adult guests and they texted me back that they madea note of the correction and that everything was set. We arrived a bit early to town after a few early stops and waited until closer to our booking to check in and ensure the room was cleaned and ready to go. I had been texting with them earlier in the day and they once again confirmed me for one adult only and I had to keep reminding them of the issue and my past correspondence. As I checked in at the front office this was once again still incorrect and I had to correct the gentleman at the counter. I informed him this was an Anniversary trip and I needed to ensure this was correct so we received the right amount of amenities for our stay (such as out breakfast baskets). Despite the issue with getting this corrected the room itself was beautifully decorated and had everything we needed. The bed was comfortable, the shower was large with good pressure, we had a very small outdoor patio and a dining room area to eat and each morning a breakfast basket was hung from outside with your breakfast selections from the evening prior (a great option that saved us money from eating out for breakfast). We were around 1-2 miles from town which wasn't too far of a drive to where all the shops and majority of restaurants were located but it was the amazing proximity to Moonstone Beach and the accompanying boardwalk that I loved. Overall we had a great two night stay and despite some thin walls where you could hear furniture and doors from next door it was relaxing and made for a great stay. The weather was chilly during our visit so we did not get to use the pool area but it would be great to come back and try it dueing a warmer time of the year Despite a few hiccups with my check-in process and a little bit of noise on night one from a large group of guests who had rooms on both sides of ours I would definitely recommend the property and stay here again. read more

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Can't beat the waterfront location. I have stayed at the Sea Otter Inn maybe 6 or 7 times in the last 10 years to visit local friends who can't accommodate guests. This last time (May 2025) was a major letdown. Needs major upkeep. The paint on the units facing the sea was peeling. The window boxes had dead geraniums. Many of the flowers next to the fire pits had been removed with lots of vacant dirt. My room had scratched paint on the bathroom vanity, and the blind on the patio door was broken and wouldn't close to the bottom of the window. And the TV screen on the dresser-- it was so small that you couldn't read the TV program schedule unless you got out of bed and were only a couple of feet away. I'll find somewhere else to stay next time. read more

This was our third time staying here. The first two times were lovely. I called to make a reservation in May 2025 for the end of October 2025 for a room specifically with the ocean view. When we arrived, five months later, they put us in a room without the view. And the room was right next door to the maid's quarters with all their equipment and laundry units. Did I mention we booked five months in advance? Went to take a shower and the body wash and shampoo dispensers were empty. They told us, at check in, that the pool was closed. That's an amenity we were looking forward to. They sent several texts and emails to confirm our reservation the week leading up to our trip, but no mention of the pool being closed. We were awoken at 7:30am both morning of the stay, by the maid's talking loudly while filling up their carts right outside of our window. When I informed the front desk, they didn't apologize and said it wasn't the staff. Customer service used to a thing. Guess it isn't here, anymore. read more

I was so in love with this gorgeous property! The stay here is a wonderful experience all around. It was very easy to communicate with staff, and Isabella and Zoe were very helpful. We brought our dog and it was so easy to just take him right out the front door, just a few steps to a gorgeous walking path along the ocean and the pines. Breakfast everyday was a huge plus, and very cute delivered right to your door in a basket. We opted for the burritos (you get a few options to choose from!) and they were tasty and filling. There are so many cozy little spots around this property and I couldn't stop snapping pics. It's in a great location, too-- right next to the boardwalk and just a short drive to Main Street. Our room always smelled so clean upon entering it, and towels and bedding were soft and comfortable. Room itself was cute and cozy, plenty of light, very relaxing. Having our own fireplace was also a big plus. The only reason this isn't five stars is because our floor felt dirty-- you couldn't walk on it without shoes, otherwise your feet would turn black. Also, it was a little loud (you could hear neighbors' doors opening and shutting all night). It was still an excellent stay and an absolute gem of a find. We hope to come again! read more

