OK, time for me to chime in.

The property is built on a hillside and is four stores high: you check in on the 4th floor (Pavilion Pantry shop and bar / lounge too); the restaurant is on the third floor between two arms with floors (326-301 on one side, 327 on on the other). But it gets stranger: the x01-x26 side includes floors 4 (shared with the lobby), 3 (shared with the Great American Grill) with the >=x27 wing, 2 with garden patios (odd numbers) and fitness facility, and 1 - which has no x01-x26, just the >=127 rooms slightly below ground level.

Odd numbered rooms face the pool area and in the distance, highway 101. The double glazed windows help enormously with noise, but the walls are somewhat permeable to noise, and in those rooms facing the pool (such as x05-x17)) you can hear some pool noise. Even numbered rooms face almost anything, mostly parking lot but lower even numbers on the 3rd floor face a utility area, not scenic and in some cases rubbish bins.

The 3rd floor in 301-326 may be the consistently noisiest, counterintuitively, as the 4th, etc. are above you. We're having significant thumping and bumping noises, and though I asked staff about less noisy rooms at check-in, they were actually pretty clueless and unhelpful.

Best rooms for quiet: 401 farthest from lobby, odd numbers through 425 (IMO too close tto lobby and lift) and 327 on as there is no 4th floor on that wing.

The king room we have is a bit peculiar, smaller than the usual HGI with a corner table with two square armchairs sharing a square ottoman, forming a weird block of furniture.

There is a luggage bench at the foot of the bed, a desk with good light but a Herman Miller chair that is out of order - even think of leaning back and you'll quickly find out there's no back support; lean back and you could quickly find yourself lying on the floor.

A chest of drawers has the flat screen telly, which you view at an 80 degree angle from your bed. There is a mini-fridge, Keurig coffee maker, very small microwave, just sufficient lighting. The electric alarm clock is non-standard, a small cubical clock on one of the bedside night stand (which strangely is a good 8-10" above the bed level). Beds are the HGI Sleep System beds. The thermostat is on the wall behind a bedside table lamp, easy to miss.

The bathroom has an ante-bath nook with a sink on one side, closet with usual ironing set and a safe. The bath is adequate with shower and tub combo, stool and sink, furnished with the usual Neutrogena products.

The door has a switch-operated light system to show a "do not disturb" or housekeeping call outside.

Breakfast is somewhat unimpressive (omelette a and French toast to order, waffle maker, "unbagels", scrambled liquified egg, an egg and cheese wrap, etc.) but sparse see in fruits, healthier breads, etc. at $$12.95 adults.

There's a market toward the base of the hill near 4th street, and the property is convenient to Pismo and Avila Beaches, Oceano.