Historic SLO County hotel reopens with a modern vintage makeover
Sweeping renovations at Atascadero’s historic Carlton Hotel were unveiled Wednesday after years of work to preserve the aging landmark — with a modern twist.
With a new look rich in local character, the Carlton Hotel has joined the Marriott Tribute Portfolio, a collection of independent hotels within the international Marriott Bonvoy hotel brand.
“We didn’t just want to reopen the Carlton. We wanted to re‑imagine it,” said Kamal Patel, co-owner with his parents Sue and Robert Patel, at Wednesday’s grand reopening.
The nearly century-old hotel came under the ownership of the Patel family in 2023, and they quickly got to working bringing their vision for a revitalized Carlton to life. The new design blends its historic roots with a modern, elevated experience.
Their vision, Sue said, was to channel the “arcadia” interior design principle of “bringing the outside, the natural environment, into the hotel.” The color scheme — lavender, green and honey — and floral murals on the hotel walls are meant to reflect Atascadero’s lavender farms, local beekeepers and rolling pastures.
The concept flows through every inch of the hotel, most notably in the colorful lobby and a new full-ceiling sunroof above the grand staircase, welcoming natural light into the hotel’s main entryway and offering a view into the second-story garden courtyard.
The Carlton’s 63 fully remodeled rooms are luxurious and unique in flavor, painted with vibrant greens and plum purples and featuring all new furniture — except for the original wood-carved headboards.
“That’s an antique piece, and then we designed around it,” Sue said.
Hardwood flooring replaced old carpets, bringing a classy look to the now-pet-friendly rooms, and new bathrooms master the “modernized vintage” look, keeping the original stone but adding new lighting, wallpaper, fixtures and amenities like glass-enclosed showers and large bathtubs.
The hotel is now a member of the Marriott Tribute portfolio, and the Patels said the guest experience was top of mind in design decisions, evident from small touches like Fiji water and wine bottles in the rooms, to larger additions like a fitness center or Mabel, the hotel’s restaurant, bar and lounge serving up house gin distilled on-site.
The restaurant’s name is a tribute to Mabel Lewis, the wife of Atascadero’s founder E.G. Lewis, as is the portrait of her that is the focal point of the hotel’s new lobby. The hotel’s “feminine” color palette and floral designs are also meant to be a nod to the city’s matriarch, Kamal said.
Mabel will open toward the end of April, operated by the owners of The Hatch Rotisserie & Bar in Paso Robles, Kamal said. The attached Back Porch Bakery cafe offers on-site breakfast options.
The Patels see the new and improved Carlton Hotel as a part of something bigger — the vibrancy of downtown Atascadero that has grown in leaps and bounds over recent years with projects like the La Plaza building, the influx of new, intentionally designed restaurant and retail spaces, and the downtown beautification effort.
“The hotel is for the community,” Kamal said. “We want this to be a place where locals come to gather — whether it’s enjoying a drink at Mabel Lounge, meeting friends, hosting events, or simply spending time in downtown. We want the Carlton to be part of everybody’s everyday life.”
The Carlton Hotel is bookable now, with rooms ranging from around $146 on the lowest-demand weekday nights for a standard Orchard King guest room up to $455 for the Arcadian Suite later in the week or on a weekend, according to the Marriott Tribute Portfolio website. Guests will also be able to earn and redeem points through Marriott Bonvoy for exclusive member benefits and a global travel network.
You can book your stay online at the Marriott website.
This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM.