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I came to the Sea Otter Inn for a birthday trip with my friends and this was genuinely the best stay I've ever had for such a good price. The hot tub and pool were gorgeous and clean and there were flowers surrounding us. The ocean was visible while we were swimming and the sunset was clear and beautiful. The rooms themselves were clean and the details made it so special. The patio was perfect for hanging out in the evenings in a private area. On top of all of that, breakfast was brought to our rooms in a picnic basket. It was plentiful and delicious. I can't recommend the stay more. Also within walking distance is a long dock the leads straight to the water! read more

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The communication was good, almost too much, and we loved the keypad room entry. The view, dog friendliness, and Moonstone walkway right across the street was great and why we stayed in that area. We expected the room to be updated with better furnishings for that price. We missed daily housekeeping and were disappointed in the low quality of the bed and sheets (again, for the price of the room), but slept well. The breakfast was good and just enough to start the day. Beautiful location! read more

Sea Otter Inn - Hotels Near Me - Cambria, California

The ocean view King room was lovely and very comfortable. Two heat sources, a heat pump and a fireplace warmed the room up right away. Bed was very comfortable. The room faces the ocean and the street but is quiet enough. The view is very nice and there are comfy chairs that you can relax in on a small patio right outside your door. The place is pet friendly and we would bring our dog next time. Also nice little fire pits to relax around and a heated pool. It was chilly this visit so we did not test out the pool. The breakfast is good. Three choices that would satisfy everyone I think Orange juice too! The amenities were not the quality I expected. The hair and bath products were the type that are large containers securely fastened to the wall of the shower, which was very nice and large. The products were of a poor quality in my opinion. If you care about your grooming products bring your own. The shampoo was very runny but the container was empty so I used my cake of shampoo that I bring for just such occasions. The conditioner was so watery I had to use a bunch to get through my hair. Maybe if you are a guy or a gal with short hair this is all stupid stuff to complain about. Me, I am a product princess, but usually find hotel products ok in better hotels. If I stayed here longer I would have gone into town and bought something else for my hair. The hair dryer was not very powerful if you have long hair. The coffee in the room is weird. There is like a hot water pot and you use coffee bags...like a tea bag. The creamer was a thick liquid called 'latte' that had sugar in it. The coffee didn't really taste nasty or anything like that it was just odd. The coffee in the office is available when the office opens at 8am and they have regular half and half. I will bring our keurig next time I think. There is a small microwave and a large sized mini fridge. There are no accessories for warming up meals, like paper plates or napkins but I really didnt expect that anyway. The TV has cable channels but no streaming was available. We like to watch movies at night but there was not much on the cable stations. Again not a deal breaker. Not sure if you could use an HDMI to link with a laptop. All in all a nice visit with very minimal complaints. Would we stay here again? Absolutely...for sure. read more

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Had a nice stay. Love that it's right across the street from the ocean. Rooms had fireplaces inside which was a nice touch. Not a fan of the hangers for the morning breakfast. Felt like I would constantly run into them. Morning breakfast was okay but glad they bring it to your room! read more

Amazing family owned place. Staff is friendly and accommodating. Breakfast was included and was delivered to your door in a picnic basket. The back patio was a great place to have breakfast. The pool area was clean, and the hot tub was at the perfect temperature. Jenny and I will be back there again in March read more

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I really wanted to love this place, but the other guests ruined it for us. Loud & drunk smokers right outside of our room, some truck and trailer parked right in front of our Sea View. Drunk /loud/stupid women shouting back and forth across the parking lot endlessly. It was not relaxing for this reason, and so I don't think we will be back. It's a cute place right on Moonstone Beach w a great front desk person, but the cigarette smoke and noise were just too much. read more

PROS + Nice hotel right next to the Cambria boardwalk. + Rooms were clean. We had a room with a balcony, which was nice. We were able to leave the door slightly open to enjoy the ocean breeze. + There are two areas with fire pits - first come first serve. + Breakfast is provided each morning. The burrito is an awesome choice. + Close to restaurants. CONS - The TV in the room is awful. It's not HD, and as we were watching the Dodger game, the sides of the image were cut off, so we couldn't see the score. - Pricey to stay here. read more

