Save
Share
Update from hotel: This property has indicated that they are taking safety precautions against COVID-19.Read more
Lowest prices for your stay
$149
Free cancellation until 05/28/22
$149
Free cancellation until 05/28/22
$149
$130
Booking.com$142
Hotels.com$149
Priceline$149
View all 19 deals
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Full view
View all photos (405)405
360
Panoramas (12) Videos (1)
Travel safe during COVID-19
Visit our Travel Safe hub to see how we're helping you make more informed travel decisions during COVID-19.
A note from Sands Inn & Suites
Updated 04/20/20
About
#16 of 33 in San Luis Obispo
Location
4.2
Cleanliness
3.9
Service
4.0
Value
3.8
Looking for a place to stay in San Luis Obispo? Then look no further than Sands Inn & Suites, a family-friendly hotel that brings the best of San Luis Obispo to your doorstep.
Guest rooms offer a flat screen TV and air conditioning, and Sands Inn & Suites makes getting online easy as free wifi is available.
You can also take advantage of some of the amenities offered by the hotel, including a 24 hour front desk, a sun terrace, and baggage storage. In addition, guests can enjoy a pool and free breakfast during their visit. As an added convenience, there is free parking available to guests.
Close to some of San Luis Obispo's most popular landmarks, such as Dallidet Adobe and Gardens (0.7 mi) and Ah Louis Store (0.9 mi), Sands Hotel is a great destination for tourists.
Travelers looking to enjoy some shawarma can head to Petra Mediterranean Pizza and Grill, Jaffa Cafe, or Oasis Restaurant & Catering. Otherwise, you may want to check out a cafe such as Madonna Inn Copper Cafe, Del Monte Cafe, or Big Sky Cafe.
Should time allow, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, California Polytechnic University, and Mission Plaza are some popular attractions that are within walking distance.
We’re sure you’ll enjoy your stay at Sands Inn & Suites as you experience everything San Luis Obispo has to offer.
Read more
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Free breakfast
Hiking
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Meeting rooms
Parking garage
Wifi
Hot tub
Outdoor pool
Fence around pool
Breakfast buffet
Vending machine
BBQ facilities
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
Sun terrace
24-hour front desk
Self-serve laundry
Show more
Room features
Air conditioning
Housekeeping
Safe
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Kitchenette
Microwave
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Quiet
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
Hotel links
Location
Full view
70Somewhat walkable
Grade: 70 out of 100
35Restaurantswithin 0.75 miles
10Attractionswithin 0.75 miles
Contact
1930 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-2616
Getting there
San Luis Obispo Station20 min
Rental CarsSee rental cars from $38/day
372Reviews4Q+A61Room tips
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 110
- 130
- 73
- 29
- 30
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
Very friendly staff and very large, clean rooms. The hotel is pet friendly but we were surprised to find that there was an extra charge upon check in. I was willing to pay the extra but explained to the staff member that it was not mentioned on their website. Because if that she said she would not charge me. I think that was fair. The only thing that could be improved is that they were not yet offering breakfast. But they did have coffee and muffins in the lobby.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Traveled
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Feb 22, 2022
kimcS2042MD, Thank you for sharing this heartfelt review of our hotel. It is a key ambition of ours to ensure that pet friendly never equates to a lower level of service and cleanliness and I’m glad that you found our efforts to be successful. The breakfast service is still in line with the restrictions that we are following because of the current pandemic so we apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused. We are all looking forward to seeing you again!
Read more
Hotel's Favorite
We came for a Wedding and had to leave the next morning. Most hotels in the area were 2 night minimum. Great full for the accommodations for just the 1 night. Not sure who responded to the text message but they were very helpful before our arrival!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Jul 18, 2021
Cupcakesncocktails, Thank you so much for your feedback and kind words regarding the five-star service and accommodations that you received during your most recent stay with us! We are so happy to learn that you enjoyed our hospitality, service and accommodations. We greatly appreciate the time you've taken to rate our hotel and we look forward to your next visit.
Read more
We just needed a clean hotel for a quick stop over on a road trip. We were not disappointed. The first thing we noticed was the room smelled clean. Check in was smooth, the products were fine and it for a motel is wasn’t particularly loud. We didn’t get to use the pool or anything but it seemed like people are enjoying it. No problems at all.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Traveled
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Feb 20, 2022
mandybear76, Thank you for your kind comments and 5-star rating! It is rewarding to hear that we have succeeded in making you feel comfortable and that you experienced no difficulties with our services or amenities. We are overjoyed to hear that you had a great time with us and we are looking forward to your next visit!
