A 1952 motel in Cayucos has reopened as Two Palms, a seven-room, adults-only property that caps guests at 21 and older, steps from both the beach and downtown. The compact micro-lodging concept sits at 20 S. Ocean Ave., where every room now comes with a private outdoor patio, a minibar and refrigerator, plus breathable bedding, upgraded lighting and bath amenities.
According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, the property is owned by Ryan and Marisa Fortini, who bought the former Cayucos motel in 2023. One upgraded suite includes a larger private deck, a small fireplace and extra space compared with the standard rooms, and the motel's lobby has been redone with striped tile work, custom details, a central fireplace, a seating area and a curated shop. The Tribune also reports that Two Palms is set to receive a new classic marquee sign.
A Sister Property With a Head Start
Two Palms isn't the Fortinis' first project in Cayucos. The couple bought the Pacific Motel in 2019 and redid the old property in 2022, turning it into a 20-room boutique motel a block from the beach, as the Tribune reported at the time. That renovation took about two and a half years after the Fortinis purchased the former Dolphin Inn in January 2020, according to the same report — though a separate account from Fifty Grande describes the property as a 19-room motel, a discrepancy the sources don't resolve.
The Pacific Motel, which the Tribune's report placed at 399 S. Ocean Ave., sits about three-tenths of a mile south of Two Palms. The newer property, meanwhile, is under a mile south of the circa-1872 pier and Cayucos Landing, which was recently redone as part of that pier area, per the Tribune. Santa Barbara Life & Style has described the Fortinis' plan more simply, writing that they are remodeling the Cayucos Motel into a sister property of their own: Two Palms, according to Santa Barbara Life & Style.
Landscaping, Fire Pits and a Deliberate Pace
Outside, Two Palms has been landscaped with palm trees, succulents, sculptural plants and layered hedging, and the property includes an outdoor fire pit with a nearby ping-pong table, the Tribune reports. It's a smaller-scale echo of what the Fortinis built at the Pacific Motel, where they kept 14 existing queen palms and added more palms and succulents alongside fire pits, a ping-pong table, and seating and picnic areas during that renovation.
Ryan Fortini told the Tribune that old California motels already have a soul, and that he and Marisa aim to preserve that character while making the guest experience more thoughtful and special. He said the motel's size and location were major factors in the decision to take it on, and that Two Palms offered a chance to give an existing part of Cayucos a new chapter. Fortini added that the couple isn't trying to build a north coast motel empire, saying instead that they want to create places where they personally want to spend time rather than build a traditional hotel company.
Part of a Broader Motel Revival
The Fortinis' projects fit into a wider pattern of vintage motels getting new life across California. Vintage motels have been having a revival in the past few years, according to AFAR, which also notes that the roadside motel itself was born in San Luis Obispo in December 1925, when Arthur Heineman opened his Milestone Mo-Tel halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Thrillist has similarly reported that historic roadside motels across the state have been experiencing upscale upgrades and renovations, transforming into boutique lodging properties.
That momentum extends well beyond Cayucos. Nearby in Cambria, the 27-room Cambria Beach Lodge offers Pacific Ocean views and a curated minibar, per AFAR, while the Azure Sky Hotel converted a 1959 motel into a 14-room adults-only property. Further inland, the Cuyama Buckhorn, which also opened in 1952, was transformed in 2018 into a 21-room property with a restaurant, pool, hot tub and sauna. News Channel 3-12 has reported that San Luis Obispo County's lodging supply was projected to grow by about 30% by 2031 if all pipeline projects were built, with Visit SLO CAL saying new lodging properties were expected to help draw more visitors to the area.
Two Palms recommends booking directly through twopalmsmotel.com for the best price and room selection, and the property can be reached by phone at 805-995-9800 or by email at [email protected].
