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Sands Inn & Suites

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Traveller (86)
360
Panoramas (12)
Room & Suite (253)

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Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Other miscellaneous taxes and hotel fees which are not fixed or due at time of booking may be payable at the property at time of stay. Please see our partners for more details.

About

#21 of 34 hotels in San Luis Obispo
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value

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 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 Ah Louis Store (0.9 mi) and Bishop Peak (1.9 mi), Sands Inn & Suites is a great destination for tourists.

Travellers looking to enjoy some shrimp can head to Madonna Inn Copper Cafe, Novo Restaurant & Lounge, or Giuseppe’s Cucina Rustica. Otherwise, you may want to check out a diner such as Franks Famous Hot Dogs, Cool Cat Cafe, or Louisa's Place Restaurant.

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.

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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Free breakfast
Hiking
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
BBQ facilities
Car park
Wifi
Hot bath
Outdoor pool
Fence around pool
Breakfast buffet
Vending machine
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
Sun terrace
24-hour front desk
Self-serve laundry
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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
3.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Quiet
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
386Reviews4Q+A62Room tips
Traveller rating
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Heather K wrote a review Dec 2023
Pittsfield, Massachusetts7 contributions
Newly painted. I had to leave the windows open during the day to vent. It appeared that they had just upgraded furniture, as some was stored in their covered parking area and a semi came in the morning to take it away. Breakfast was reasonable, although there were no eggs to go with the sausages. I just thought that was interesting. Belgian waffles, sausage, bagels, toast, wrapped pasteries, oatmeal, jams/butters/syrup, coffee/hot cocoa, limited fruits. Lots of sugar and refined carbs. Not a lot of healthy proteins and nutrients. Bed was comfortable, especially with a bulging lumbar disc. Pillows for both side and back sleepers. Heat and AC. Decent blackout curtains. No hangers in the closet. No ironing board to use with the iron. Fridge froze my food, and I didn't see a temperature dial. Water was off when I arrived but they had it back on within 20 minutes. Either they have low pressure or the shower head needs to be cleaned out. Limited power outlets, which are on the lamp bases. Door did not open when handle pushed down, but did when pulled up! All staff were friendly and welcoming. Overall, a decent stay. It just depends on what you require for your specific stay needs.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: Depending on personal health choices, the provided breakfast may not be a benefit and...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Persephanie A wrote a review Oct 2023
2 contributions
DO NOT stay at this hotel. The pictures online make the hotel look nicer than it is in person. Upon arrival, there was a dirty towel hanging in the bathroom of my room. When I spoke to Frankie the supervisor, she stated that her operations manager said the room was not left this way when they inspected it and refused to provide a full refund. This was even after I submitted photos, checked out 30 minutes after checking in, and did not stay one night in this hotel. I do not advise anyone to stay here or deal with this poor customer service.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Lisa L wrote a review Sept 2023
San Diego, California2 contributions2 helpful votes
Our hotel was an Exceptional value for the money in this location, San Luis Obispo. The front desk receptionist was super helpful and friendly. I Appreciated the free parking and free breakfast. Thanks to the Sands.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Carmen L wrote a review Sept 2023
Sunnyvale, California1 contribution
We stayed on 09/23/23 and got BED BUG BITES on back, arms, and legs. Save yourself a trip to urgent care. There is another review from last year 2022, on yelp from someone that got bed bug bites at Sands Inn and suites.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Hannah H wrote a review Aug 2023
1 contribution
My partner and I tried booking a room with Sands Inn on July 30 at 6:30PM, and initially, when he called, the person taking his call, named Henry, took minimal information and hung up the call. Then, he called back from a NO CALLER ID number - NOT the sands inn number - and left a voicemail saying he needed my partner's credit card information. We called back, he took the information. We never got a confirmation email, so we called back a few days later, only for the woman who answered - named Esmerelda (if that is not her real name, then whoever was working front desk on Aug 2 at around 1:30PM) - who was incredibly rude to us. She told us that not only was there no credit card information on file for the reservation, but that the rate was 100$ more than we had been told days prior by Henry it was. I understand if there's nothing she can do and this is an unfortunate situation, but her attitude was disrespectful and unempathetic of the fact that someone from her organization had so irresponsibly and perhaps unlawfully taken our credit card information after calling us from an anonymous number without leaving any trace. When I asked to speak to a superior, she said she was the manager and there was no one above her. She said she "ran the hotel", and when I asked if she owned the hotel, she said "no, but I run it. You cannot talk to anyone else". This was before we remembered that Henry had left a voicemail, so I asked her if she at least knew the name of the guy who had taken my partner's original call. She said she'd have to check the calendar and she was too busy to do so. We cancelled our reservation, obviously. There's simply no room for this kind of flippant, rude attitude in the hospitality industry. Esmerelda's words were careless and harsh, and Henry's actions may be the consequence of poor supervision and training, or be something more sinister- such as scamming customers for their credit card information. DO NOT BOOK A ROOM AT THIS HOTEL. I have never left a negative review on anything before, but this is ridiculous. I will absolutely be pursuing other courses of action to remedy this situation.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Miriam Lopez, Owner at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded 7 Aug 2023
Hi, D3454YKhannahh. We are extremely sorry to hear about the troubling experience you had while trying to book a room at Sands Inn. Please accept our sincerest apologies for the unprofessional and disrespectful behavior you encountered during your interactions with our staff. Your feelings of frustration and disappointment are completely justified, and we deeply regret that we failed to provide you with the level of service and courtesy you deserve. We want to assure you that this is not indicative of the service standards we strive to uphold at Sands Inn. We would never condone any actions that might compromise your personal information or your sense of security. We understand your concerns and assure you that we will take the necessary steps to address any potential issues with our staff training and supervision. Thank you so much for bringing these matters to our attention.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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hondadme24 wrote a review Jul 2023