It was an amazing, cozy, gorgeous stay!!! The property is right across from the beach!!! The communication before our stay and being able to preregister before check in and and check out on the phone was soo convenient and fast. The young lady in the office and the rest of the staff were all very pleasant and welcoming. We stayed in room #101. It's a king ocean view room. It's more than worth the cost! We sat on the patio and enjoyed the view. The stone patio is is surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants. The landscaping is very well done. The huge cypress tree provides ample shade and just adds to the whole look and feel of the room. When we were enjoying the patio we have the sliding door open so we could listen to the waves crashing and feel the ocean breeze. There is a street right out front but there wasn't alot of traffic or noise. The room was ready when we checked in a few minutes before 3pm. The room was huge and spotless! The house keepers do an amazing job. There were plenty of towels. The decor is clean and modern but cozy. The bed and pillows were soo comfy. My husband and I both slept like babies. In the morning we received a basket with the complimentary breakfast we ordered the night before. Two good sized burritos and drinks. More than enough to keep me full until lunch. There is also a pool and hot tub. We didn't have time to try them out this time. The fire pits looked cozy and the other guests seemed to really enjoy them. I wish we could've stayed another night. Next time we definitely will! It's a great location with the beach and boardwalk just across the street, restaurants within walking distance, and a quick and easy 5 minute drive into downtown Cambria for lots of antique shopping and delicious food!!! read more

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Great location with clean rooms. Amazing views of Moonstone Beach. Staff was friendly and breakfast choices were all good. Only con was the loud pocket door--I would install a handle. They had coffee for the guests in the office but would be nice to be able to make it in the room. Otherwise a great place to stay. read more

Sea Otter Inn - Hotels Near Me - Cambria, California

PROS: - Location is right in front of the beach. - Outside seating with fire pit to enjoy. - Complimentary breakfast with every stay. - The breakfast burritos are FANTASTIC! - Steps away from Cambria's famous boardwalk. - Just a few minute drive from local stores and restaurants. - Rooms are well furnished with chairs and tables for either eating or working. - Small refrigerator that you can utilize to store perishables. CONS: - The parking lot is tiny. - The water pressure in our room was not that great. - The cable that's connected to the new samsung television is HORRIBLE. The picture quality was worse than 90's television shows. The aspect ratio was completely off and I felt like I was watching 240P resolution video. I tried unplugging and trying everything to mitigate it, but it's just an old out of date cable box. - Cost. FINAL THOUGHTS: - Overall, I would definitely stay here again. This is a great place to come and relax and breathe in the freshest air. read more

It's right across the street from the ocean. There is a boardwalk for your walks. I would prefer no breakfast basket and a lower rate.

Decent place to stay on Moonstone beach, unless you want to use the hot tub. That is always a big part of my travel, and their hot tub does not have jets, it have bubblers, and the temp is too low. I will stay elsewhere next time. read more

My husband and I had a wonderful stay at the sea otter in. We booked ocean facing rooms that came with two chairs to sit and watch the sunset. Staff was beyond amazing, room was very clean and bed was comfortable. There was a fireplace that kept the room warm at night. We kept the sliding glass door open to listen to the ocean waves. This hotel was dog friendly, and provided breakfast which was an added plus. It was walkable to the beach and trails as well as top restaurants down moon stone Landing. I would stay here again in a heartbeat. read more

Sea Otter Inn - Hotels Near Me - Cambria, California

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We had a wonderful stay at Sea Otter Inn this weekend! Very clean, very friendly and helpful staff, and lots of little amenities that we really enjoyed. You get a cute breakfast basket delivered to your door each morning. Cookies and coffee available in the office. The rooms have everything you need: refrigerator, microwave, coffee, even a fireplace. The grounds were alive with flowers. There is a pool and hot tub too. We loved crossing the street and walking along the boardwalk, beautiful view of the ocean. Our only complaint was the hard beds read more

