The Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Pismo Beach, California

Treat your pooch to a sprawling 5-acre (2ha) lawn where it can roam free at the clifftop SeaCrest Oceanfront Hotel. All of the dog-friendly rooms feature a plush dog bed, food and water bowls that you can keep, and an oversize showerhead to wash out every embedded grain of sand. As an added perk, you can also carve out an afternoon for yourself, with a free day of doggie daycare at the Thousand Hills Pet Resort included.

The chic Inn at the Cove really knows how to figuratively scratch the bellies of both its two- and four-legged guests. Oceanfront rooms with direct access to the beach and rugged Shelter Cove are an obvious draw, but it’s the nearby green space that’ll get your dog’s tail wagging. Follow the California Coastal Trail to Dinosaur Caves Park for a walk that offers ocean views from a rocky bluff – just don’t let Fido dig up any Jurassic-size bones it may sniff out.

There’s dog-friendly, and then there’s downright dog-fanatic – a line that the team at Pismo Lighthouse Suites proudly crosses. Offering everything from bowls and blankets to private balconies and complimentary treats, the team at this hotel works hard to make sure you and your pet are as comfortable as can be, and the location is hard to beat too. With a walking path that leads to the Pismo Beach Pier, your four-pawed friend will have no trouble finding its way to the sand.

Hosting live music on its porch, the Cliffs’ calendar of on-property events will keep you busy throughout the weekend. Also, with its relaxed pet policy, you won’t have to leave your fur baby behind at this pet-friendly Pismo Beach hotel. After taking Fido for a run at the nearby Pismo Preserve, a stretch of rolling green hills with 11mi (18km) of trails, he’ll be ready for some downtime in your plush bedroom while you enjoy some toe-tapping.

You make sure your pet is pampered, but you deserve to be treated, too. A stay at the Dolphin Bay Resort and Spa will ensure you’re both cared for. Stylish one-bedroom suites with fireplaces, full gourmet kitchens and balconies have enough space for your pet to unwind. While it’s taking a long snooze, you should sneak down to the spa for a hot-stone massage and an innovative Biotec facial that’ll leave you looking as gorgeous as your pup’s fur coat.

Don’t sweat the 2mi (3km) walk from Oxford Suites to the shoreline. Any evening you decide to stay in and hang out by the pool, you’ll be treated to free drinks and appetizers during the Manager’s Reception. Choose a dog-friendly room with a pool view, and your four-legged friend can watch as you practice your doggie paddle. Before bed, take it across the street and let it do its business while sniffing its way through the Pismo Lake Ecological Reserve.

Got a little furry foodie riding shotgun on your vacation? The Edgewater Inn and Suites puts you and your dog at the head of the table. From burgers at Chop Street to clam chowder at Wooly’s, there are loads of dog-friendly restaurants right by the hotel. Your first stop? Slim Dilly Dogs, of course, so you two can split a Puppy Little 12 Pack of mini corn dogs.

With an emergency pet hospital right behind the hotel, this Best Western provides you with comfort and security inside and out. Your furry companion is welcome to crash in your double-queen room after a long, exciting walk through the woods at James Way Oak Habitat and Wildlife Preserve – just down the road. Pismo Beach is a quick 2mi (3km) drive, but if your pup isn’t fond of the tide, Laguna Lake Dog Park, 15 minutes north, is a little more manageable for the surf-averse.