The Madonna Inn

Perhaps the most iconic motel in America, the Madonna Inn is a roaringly fun roadside attraction. From its Disney-esque Alpine turrets and bright pink tennis courts to the swirling, psychedelic carpets and 110 themed guest rooms and suites, a stay here is comparable only to being locked inside Dolly Parton’s powder room. 

Construction king and rancher Alex Madonna and his wife Phyliss opened this vast monument to kitsch just outside the small central coast town of San Luis Obispo in 1958. Surrounded by the rolling hills of California wine country it’s a theme park and hotel rolled into one and no two rooms are the same. Spanning the sublime to the ridiculous, you can hunker down in a room that recalls 1880s riverboats, an English country estate, the story of William Tell, the cliffs of Yosemite or antique cars. The throughline is a very blousy, very 1960s brand of camp. I stayed in ‘Romance’, a baby blue confection of Louis XVI-style sofas and flock wallpaper with a mezzanine level and Swiss-style wooden balcony which wouldn’t seem out of place on a Lee Hazlewood album cover. Most bathrooms feature showers hewn from rock, while a number of bedrooms are modeled entirely on Flintstones-like caverns and giant boulders make up much of the resort’s main building. If you’re looking for lowkey minimalism, you’ve come to the wrong place. 

Alex Madonna died in 2004, but this landmark property is still run by the Madonna family and retains the friendly feel of an independent operation. Food onsite is impressive, too. The Gold Rush Steak House isn’t cheap, but portions are epic and mains come with soup, salad, a baked potato and a pickle and cheese platter. Local wines are reasonably priced and a slice of their signature pink champagne cake is a must-order. Best of all are the Barbie-pink circular leather booths – request one when booking dinner or you’ll spend the entirety of your meal gazing longingly at them. The room’s hand-carved marble balustrade came from another ultra-lavish property, the nearby Hearst Castle. There’s regular live music and a dancefloor where couples of all ages twirl each other round to lounge standards. Breakfast is served in the Olde English diner-style Copper Cafe, with pancakes, french toast and eggs any way you want them.  

Want to take a glistening piece of the Madonna Inn home with you? The restaurant’s weighty cut-glass goblets are available to purchase alongside all manner of branded merch, including socks and ice buckets, at the three on-site shops. Male visitors should also make sure they visit the men’s restroom to gaze in wonder at what we’re sure is the only rock waterfall urinal in the known universe. 

If you can bear to drag yourself away from snapping selfies in the restaurants or your room, there’s a pool and two hot tubs – we liked the hidden, kidney-shaped one the best – up the hill and overlooking the property. Down by the massive, original 1950s Madonna Inn road sign are the bright blue and pink tennis, basketball and pickleball courts, which are worth a look even if you’re far from match fit.  

The crowd the Madonna Inn attracts is eclectic as its rooms. As well as honeymooning hipsters, there are families who’ve been coming for years, retired lovebirds, friendly bikers, and plenty of West Coast road trippers. If you’re a fan of the more flamboyant things in life, don’t hesitate to join them. 

DETAILS

Address: 100 Madonna Rd, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405, United States

Price: From $315 per night

Transport: San Luis Obispo Regl airport is a 10-minute drive from the hotel. 

Book: via Booking.com

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