Long-awaited Pismo hotel has rooftop bar and Amazon Alexa in every room

The long-awaited Inn at the Pier hotel in Pismo Beach opened this week.

The hotel, located at 601 Cypress St., features 104 rooms (including five suites), 4,800 square feet of special event space, a rooftop bar, heated pool, sundeck, fitness center, lobby bar, full-service restaurant and beach cruiser rentals, according to a news release.

All rooms include a private patio or balcony, 55-inch HDTVs, high-speed Wi-Fi and Amazon’s Echo Dot, which lets visitors use Amazon’s smart home technology to play music, make calls, read the news, set alarms and read audiobooks, among other things.

The restaurant, Blonde, offers “contemporary, locally sourced beach fare” from executive chef Michael Goodloe, including brunch, happy hours and dinner each day. The Rooftop — the hotel bar — will also serve brunch and happy hour, with cocktails, craft brews, Central Coast wines and small-plate offerings.

The hotel is operated by Pacific Hotels, the largest owner and operator of independent boutique hotels along the Pacific Coast, according to the release. The chain also manages Sandcastle Inn, Spyglass Inn, Cottage Inn and The Tides in Pismo Beach.

“Pismo Beach embodies the classic California beach experience” said Todd Moreau, Pacifica Hotels chief operating officer. “The combination of its beachfront setting, sophisticated-yet-relaxed style and proximity to the area’s diverse attributes make Inn at the Pier a perfect addition to Pacifica Hotel’s collection of California properties.”

The project was hotly contested when it went before the Pismo Beach City Council in September 2014, mostly for concerns that the hotel would take away needed parking in the area, while adding more visitors.

This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 2:11 PM with the headline "Long-awaited Pismo hotel has rooftop bar and Amazon Alexa in every room."