If you are searching for an upscale dog-friendly hotel that also offers ocean views, The Inn at the Cove in Pismo Beach, California, might be your answer. We chose it because it was slightly north of downtown Pismo Beach – making it quieter and less crowded. Having fewer people and some health and safety protocols in place was essential for us, given that this was our first hotel stay since March 2020.
King, Ocean View Room
After some discussion, we landed on a second-floor room (which is actually level with the parking lot) with a gorgeous view of the water. Andy preferred this to the lower rooms that, depending on which area of the hotel grounds you are on, are quite close to the walking path.
The room had newer laminate flooring, was spacious, and had a lovely view of the water. The laminate floors are, of course, terrific for welcoming dogs, but they are also great for people who have allergies because they don’t have to worry about dander and other allergens living in the carpets.
I was thrilled to see how clean everything was. They do not have stay-over cleaning to minimize contact between staff and guests, but if we had needed anything (towels, etc.), we could have requested it. They also had nice touches like a microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, and spare pillows that could be used on the balcony chairs.
The Balcony View
Speaking of the balcony –
We loved being able to have an evening glass of wine as we looked out at the water or watched the dogs leading their humans down the path.
Dog-Friendly and Wildlife Supporting
There was a very friendly rabbit that appeared every night. In fact, there was quite a lot of wildlife (so many birds!) visible from the rooms and the path. And you know that in a dog-friendly hotel, pets are going to also love having so much wildlife to watch.
Hotel Amenities
While the ocean is right in front of you, swimmers are likely to prefer taking some strokes in their heated pool rather than taking the cliff stairs down to the beach. There’s also a hot tub and privileges at a spa nearby. Electric car charging stations are available, and self-parking is complimentary.
Food and Wine
Being on the Central Coast means that great wine is never far away. This Pismo Beach hotel makes a special effort to bring in local wineries for wine tastings on Thursday afternoons, as well as musicians to make the afternoons extra fun. It’s a little tricky right now because the local wineries are just getting staffed again, and they can’t always send out representatives. So, the hotel poured their house white and red wines to the sounds of live music in the courtyard by the water. And, yes, even the hotel’s wine tasting is dog-friendly.
The hotel also offers a daily continental breakfast (including a waffle bar) that is an excellent way to start the day. There is a breakfast room, but we don’t love spending time inside with strangers, so we would don masks and head back to our room’s balcony for breakfast. There are numerous restaurants nearby, so getting food isn’t difficult. I do wish that this hotel had a restaurant on campus, but it wasn’t a significant downside since we were often on the move.
The Walkway
Andy and I loved exploring the walkway that runs from the property and over into Dinosaur Caves Park. If you stay on the paved portion of the walk or the sidewalk, it is a relatively easy trek. However, you can also take the stairs down to what is known as the Dinosaur Caves beach cove access. Going down the stairs isn’t a huge problem, but coming back up the stairs was difficult for me. I’m still getting my strength back, so I had to stop a couple of times before getting back up to the top.
This must have been seagull breeding time because we had the rare treat of seeing some fluffy babies starting to roam out on the cliffs (no worries– they were far away from curious dogs and there are plenty of fences to keep pets on safe ground). While we could see the different sea birds from our balcony, we really got some close-up views while enjoying our walks along this path.
Overall
We very much enjoyed staying at the Inn at the Cove. While we were not traveling with a pet, we were thrilled to spend three nights at this dog-friendly hotel and will recommend it to friends who do travel with their furry friends. I was happy to be away from the noise and crowds of downtown Pismo Beach, and the hotel’s waterfront location was a joy. And despite this being our first hotel stay since March 2020, we felt safe being here.
Did I mention the view?
