Page 23 - SLO Visitors Guide Summer 2024

slovisitorsguide.com SUMMER 2024 23
Visit the iconic Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo
Whether a first-time or repeat
visitor to the iconic Ma-
donna Inn, locals, and tourists are
always in for a special treat. Located
just off Highway 101 in beautiful
San Luis Obispo, it’s the ideal place
to stop for a meal, dessert, or to
spend an enchanted night or two.
Nostalgia is the name of the
game at Madonna Inn. From the
first 12 rooms completed in 1958 by
Alex and
Phyllis
Madon-
na, the
unique
style and
ingenu-
ity are
reflected
through-
out the
property.
“Over
the years,
guests share how much they enjoy
experiencing that nostalgic feeling
every time they come back,” says
Madonna Inn marketing manager
Amanda Rich. “It’s important for us
to maintain the originality of this
special place while also conducting
continuous upgrades.”
This originality is evident
throughout the entire 1500-acre
property, whether stopping in for
a slice of the Madonna’s world-
famous Pink Champagne Cake,
perusing the gift shops, or checking
out the famous restrooms.
That’s correct – the main
restrooms at Madonna Inn have a
personality all their own. While the
men’s features a waterfall urinal and
clamshell sinks, the women’s exudes
a feminine touch with pink sparkly
wallpaper and leather interior. “It
was an ongoing joke between the
Madonnas, and he liked to remind
her how famous that waterfall had
become!” says Rich.
World-famous inn
and steakhouse
beckons visitors
from near and far
Family-
run with
unsurpassed
hospitality
From the
beginning of
its “mom and pop” existence to
now, the Madonna Inn has always
been a family-run business. Their
children – Cathie Twisselman, John
Madonna, Karen Twisselman, and
Connie Pearce – learned the impor-
tance of hard work from an early
age. Pearce is currently the general
manager. Her husband, Clint, man-
ages the Madonna properties, and
their daughter, Audrey, helps with
marketing.
The family has been exceeding
guest expectations when it comes
to the hospitality factor for nearly
seven decades. They welcome
guests back year after year to their
“home away from home” and help
create special experiences and last-
ing memories.
Everyone is welcome to stop by
and walk around, glimpse the Eu-
ropean designs, ornate hand-carved
woodwork, etched copper and brass
adornments, and custom-made
leaded glasswork and windows. The
San Luis Obispo
color pink, prevalent throughout
the property, first took off with the
design of the steakhouse booths.
“If you’re sitting in a pink booth,
you can’t help but smile!” says Rich.
No two rooms are alike
Famous for its unique accom-
modations, the Madonna Inn
boasts 110 themed guest rooms.
Room requests tend to change
depending on current events, ac-
cording to Rich. For example, The
Barbie Movie spurred an uptick in
reservations for pink rooms includ-
ing “Carin” with its pink, sparkly
wallpaper, gold cherubs, and love-
birds adorning the bath.
The “Caveman” has been a favor-
ite for decades, with animal prints, a
rock ceiling and floor, and a waterfall
shower. Rich favors the “Mini-Maxi”
and its purple sparkly wallpaper,
elaborate rock fireplace, cozy sitting
area, and a rock shower. Mrs. Ma-
donna’s favorite room is “Irish Hills”,
a nod to her Irish heritage. This
serene semi-suite is enchanting with
a natural rock shower.
“As social media has evolved,
people tend to want that crazy,
colorful wallpaper,” says Rich.