Arroyo Grande opens new hotel in historic village area

The biggest change in years to Arroyo Grande’s historic village was celebrated Thursday night at the grand opening of a new hotel.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the Agrarian Hotel on Branch Street to welcome the newcomer to the community.

The hotel opening is significant, because it opens up the thriving tourist area and gives visitors a place to stay in the heart of the Village.

“I love it! I’m excited about it,” said Nipomo resident Kimberly Victor.

The hotel was met with a lot of enthusiasm from locals.

“More people are coming for the Strawberry Festival and all the harvest festivals and now they have a nice place to come and stay,” said Nipomo resident Linea Johnston.

The celebration included a tour of the hotel along with food and drinks. The hotel has a “boutique cottage-style vibe” that aims to be in alignment with Arroyo Grande’s culture. It features 50 guest rooms and is around 30,000 square feet.

“Agrarian means agriculture, which is a big part of Arroyo Grande. We have really tried to keep everything very natural and real and it fits into the community. Very farm-to-table environment,” said hotel general manager Fred Reed.

The hotel has created dozens of jobs and will generate sales and bed tax revenue for the city. It is also the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified hotel in Arroyo Grande – meaning it is built to be energy efficient.

“We are eco-friendly, we are the only LEED certified hotel in San Luis Obispo,” said Reed.

And for those residents who previously voiced concerns regarding parking issues, attendees say the hotel got it right.

“I think they really made a good plan on their parking and what people see when we walk through the rooms,” said Victor.

Rooms currently run around $180 a night to experience the charm the town has to offer.