(San Luis Obispo, CA)– Located in the heart of lively downtown San Luis Obispo, Hotel Serra is the perfect marriage of SLO culture, California’s rich history, and casual elegance, providing an ideal setting for a Central Coast getaway. Blending urban sophistication with the city’s historic roots, Hotel Serra incorporates two vintage brick storefronts on Garden Street as an intrinsic part of the hotel’s main façade. Guests enter through the restored 1920’s Smith building into the lobby and the state-of-the-art, luxury hotel that lies beyond.
Situated just blocks from the celebrated Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa founded by Father Junipero Serra in 1772, and on the original trail that led to the Mission’s orchards and vineyards, Hotel Serra channels the city’s heritage and sense of place. Designed and built towards LEED Silver specifications, the property’s décor reflects a synthesis of three periods that merge a modern aesthetic and 19th C. industrial influences with a whisper of Mission style.
Airy and welcoming, Hotel Serra’s 65 spacious guest rooms and suites are designed with clean lines and natural materials. Generous in proportion, rooms range from 350 square feet to suites as large as 920 square feet. The roomy residential-style Penthouse Loft features a double-sided fireplace between a separate bedroom and living room, a powder room and bathroom with a deep soaking tub, dining area that seats 8, wet bar and AV capabilities for small meetings.
All accommodations feature goose-down duvets and fine linens over luxurious platform beds, and extra-large bathrooms with glass walk-in showers, plush bathrobes, and Spa Serra’s own line of natural botanical amenities. Complimentary Hotel Serra water bottles are provided to all guests, with filtered water refill stations positioned throughout the hotel. Rooms come complete with Bluetooth audio systems and HD flat panel smart TVs, along with complimentary wireless internet throughout the property.
The first hotel in downtown San Luis Obispo to boast an on-property spa, the hotel’s Spa Serra spans over 4000 square feet of dedicated ecologically conscious space. The spa provides a full menu of treatments including massage, facials, scrubs and wraps for individuals and couples, as well as steam rooms and a rooftop relaxation terrace.
Alongside Spa Serra and the fully-equipped fitness center, a luxurious rooftop Pool Deck offers dramatic 360-degree views of the surrounding rolling hills and countryside. Light lunches, beverages and cocktails are available for hotel guests to enjoy poolside or in private cabanas.
Hotel Serra’s signature Edible Garden could be considered the heart and soul of the property. Located on a second floor enclosed terrace, the garden’s raised beds are devoted to growing organic herbs and vegetables for the chef’s pantry as well as aromatics for use in Spa Serra. Intimate and verdant, guests are invited to enjoy a glass of wine in its many nooks. Most of the hotel’s rooms and suites overlook the Edible Garden, as does the Spa Serra’s outdoor terrace.
While SLO boasts numerous nearby eateries, Hotel Serra’s own Brasserie SLO serves flavorful, Mediterranean-inspired meals all day from its wood burning oven and wood-fired grill. The Café uses the same locally-sourced ingredients to provide a more casual fare and environment for breakfast and lunch, while artisanal cocktails and locally-produced wines and beer, along with small plates, can be enjoyed in the Lobby Lounge & Mission Fig Patio. For those seeking the sweeter things in life, the Sweet Life of Pie will serve a bevy of memorable pies and tarts year-round for guests to savor.
For meetings and private parties, the property’s light and airy Olive Tree can hold up to 40 sitting down, or 75 for cocktails. A built-in BBQ and fire-pit on its garden terrace make this versatile space an ideal location for taking advantage of SLO’s 300+ annual days of sunshine. Additionally, the rooftop Pool Deck can be converted into a unique event space for cocktail receptions, with its commanding views over the city and beyond. Adjacent to the lobby and showcasing the best wines of the central coast, the Wine Room is available for private groups of up to 12.
“Downtown San Luis Obispo is more than ready for a truly iconic hotel that reflects the area’s unique local character,” explains Shaun Matthews, Co-managing Partner. “Throughout the development, we have maintained an unwavering focus on every detail of the project and how it might impact the guest experience. We believe this passion, coupled with our appreciation of the unique resources California’s Central Coast has to offer, will ensure that Hotel Serra comes to life with a subtle, magical and unpretentious quality to be enjoyed by all who visit.”
The driving and creative force behind Hotel Serra is the talented team of Beverley and Shaun Matthews, who are renowned in hospitality circles for their successful development and reimagining of several landmark properties. Beginning with Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson’s private island resort in the British Virgin Islands, they honed their skills with Aman Resorts and their own boutique property in the Cotswolds, U.K. The Matthews went on to establish, and for ten years manage, the pre-eminent North American hideaway, Twin Farms in Vermont. Earning its Mobil Five-Star status in just its second year of operation Twin Farms went on to achieve multiple accolades including the Zagat number one rated hotel in the U.S. At Ballyfin, the Matthews were engaged to work in tandem with the restoration team to conceptualize the guest experience and create the operational program for one of Ireland’s most architecturally significant neoclassical estates.
“We have created and operated a diverse collection of groundbreaking projects the world over but for the longest time looked forward to the day we could settle in SLO and do what we do best, right here in the place we love the most,” adds Beverley Matthews, Co-managing Partner. “Hotel Serra has provided us with the opportunity to bring a world-class hospitality experience to San Luis Obispo.”
Hotel Serra, located at 1125 Garden Street between Marsh Street and Higuera Street in downtown San Luis Obispo, is projected to open in early 2019. For more information and reservations, please visit http://hotelserra.com.
