Madonna Inn: A Pink, Unique Destination

Madonna Inn

2020 California Summer Fires

🔥 🔥 🔥 In August 2020 my husband and I decided to take a road trip up California’s famed highway one. We were going to go all the way to Monterey…big mistake. Ugh, I had this great itinerary planned, but it all went up in flames, literally.

The California lightning fires were at their peak when we began our road trip. There were a series of 650 fires ravaging Northern California that burned over 2,000,000 acres within a 2-3 week period.

I usually watch a little news daily just to keep up with what is going on, but I was so busy preparing, confirming reservations and packing for our trip that I didn’t realize there were massive fires going on. The entire time while we were driving up the coast I was wondering why there was no blue sky. It was hot and sunny, but no blue sky. I could barely see the ocean from the side of the road. The ocean wasn’t blue, it was a hazy tan color.

Lucia Lodge Featured On Netflix’s “Ratched”

It wasn’t until we reached Santa Barbara when we finally realized how bad the situation was for California. But it was too late to cancel all our reservations without penalties, so we decided to head up north anyways. We had reservations for a night at the Madonna Inn, an airbnb in Monterey, and at The Lucia Lodge (We had a room reserved right on top of an ocean cliff at The Lucia Lodge which was recently seen on Netflix’s “Ratched”.)

By the time we arrived at The Madonna Inn in the evening, we received emails from all the other places, they informed us that our reservations had been canceled because highway one was officially closed.

Our vacay was cut short, so we ended up spending two nights at The Madonna Inn because there weren’t any major fires endangering this establishment or its surrounding areas.

* So if there are no pictures of the blue ocean or blue skies or if the photos seem cloudy or hazy it is because of the horrible smog from the fires. The air quality was horrific.

Santa Barbara Shellfish Company

📍230 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, Ca 93101

🦀 LUNCH: (Shown in image above) Our first stop was for lunch at the Santa Barbara Shellfish Company. There was only outdoor seating available, and the wait was about 15 minutes. Parking is conveniently available on the pier. This is a very casual environment, and a place to enjoy pretty affordable seafood. The day we were there it was hot with no cool breeze, and the sun was beating down on us. I felt sticky and gross, but that was not the establishments fault.

Onion Rings ($5.00) – They were fresh and delicious. Lobster Roll ($20) – It contained lobster tossed with celery, capers, mayo and butter. Served in a toasted hoagie roll. This lobster roll was delicious. Steamed Crab ($25) – The crab was delightful and fresh, but, I don’t think I’d ever order it again. It was so messy, that’s why I rarely eat shelled seafood. I loathe cracking shell fish, it’s so smelly and sloppy. I don’t like getting my hands or clothes dirty at all.

We both ordered sparkling water and enjoyed everything. The service was friendly. The view would have been pleasant, but as I mentioned before, California had many massive fires going on at the time and there was no view. If we are ever in the area again we wouldn’t hesitate to come back.

A California Landmark On The Central Coast

🌸 The Madonna Inn is a distinguishable motel in San Luis Obispo. The motel has 110 guest rooms, situated on over a 1,000 acres which provide guests with pleasant views of mountains, terrain and trails. Each room has a different theme, no single room is the same.

• The men’s room in their steakhouse has a waterfall urinal.

• Pink is their signature color.

• Many celebrities have visited the Madonna Inn – Clint Eastwood, Sam Elliott, Dustin Hoffman, Bette Midler, Dolly Parton, John Wayne, Paul Newman, George Burns, Steve Martin, Lucille Ball, Macaulay Culkin, Debbie Harry, and Michael Dukakis.

• It has been seen on plenty of movies, tv shows, and music videos. It’s even been on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Architectural Fantasy & Kitschy AF

💗 Let’s face it y’all, the Madonna Inn is super kitsch. Like, don’t come here thinking it’s bougie…no. It’s over the top, colorful, fun, and not pretentious at all. I have an emotional attachment to this unique, pink oasis.

As a kid when we would travel with my dad, and if in the area, we always stopped by to look around and enjoy a meal in the copper cafe. Also, my step-father was in the Air Force, he and my mom were stationed at Vandenberg AFB, so we made several visits to the Madonna Inn during that time because it wasn’t too far away. My best friend’s mom treated me and her daughter to a girls lunch at the Copper Cafe, she bought me my first slice of their famous pink champagne cake.

