Kaleidoscope Inn

Moldy kitchen, dirty carpets, not good for disabled or service dogs. Ride innkeeper and check your bill before paying. Even though the town is terrific, don’t go to the Kaleidoscope Inn B and B. Don’t do your wedding there.

I want to start off that my wedding was very beautiful and everyone had a great time. Kaleidoscope definitely has a beautiful garden setting. I feel that this venue needs to work on a lot when it comes to customer service (as I work at a country club and have worked with weddings there and so my expectations were A LOT higher).
1. Every time we met with the owner she was at least 20 minutes late. This didn’t bother me the first time, but the second time I was kind of mad as we respected her time and she didn’t respect ours.
2. We picked to do the inclusive package through the venue since we live out of the area as it seemed to be the easiest choice. There were several times that I emailed and would not hear back after a week and a half and would have to email again to «follow-​up» to finally get a response. There was always some kind of excuse on why it took so long.
The actual day of…
1. Everything was very beautiful when I arrived, the tables were set and centerpieces were placed. Florist had already placed bouquets, petals and boutonnieres in the bridal suite.
2. My bridesmaids and I got ready and rushed into the house. I had to have a groomsman run out and get the boutonnieres together to give to the groom and groomsmen. I thought that someone from the venue would be a little more attentive and help us out with that since we had only an hour to get dressed and see everything then rush into the house since the guys were arriving. My mom, his mom and my grandma never received their corsages.
3. The coordinator from the venue was dressed so unprofessionally during the day of (shorts, sweater and boots… could have at least worn jeans and a nice top… come on it’s a wedding!).
4. I had several of my bridesmaids ask the coordinators some questions and they told me how unwilling they were to either help or answer or were rude.
5. While we were waiting for the ceremony to start I really needed to use the restroom but couldn’t use the main one due to guests already arriving. The coordinators weren’t around, so we went upstairs to use the restroom up there and when we came back down I could tell they were upset because we went up there. One of the coordinators even told one of my bridesmaids that she would now have to clean the restroom because she used it (it’s not like we peed on the seat or anything… but maybe we should have).
I had so many of my guest tell me what an amazing time they had, but i felt the vendors were the most helpful to me. My DJ from Epic Entertainment was amazing. His name was Bill and he was just awesome! I’m glad that all these things were behind the scenes so no one else knew. After all of this, I wish I would have spent a little bit more and had my wedding where I really wanted to for peace of mind and where I know customer service would have been on point. I felt I was such an easy going bride too, I had so many people tell me I should be bridezilla, but that’s not me. I will definitely not recommend any of my friends to have their wedding here and I actually persuaded someone to not request any information. I explained how stressed I was due to their lack communication, etc., and ya it’s a beautiful place but not worth it.

Me. MOB
Well the backyard grounds are ok, nothing spectacular but tended to. The front is in need of some paint and general TLC
This was the selection of my daughter for her outdoor wedding. Ok so first of all
1. Get the 1mill additional Ins Policy they require, maybe I’m too old but had never heard this. I thought the Bus maintained Ins?? WTH
2. 2 night min stay, NOT included in booking of grounds. for Bridal Room, (to get ready in otherwise there is NO OTHER place.) Please READ MY PREVIOUS SENTENCE!! this Would’ve been nice (to be included)$bfst was very ok nothing special. And the honeymoon suite, needs serious attention, again nothing special not even a congrats bottle of anything. most def not champagne, not even water! Pretty Weak.
3. One is not allowed on grounds till 3:00 previous day of wedding. Which happens to be rehearsal time, I called and asked to come at noon, they said yes. Only Bc there were no other guests there. sooo much stuff to import in being they only provide linens tables chairs, sooo abt a million things you need to bring in. BIG ISSUE
Also party shuts down 9:00 sharp !! tables are put away by 9:30 PERIOD So if you want a pretty short wedding with the ceremony, pics, more pics (special Day),
Dinner, special dances, toasts .just getting started literally. THEN pick up all your stuff!! and shut it down.
The staff really is Not there to help you, they set up tables at 11:00 day of wedding not near enough time to get decorated THATS IT! Not time to get ready, and get to get married (we set up ourselves at 8:00am morning of wedding) again, ONLY BC THERE WERE NO GUESTS we barely had time for 3:00 pm start time. We also had to have guests move chairs from seating area to dining after the wedding to reception. I WAS NOT HAPPY abt that. THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH CHAIRS!!! sorry was their response.
I would cautiously consider this place as a venue. Oh and they still book other rooms and expect you quiet due to other guests??? And it’s your wedding 4K!!! Pretty kwirky. Uhhh No I would strongly have you reconsider. Their cushions on the patio furniture is old and torn .I tried flipping over, soiled. eeww. To me, they were stuffy ppl not helpful to your needs, just enough so you don’t scream but enough to tear your hair out, nothing was anticipated! I had to request, then it seemed like I was a bother.
The refrigerator is not very cold. and very old
No racks just a big box, big big Box, inconvenience being no one is allowed in the house, just weird. The only thing reasonable was price 4k. Oh and a 3:00pm. Check out. 2 convinces. Not sure abt the B&B Aspect we only crossed through the inside of house to get to walk the bride. It smelled in there old! open, some windows.
In conclusion .way too many time constraints
and not pretty enough for all of what seemed to be a hassle with a smile. Becky young lady on site very sweet.
Sad to give a «less than» review but. WEDDINGS sd be happy times.
Our wedding was beautiful but not BC of the kaleidoscope, but BC of what we did.
*******LOOK FOR ANOTHER VENUE****
Best of luck to you!

