‘It is one of the gems of the Central Coast,’ says Andrew Firestone
Andrew Firestone and his wife Ivana stand outside Hotel Cerro in San Luis Obispo. Mr. Firestone and his business partner Jess Parker announced their company, Stone Capital, have acquired the luxury hotel.
Andrew Firestone and Jess Parker of the Santa Barbara-based hospitality development company StonePark Capital have announced their acquisition of Hotel Cerro, a 65-room hotel located in downtown San Luis Obispo (1125 Garden St.).
With a full-service restaurant and bar, state-of-the-art spa and wellness center, event space, and the only rooftop pool and bar in San Luis Obispo, Hotel Cerro is being promoted by the owners as the premier luxury destination for travelers to the Central Coast.
“We will be doing branding and design work on the interior, but we will not be touching the exterior,” Mr. Firestone told the News-Press Friday. “It’s a beautiful hotel with a cool combination of existing and new architecture. It fits so well into the downtown look and feel.
“It is open and operating; it is one of the gems of the Central Coast,” he said. “We will be welcoming guests with no interruption in service with upgrades. As we get into beautiful weather, we are heading into the busy travel season for San Luis Obispo and the Central Coast.”
Hotel Cerro will join the Autograph Collection Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 brands, with design and branding updates to begin immediately. This represents the third collaboration between Marriott International and StonePark Capital on the Central Coast .
“This hotel is a hand-in-glove fit with Marriott and the autograph collection,” said Mr. Firestone.
StonePark currently owns five hotel projects on the Central Coast representing 365 guest rooms.
After opening their first hotel in 2019 in San Luis Obispo, Mr. Firestone and Ms. Parker have been eager to increase their investment in the area.
“The Hotel Cerro fits into the downtown and the architecture is unassuming. It has a very subtle profile from the lobby,” said Mr. Firestone.
“But inside it is a beautifully designed and decorated interior that is warm and welcoming,” he said. “There is a luxury sense and feel without being overly fancy. The welcoming and warm atmosphere blends with the restaurant and interior courtyard.
“The hotel is a full package with a great indoor/outdoor event space. It is a unique design and the architecture makes it unique,” he told the News-Press. “We are excited to welcome Marriott’s platform to the premier destination of the central coast.”
Hotel Cerro includes both a rooftop bar and a full service restaurant and bar. “Brasserie SLO, the full service restaurant and bar, has its own look and feel,” Mr. Firestone explained. “We have a woodfire pizza oven and an open oak grill. This allows us to do interesting menu combinations. We have a lot of toys in the kitchen to offer a variety of farm-to-table offerings.
“We live in wine country and in farm country. Our guests come to expect farm-to table menu options. It rotates all the time being able to have a woodfire pizza oven whatever is in season we can incorporate,” said Mr. Firestone.
Hotel Cerro has the only rooftop pool and bar in San Luis Obispo.
“You can go and sit and enjoy unobstructed views of mountains and Central Coast and have food and cocktails poolside. We also have an edible garden on the roof of the second floor,” Mr. Firestone said.
This project represents the third collaboration between StonePark and AZUL Hospitality, whose team will be taking over operations of the hotel, restaurant, and spa.
“We’re so pleased to expand our relationship with StonePark Capital, and we feel that Hotel Cerro is an outstanding addition to their growing portfolio.” said Mark Crisci, AZUL Hospitality chief investment officer and principal.
Noted Mr. Firestone, “I think it is a really interesting and unique offering to bring a luxury full-service property that doesn’t feel stuffy. It feels very, very Central Coast. It blends perfectly with downtown and feels like it is supposed to be there.
“We are excited about this property and our guest enjoying the hotel and everything in SLO,” Mr. Firestone said. “My wife Ivana is really excited about this hotel and the full service spa. It really speaks to her.
“We are thrilled to be the stewards of this property and maximize the potential to invite guests from the state and the world to this luxury hotel and to SLO.”
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
FYI
Hotel Cerro is located at 1125 Garden St. in San Luis Obispo. For more information, visit https://HotelCerro.com, call 805-548-1000 or email info@hotelcerro.com.
