Moonstone Cottages

O M G do we love this place. Quaint, private, charming, great amenities, incredible ocean views. Robert at The Blue Dolphin was honest and suggested the middle cottage for privacy and best view for me and my paramour. Breakfast delivered is a great personal touch.
May I say that all rooms have a great view because the cottages are staggered.
We wanted quiet and privacy with a touch of elegance and that’s exactly what we got.
So glad we chose this location. Worth the price.
See you soon!
XO
JK

I am sadly writing this review due to lack of care for the customer. My husband and I have been coming to Cambria for over 28 years. We found the Blue Dolphin Inn and started to stay their 2 times a year for about the past 5 years. We wanted to try something new for our anniversary and stayed at the Moonstone Cottages for a change and knowing it was a sister hotel to the Blue dolphin, figured we could’t go wrong. We got to our cottage and I noticed a few ants, but I am always wipe things down in a hotel, so I did that. We also noticed the microwave was not working… We got in late and didn’t want to miss the sunset, so we went to dinner. Upon coming back, as we pulled down the comforter, we noticed SEVERAL white stains an the dark blue comforter… Well, I was grossed out and we had a two nights stay planned here, so we called the front Desk. My husband asked to get a different room… I took pictures, so they knew what I was talking about and shared it with the front desk. He moved us to a different room at the Blue Dolphin. But He informed us the manager would be contacting us and also informed us that we would have to move tomorrow because that room was booked… That next day was our anniversary. But we said fine with moving… WE were never contacted again! No manager contact. It seems something has changed… This place was a piece of home away from home. And the service top notch… Not anymore… The least they could have done was just contact us and say SORRY!
I hope things change

I spent months dreaming about this place and they didn’t let me down. The cottages are so cute and comfortable. I loved every minute of my stay. They have a guest book signed by people who stayed before which has some good tips like going to the The Bluff trail at the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. I loved the picnic breakfast– if you are staying more than one day don’t forget to reorder breakfast before 8pm. I loved the bed, the bathrobes and the cute little bear who also had a bathrobe! They had a cake waiting for us when we arrived (we were celebrating two birthdays) and it was so delicious. I loved everything about the cottages and I cannot wait to go back someday.

I’ve oohed and awed so many times in the past, driving by these adorable cottages on Moonstone beach. In October, stayed next door at the Castle Inn and got a buy one night/​get one night free coupon for their other properties, which included these cottages. Made it very affordable at $ 250 for our two-​night stay. We stayed in the Garden Cottage, the one in the middle. Loved that we still had an ocean view, but didn’t have the traffic noise or foot traffic that the front cottage has. Was surprised to have a lovely breakfast delivered each morning. My only complaint, thought minor, is that the bed is a queen and not a king. If you get an opportunity to stay here, it’s wonderful.

Our second stay and it was fabulous. This time it was for my 40^th bday (last time was her 45^th) and I couldn’t have asked for more. We stayed in Seascape, which is the front cottage. I HIGHLY recommend this one because you get to fall asleep and wake up to the sound of waves crashing on the beach. So perfect for you and your special someone to have some alone time.
Christina has checked us in both times we’ve stayed here and she is AWESOME!!! You must stay here or at the Dolphin Inn when you visit Cambria.

This is seriously the cutest little spot on Moonstone Beach. The cottages are adorable and well laid out with everything you could need for a brief stay. There’s a coffee machine, mini fridge, and microwave in the room. They bring a nice simple breakfast each morning to your door step (probably my favorite part)! In our cottage, the bathroom was mainly made up of the jacuzzi tub but there’s also a small standup shower. From our cottage we could see the ocean from the window or front porch. The boardwalk is less than a 2 minute walk from the cottage with the most beautiful sights to see. The beach is just below the boardwalk and is probably a lovely place to spend time during warmer months.
A couple things to note, they really do mean 3pm or after for checkin. We couldn’t get into our room until a little after 3pm.
Having never been to Cambria before we were surprised to learn that most establishments (restaurants and little shops) don’t accept credit card. So bring your cash! Also, there’s very few restaurants in Cambria and the ones with high rating have 2 hour+ wait times for a weekend dinner. Go early or expect to wait. Cambria is also experiencing a severe drought and water is not offered many places. Pack some water with you if you’re a water hound like me.