Except for when they start hammering something downstairs at 6 am, they’re nice people.

Grand Victorian home w original woodwork light fixtures and windows. It’s not a hotel so don’t expect it to be like one. The suite (20 $ extra) has its own bathroom and parlor. Kevin and George were both great. Breakfast was tasty. Would stay here again.

I’m giving one of those stars due to the Innkeeper being accommodating to a very odd check-​in time, and the other because I’m required to give at least one star.
My husband and I stayed in the Cottage for two nights, in order to attend a wedding in Santa Maria.
Kevin was extremely accommodating, leaving a key for us and texting me the key code, as we got in around 3 in the morning, following a flight from Hawaii and a three hour drive from San Jose. Unfortunately, that’s as good as it got. We were woken at 6am by symphony of weed whackers and leaf blowers right outside our window.
Inside the cottage was damp, and smelled terribly of mold and mildew. Even the sheets smelled as if they’d been forgotten in the washer for too long, and then dried anyhow, instead of being re-​washed. If I had to guess, when not in use the cottage just gets locked up, with all of the sheets, blankets, and robes in place. Nothing gets stripped and stored in a dry location, and no de-​humidifier gets used. The towels, which are in the bathroom just off the kitchen, were not much better. Ultimately you get the distinct sense that you’re sleeping in a garden shed– and the noise from the yard work does nothing to dissuade that notion.
The early morning yard noise wasn’t an isolated event, as we were woken the second morning by the same leaf blower, as the yard crew prepared for a wedding.
As we were leaving someone, I’m assuming Kevin, said hi, and asked my husband if we enjoyed our stay. My husband replied with an extremely dubious sounding «eeeeehhh…», which would almost always cause an innkeeper to stop and ask what the problem was, but not here. The reply was «Wonderful! Have a great day!»
The Kaleidoscope Inn is kind of the only game in town, if you want a B & B. For the money though, you’d probably be better off in a hotel or motel closer to SLO, Pismo or Santa Maria.
I probably should have stayed and talked to the owner about my issues, but in all honesty I was so upset by being woken up to a leaf blower two days in a row that I wouldn’t have been able to say anything kind or productive.

I am a local professional wedding photographer her on the Coast and had the opportunity to do a beautiful wedding there and was I ever amazed. Everywhere you look there is great photo ops and the wedding went very smoothly. I can not say enough great things about this phenomenal venue as the owner Carolyn and Kevin make sure everything is perfect for your special day.
Dana– Blessed Beyond Belief Photography