Read more
Hairs in bed, used bandages on sill & dirty floors turned bare feet black. Checked out immediately when I pulled down covers and drove 3 hrs home. Management refused refund.This place is not sanitary.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Don't chose a room - they're filthy.
See more room tips
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Oct 12, 2021
Hi jamesrQ9507JF, Thank you for pointing out the issues with housekeeping so that we can work to improve upon this aspect of the guest experience at our hotel. You expect and deserve a completely clean hotel room every time you stay with us. All guest's complaints are taken seriously, and we want to assure you that the problem you brought to our attention is being addressed. We also do engage in deep cleaning processes right now as guest satisfaction is our top priority. Again, thank you for your time and feedback. We sincerely hope you will give us another chance to provide you with superior service and accommodations on your next visit.
Read more
Unfortunately we did not stay here, due to our children waking up with colds on the day we were supposed to check in. When I called the hotel to let them know what was going on, the manager (Sarah) said our choices were 1) Come anyway, 2) Cancel and pay for the night since we were outside the cancellation window, or 3) Reschedule right then for another night. I asked about getting credit since I don't know exactly when we would be able to come back (our kids were on Fall Break) or cancelling without paying a penalty and was told over and over that she had given me the options and I could choose from those. Customer service and integrity are of utmost importance to us, especially while the world is still in the midst of the Covid pandemic. We were trying to be responsible by not bringing children with cold symptoms to a hotel and were met with resistance and inflexibility every step of the way. It is unconscionable that a business, particularly a hotel, would encourage guests with an illness to come anyway or lose nearly $300 for the night. At one point during the phone call, I was put on hold for over 10 minutes while Sarah attended to "important business." I asked to speak with the owner or someone with authority to work with us to come to a resolution that would be acceptable to both parties, and was told that there was no one besides her I could speak to but she would try to contact the owner who in her words is "very busy." I still have not heard back from either of them. Needless to say, our future trips to SLO will not include staying at Sands Inn and Suites.…
Read more
Date of stay: October 2021
Service
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Oct 4, 2021
amandaandjohnb, Thank you for sharing your experience, and we are so sorry to learn that we failed to meet your expectations of quality service and accommodations. Know that your voice is important to us and that we are addressing the issues that you indicated in an effort to improve upon the guest experience at our hotel.Please allow us another chance to serve you better next time as we are investigating the matter with our staff. We are in the process of retraining our staff to further better our services in handling our valued customers. Rest assured that in the coming days, we will be offering a much better stay.
Read more
Everything was super dirty and not attended to (I’m not picky or a clean freak by any stretch). The towels (not just one but all of them) had prominent dried yellow stains that looked like dry urine. The floors were not only dirty, but shocking (I didn’t notice right away as I wore shoes. When I put my dry bare feet on the floors they became not just a bit dirty, but black where you could scrape off what accumulated - how is that even possible? They must not have been cleaned in years, not months or weeks. We felt utterly unsafe as far as Covid (or who knows what else) one could get there. We vaccinated, but that didn’t comfort us somehow - it was that bad. The degree of neglect (and seemingly greed) was over the top. The attitude of the staff was the equivalent of “oh well.” The window frames were bent along our entire row of rooms and on many sides, like someone had tried to break into the rooms with a metal pry bar. It was extreme (not minor), yet quite inexpensive to fix. The backs of the curtains looked like they had been shredded in several rooms. These latter two things are aesthetic, but indicative of the level of overall neglect. The window in our room could not be opened when the plastic security stick was removed. The thermostat displayed no numbers and could apparently not be changed. The draped could not be closed as parts were missing and they were hanging unfastened in the middle. There are too many things to list. The overall feeling was a shoddy, highly neglected motel where they didn’t care. More importantly it pretty much ruined a special visit and trip for us. With the number of things that were not inferior but off the map bad, it was truly difficult to focus. We got out of the room as soon as possible and went back only to get into bed the 2nd night - making sure our shoes were on ALL the time. I rate our stay as 0, not 1.…
Read more
Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: I don't think any part of this business is safe to stay in.
See more room tips
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Sep 26, 2021
IngridT_13, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the housekeeping issues that you encountered during your stay in our hotel. Our housekeeping staff is held to a very high standard and we appreciate that you've informed us of a need to address housekeeping policies and procedures. Lastly, we assure you to forward this concern to the management for their attention and action. Please give us another chance to serve you better as we promise a more pleasant stay.
