Inn Paradiso

In between the two sprawling metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco there’s a much quieter, much more pastoral version of California living. San Luis Obispo County promotes itself with the tag SLO-Cal, and whatever you think of the pun, it’s an accurate assessment. Paso Robles is where California’s Old West roots meet a burgeoning wine industry, and it’s also where you’ll find a stylish slice of slow living, courtesy of Inn Paradiso.

It’s set on a hilltop just outside of town, affording it an extra measure of tranquility, and it’s not large by any stretch of the imagination: just three suites in the original lodge, as well as two outlying buildings containing a loft, an apartment, and a studio, each one with its own personality and its own design style. Old-growth wood abounds, as does an eclectic approach to furnishings, with everything from mid-century design pieces to rustic rope hammocks.

The experience is low-key but it’s luxurious, as befits a wine-country getaway — the Central Coast isn’t as famous as Napa Valley, but that just leaves more space for you to explore the region’s hundreds of wineries, as well as some excellent restaurants in town. And your hosts, naturally, are happy as can be to get you oriented and send you off in the right direction.