The first few times we went here, we had the best time. Yes, it’s a drive to get anywhere. Yes, it’s in a neighborhood that is not the greatest. But the inn itself is so charming, the rooms are lovely, and while not every room has its own bathroom, the bathrooms are clean.
You can’t beat the breakfast either. I don’t know if Maryanne is still there, but she was the only reason we kept coming back. Until…
Hubby and I were running late. Traffic from L.A. was awful. We estimated that we would be arriving around 10 at night. When we arrived, the door was locked and I couldn’t get ahold of the owners. By the time we got in, it was almost an hour later and through misunderstandings, the owner, Kevin, led us to believe it was OUR FAULT that we had to wait, that we didn’t call or some (you know what) reason. I’m sorry, you’re in the business of hospitality, so your job is to make US feel welcome, not the other way around. Your job is to make us come back, not so we’ll go find a new place to stay.
That was the last time we stayed there. I would not go back. The rooms are not well heated, and I was a bit miffed that there was no TV in the rooms either (we stayed in two different rooms over our various stays).
We took our business to the White Water Inn in Cambria. They are right across the water on Moonstone Beach, have breakfast delivered to your room, and their mid-​week special rate can’t be beat.

We love to stay in Bed and Breakfast Inns because of the intimate settings and great breakfast. We decided on a last minute get away weekend. Everything that was reasonably priced in Pismo or Availa Beach was already booked up, so we decided to give the Kaleidoscope Inn a try. My husband had a fit when he found out that only two rooms had a TV, and ours was not one of them, but the owners did put in a TV with a dvd player, just for us! The tv was not connected, but we were able to watch the movies we brought. They were very accomodating. Thank God we had a room with a bathroom, some of the rooms had the bathroom down the hall.whew. The bed was comfortable. The shower had a dispensery with soap,.hmmm…never seen that before in a B&B. Usually there are nice toiletries and bottle water in the room. not so here. Bring your own soap and water. I was rather chilly at night, but was ok after I snuggled with my honey under the covers. The first day’s breakfast was not great… the french toast was ok, but the eggs were very bland. The 2^nd days was wonderful! The potatoes were tender on the inside and crisp on the outside. yummy! The egg stratta was delicious! I could have eaten another slice. Mary Ann the cook was knowlegable about the area and was able to guide us to a few nice winneries and places to eat. The Inn is located in a not so good area, but the home is nice and the gardens are beautifu! I see why so many people choose to have their wedding here. If we are in the area again, we may be back. It was a ok deal for the price.

Before I moved to SLO, we used to come here a couple times a year, just to unwind and get the smog out of our pores. It’s a peaceful place, in the middle of nowhere, and I love it.
Reasons why it is better than many other B&Bs:
1. The romantic and secluded stone cottage in the back yard. Try to stay there.
2. Fudge and tea instead of wine. Who needs wine after a day of wine tasting ?
3. Huge quantities of yummy food for breakfast! Yes, they take requests in advance. BEG for the blueberry French toast. It’s beyond amazing !
4. Friendly staff that treats you like a guest of the family. No locked kitchens here. It’s kind of a «mi casa
casa» vibe.
The only catch is that it’s little bit out of the way. You have to drive at least 10 miles if you want any sort of nightlife or shopping,

We’ve stayed here a bunch of times and we really love it. The architecture and grounds are beautiful and the owners and staff really super-​nice and helpful. The place is cosy and beautifully decorated and we’ve had many a nice evening comparing wine-​tasting notes with other folks in the lovely living room.
The proximity of other guests is both the up and downside of B&B’s; it’s up to you whether u like it… it’s funny cause I’m kind of a private person so usually the «chumminess» of B&B’s kinda bugs me, but for some reason I like it here. Maybe it’s because it really feels so much like you’re hanging out at home, I don’t know.
Do be aware that because it’s a B&B (and a beautiful 19^th century farmhouse), the bathroom situations can be a little odd. Be sure to ask about the specifics; some of the room’s baths are kinda far — especially the Hobbit House, which is CUTE but its bath, tho technically private to the room, is in the main house (u have to go outside to get to it). It’s a little misleading on their website — they should make it more clear — but they are very helpful and honest when you ask about the rooms so just call. Our favorite in the main house is the Jasmine Retreat ’cause its bath is en suite, if a little small. We’ve also stayed in the Master Suite, which was nice too but its bath, tho private to the room, was up a set of steep stairs. This was where the room’s sitting area was too; super-​big and comfy with a DVD player & lots of movies downstairs. Got a pizza one night from a local joint & watched a movie; it was windy out and we dug feeling like we were in the attic of grammaw’s house, all snug.
The food situation has been good every time we’ve been there, tho the BF’s tastes are a little more picky than mine so there’ve been some egg dishes he didn’t like. But we now know to just ask the night before and they accomodate with simple scrambled eggs or whatever. They’ll even put breakfast aside for u to warm up later if u plan on sleeping in. Be warned, their French toast, though very good, is a VERY sweet dish, and if you’re like me and don’t like sweets for brekkie, u might wanna let ‘em know. Coffee is great and fudge put out in the eves very good. Also nice that you have free access to the kitchen so that when u go to Jocko’s steak house just literally around the corner (and you WILL go there; it’s incredible) and have like half of your «small» Spencer steak left over, you can put it in the fridge to gnaw on later.
Yes, the surrounding town of Nipomo isn’t very nice; an unforgiving person might even call it kind of a rhymes-​with-​spit-​hole. But it’s weird, though it’s pretty rundown, I’ve never really felt unsafe in the area. I mean, yeah, we make sure to lock the car, but we do at home too. And it all has this kind of toothless semi-​rural charm I’ve grown quite fond of.
So all in all it really is a great place. Maybe not for everyone, but unique and interesting. (oh and a couple more perks: free wifi, and easy access from the 101, tho not so near as to be able to hear traffic.) And did I mention that it’s walking distance to Jocko’s?!

