Let's face it, I'm a snob. Not so much in my daily life, but there are a few things I am snobby about. Travel, food, and the books I read. Now granted, I'm not the rude kind of snob everyone loves to hate -- but admittedly I am a snob.

When my fiancee decided to surprise me with a stay at the Olallieberry Inn, I was a bit reserved. You see, lodgings for me are very hit or miss, so I like to read reviews and pick them personally. Indeed, I have even turned my nose up at some very fine establishments that I simply felt were sub-par. Would this be another such place?

I am happy to say that I was beyond pleased with my stay. And, since I am a pretentious snob, I will go ahead and declare that you will like it too.

Now, dear reader, let's get down to brass tacks shall we?

The room:
My grade: A

We arrived late in the evening, so everyone was already warm in bed when we pulled into the parking lot. We quietly made our way around back where my fiancee was told there would be keys for us with instructions. As promised, this was in its appointed spot. The keys were accompanied with a warm welcome note and clear instructions on where our room was and when breakfast would be served.

We made our way to the Harmony Room. The room was spacious enough to suit me, and was fascinatingly charming, on the second floor of a cozy 1870's vintage home. The bed was surprisingly large, and at its foot was a tray with cookies, two glasses and a carafe of water.

The room featured an electric fireplace (that actually worked wonderfully!) and on the far wall was a window overlooking a small green area below. The view wasn't much, but I greatly enjoyed the cool breeze that flowed in as well as the sound of the gently flowing fountain outside. It was very peaceful.

The addition of the chocolates on the nightstand was also a wonderful touch.

The Bed:
My Grade A

The bed matters. Really, it does. In fact, one thing I will spend a fortune on is my bed, both at home and abroad. After all, the time you spend in bed is so important that it can really make or break your day. I have slept on some very fine beds in my travels, and this was one of the nicest. Not the absolute nicest, mind you, but very, very good. It was almost as fine as the one I have at home, and frankly I hardly noticed any difference whatsoever. I fell asleep quickly once I was settled in, and I do not fall asleep easily.

The Bathroom:
My Grade B+

Yes, the bathroom is important too. When I travel, I choose places with the quality of the bathroom in mind. Does it have a soaking tub or a spa tub? Is there a view? (this can be cool, especially in places such as Las Vegas.) Is is a relaxing place or noisy? Is it stocked with amenities?

Our bathroom was actually across the hall from our room. That was too bad, especially since I get up at least once per night, however, it wasn't a deal breaker. There was no view, after all the home is hardly a Vegas strip hotel. No points lost on that account. The bathroom featured a bear-claw soaking tub, which unfortunately I did not use. As such, it was enclosed with a shower curtain. This was a mild annoyance, since while showering I was compelled to touch the shower curtain (it has to fit inside the perimeter of the tub, obviously). There is no choice in this however, as you cannot have water on the floor in such a place, but it was the one place I felt a bit cramped.

On the other hand, the bathroom was spotless. Not even the finest coating of dust was visible! Heck, it was even cleaner than by own bathroom at home! The toilet paper was of medium quality, which is nice since most places will only give you the industrial variety of sandpaper. The ventilation fan was a bit loud, but this was a minor detail. Really, the shower curtain was my only dislike but I also understood why it was so, and I have no genuine complaint about it.

The Food:
My Grade A+

Oh yes, the food matters. Everything here was homemade! Cherry danishes, granola, yogurt,
pumpkin-pecan pancakes, the world's fluffiest eggs, salsa, you name it, it was wonderfully handmade. I would pay just to eat breakfast there. The menu changes daily, so I can't predict what you'll enjoy, but it was simply fantastic.

Service:
A+

I have enjoyed some wonderful service, and some poor service in my travels. This was among the best! First, I am terrible with names, I mean, really terrible, like I will forget after five minutes terrible. But not the staff! Everyone referred to me by my first name which made me feel like I was staying with my family (the nice half). Everyone was attentive, courteous, and helpful beyond expectation. If I had a question, I had the best possible answer a second later. If I needed a reservation, or an idea, they had them handy. We were even given about two dozen discount coupons for activities and purchases in the area, including free wine tasting!

AWESOME!

Overall:
My grade A+

On the way out, I saw one of the gentlemen that worked there cleaning one of the bathrooms. I made a point to stop and thank him. People like that really have an impact on the quality of your stay, and I wanted to make sure his efforts were noticed and appreciated. And they really are!

A lot of places give lip service to service, but they leave you waiting for extended periods, or they leaving you wanting something because either they don't have it, or more often they're apathetic. This wasn't the case at the Olallieberry Inn. In just 48 hours, I felt like my family had grown to include the folks working there. How often does that happen? Almost never! Additionally, I found the entire place, from parking lot to the shingles on the roof, (I told you I was a snob) to be spotless and clean. I had no qualms about making myself comfortable because every surface and every item was well-kept and clean. Remarkable!

The value for the money was also excellent. I think we got a bit of a deal but I did not make the reservation --this was a gift. Still, even if we hadn't got a deal, I still would have paid full price. I have been reassured that what we paid was reasonable. But by all means, I would certainly pay a little extra and spring for Olallieberry Inn again, because it was worth every penny.

Really, I cannot gush over this place enough.

By all means, if you're doing Cambria, do it right -- and do the best. Olallieberry Inn is it.

Thank you to the wonderful staff and to the fellow guests I had the pleasure of meeting. I will never forget this amazing experience.

And of course, thank you to my Sweetheart, for choosing so well and making the occasion the most special time I have ever spent in Cambria.

-Marshall Neal
Bakersfield, CA