If you’re looking for a place to have a romantic getaway with privacy and a great view, look no further. My wife and I stayed in mariner for 3 nights, and we’ve never stayed in a better place anywhere. Having a completely separate cottage from anyone else truly gives you as much privacy as you can get. No neighbors right next to, above you, or below you to have bother you (or you them). No footsteps, closing doors, toilets flushing ect. Very very clean, very comfortable bed, great sitting area with a huge picture window overlooking the ocean. Pictures do not do the view justice. The staff had got us a small cake since they knew we were celebrating 15 years of marriage, which was both awesome and tasty. Great fireplace which is used to hear the room via the thermostat, and does a great job. The bathroom was large and had a great jetted tub. Microwave, fridge (with complementary bottled water), and tv with DVD. They have a huge selection of DVDs to use for free. I really can’t say enough about the cottage. The staff was very helpful and friendly. Always happy to help with anything you need. We forgot beach chairs, they didn’t have any at their blue dolphin inn property, so they called another of their hotels and got some for us. Our breakfasts where always right on time and hot. The breakfasts were delicious! Fresh and filling. Get the Monterey medley in the puff pastry! If you’re looking for a place too stay, this is it. If you’ve made reservations at a different property, cancel them and get a cottage (if you can). We will be coming back to cambria, and we will not stay anywhere else. Hands down one of the best vacations we’ve ever had, and a huge thanks to the staff of the blue dolphin inn/​moonstone cottages for making it so.

My wife and I stayed here on our 1^st Anniversary this past weekend. My only regret is spending only 1 night here (we were driving up the coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco).
We stayed in the Seascape which is the 1^st one nearest the street. We both found the cottage adorable. It was clean and comfortable. We cracked the windows open at night and slept to the sound of the ocean. Very relaxing stay. There’s a Krup coffee maker in the room with various k-​cups available and creamer in the small fridge. They delivered breakfast in the morning.
The shower was comfortable and roomy and Jacuzzi bath tub in room was enjoyable. Aside from fridge and coffee maker the room is also equipped with a Fireplace, iron & ironing board, small table for two to enjoy breakfast. They also have free Wi-​Fi.
I would definitely come back and we’re thinking of sending my in-​laws here for their anniversary.
The only negative thing I can say about this place is regarding the hot water. You’ll need to let it run a good 5 minutes or so before it starts to heat up. Its a minor nuisance and not one that I would count against the 5 star rating.

Smallish cottage with front ocean view. Nice amenities including jets in tub, breakfast brought to your door, and use of binoculars. Spotted a humpback breaching off the coast, very cool. A bit on the pricey side, but I guess $ 200 a night is the going rate. Front desk help varied from perfunctory to very nice. We dined at Robin’s in Cambria and were not disappointed.

Absolutely fantastic time at the Mariner. Staff was amazing. Little touches were the best. We couldn’t ask for a better location, view and privacy. The view of the ocean was nice and inviting — enough to draw you out onto the boardwalk across the road for a nice walk along the coast. Much better than staying in a hotel room. Don’t be afraid that the cottages are too small (pics made me somewhat nervous) as they are just as big as any other hotel room, but you have the privacy of a stand alone cottage. Soaking jet tub was fabulous right before settling in with a DVD borrowed from the DVD library. Even though the roadway can be loud during the day, you can barely hear it inside the cottage and not at all at night. Breakfast each morning is such a wonderful touch and just enough food before taking a run on the boardwalk along the coast. Perfect weekend getaway to recharge the batteries. The seclusion is worth 5 stars alone.