Kaleidoscope Inn rocks! This is a nice, clean B&B which has been very nicely restored by the owners. They have several different types of rooms to choose from, including some detatched units, like a standalone stone-​built cottage. The grounds are nicely maintained and manicured; they have a gazebo in back and a nice patio area to relax. I think they even host weddings on the property. They’re just down the road from so many great things to do, like wine tasting in Edna Valley, Oceano Dunes, Pismo Beach, and more. They put on a great breakfast in the morning. It’s not a fancy, elegant place — which is a good thing in my book. They’re a little more casual and laid back, in a good way. The owners seem very nice and went out of their way to ensure we had a good stay. I highly recommend Kaleidoscope in next time you’re passing thru the Central Coast!

My wife and I booked at this hotel because it came up under a search for San Louis Obispo Hotels; however it’s about 20 miles outside of SLO on the other side of Pismo.
The Bad:
1. The first sign that this was a bad decision was the first second we drove up. This B&B is not located in any sort of scenic area by any means, something you will not see in pictures. In fact, it is located smack in the middle of a middle-​lower class residential area, directly across from some low-​rent apartments. If we were not going to be charged with an extra nights stay, we would have driven off without setting foot inside. Hey at least there’s a community liquor store a block away, so you can always pick up a bottle of Thunderbird to fit in.
2. The reservation company assured my wife that the room we reserved had a private bathroom in the room. Well it did have a private bathroom, but it was located up the hall. Had we been told the truth about this, we would not have stayed.
3. The residential neighborhood in which this B&B is located has everything you would expect from a residential neighborhood: Dogs, Harley Davidson’s, Peacocks, Liquor store on the corner. Bring ear plugs.
4. Apparently the B&B did not bill us correctly for our stay and decided to withdrawal an extra nights stay from spending account without permission a month later. We were refunded the money after several emails and attempted faxes. We finally had to scan and send them proof of the overdraft fee. Carolayne was very difficult and rude about the situation.
The Good:
1. Breakfast was served on time and it was delicious. We had Strata one morning, some kind of Bread pudding the next and finally French toast. All accompanied by fresh fruit and juices.
2. Staff is very nice and helpful.
3. Room was clean and spacious. We stayed in the lover’s nest.
4. Bed was comfortable.
Bottom line: although this place has some charm, the food is good and the owers do a good job with upkeep (for an old house), the surrounding neighborhood, misleading sales and poor customer service make this B&B a place to avoid. It really comes down to what you are willing to accept.

