The Madonna Inn San Luis Obispo romantic getaway with themed rooms ! #california

I love the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. Romance, rocks, and a themed room of your choice. Hi, it's Pat Patterson and I'm so excited to be here with Amanda Rich and we are at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, the famous Madonna Inn. And Amanda, tell me a little bit of the history why this incredible rock structure is behind me. Yeah, so Alex and Phyllis Madonna, they established the Madonna Inn in 1958. Mr. Madonna was in the construction business and would travel up and down the coast and would stay at different places that were all, you know, cookie cutter, all the same. And so he and his wife decided they wanted to create this amazing place that is unique, that is different, that everybody could come and be a part of and feel at home. So we have 110 different rooms. We have two restaurants. We have gift shops. We have horseback riding. We have tennis courts, hiking and biking trails. So we have, you know, a little something for everybody. It's really evolved over the years, but Mr. Madonna had this brilliant idea. He came up with it and wrote it down on a napkin and then ran from there. Is it true that the rock theme was because he kept coming up with rocks? Oh yeah, he would move those rocks with boulders and he's like, you know what, I might as well use these. You gotta see it because, I mean, the restroom's made out of rocks. But it's very beautiful. I mean, is there a type of rock this is? That's a good question. Granite, the rocks, the California rocks, our favorite. I was going to say some of the rocks that you'll actually see in the rooms, they actually would like put the rock there and then build the room around it. We're going to take a look around. We're going to see some of the themed rooms. What's, I gotta find out, what's the most popular themed room? I would have to say the caveman, which is completely rock. Rock floors, rock ceiling, rock walls. There's a waterfall shower. That room will rent like a year in advance. You got a high demand for that? Yes. And we're talking about romantic getaways. So is there a honeymoon suite? Oh, we got lots of romantic rooms. We have love nests, love birds, romance. If you can think it, we probably have a room that features that style. What's the biggest change you think this hotel has seen over the years? You know what, I think the popularity has changed from, you know, people looking just for a place to stay to more of a place like with social media nowadays, everybody wants to come and take their pictures with the themed wallpaper. And I think just in the last couple of years, we've really noticed that transition of just people coming specifically to come take photos. Is it true there's a famous urinal hidden here somewhere? There is, yes. What's the story behind that? So the men's urinal, which is located downstairs, has a waterfall urinal. So as the men step up, the waterfall will come down. We're talking about romance, so I digress. And so in terms of people coming in here for a honeymoon, a wedding, who do they get in touch with? Well, we have our, you know, our main line, which is 805-543-3000. Yeah, and we'll, that just basically will take you to the front desk. They'll tell you and direct you to exactly the people. We have a whole banquet department, like if you're wanting to have a wedding that would handle that. We also have, you know, our steakhouse that does dining reservations. Obviously, when you first walk into the steakhouse, you'll see that it's like all pink and very romantic. So no matter what time of year, the pink is what kind of stands out. And Mr. Madonna felt that pink was a romantic color, and that made everybody look good. This is incredible. This is the steakhouse, and it's decorated. We're here at Christmastime. But Amanda, tell me what other themes happen throughout the year. So we like to go along with the seasons. So if you come in February, you'll see hearts hanging on the tree, lots of valentines. Everywhere you look, we'll have hearts and red and pink. Then at Easter time, we have our Easter bunny and our Easter eggs all around. And then in October, we do a little Halloween decoration and then right into Christmas. So Christmas decorations are always up before Thanksgiving. So I just got the most exciting news. Amanda's mother watches the show on the Central Coast CW5. So give a shout out to your mom. Hi, Sandy. Hi, Mom. Sandy, thank you for watching the show. Okay, we got that out of the way. So which room are we in now? We are in old-fashioned honeymoon right now. Now what makes it old-fashioned? I mean, is it just the style of the motif or only old people get to go? Oh, no. It's the style of the motif. On the walls, we have kind of a fleur-de-lis, old-fashioned style, the wallpaper. Yeah, so that's kind of what makes it, you know. And so, you know, in terms of honeymoons, I mean, do people come and stay a week? Do they stay a weekend? What is it all over the map? I think it's probably more like a week stay or depending on if they're having their wedding and they stay here for a couple days. But there are so many things to do. You can't just be here one day. Amanda has brought me to Hearts and Flowers. Tell me about this place. Yes, this is one of the definitely lovey-dovey rooms. If you look around, you can see this fun red wallpaper. We also have, you know, heart furniture. There's hearts on the front door when you walk in. It just oozes love. I mean, this is unbelievable just in terms of the theming and the coziness of these rooms. Even though they're large, they just feel very cozy. And I don't know if that was just the time that they were made, if it's the rock. What do you think that is? I think it's probably a little of everything. I think it also has to do with the furniture and just the aesthetics. Mrs. Madonna, they were really into that. You know, they wanted people to feel at home. So I think that really comes across. It does. I think, you know, modern hotels, very stark and very kind of, you know, minimalist. This is not minimalist. I mean, there's a lot of stuff going on here. And so do you, when you recommend to a friend that might be having a honeymoon, what room do you recommend? This is definitely one of my hearts and flowers. I also like Romance, which is kind of like the sister room to this, but the wallpaper is more blue. I also love Nest. That's one of my favorites. It has a spiral staircase in the center of that room. It's one story, but there's a little pergola at the top, so you can go and peek out. But I mean, there's so many rooms here that you can't help. Yeah, you can't go wrong. So that's our look at the Madonna. And I'm so thankful to Amanda Rich. That was a wonderful tour. Thank you for having us. We're excited to share this beautiful place with everybody. So check it out. Here's the information. Book your honeymoon, wedding, anything amidst the beautiful rocks and the pink hearts up here at the Madonna Inn. My favorite themed room at the Madonna Inn was that hearts and flowers room. So much to do on the Central Coast. Hi, it's Pat Patterson. Are you ready for a more creative and fulfilling second act? I know I was. So I wrote a book about it. Creative U-Turn. Nine Steps to Your New Creative Life and Career. It outlines my journey of leaving corporate America at age 55 to become a TV host, actor, and a senior model. It's an easy to follow plan that can get you where you want to go. Creative U-Turn. It's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Balboa Press, and other places. Or go to my website, patpatterson.net and sign up for our free monthly workshops based on the book. So join me. Make your creative U-Turn now. So go to patpatterson.net, order your book, and sign up today for the free monthly workshop. And that's this episode. Remember to like us on Facebook, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and tell us why you're the best in California, and we'll come cover you. See you next time.