Pismo Light House Suites is one of our favorite places to stay. We have visited there several times and it is the only place we will stay when we are in the area. The hotel is located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A room with a view, however, is higher in cost.

This hotel is geared to families and it is perfect for a large family like ours. In the middle of the hotel property there was a courtyard with volleyball court, ping-pong tables, a putting green and a life size chess board. The grounds were clean and well kept. There was also a small, but heated swimming pool and jacuzzi. What it lacked in size it made up by having a spectacular view; especially at sunset.

We have stayed in the two bedroom king suite many times. First, I have rarely encountered a room as clean and as large as those at the Lighthouse Suites. The decorations of the room reflected the sea theme of the hotel with yellow cream walls and red, white and royal blue accents. There were two bedrooms in our suite; each one with its own armoire and television.

In the king bedroom there is a full bath, small dorm room style refridgerator, microwave oven, and coffee maker. There was also a sliding glass door with a balcony that either overlooks the volleyball area or, if you are lucky, the ocean. Either way it was a lovely place to sit, relax with a book or watch the kids play in the courtyard. The second bedroom was equally as large as the first. There were two queen beds, a full bath, a large reading chair, and an armoire with a television.

Pismo Beach is a small beach town that is relaxing and unpretentious. There are several good restaurants, including one by the pier famous for its clam chowder. It is not far from outlet shopping and a short drive to the higher end shopping in San Luis Obispo. Looking for more fun? Rent ATV's and explore the sand dunes or visit the Monarch Butterfly groves near by. If you want take a few hours, drive to the Monterey Peninsula. The world famous Monterey Aquarium is perfect for kids of all ages. For older kids, visit Carmel-by-the Sea with its excellent art galleries and boutiques. While there take the time to make the 17 Mile Drive through the Pebble Beach Golf Course and the amazing mansions and views.

The only drawback to this hotel is that there is no direct access to the beach below the cliff. We would suggest avoiding Pismo Beach and travel up the road to Avila Beach. This beach is preferred by the locals for its warmer waters and calmer surf. There is also a sister hotel called Avila Lighthouse Suites, but its rooms are smaller and more expensive. What ever you choose to do, we know you will enjoy and return to the Pismo Lighthouse Suites. Be sure to make your reservations far in advance; especially if you want to stay through the weekend.

We didn't expect much because of the hotel rate we got (97/night after discounts). We booked a 2 bedroom/2 bath suite with a queen bed in each room. When we arrived we found out that this room was in Bldg 3 which is closest to the highway (a bit noisy), 1 bed was a full and not a queen (which didn't work for us)and had a view of the courtyard (which is still a nice view), but not of the ocean. After a little negotiating, we were upgraded at no charge to a larger room in Bldg 2 with a total of 3 beds and a partial ocean view. We were very nicely surprised. The rooms were lovely, good sized, clean and comfortable. The free breakfast was decent. Expect lots of carbs (waffles, cereal, breads). The pool was small but heated. The pool area is glass enclosed so there is a great ocean view and plenty of lounge chairs. The downsides: the floors are thin. We were fortunate enough to be on a top floor but the last night we were there, a family with 3 very active boys checked into the room below us and we could here most of the "fun" going on. Also, this hotel does not have access to the beach. You must walk two hotels over to get to the long staircase to get to the beach. We didn't enjoy the ocean or the pool too much because it was too cold but will definintely return to this hotel (during warmer months).

Traveler's Tips:
This hotel has 3 buildings. Bldg. 1 has full view of the ocean but only 1 bed and Bldg 3 is closest to the highway. Get a 3rd floor room for the least amount of noise. Most of the restaurants in the VERY small town close by 9:00 or don't serve dinner at all and seemed to all serve the same: fish and chips,clam chowder, burgers. The only "healthy" place we found was Honeymoon Cafe, which was good, as was The Cracked Crab.

I don't usually write reviews of my hotel stays...but I felt this property deserved kudos for its wonderful service, location, and guest rooms. We traveled during spring break with our two boys (ages 6 and 9) as well as our nanny. We had room 2203- the front window (2 queens and a full bath) looked out onto the activity deck. The balcony (1 King) had a partial (but very nice) view of the ocean. The direct view is of the Best Western next door. It was a perfect arrangement for our family. My husband and I had privacy and the kids were estatic to "have their own space." Breakfast was generous: oatmeal, waffles, pastries, cereal as well as juices, hot chocolate, coffee, and tea. The breakfast room was open from 7 to 10 am with a great wrap-around porch with ocean views and also an inside dining area. The staff kept the items well-stocked. In regards to the staff- they were super-accomodating and helpful about area attractions, directions, and anything we needed for our room (housekeeping, etc.) The location was wonderful. Though the property is on a cliff above the beach, access was quick (via a staircase two properties down). We were able to walk along the beach from our hotel for at least 4 miles. The hotel is only a short beach walk to the Pismo Pier then on to the Oceano Dunes rec. area. We walked to Shell Beach (Swacks and Del's Pizza) for dinner on a couple of nights. Another night we walked a few doors down to Marie Callendars for dinner. Each place we went was good. We had a great time and look forward to returning to Pismo Lighthouse Suites.

We only used this a a quick stopping point on our way from LA to Pacific Grove in a drive up the coast. I can't evaluate the hotel on their leisure activities (pool, beach, etc.) But from what we could see, this place is terrific for families. Six of us were able to fit into their 2 Bedroom suites, which also have 2 bathrooms. The price was dirt cheap, which had me a little worried before we arrived. But the rooms were clean and quiet and the beds were very good.

The breakfast was much more elaborate than we had expected, but there was an enormous crowd at 9:00 a.m., when we needed to eat, and we couldn't even find a place to eat outside the breakfast room on the stairs or the porch (even though it was about 50 degrees outside!). It was tough to get the food, and the lines were irritating, but again the spread was so much more than we had expected that I wouldn't complain much about it.

The price was so reasonable for what we got, and it suited our needs just perfectly. Also, front desk was extremely efficient and friendly.