HIGHLY RECOMMEND! This place was a gem for our family trip up the California coast. We got a fantastic rate for a single weekend night (<$150 total for a 2 queen bed room) by booking about 6 weeks ahead of our stay. Given the low rate, my initial sense of the property walking into the lobby was that it would be run-down, but was pleasantly surprised by the guest room and property overall. The room was typical of a moderately-priced motel, clean but nothing fancy, however the bathroom was fully updated and modern. The pool was ok, but the hot tub had a lighted waterfall feature that you would have thought was from the Mirage in Las Vegas (the kids loved it!). Talking with the hotel manager as we checked out, he mentioned they had put a lot of work into renovating the property, and the lobby was the last thing they hadn't gotten to yet.
In terms of the surrounding area, there's not much in walking distance, however there's a full shopping center including a Costco (great for feeding kids and picking up supplies) within a couple miles.
My recommendation to the property owner/manager is to get that lobby updated (it's really poor curb appeal, smelly old carpets, etc.) and maybe get a real sign out front (it was a banner on wooden posts) and that will put finishing touches on what is otherwise a fantastic place for the price.