Menifee, California2 contributions
Worst service ever. Go there and waited for 45 minutes cause they where on lunch. Then they drove off and said it was gonna be another 30 minutes. So after working a 12 hour shift the last thing you wanna do is wait an hour and a half to check into your hotel. So I cancelled and went to a different hotel. And they didn't understand and still decided to charge me. And refused to refund me. Also the door sign said there lunch was from 7:20pm to 7:15pm. So idk how any guest is supposed to know what that means. I have stayed here multiple times. I will never stay again after this.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Miriam Lopez, Owner at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded 7 Aug 2023
Hi, hondadme24. We are genuinely sorry for the terrible service you encountered during your recent stay, and we sincerely apologize for the inconveniences. Waiting for that long to check in after a long and tiring day, plus the confusing signage, must have been very frustrating. Please know that we will work on improving our communication to ensure such incidents do not recur. We truly value your loyalty as a repeat guest, but our hotel policies do not allow us to issue a refund for this time. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back and restore your trust in our hotel.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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dibUK wrote a review Jun 2023
London3 contributions
It would have been nice for someone to have told us that there was construction in the room below. Adjacent rooms should have been blocked while this is happening but I guess the potential loss of revenue is more important.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Miriam Lopez, Owner at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded 7 Jul 2023
We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused by our ongoing construction. We understand that this unexpected disturbance impacted your experience, and we're truly sorry for not communicating this to you in advance. We assure you that the comfort and satisfaction of our guests are our top priorities. Regrettably, it appears that we fell short in this instance. We promise to find better ways to address and mitigate these situations in the future. We are truly sorry!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Lisa P wrote a review Apr 2023
Westminster, Maryland148 contributions77 helpful votes
The room was so noisy. Between the fan and the fridge, it was a good thing I am a sound sleeper because it was so noisy. Breakfast was ok and the room seemed fairly clean. It was adequate, not at all fancy (but the price was equal to the accommodations.)
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded 3 Apr 2023
Hi LisaP740, Your review and rating of our hotel mean a lot to us, and we thank you for taking the time to share this experience. It is great to hear that we were able to meet your expectations of breakfast service and cleanliness. I apologize that the noise issue disrupted your peaceful stay, but I assure you that we try to be quick to address such issues. On behalf of our entire staff, we thank you for your business and we hope to see you again when your travels bring you back to the area!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Deborah C wrote a review Feb 2023
2 contributions
This hotel is my home away from home. I commute once a month to work on-site. It is clean, the staff have always been friendly and perfect value for $$. Also this is a quiet property which I’m great full for as I have not had the same experience at other SLO hotels.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded 22 Feb 2023
Hi DeborahC1506, We are happy to learn that you enjoyed the value and thank you so much for your kind review regarding our high standards of cleanliness. We seek to give each guest a very comfortable and accommodating experience and we are thrilled to hear of our success in this ambition. Your feedback will serve as encouragement to all of our staff as we strive to provide an exceptional and memorable experience for every guest. We can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate your five-star review, and we can't wait to serve you again!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Audrey D wrote a review Oct 2022
1 contribution4 helpful votes
I’ve never written a review in my life, because I know how largely they effect companies, that often don’t do anything wrong. However, on top of the dirty floors that left our feet black, the shower head coming out of the wall, and the constant high pitched hum from the walls, they called us when we were getting breakfast on the morning of our checkout saying that our stuff had been removed from our room for “maintenance”, and would not let us back into the room to check if they had forgotten anything. All of our stuff was left out on the front desk. We had valuables, things in the fridge, the shower and the bathroom all tossed into a bag and sat on the floor of the outside near the lobby. What broke my heart was they broke my surfboard which was 700$ and what I was using to surf Cayucos during my stay, didn’t even give a thought toward compensation. Terrible terrible place, it’s liveable and for a decent price but there are so many other hotels nearby that are so much better.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Guest Relations Manager, Other at Sands Inn & Suites
Responded 18 Oct 2022
Hi audreydA5867UO , Thank you for completing our guest satisfaction survey and letting us know about your recent experience at our hotel. We are terribly sorry to hear of your disappointment with our hotel We take this business very seriously and assure you that the management has taken all the steps to make sure that all the rooms are clean and our ultimate goal is to make sure each guest has a comfortable stay. 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.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PRICE RANGE
₹6,052 - ₹10,363 (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
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Other miscellaneous taxes and hotel fees which are not fixed or due at time of booking may be payable at the property at time of stay. Please see our partners for more details.
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SANDS INN & SUITES (San Luis Obispo) - Hotel Reviews, Photos, Rate Comparison - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Sands Inn & Suites
Which popular attractions are close to Sands Inn & Suites?
Nearby attractions include California Polytechnic University (0.7 km), Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo (1.1 km), and Dallidet Adobe and Gardens (1.1 km).
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 centre during their stay.
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 travellers enjoy visiting Dallidet Adobe and Gardens (1.1 km) and Ah Louis Store (1.5 km).