Several viewers reached out to KSBY News about the unfinished Residence Inn along Highway 46 West - some call it an eyesore, others want answers. KSBY reached out to the developer to find out what’s causing the delay.
It’s been nearly three long years since the Residence Inn by Mariott Paso Robles broke ground. The hotel now sits unfinished on a hilltop along Highway 46 West and Vine Street, and viewers who drive by the project have reached out wanting to know why.
In just the past month alone, KSBY received several emails. One person saying, “Now the unfinished structure is staring down on the city as a sign of blight.”
“I can understand how a lot of the residents would feel that way in this community, seeing that it is not being used for anything; they’re not doing anything about it,” said North County resident Lynette Smith. “A lot of the residents probably think, ‘Let’s just tear it down!' It’d be a lot better as a parking lot.”
But when KSBY stepped foot on the premises Tuesday, there was definitely construction activity. Workers could be seen coming in and out of the hotel, spackling walls and moving around equipment.
The work, however, still looks far from done.
The hotel was initially set to be completed in 2024, and when KSBY reached out to the developer Excel Hotel Group, regional director of operations John Blem said in an email that the delays come from rainy weather, which threw off the construction schedule, pushing out the date to 2025. Then Blem said that led to additional delays to reschedule construction and subcontractors to come back to the area. Now, he says the opening target is approximately the first part of next year.
Meanwhile, others think it shouldn’t be a hotel at all anymore.
“Why don’t we use that space as a homeless shelter or a homeless center for disabled veterans, homeless veterans and those who are truly trying to get back on their feet?” Smith questioned. “It would be an amazing place to give them the resources they would need to kind of alleviate the homeless problem we have here in San Luis Obispo County.”
Rates for the 128-room hotel are unknown at this time, but similar nearby hotels run anywhere from about $215 to a little over $400 a night, depending on the day of the week.
