Avila La Fonda Hotel
101 San Miguel St., 1 blk. to beach, (805) 595-1700. 28 rooms. All gas fireplaces; some kitchens; some steam showers & saunas. Afternoon wine and appetizers; evening pie; continental breakfast. Dogs ok. Free covered subterranean parking.
Mimicking the varied architecture of a Mexican village on the exterior, the Avila La Fonda Hotel’s lobby continues the motif with a south-of-the-border courtyard feel.
In December, when I visited, seasonal cheer includes countless red poinsettias and a two-story-high decorated tree.
An informal snack room off the lobby provides chocolate chip cookies, coffee, fruited water, and sometimes tangerines and nuts. A typical afternoon appetizer spread can pass for dinner if you’re not particularly hungry--olives, a tasty garbanzo salad, ravioli, and cheesecake squares. The intoxicating fragrance of baking pies begins permeating the inn around 7 p.m,, and at 8 p.m. an array of heavenly pies from the nearby Avila Valley Barn--perhaps peach-raspberry, apple-peach, and boysenberry--are served up.
Breakfast features both extraordinarily delicious chocolate croissants and regular croissants from a talented local baker along with orange juice, coffee, and tea. Should you stay two nights and be here at noon, a nacho bar with salsas as well as Mexican beer and coke is provided. Each guest room is also stocked with a complimentary welcome snack basket filled with sodas, waters, chips, and more. No one goes hungry at the La Fonda! Books, board games, and movies are available to borrow, as are coolers, boogie boards, towels, and chairs for the beach. A coupon for free wine tasting is also usually available. Guests have complimentary use of the Avila Bay Athletic Club, located about 2 miles away, and guests who are celebrating a birthday get a special cake and those who are celebrating an anniversary get Champagne. The entire hotel is nicely decorated with Mexican items, including a large collection of hand-painted Talavera ceramics from the Jalisco area of Mexico and terra cotta-colored Mexican paver-tile floors. Hand-painted art works are here and there on the walls sponge-painted in lovely warm colors. Guest rooms are all large, and most have a balcony and a two-person shower with six heads. All rooms have a two-person Jacuzzi tub, a high undraped canopy bed, and heavy Mexican furniture.
More things to do in Avila Beach.
images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Mimicking the varied architecture of a Mexican village on the exterior, the Avila La Fonda Hotel’s lobby continues the motif with a south-of-the-border courtyard feel.
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| exterior of Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California |
In December, when I visited, seasonal cheer includes countless red poinsettias and a two-story-high decorated tree.
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| lobby at Christmas at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California |
An informal snack room off the lobby provides chocolate chip cookies, coffee, fruited water, and sometimes tangerines and nuts. A typical afternoon appetizer spread can pass for dinner if you’re not particularly hungry--olives, a tasty garbanzo salad, ravioli, and cheesecake squares. The intoxicating fragrance of baking pies begins permeating the inn around 7 p.m,, and at 8 p.m. an array of heavenly pies from the nearby Avila Valley Barn--perhaps peach-raspberry, apple-peach, and boysenberry--are served up.
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| pie time at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California |
Breakfast features both extraordinarily delicious chocolate croissants and regular croissants from a talented local baker along with orange juice, coffee, and tea. Should you stay two nights and be here at noon, a nacho bar with salsas as well as Mexican beer and coke is provided. Each guest room is also stocked with a complimentary welcome snack basket filled with sodas, waters, chips, and more. No one goes hungry at the La Fonda! Books, board games, and movies are available to borrow, as are coolers, boogie boards, towels, and chairs for the beach. A coupon for free wine tasting is also usually available. Guests have complimentary use of the Avila Bay Athletic Club, located about 2 miles away, and guests who are celebrating a birthday get a special cake and those who are celebrating an anniversary get Champagne. The entire hotel is nicely decorated with Mexican items, including a large collection of hand-painted Talavera ceramics from the Jalisco area of Mexico and terra cotta-colored Mexican paver-tile floors. Hand-painted art works are here and there on the walls sponge-painted in lovely warm colors. Guest rooms are all large, and most have a balcony and a two-person shower with six heads. All rooms have a two-person Jacuzzi tub, a high undraped canopy bed, and heavy Mexican furniture.
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| guest room at Avila La Fonda Hotel in Avila Beach, California |
More things to do in Avila Beach.
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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
The Avila La Fonda Hotel is just the kind of place I dream about with or without the added temptation of those fabulous pies! My idea of Nirvana ...
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lovely respite, and I can see why no one goes hungry. The pie looks to die for!
ReplyDeletePass the pie over now. No questions asked I want the pie
ReplyDeleteOkay, most definitely my kind of place - from the talavera from Jalisco to the pie extravaganza. . .yep, my kind of place!
ReplyDeleteMy kind of place - from the talavera from Jalisco to the pie extravaganza - my kind of place!
ReplyDeleteI love the Mexican village feel of La Fonda Hotel. Add the food and pampering - lovely place to stay.
ReplyDeleteHow do you find these places, Carole? My husband would looooove those pies and all the Mexican cuisine. Plus the decor is consistently Mexican! I am envious!
ReplyDeleteAs far as the pie hour, I didn't know about that ahead of time! It was a BIG surprise.
DeleteThe Avila La Fonda looks like my kind of place -- food for the eye... and the belly!
ReplyDeleteI love small hotels, and I love pie! I think I need to go there.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderful place - and only one block from the beach is great. Those pies look delicious!
ReplyDeleteI love the feel of a place like this, and those little balconies...pie in the afternoon and chocolate croissants. Don't think i'd ever want o leave the Avila la Fonda!
ReplyDelete