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Morro Bay · Hotel shortlist

Morro Bay hotels with a gym

Amara Nwosu

Amara Nwosu Africa

Updated 1 September 2026 · 70 Morro Bay hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Morro Bay, out of the 70 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.7 down to 4.5.

Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa is the one I would book myself.

Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa

Highest rated of the five

Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa

★★★★★4.7 from 849 reviews

Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.7 from 849 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under the airport and around $395 a night on the dates we checked.

70 hotels in Morro Bay qualified for this list and five made it. UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze

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All five, ranked

  1. Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa1

    Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa

    ★★★★★4.7 from 849 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  2. UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge2

    UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge

    ★★★★★4.7 from 401 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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  3. Quality Suites Downtown San Luis Obispo3

    Quality Suites Downtown San Luis Obispo

    ★★★★★4.5 from 975 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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  4. Kon Tiki Inn4

    Kon Tiki Inn

    ★★★★★4.7 from 784 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Air conditioning

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  5. Ayres Hotel Rialto/Fontana5

    Ayres Hotel Rialto/Fontana

    ★★★★★4.7 from 489 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Air conditioning

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How this list was put together

70 Morro Bay hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Amara Nwosu

Amara Nwosu Africa

Books holidays a year ahead because court calendars demand it, then travels hard for three weeks. West Africa most years to see family, somewhere new in between.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.