Read more
Will not stay here again. It is nearby Cal Poly SLO, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, that was the only positive thing I can say. Our room was filthy and I am not a clean freak by any sense of the imagination. Our feet and socks got dirty by walking on the floor on the first night, so we had to wear shoes in the room for the second night. The towels and sheets were stained, I am thankful I am vaccinated, I highly doubt any COVID cleaning occurred. We will be visiting the area periodically for the next few years and we will not stay here ever again. Please ensure the rooms are clean for your future guests, ours was really gross
Read more
Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled
Room Tip: Avoid this hotel, there are many nicer places to stay in this price range
See more room tips
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Sep 20, 2021
davidrF9895GX, Thank you for taking the time to complete our survey and share your experience! We are very sorry for the cleanliness issues that occurred during your time at our hotel. We do strive to present a super clean property, and we are reviewing your comments with our housekeeping team to make sure all needed improvements are made. You expect and deserve a completely clean hotel room every time you stay with us; we hope that this will be the case during your next stay with us.
Read more
Jennifer from the office went above and beyond to accommodate us and was absolutely so sweet and kind!! She made the difference . The place itself was pretty nice. Pool and hot tub were fantastic and the beds were clean!
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Jul 19, 2021
Hello Q8665JGkatec, Thank you for taking the time to share this five-star experience with our management, staff, and future guests. We are glad that our services, hospitality, and accommodations exceeded your expectations and hope that you experience the same comfortable stay during your next visit! Jennifer is so happy that she can provide such an awesome experience for everyone. We hope to impress you again with the amenities during your next visit and we thank you for sharing your experience.
Read more
+1
We have stayed here pre-pandemic and it was a decent hotel. We came back to support them post Covid 19 and it was really run down shredded curtains and no running hot water all weekend, We vowed to not stay again. Coming back to SLO last minute we booked a room and tried the Sands Inn one last time. It is so FILTHY the poor staff is at a health risk. General Manager Sarah and Regional Manager Rubi never called me back or responded to my email with pictures. They don't seem to care. Very very sad. The SLO health department suggested I leave a review. (which I have never done)
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Jul 11, 2021
77susiet, Thank you for bringing to our attention your experience and comments regarding your stay in our hotel. Your very detailed negative review of our cleanliness and customer service is rough to hear because our goal and our efforts are directed to bring the opposite results from what you describe. Please accept my sincere apology for any frustration this may have caused you and we are confident that a future visit to our hotel will better reflect our commitment to customer satisfaction. We look forward to serving you again!
Read more
+1
Hadn't been there since about 2014, and it was fairly nice. Now, the place is in bad shape, walls and tiles cracked, screens bent. There was a note taped to our door from a former guest that housekeeping didn't notice. Sorry, but I won't return. I heard the old owner died, and it seems like nobody cares anymore since he is gone. Too bad, the place could be revived.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded Jul 1, 2021
pandasdad, We appreciate your loyalty and we are deeply saddened to hear that you are seeking out other hotels due to the lapse in service you experienced during your recent stay. Know that your voice is of tremendous importance to us and we are confronting each of the issues that you mentioned to ensure that no guest has this experience in the future. Please accept my sincere apology for any frustration this may have caused you and we are confident that a future visit to our hotel will better reflect our commitment to customer satisfaction. We look forward to serving you again!
Read more
PRICE RANGE
$91 - $294 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
sands inn and suites, sands hotel san luis obispo, sands san luis obispo
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaSan Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo
NUMBER OF ROOMS
70
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Sands Inn & Suites
Which popular attractions are close to Sands Inn & Suites?
Nearby attractions include California Polytechnic University (0.4 miles), Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo (0.7 miles), and Dallidet Adobe and Gardens (0.7 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Sands Inn & Suites?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a pool.
Which room amenities are available at Sands Inn & Suites?
Top room amenities include a kitchenette, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at Sands Inn & Suites?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and barbeque facilities during their stay.
Is parking available at Sands Inn & Suites?
Yes, free parking and a parking garage are available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Sands Inn & Suites?
Conveniently located restaurants include Splash Cafe, Petra Mediterranean Pizza and Grill, and Apple Farm Restaurant.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Sands Inn & Suites?
Yes, guests have access to a pool and a fitness center during their stay.
Is Sands Inn & Suites located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.7 miles away from the center of San Luis Obispo.
Are pets allowed at Sands Inn & Suites?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Sands Inn & Suites?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
Are there any historical sites close to Sands Inn & Suites?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Dallidet Adobe and Gardens (0.7 miles) and Ah Louis Store (0.9 miles).