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The managers manners and customer service needs an improvement. We were in the ocean front room. Noise at 2am started that is attached to outside walls of our room, kept us up. Early am workers use the laundry service room behind the wall where we slept- Ca King Bed., woke us up early. We asked to speak with the manager and he was not friendly or sympathetic. We asked for another room and a discount. He gave $50 off our 4 night stay and banned us from ALL properties. read more

We made the Sea Otter Inn one of our spots to stay on our honeymoon. We went with the ocean front room and it did not disappoint! Watching the sunset from our patio chairs and enjoying a hot cup of coffee in the morning was very relaxing. With multiple places to eat just walking distance we didn't have to spend a bunch of time driving around. Right outside the hotel is a nice walking path that goes on forever. We also took a plunge in the hot tub which was a perfect way to end a day of walking through all the nearby shops in downtown. read more

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Our family of four and pup stayed for four nights in the larger 2-room cottage. We arrived a few hours earlier (thanks to no traffic) and we were able to check in. The staff was friendly, the room nicely appointed, clean and spacious. The breakfast was filling and arrived on time each morning. We enjoyed wine and dinner sitting around the fire pits. The location is right across from the beach. A wonderful hotel! read more

Sea Otter Inn - Fire pits - Hotels Near Me - Cambria, California

My husband and I had reservations for two rooms at the Sea Otter Inn. He was diagnosed with Covid and so it was necessary for us to cancel our reservation. He did so 24 hours prior to check in time, but was advised that it was necessary to cancel 48 hours prior to check-in. And so we would be charged for one night. Had we known he would get this diagnosis we would have done so. I was quite upset about this and called the hotel to let them know we would go ahead and use the one night we would be charged for. I was advised that I could not do this. They can insist on charging me for a night, in spite of the fact that we would be exposing many people to Covid,but I can't stay that night even though we notified them 24 hrs in advance. I guess the secret is to get sick 48 hrs in advance. read more

Staying here now and absolutely love it. The bed is so comfortable and the pillows and bedding very nice. The morning breakfast delicious and the atmosphere is romantic and cozy. I told my husband couples should be required to come stay here when contemplating divorce. It makes all things better. read more

Excellent, quiet stay! Room (king patio) was really nice and in great shape. The patio is like a mini English garden, where I was visited by a hummingbird, and light was always streaming in making our room feel more cheerful. The beds are on the soft side and pretty bouncy, so if you're with a restless sleeper and sensitive to motion you might opt for double queen. Amazingly we heard no noise from other rooms; the soundproofing must be great, a rare treat. The breakfast burrito was ok and convenient. The hot tub was working and probably kept around 100. I wanted it warmer but still enjoyed it. Overall a great property in a great location. read more

The Sea Otter Inn and Cambria in general has become a second home for us. Before Covid we went at least 4 times a year for 3 day getaways. It's been harder to get away lately but we still try and go when we can. Our first stay at the Sea Otter was in '09. We loved it and still do and have really enjoyed their updates. The staff always gives us the same room. Thank you! It feels like our own little vacation home when we open the door. We stayed in the ocean view rooms for anniversaries too and those are awesome. I like 126 as it's so private. We usually rent a king patio though. The patio is nice for having the delivered to your door breakfast, we always pay extra for some mimosas, or reading in the afternoon with a glass of wine. The beds are very comfortable. They are soft but I like that. The fire pits are so nice at sunset and we meet always meet some nice people enjoying the views with us. A perfect day is waking up to their breakfast, a long walk on Moonstone, an afternoon at the pool, sunset at the fire pit and then finally dinner at the Sea Chest down the street. We've stayed at more expensive and high end properties in Cambria but they don't come close to how happy we are at the Sea Otter. We've been there during huge storms, hot smokey fire season, green and flowery spring and foggy summer days and there isn't a bad time of year to visit Cambria. I know the Sea Otter just did a big remodel of their rooms and I can't wait to carve out some time to get down there. We miss you Sea Otter Inn! read more

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Comfortable, convenient, clean, and convivial. Ok, I really wanted to say friendly, but I was on a roll. Thanks for the nice get away and quiet stay. read more

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