Arriving in Pismo Beach is like stumbling onto a piece of heaven where the ocean kisses the earth; with nearby enormous sand dunes beckoning beachcombers. Walking the pier, or the line of tourist-friendly sweets shops and bikini stores is what Surf City, USA must have been when The Beach Boys penned tunes devoted to the laid-back lifestyle of yesteryear. A little more than a stone’s throw off that tourist-beaten past lies Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort.

Sycamore Mineral Springs is a high-end hotel with an outstanding restaurant and wellness center, as well as a mineral hot springs facility. Many of the rooms have jacuzzis with mineral hot spring water taps so you can get your hot springs fix in your room, with full outdoor privacy. You can also enjoy some of the natural hot springs in wonderful outdoor tubs with
strategically placed screens and walls. Continuing with the theme of privacy, some of the rooms are built like townhomes with a garage underneath – it’s the ultimate getaway for the couple who doesn’t want to see anyone else for several days.

Like many wellness centers, there are massage therapists on staff ready to work on you by appointment or walk-in. There is also a full array of wellness services which can be reviewed on their website. In addition, they offer retreats for groups of all sizes, including corporate. They also have a gift shop filled with a wide variety of thoughtful and useful gifts for wellness aficionados as well as tourists of the area. One of the features of the resort is a bit of a rarity: a walking labyrinth.

The restaurant is a gem. When my wife and I made reservations, we weren’t expecting such an outstanding restaurant. It wasn’t just the atmosphere with the friendly wait-staff and manager darting about making sure that customers were satisfied. It wasn’t just the presentation of the food or the variety of plates, either. It wasn’t just the well-informed wine selection and our choice of a reasonably-priced local vintner that exceeded our expectations. It was the food. We ate at the restaurant several times over our three-day weekend and every meal was top-of-the-line. A little pricey, but everything about Sycamore Springs deserves a premium.

The manager struck up nice conversation, telling us about their chef and the history of the restaurant. It is truly a delightful place, and all of the staff seem very happy to work there. The check-in was easy; all points of customer service where hotels and restaurants typically fail were handled with ease and grace. I strongly recommend the Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort for anyone looking for a four-star restaurant on a three-star budget.

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort
1215 Avila Beach Dr.
San Luis Obispo, CA
Tel: (800) 234-5831
www.sycamoresprings.com

- Reviewed by Joseph Dowdy (joseph@beachheadcommunications.com)