Garden Street Inn

Great location easy to walk to everything. They add on a small fee to park near by in a local garage. So check in, unload and then go park. Although we were trying to figure out if you could just park in the street across the way for free if you arrived after a certain time and left before the time the next morning. The staff were welcoming, but a little more off putting then other places we have stayed at. We stayed in the Our Town room, which was a good size. Only strange item of note the sink is in the room separate from the tub and toilet.
We were pleasantly surprised to find cookies on our door handle when we got back from dinner. They were some of the best cookies we have ever had. We sat outside in the evening on their back deck, with a bottle of wine, which was nice. The furniture was a little rough/​dirty, but we made due. Breakfast the next morning was ok. Very simple eggs, sausage, fruit and a muffin. Normal portion sizes, so if you are use to a big huge breakfast you would not be satisfied. All in all we would recommend this establishment.

What a cute little gem they have here. Great location nice staff awesome rooms. Breakfast included with your stay. The only negative here is the parking. They don’t have parking here so you either park like 4 blocks away or in the car garage down the street for $ 10 charge. Good luck finding parking in the garage we ended up parking 4 blocks away. Other than that not bad.

We loved our stay here in the Emerald Room along with our dog Gunner. Beautiful location right downtown within walking distance to a dozen pubs and restaurants in downtown SLO. Parking was easy in the structure just across the street, validation no problem.
Our room was downstairs and offered a little outside patio making it super pet friendly and private. Very quiet evenings. Fun.
Very friendly staff and clean quaint rooms. We will stay here again.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the Garden Street Inn while attending a wedding in San Luis Obispo. The BnB is lovely and charming. We stayed in the Amadeus room. It was beautiful, and the bed was very comfortable. The Jacuzzi tub was fantastic and incredibly relaxing. As another Unilocaler mentioned, the towels leave a lot to be desired. They are incredibly thin, but I guess they do the job. When I used the shower, I apparently didn’t pull the curtains far enough closed because water got all over the floors. There is a sign warning about that, so it was mainly my fault for not properly following instructions. Still be careful. I almost wiped out after stepping on the wet floor.
Breakfast was nice. The owner made a crêpe filled with ham, green onions and cheese served with fruit on the side. There was coffee and orange juice. It got a little crowded at breakfast time. There were people waiting, so it felt rushed.
Overall it was a nice place and centrally located to the bars and restaurants downtown. If I’m ever in San Luis Obispo again, I will definitely stay here.

It’s a very charming inn, but the service is lacking. They didn’t have enough washcloths for us the first night, and the towels they did provide were so threadbare that one of them actually ripped. The second night they didn’t even provide washcloths, and by the time we returned for the night, it was too late to get any.
They locked the kitchen at night, so there was nowhere to refrigerate or heat up food or water.
On the other hand, when we returned to our room at night, we found the door was left open, presumably by housekeeping. Definitely not good for peace of mind.
And this is not their fault but still affected our stay: a bunch of drunk people were fighting right outside our window. Two police cars showed up and officers started the process of lecturing and arresting at least one of them. Then a tow truck came to take away their car. All this happened at about 2:00 a.m.

I loved everything about this quaint b&b. The check-​in staff, the room, the bathrooms, ambiance, cookie on the doorknob, comfortable beds and location exceeded my expectations! I hope to make it back soon.

What a fantastic time! Paul Loven is 1 of the managers. He was there when I checked in and I felt genuinely cared for. There was only 1 room left, so I really lucked out. I had the best sleep I can remember. It was Saturday night with my windows opened. My favorite breakfast is eggs Benedict, and Paul made the best I have ever had. The man is a good chef and even churns his own butter! He was good to ask if I had any food restrictions, and accommodated the vegetarians. I also found out that he will cook for private parties on the beach. Give credit where credit is due. All of the guests were having a special time; they seemed thrilled to be there. Cathy is another manager who made me feel very welcomed, and she doesn’t let her gorgeousness get in the way of her being real. Every employee was a class act while being down to earth. Lexis was helpful on the phone, and you can hear her smile. I own a few full service restaurants and understand how tough it is to put together such a great team. The only suggestion I would make is to have fluffier bath towels; that’s an easy fix.

Charming Inn right in the heart of town quietly tucked away on a side street. Quaint décor, comfortable rooms, well-​stocked library — a home away from home. Breakfast was freshly prepared; eggs, sausage, toast, an array of fruit, plenty of coffee — delicious and enjoyed in the sun-​filled breakfast room. The Inn’s manager, John, personally welcomed us and oversaw our every need, and Brea was wonderful with great local tips on everything — A great destination within a destination.