Disneyland Motel

💕 The Madonna Inn feels like a Disneyland motel. It’s as if the builders designed this place for children and the young at heart. If you don’t like color, pink, or kitsch…then you will probably not like this place. Every time I visit this motel I’m genuinely thrilled to be there, I don’t go out of my way to critique it or look for faults, because this place is definitely not perfect.

For instance, our last visit in the Carin room, I did notice chipped paint, nothing major, but little patches here and there that had missing paint. That is unacceptable, especially for the cost of staying there. However, I think prior to social media and the internet, this place wasn’t constantly bombarded with crowds seeking that perfect Instagram worthy shot. The maintenance crew probably had a lot more down time to inspect every single room that needed the slightest repair.

Room 218: CARIN (Deluxe Suite)

“Carin is a Swiss Expression for “endearment.” This enchanting room has been touched by angels in soft shades of pink to capture your heart. Follow your dreams to the top of a winding staircase to the entrance of this private 4th floor room. Two private outdoor balconies welcome your arrival with soft breezes and heavenly views. Gold cherubs embrace the king bed and lovebirds adorn the bath with tile shower. Wrapped in affection, Carin is a perfect gift for all occasions.” – Madonna Inn website

Angelic & Whimsical Ambiance

$356 per night | We have stayed twice in the Carin room. Several years ago my husband reserved this room as a birthday surprise and I’ve been enamored with it ever since. There is a white, wooden, winding staircase with hearts that leads to a private walkway/entrance then to an isolated deluxe suite. Because this room is on its own floor and detached from the other areas, it is quiet and peaceful. There are two balconies that provide gorgeous views of the Madonna Inn property.

Romancin’ and Relaxin’

This pink love nest is spacious, quiet, and whimsical. There is a television in the room with cable tv. A mini fridge is provided as well. There is also a desk and sitting areas around the room. There were plenty of towels available, along with two comfortable large bathrobes. The bathrobes came in real handy when we went down to the pool, we used them to keep us warm on our walk back to our room.

Kitschy -N- Pink

🎀 The Carin room has wall-to-wall pink carpet with a pink high vaulted ceiling and pink glittery walls. Two golden chandelier cherubs give this spacious love nest a whimsical and angelic touch. The pink bathroom is big with two french pedestal sinks and a colorful tiled large shower. The water pressure was amazing when we showered. The king bed was comfortable, and the bed linen was fine, nothing too impressive, but it was clean.

Every time we have reserved this room it has been very clean (that is always the most important factor for me when staying in a hotel/motel). Nothing felt gross, everything was almost practically spotless. There were no visible cobwebs, dust, or filth.

MADONNA INN DINING

🍡 If you are a food snob and your delicate culinary palate can’t stand traditional American diner food…then stay away from the restaurants at the Madonna Inn. I’m going to be honest, the food is a couple of steps above IHOP. Keep in mind you are paying for the atmosphere. In their Copper Cafe and the Gold Rush Steakhouse you are paying for the ambiance, not the crème de la crème of food/meals.

The famous pink champagne cake (shown in image above) is my favorite cake in the whole world. I order a slice every time I visit, it’s a huge slice. The cake has four layers of white cakes with almond favored Bavarian cream and whipped cream, topped with pink chocolate shavings (Guittard white chocolate dyed pink).  It’s creamy, moist, and fluffy.

The Copper Cafe – this cafe provides traditional American diner food. Prior to covid we ate inside on multiple occasions, and every time it was delicious. The interior is casual but elegant. It’s whimsical with its elaborate woodcarvings, hand painted walls, and red leather seats. Currently, because of covid the cafe seating is all outside, they have a very lovely setup.

Gold Rush Steak House – (image in 3rd picture below) A fine dining establishment located on the Madonna Inn property. This restaurant is over the top with its beautiful pink, leather booths and pink flowery decor. The entire steak house is pink with twinkling lights and gold accents everywhere. We’ve enjoyed several dinners here, and I wouldn’t hesitate to come back again.

