We were a group of 6 that were taking a motorcycle trip from Las Vegas, down to California, Arizona, back to Vegas. We decided when booking our rooms in advance that we would leave one night open just in case anything happened that prevented us from making to a particular destination. This is how we came to find the Tides Motel. After a VERY long ride down the Pacific Coast Highway, in some not so nice weather. we made a phone call to a couple places in Pismo Beach, but most were sold out of rooms. We reached someone at the Tides Motel and she said that she had 3 rooms and that she would hold them for us, so we did book sight unseen, which you never really should do. We arrived several hours later, in the dark and the outside of the motel doesn't look too bad. The lawns were nicely manicured, the motel itself looks like it had been recently painted. We went inside to the office and were greeted by the owner. She gave us our keys after we paid and also offered to call a place for food for us as it was late and we had not eaten in a while. That's about where the good stopped. When we entered our rooms, it was very apparent that they needed a major overhaul. Carpets were very old and dingy. our friends' room, there were stains on the sheets and pillow cases. We were not very happy, but being that it was very late, we had to make the best of it. Most of us slept on top of the beds that night, some on towels just to make sure that we didn't sleep on dirty laundry. The rooms could be very nice, some had little kitchen units, others had pull out beds or futons. But this motel defenitely needs some cleaning in the rooms. Paint and new carpeting or flooring would have made a world of difference at this place. When we got up in the morning, my husband and I did venture down to the beach area and this truly was a piece of heaven. It was early, there were very few people down there and it was beautiful. With some upgrading, I really believe that this motel could be a 4 * but with what we encountered, I wouldn't give it more than a 2*. Make sure you research before making reservations and it is always a good idea to reserve well in advance. This will probably be the last time that I wait until the last minute to find a place to stay.