Great little gem in the heart of San Luis Obispo! Stayed here recently on a trip down the coast. The bed was super comfortable. I loved the touch of the lemon cloud cookies, as our chef Paul called them, waiting in our room. All the guests and staff were very friendly. Breakfast was yummy and cooked to order in the morning. So much better than staying at a hotel. We will definitely be back.

We really wanted this to be a higher rating. We prefer supporting Mom & Pop establishments, but this place needs major work. At first glance, love the Victorian architecture and the location. But once we got settled into our room & turned on the brighter lights, we saw the unkept room. You could see the dust around the shape of a book that must have been removed from the bookshelf. The armoire in our room was not safe, once I opened the door to hang our clothes the whole thing toppled over, luckily, my husband was near by to catch it. Mold around our shower curtain was very unsightly & made me wonder if there was more mold in places we couldn’t see.
We were skeptical about having breakfast, but out of sheer hunger had some scrambled eggs & english muffins to hold us over until we finished packing. What a mistake, eggs had shells beaten into it. The only descent items for breakfast was english muffins & coffee.
Thank God we were only there for one evening. For the price, we would have been better off at a chain hotel.

Bf and I spent a Friday night here in the «Our Town» room. Other reviewers have said that the décor in this room is outdated (which is kind of the point), but we thought it was quaint and adorable. The large windows let in the warm afternoon sun, and felt very comforting. Breakfast was decent (fluffy buttermilk pancakes with scrambled eggs and some fruit), and the morning cookies on the door knob were a nice touch. The people who worked there were very friendly and accommodating.
The only problems were the bed, which was much too soft to be comfortable, and the loud noise from outside. The location was super convenient, since it’s right downtown, but there was a car alarm going off in the middle of the night, plus lots of drunk people making their way home. But, that’s what happens when you stay right in the heart of downtown. We would stay there again, perhaps in a room away from the street this time.

I used to live in SLO. One of the reasons I moved there was the time I spent at the Garden Street Inn.
I stayed there for the first time in the late 80’s I think it was, right after Dan Smith had finished the renovations and opened the Inn for business. Over the years, I’ve probably spent at least 50 nights as their guest, most of those nights in The Lovers.
When my fiancée and I started talking the «M» word, it didn’t take us long to agree on the Garden Street Inn as the place for the ceremony. Keep in mind we now live in Galveston, Texas so this was going to require a bit of logistical engineering to pull off. In the end, we had very little to pull. We turned it over to John Spears and his staff and we got magic in return. Everything from the cake (Madonna Inn bakery) to the after ceremony dinner (Palazzo Giuseppe’s) and the Friday night Groom’s dinner prepared by the Inn’s Chef Paul (large quantities of excellent Rosemary chicken, well-​presented and yummy) to the photographer, Nicole Boughton. They arranged the furniture so we could have our alter in front of the sitting areas fireplace, did the music for us, and joined us in the after-​ceremony cake and Dom Perignon.
Now, to the reason for this review: I’m completely puzzled by some of the reviews here. The Garden Street Inn is not a business hotel. It doesn’t have a business center, and why anyone would choose a restored Victorian B&B to stay on a business trip to SLO is beyond me. There’s an Embassy Suites over by Madonna Plaza for that sort of thing.
What the Inn has is ambiance and location – a location in the heart of Downtown SLO steps from everything. Is it sometimes noisy after Thursday nite Farmer’s Market? Yes. Could the Inn use some renovations? Yes and they are being done as allowed by time and their occupancy rate. Are the showers hard to figure out? I don’t know as I’ve never had any trouble. It’s a Victorian. It has claw-​foot tubs and Victorian-​style plumbing. It’s a feature, not a bug.
What I know is this: I trusted my WEDDING to John and his staff and they made magic with my trust. I also know that I won’t ever stay anywhere else in SLO, ever. And I know this: When I walk through the front door of the Inn, I’m home and among friends and people I’ve come to regard as family. The Garden Street Inn isn’t a hotel, it’s the home of friends. When have you ever felt that at a Hilton?

My wife and I stayed here last night and it was delightful. Bree at the desk was so nice she gave us the «Lovers Room» suite next to the library and recommended a great restaurant close to the mission called Luna Red.
The Inn is like a museum and the closest you can find to the middle of town.
Our room even had it’s own porch and breakfast was excellent. We were wishing we could have stayed for several days.