Room 164: MERRY

” One of a trio rooms collectively called “Merry-Go-Round,” “Merry” is a sparkling pink jewel…a cheerful kaleidoscope of glitter and delight. The vaulted ceiling is adorned with a decorative crystal chandelier that illuminates a joyful glow that mirrors the bubbly character of this effervescent room. The bathroom compliments the theme with two French pedestal sinks and a colorful tiled shower.” – Madonna Inn website

A Sparkling Rose Gold Jewel

$356 per night | 🤩 On our second night we stayed in the Merry room. This was our first time staying in this room. It is much smaller than the Carin that I described above, not claustrophobic small, just compact. The glittery, rose gold walls looked magical with the gorgeous chandeliers shimmering a soft enchanting glow. At night, walking into this room with the all the chandeliers on it felt like a warm hug, kinda cheesy…I know…but that’s how much I liked the room. The pink bathroom has two french pedestal sinks and a colorful tiled shower.

The king bed was comfortable, and the bed linen was fine, nothing too impressive, but it was clean. Nothing felt gross, everything was almost practically spotless. There were no visible cobwebs, dust, or filth.

The only thing to be aware of with this room is that it is on the second floor. It’s not secluded or private, so that means if you leave your curtains open anyone can look into your room as they walk by in the open corridor. Unfortunately, you can’t leave the curtains open if privacy is important to you, and the only view is of the parking lot, so technically there’s no view. I’m a little irritated with the price, they charged us the same price as the Carin suite, but the Merry was a king room (a much smaller room with no balconies or view). It feels like they took advantage of the fire situation going on in that area and price gouged us…*sigh* it is what it is. Other than that, I loved this room.

MADONNA INN: The Property

💐 The Madonna Inn is a massive property with everything nicely spread out. The main inn which houses the wine cellar, bakery, coffee shop, steakhouse, cocktail lounge, banquet rooms, ladies’ boutique, men’s gift shop, and the gourmet shop are all located in a large cozy pink cottage like building. The main inn area is all indoors, masks are mandatory, but during peak hours it can get very crowded, so beware. The landscaping is breathtaking. The grounds are meticulously maintained. There are many nooks and hideaways for privacy. Picnic tables and seating areas are provided and scattered everywhere.

The heated infinity pool, with two jetted whirlpools, fitness room, pool bar, gazebo and waterfall are located on a gorgeous secluded hilltop. This was the best part of our two day stay at the Madonna Inn. The pool area is so amazing and relaxing and the service there was excellent. I can’t wait to go back and just lounge by the pool again.

There is so much to enjoy on this 1,000 acre property. You could spend several days here and never really leave the property. They have a hot pink athletic court for tennis or basketball. Complimentary equipment is provided for hotel guests. There is a secret garden where you can play corn hole, bocce ball or croquet. Horseback trail rides are available $75 per person. Hiking is an option. So is biking, they provide guest with pink beach cruisers that can be rented hourly or daily. Live music and dancing is also available. Enjoy nightly music and dancing on their dance Floor – live big band music, swing, salsa, and piano (obviously the latter is cancelled until further notice because of covid.)

Solvang & Morro Bay

🍭 After we left the Madonna Inn and before we headed back down to Los Angeles we made two quick stops to Solvang and Morro Bay. We were hoping to spend the rest of the day relaxing and just absorbing these two cute little towns, but oh my gosh…they were jam-packed.

I had never seen either town so crowded before. Morro Bay was swamped, there was so much traffic, and all the cute shops were filled with shoppers, and the popular restaurants had long lines. So we drove around a little bit and left to Solvang.

Solvang was mobbed as well. What made Solvang even more unbearable was that there was no cool ocean breeze like in Morro Bay. It was hot and humid, which made wearing a mask miserable. We purchased a few pastries from a bakery, and several souvenirs from a gift shop. My husband and I walked around this little slice of Denmark for about 20 minutes and then we left. I had no desire to snap a bunch of pictures, it was just so miserably hot and with the fire smoke, I was so over it.

When the world goes back to normal, and when this miserable covid era dies out, Solvang and Morro Bay are excellent little towns to explore and enjoy. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back again.

Wanna enjoy more Chic-N-Pink content? Click here

⭐  Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE! Click here ⭐

Thanks so much 🙂

Have a beautiful day