My husband and I have stayed at the Rigdon House every couple of months for the last several years at least, and are never disappointed. They don’t miss any details, from the clean and comfortable historic rooms, to the adorable library with books and games to enjoy, to the happy hour and kitchen stocked with snacks and drinks for guests to enjoy. We love the fire pit on the back patio, to sit by and relax together with a drink. We also love that the hotel is centrally located in Cambria within walking distance from many restaurants and shops, so we don’t have to drive anywhere except to the beach which is a very short drive away. Despite COVID, we have continued to visit the Rigdon House every couple months as our regular getaway location, and they have done a great job keeping up amazing service and cleanliness. Due to Covid, the hosted happy hour has temporarily been suspended but they so generously give each room a bottle of complimentary wine to enjoy instead. The staff are always so kind and accommodating, the rooms clean and comfortable, so we wouldn’t stay anywhere else in Cambria or the surrounding area. Highly recommended! …
Rigdon House OK, a little bit of a mixed review. First I have to say that the only other times (probably a dozen) I've stayed in Cambria I've rented a vacation house/cottage/villa. They are plentiful, reasonable, and comfortable and I love having a place to myself. This trip was shorter than usual and very last minute, and so, knowing the town, and wanting to be right in-town (rather than out on Moonstone Beach which is lovely but is a car drive to anywhere), I booked a suite at the Rigdon House. It was extremely reasonable, and that's great. I also investigated the property on TripAdvisor's reviews, and was heart-warmed by the pattern of raves, especially about the staff. Understand this: It's possible that my expectations were too high. I get that. But I didn't feel it -- I felt frustrated here. It seems understaffed. There never, ever seemed to be anyone at the front desk, whether you're checking in or asking for a glass of wine at the admittedly generous happy hour. Never. You're told to call a number when you arrive (if no one is at the desk) or if you're waiting to be served at happy hour but no one ever responded to those calls (and I was in the lobby one night when a newly arriving couple checked in, figured out the deal, and called the number, and just sort of stood there for 10 minutes until a staffer returned). What's the point of calling if there's no answer? The human touch was missing. You never got the sense there was a manager, someone who took responsibility. Just a pair of young staffers who seemed to do the best they could with little support but also weren't as friendly and outgoing as the previous reviews had led us to believe. Again, maybe it's because there's only one staff person there at a time, but that's why this is a 3-star property and not a 4-star destination. It could be a 4-star so easily because the property is centrally located and really pretty. But here's the other thing. The rooms are cold, in terms of decoration. Our suite on the first floor had a living room and bedroom but there was no separation (or at the very least a curtain, so if one of us was up watching TV the other didn't have to). Furnishings were sparse; there was a darling armchair in the corner of the bedroom but it was so dark (no lamp) that it didn't serve the purpose of providing a lovely reading nook. Not enough lamps full stop. Plugs fell out of outlets. We moved the uselessly located comfy chair from the bedroom to the living room and then at least the living room felt more cozy. And we loved the obviously recently re-done bathroom (very HGTV) but the fact that there was not enough hot water most of the time sort of took the sparkle away. The last complaint, and maybe this is a staffing issue but I think it's also an operational issue: Coffee in the lovely main lobby/kitchen/bar (which was otherwise off-limits due to Covid, gosh I hate Covid for this reason and a trillion others, not Rigdon's fault) and it's set to brew at 7 a.m. By 7:30 a.m., guests have completely exhausted the supply and because no staff comes in until 9 a.m., you got it, coffee's done. Every day, four days running, this happened. Guys: Get a bigger coffee maker. On the plus side: Evenings are marvelous around the firepit. We had it all to ourselves sometimes, and met lovely, interesting people other times. You can walk to anywhere in the East Village from Rigdon House (including, especially the Fiscalini Preserve, which starts at the Black Cat and continues, crossing Highway One -- be careful -- up the hill and over to the ocean). Parking is free. Our suite had televisions both in the bedroom and living room. And there was a microwave and nifty small fridge that had a nice sized freezer (pick up a pint of the fabulous Santa Barbara-based McConnell's ice creamery at the nearby Soto natural food store). If I could have a career in hospitality, I'd love to try to make Rigdon House just-a-little-bit-better than it is.…
I’ve traveled for years to Cambria but always shied away from staying downtown. The Rigdon House offers amazing rates and is gorgeous. Only downside is the walls are extremely thin, though this may only be our room — obviously I haven’t been in any other rooms (we’re in the luxury king suite). The person who checked us in was kind and took time to show us the amenities; he even walked us to our room. I will definitely be back.
We booked two suites: one for my husband & me, one for our 21 & 23 year old daughters, and the 23 year old daughter's boyfriend, the weekend of Oct 23-25. Of all the times I've booked hotels for my family, this is maybe the one time when everyone loved the place. From the Famous Amos" cookies in the lobby, Alexis & Christian & other amazing staff, the lovely patio & firepit - great location, and rooms that are truly as nice as the pictures on their website...This was one of my best finds ever! Great restaurants within walking distance and an overall exceptional experience! Also... I brought skewers from home & all the fixins for smores, which we enjoyed with others. Overall - a safe and wonderful visit at the Rigdon!
We just spent three days in Cambria and found the Rigdon House to be a delightful place to stay! The rooms were clean and spacious, the patio is just awesome, with a happy hour every day, and the location and price couldn’t have been better! We will stay here again when we return to California!
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