Remodeled SLO County motel features 1920s bungalows a block from the beach
One of Cayucos’ first motels has reopened under a new name following a major facelift.
The newly rebranded Pacific Motel opened its doors at 399 S. Ocean Ave. on Sept. 19.
Professional landscapers Ryan and Marisa Fortini bought the former Dolphin Inn in January 2020 and spent two and a half years fixing it up.
They’ve transformed the property into what they describe as a “stunning renovation” featuring “historic bungalows expanded into a 20-room, beachy, classic boutique motel,” located a block from the beach.
The Fortinis, who have lived in Cayucos for 20 years and raised three daughters there, say one side benefit of their new gig is they aren’t commuting anymore.
“I can go surfing in the morning and then ride my bike to work, where I’ll be with cool people on vacation,” Ryan Fortini said with a chuckle.
How landscapers renovated Cayucos hotel
The Fortinis met in college and graduated from Cal Poly with degrees in ornamental horticulture in 1996.
The pair launched Fortini Landscaping, a design and construction firm in San Luis Obispo, in 2004. Immersed in the motel renovation project, they sold the company to their partner of 15 years, Matt Cathey, on June 30.
So what inspired them to make the leap from landscaping to the hospitality industry?
“Marisa and I have always loved boutique hotels — staying in them, knowing that each was kind of a creative space for people who owned or stayed there,” Ryan Fortini said. “Being landscape designers (and) having done a lot of hospitality/hotel projects, we decided we wanted to do our own. So, when this property became available, we went for it.”
Their background gave them the confidence to tackle the remodel, he said, which morphed into a complete renovation of the grounds and the old buildings on it.
Those include seven bungalows, which were reportedly built in the 1920s at Camp San Luis Obispo. It’s thought that the bungalows were later sold and moved to the motel site in the 1950s.
Fortini said he and his wife started with the idea of doing a “‘lipstick-on-a-pig’ remodel, to make the motel cute from what it was.”
“Escrow closed on January 2020, and then the pandemic hit,” he said, closing businesses including the Dolphin Inn. “We’d inherited a mess and timed (the purchase) horribly.”
When San Luis Obispo County “required us to do a ton more improvements than we had intended or wanted to do,” Fortini recalled, “We said, ‘(Let’s) go for it. Let’s make it really cool and special.’ ”
The project “took on a life of its own,” Fortini said, eventually involving “every single room, building and unit. We redid electrical, plumbing, siding, roofing, heating systems, insulation.” The buildings weren’t originally insulated, he explained.
The Fortinis even had to create foundations for the structures, Ryan Fortini said. “We had to lift them up and pour the foundations underneath.”
Fortini said he served as the project’s general contractor, relying on the help of about six consultants and 15 subcontractors.
What’s new at Pacific Motel?
In addition to the structures, the Fortinis overhauled the landscaping.
When they bought the inn, the grounds were covered with asphalt and strange, resin-topped, polished pebble aggregate, he said.
The couple replaced them with cement pavers, contouring and drainage to prevent flooding, Ryan Fortini said, “completely redefining the flow of the property, while keeping the integrity of the buildings intact.”
The Fortinis kept 14 queen palms and added various other palms and succulents to the landscaping.
They also tucked amenities into various areas, including fire pits, a ping-pong table, seating and picnic areas.
The Fortinis are adding a rehabilitated food truck, a vintage 1966 Chevy PT step van, which will stay on the grounds and serve as a source of beverages and snacks.
They couple has also applied for a liquor license. They plan to sell local beer and wines from a yellow cooler in the motel’s redesigned lobby, which used to house a registration desk and the owners’ living quarters.
“We want people to hang out here and in Cayucos,” Ryan Fortini said.
The new lobby, which is decorated in black, white and wood, has a modern but beachy vibe with 10 big wicker hanging lamps suspended near enough to each other to resemble a large, quirky chandelier.
The lobby’s retail area offers for shirts, vividly colored woven totes and a variety of local products for sale, including toiletries.
Pacific Motel held a soft, overnight opening for friends Sept. 16.
Marisa Fortini said the event went smoothly, adding that she and her husband were delighted to see the remodeled property being used and enjoyed.
“It felt great,” she said, calling the motel “spacious and joyful, cozy and quiet.”
As of Sept. 20, nightly room rates at Pacific Motel ranged from $299 to $499. Some rooms have newly vaulted ceilings, and all have open-plan layouts.
For details and reservations, call 805-900-5224, go to ThePacificMotel.com or follow Pacific Motel on Instagram at @thepacificmotel.
This story was originally published September 26, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