We stayed at the Garden Gate, which had a good view of the ocean. It was a well-​appointed room that offered good privacy for a weekend getaway. I am a bit of a clean freak, and found the room to be extremely clean. The room amenities were thoughtful… a Keurig with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc., a mini-​fridge, daily cookies and chocolates.
The breakfast was much bigger than anticipated, and the food was actually quite good. The service was friendly and helpful. I found the cottage to be a good value and a very restful place to stay. The bed and furnishings were comfortable for two… the bathroom was large with a nicely tiled stall shower and a large jacuzzi tub. The decoration was quite theme-​y, but not over the top.
The cottage was situated across the street from the beach, but close enough to hear the waves. The parking situation is tight, so probably not a good idea to bring a large minivan or SUV. The hair dryer was not working well, but I informed management so hopefully they will fix the problem.
Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Moonstone Cottages and would highly recommend it if you plan to visit the Central Coast.

Cambria is one of our favorite places along the California coast and we have enjoyed many different accommodations. We finally found the lodging we feel most comfortable in — — Moonstone Cottages. What a charming and lovely place. If we had stayed here years ago, we would have never tried another. I was surprised to have a cottage all to ourselves. The ocean view was wonderful and the cottage superb… safe, clean, cozy and very, very comfortable. We loved everything about it. Our cottage was just a stroll from tide pools and breaking waves, and a very short walk to great dining. We were so pleased with the breakfast (included and brought to our doorstep). Thank you Moonstone Cottages! Lynn and Hunter Jamison

We had an awesome time at the Mariner cottage. It was clean and as nice as any good hotel. It is small but that wasn’t an issue for us. I’m also a big breakfast guy so didn’t expect the morning box breakfast to be much but was pleasantly surprised by a very good Canadian bacon, egg, and cheese pastry that was very satisfying.
The seclusion of the back cottage is nice and we still got almost the same view of the ocean as the other cottages.
Someone checked into the Garden Gate Cottage and didn’t like it. He was an ass who would complain about everything and the jerk backed into my car when he tried to get out. If he posts a negative review, ignore it. Some people don’t know how to appreciate good things. I would recommend this cottage to anyone who is not an ass.

I stayed there with my wife for our honeymoon a few weeks ago. It was a lovely experience. I was expecting the cottage to be TINY after view pictures on-​line, but was surprised to see it was rather comfortably sized. The front office (in the Blue Dolphin Inn just down the street) was great, the staff was friendly and helpful, and they even had a few DVDs we could borrow. Room-​service left cookies for us every morning, and the bottled water in the fridge was complimentary!
It was a wonderful experience and we would recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet escape with an ocean view!

Is there any way that I can permanently live in the Mariner cottage?
My husband and I stayed here for 2 nights of our honeymoon and absolutely LOVED every second of it!
The lady at the front desk was so very helpful and welcoming and really set the mood for our stay. Both of her restaurant recommendations ended up being a delicious choice, and she made sure we knew everything necessary to enjoy our stay.
The cottage itself had a nice sized bathroom with a jetted spa tub [not oversized unfortunately], a comfy bed, fireplace, breakfast nook, and amazing ocean views that you would not expect at first. We couldn’t get our in room Keurig machine to work, but in the scope of things this wasn’t a big deal.
Make sure you call your breakfast order in the night before. You will wake up to a knock on the door and a delicious bag of goodies to eat at the time you specify. My personal favorite was the sea gift [bagel and cream cheese with lox]
Leaving was the only down side of our stay in the Mariner Cottage. Don’t make the same mistake we did… just stay forever!

We’ve stayed in Cambria many many many times. I’d seen the Cottages before, but had never stayed. A rainy rainy holiday weekend should have kept us away, but we needed a break. The Mariner Cottage was a wonderful home away from home, with a welcome fire and charming facilities. The staff at check-​in was very friendly and very helpful. Listening to the rain on the roof all night only added to the ambiance. We will never stay anywhere else again, at any price. The room was comfortable, and the free breakfast (delivered to our room) was better than continental. And it was HOT. All the little touches really made for a beautiful trip to one of our favorite locations in the world.

What a nice getaway place. We stayed in the Mariner room. Very nice and has a beautiful view; eventhough you think not when you first look at it, but when we got to the room we were so happy to have a nice view. All the amenities and nice and quiet. We are coming back for a week! Loved this place.