Considering it only opened in June 2020, the Stables Inn, Paso Robles has lost no time attracting the attention of critics.
Affordable and simple, it nevertheless brings a soupcon of chic to an unassuming wine town rapidly evolving into a dining destination.
The USA’s prestigious Travel & Leisure Magazine voted the inn one of the world’s best new hotels, no less, having gone to some lengths to reach this slow-paced unpretentious small town more than 200 miles from San Francisco and Los Angeles which is a useful waystation to both cities as well as an alternative gateway to California’s scenic central coast.
Actually, a motel – a collection of units each with a parking space right outside – the inn reflects the equestrian taste of its horsey owners, who have created 18 bright, white stable-inspired rooms. There are some furnished with two double beds and a bunkhouse sleeping six, both great value for a family or group of friends.
Décor is simple but cheerful, featuring cowhide rugs to accentuate the cowboy theme and stunning original artwork, while bathrooms are compact but high-functioning. All rooms enjoy 43-inch flat-screen TV, free wi-fi and mini-fridges, and access to a delightful central courtyard furnished with Adirondack lounge chairs and firepits in the shade of huge magnolia trees.
While few US motels go as far as serving free coffee, The Stables Inn offers a complimentary light breakfast in a communal space aka The Tack Room next to Reception – there are fresh pastries as well as good, locally roasted, coffee and fresh milk in proper bottles, plus a handful of high tables and chairs so you can start the day in comfort.
As most visitors to Paso Robles are aficionados of the vine drawn by the many award-winning wineries surrounding the town, the action moves to the courtyard by night, where many guests like to open a bottle acquired at one of the local wineries and sip their purchases around the firepit in wineglasses also supplied in rooms.
Despite being small and unassuming, Paso Robles does have a Michelin-starred restaurant and another mentioned in the guide, while yet another place to dine well close to the inn is the delightful Les Petites Canailles, a five-block stroll down Spring Street, where a proper French chef serves authentic bistro dishes like steak tartare and tarte flambee washed down by a vast selection of local wines including those from his own California wine-making family.
Like the Stables Inn itself, the restaurant is simple, unpretentious but a chic choice in Paso, the small California town on its way to becoming a dining as well as a wine-tasting destination.
Tell Me More About The Stables Inn
The Stables Inn, 730 Spring Street, Paso Robles, California 93446
T: 001 805 296-3636
Rooms from $155
How Do I Get To Paso Robles?
Please go to TravelPaso and Visit California for more information on what’s happening in Paso Robles
British Airways Holidays offers flights from London to Los Angeles including seven nights’ car hire from £749