I really wanted to like this place. I think there are people out there who would really appreciate this place, but it wasn’t for my wife and I.
The service was excellent. ⁵⁄₅. The owner Carolayne came a few minutes late to open up, but we were the only guests and she lives across town so it’s understandable. She was extremely helpful. Opened up the laundry room for us (my baby peed on me), set up a separate cot for our baby, offered to put on hot water, etc. Went above and beyond the norm.
The rooms we stayed in, Lover’s Nest, was nice and big. On the corner, lots of windows. Only thing is it may be noisy with many others in the house. I wouldn’t know because we were the only guests. I didn’t notice it, but my wife thought the deep plush carpet was dusty. The windows left something to be desired. Some of them don’t lock. Supposedly safe area but I wasn’t completely reassured (see below), also as I was completely alone in a foreign Victorian style «haunted-​house» mansion with high ceilings, deep dark red carpet, colorfully patterned wallpaper, and classic creaky stairs. Bed is (laying in it currently) comfortable enough. Also the private bathroom, although nice with double sinks, is down the hallway past several other rooms. Not an issue for me as we are all alone, but could be for others. Also the bathroom window wouldn’t close all the way. Overall ²⁄₅.
You don’t come here looking for a destination hotel, but the neighborhood still leaves something to be desired. There is a saloon/​tavern about 400 feet away and a small apartment complex right across the street. I guess we shouldn’t have expected much, but we’ve never been in Nipomo before. ¹⁄₅.
The grounds and garden are colorful very well kept. Lots of flowers, a few gazebos, a small fountain, and multiple sitting areas. People hold weddings there. ⁴⁄₅.
They have a lot of amenities. TV, lots of books and DVDs, free bottled water, popcorn, use of kitchen, and free wireless internet which is a big thing for me. I get so annoyed at big hotels that charge you an arm and a leg for a room then nickel and dime you for internet access. It is incidentally 2 blocks from a very highly rated (but cheap) steak restaurant, Jocko’s. Overall ⁴⁄₅.
Breakfast was very very mediocore. I thought Bed and Breakfast places were supposed to have great food. We did miss the homemade fudge the evening before because we checked in too late. The breakfast was scrambled eggs (they didn’t even ask how we wanted it), skillet potatoes, and fresh fruit. The OJ was incidentally expired by 11 days. I drank it anyways because it looked, smelled, and tasted fine. Food ²⁄₅.
Usually customer service really makes the difference for me, but it wasn’t enough in this case to make up for it’s deficiencies.

i thought this place was really neat. my cousin’s wedding reception was held there so i’m reviewing from how i saw the place; for i know it is a bed and breakfast establishment.
i thought the place was a great location for the reception to be at. the complex was quite big when you walk into the backyard… it doesn’t really look like it when viewed from the outside. there are plenty of tree that block a good portion of the gazebo, which is really nice when it comes to those sunny days. the place is just a nice place to relax in the back yard and get away from a hectic city-​life (i.e. San Diego, Los Angeles, or San Fran.)

I’ve been here twice, once in September of 06 (I think) and once last week. Each time, I’ve been very happy with my experience. The first time, we stayed in the Master Suite, which has a bathroom (unfortunately, the shower is very awkward) actually in your room — and a small loft up some stairs with it’s own TV and sitting area (since it’s a bed and breakfast, only the master bedroom has the bathroom attached, the others’ are just down the hall… except for the cottage which is across the garden a little bit). The second time we stayed in the Lovers’ Nest, which has a huge comfortable bed, and a detached bathroom right down the hall. The bathroom is huge with two sinks and a shower stall. Very warm and cozy stay, with some great hospitality and delicious breakfasts!
My one complaint: the bathrobes included with our room smelled very strongly of men’s cologne. Groce!

Only one star? How could that be?
Well…
They promise a private bath with the cottage (as is shown on their website). What they don’t mention is that your private bath is just outside the kitchen. Which would work, if the cottage was as well. Instead the cottage is in the garden. So you would have to walk through the garden to the kitchen area to use the restroom or take a shower. So I spent $ 25 to «upgrade» to a room that was at least in the house, even if the bathroom was down the hall…
The place is cold. Really cold. No real central heating going on. Bring extra sweaters to wear indoors (I assume they don’t have this issue in the summer).
And if you decide to use the jacuzzi tub, be prepaired for the hot water to disapear half way while filling, and for hair to be floating in it. And don’t mind the mold on the shower curtain or on the ceiling. Or the fact that you can hear the people staying next to you «talking». Or the fact that when you just get out of the shower in the morning someone comes into your «private» bathroom to get stuff out of the laundry room, which is apparently located in your bathroom. Which is fine, because you had to cut your shower short because you ran out of hot water again…
In addition, if you stay here you may want to consider eatting breakfast elsewhere, unless you enjoy dry scrambled eggs, some über sweet french toast mix thing and hard cantalope.
Well, at least, that was my experience. I don’t plan on having another…