Stayed here overnight while on a Central Coast road trip with Mrs. Panaflex. This was our first time staying at a bed and breakfast, so were unsure as to what to expect. Would the inn keeper scold us for stumbling home late after the Thursday market? Would we have to share a dorm-​style bathroom? Would we be staying in a place owned by a crazy cat lady? Glad to report, none of these of were true. If anything, we were pleasantly surprised.
We started off in the Our Town room, but ended up switching because the AC wasn’t up to snuff. The concierge, Kevin, did some trouble shooting and ended up switching our room to one across the main stairs. Well done! Guests are given front door keys, map to the area, and cookies on the doorknob at the end of the evening. Furthermore, guests can pop in and out of the unoccupied rooms to take pics. Kind of neat seeing the other rooms.
Cool features were access to the communal fridge/​freezer, tasty breakfast and cookies, great location, rooms with historic themes particular to the city, and really good wifi. Couple of final words: Be prepared to haul your luggage up the stairs and monitor your voice levels, as the walls are quite thin. Overall, a nice throw back!

My husband and I stayed a weekend. We got the smallest room since we made our reservation so late, but it was perfect. Very comfortable, cozy and private. I also really liked that we had our own private entrance to our room. I loved the library, and spent many hours relaxing and reading. The staff is very warm and friendly. The cookies in the afternoon were delicious. The house was beautiful outside with a garden, and perfectly decorated within.
I loved how close it was to down town. We could walk easily to everywhere we wished to go.
The only negative was the food on both days. The first day was scrambled eggs with a nasty sauce on it. The plate was unattractive and bare. Three slivers of watermelon, an english muffin (the only thing I actually liked), and bacon that had maple on it? On the second day, it was pretty much the same meal remade into a casserole with vegetables and garlic. Disgusting. My husband and I both disliked it. One piece of toast cut in half, 2 small sausages and the same watermelon slivers. We were splurging by going to a B&B instead of a hotel, and expected an amazing breakfast. Both days, awful. Although, I am hopeful as it looked as if they were hiring a chef when we left. I hope so. We were hoping for some homemade baked goods along with a protein dish. It appeared that some guys whipped it up, and had no clue to plating, balance of flavors, aesthetics or taste.

So this might be a little weird. I didn’t actually stay at Garden Inn but this is a review on just their customer service.
I went to school at Poly and I had always heard great things about Garden Street Inn. I had made a same-​day reservation on airBnB and then made the drive from LA to SLO for a little weekend getaway. Once I got there, the inn said that they never got the reservation from airBnB and that they were full for the night. I checked my card and it wasn’t charged and then I checked airBnB and my reservation wasn’t there at all! So they were right, no reservation. (2 days later I get an email from airBnB saying the reservation didn’t go through –_​_​-​).
Anyways, as soon as one of the attendants says they didn’t have the reservation, the other starts calling all the other hotels in the area to find a room for us. They called about 13 total places for me. But the best part, if there was a room available, they asked the rate and tried to negotiate a place down to a price comparable to what we had. They ended up finding us a suite nearby for an amazing price.
For them to call that many places for us when it wasn’t their fault. AND they kept our finances in mind too?
This place definitely went above and beyond and we weren’t even their guests! It was too bad we didn’t stay there but next time I head to SLO, they will be my #1 choice!

I have tried since last July to receive a response to the review I posted below. The innkeeper at this establishment refuses to take my calls or respond to my emails. He did not «take care of» the ticket as he told me he would which left me with no information on where or how to pay the ticket until I received a notice from the City of San Luis Obispo. The owners of this business obviously do not care what the innkeeper does as he is apparently left on his own to run his own little place. If the innkeeper likes you he pays more attention to your needs but if he doesn’t care for you then you are pretty much ignored. I know of several people who passed on staying here and were glad that they went elsewhere.

Decent place. Location is perfect. Close to the downtown action.
It’s not super fancy, but it will make you feel at home and kind of like a local.

The room (Our Town) served its purpose quite well. It’s a really interesting building and well situated to walking all over SLO. For the amount of money they charged for the room, I was a little disappointed in the 80’s dated look to the décor and the bathroom was in some serious need of updating.
We didn’t find that the Our Town room was noisy. We left the windows open and slept just fine. The room was nice and big, but the lighting was pretty lacking, not that it was a big deal or anything.
The breakfast in the morning was ok, nothing special, and the portions were pretty skimp (as another reviewer mentioned).
This is a really neat place and has the potential to be a whole lot more.

There is just something wonderful about this place. It feels like coming home. I traveled here without my husband and I felt safe in this homey, casual atmosphere. This is my second stay here. I came here, originally, for the location. I was here on some personal business and the location was perfect for getting around to the railway station, shops, and restaurants. I returned for the friendly staff and unpretentious vibe.
This isn’t the kind of place you go to to be pampered and fussed over. This is the kind of place you go to if you want to feel at home, welcomed and respected.
If street noise bothers you, you may want to choose a room in the rear of the Inn.