A creative team at San Luis Obispo's Madonna Inn began transforming the inn for the holiday season.
The extravagant decorations have been a tradition every year since hotel founders Alex and Phyllis Madonna opened for business on Christmas Eve in 1958.
The inn posted to their Instagram announcing that decorations were going up. Madonna Inn's Marketing Director, Amanda Rich, and two others - Juan Luis and Enrique work for nearly a month to get all of the hotel decorations up. They begin the day after Halloween and have them complete by Thanksgiving.
Decorations go up in the Madonna Inn's Copper Cafe, Gold Rush Steak House and nearly every inch of the hotel for guests to walk around and enjoy.
The creative team tries to come up with a new unique decorating theme every year.
"This year's theme is going to be kinda like reindeer and bears so people will be walking through a winter forest," said Rich." We also have a letter for Santa so there is a mailbox where kids can come in and they can write a letter to Santa and stick it in the mailbox and ask for whatever is on their list."
Last year the inn was able to put up a lot more decorations because of the pandemic and allowing more space within the motel. This year they say normal seating is back and face masks will be required in all public indoor areas at the Inn.
The Inn is not the only location where Christmas decorations can be found. Beginning in the mid-1970s, Alex and Phyllis Madonna decided to take their holiday decor to the next level by constructing a lit Christmas tree at the top of Cerro San Luis "Madonna" Mountain, according to the Inn's website.
The tree consists of 11 strands of glowing lights strung from a 30-foot aluminum mast. It is lit throughout the winter season until the New year.
