A Monument of Kitsch

Waaay back when I turned 30, Greg planned a really amazing birthday weekend for me. We flew to Vegas to see Siegfried and Roy (I should explain the night we first met was on Halloween and my roomie and I were dressed as Siegfried & Roy...she and I looked ridiculous but somehow greg still asked me out. We always joked we needed to see S &R someday). Then after Vegas greg took me Disneyland (hush yo mouth, its FUN! And one of my favorite things.) Finally, our last adventure was a pit stop at the Madonna Inn on our way home. Ahhh, the Madonna Inn! Pink, kitschy...faaaaabulous! Each bedroom has a different theme and it's like a kitsch extravaganza lemme tell you. I feel like this must have been what Liberace's guest rooms might have looked like.




Located in San Luis Obisbo, the Inn was opened in 1958 by Alex Madonna. It didn't turn this flamboyant until after 1966 when a fire nearly burned the whole thing to the ground. Like a mad genius (who believed "Anyone can decorate a room") he wallpapered, shellacked, and ticky tackified this place into the wondrous creation it is today. All the rooms have Theme names ("Barrel of Fun", "Krazy Dazy" "Jungle Rock" etc), which just adds to the fun.








One of the centerpieces of the Madonna Inn is the pink dining room....and I DO mean pink, pets!
How amazing are those round booths? It's as luscious in person as it is in this photo.




Greg and I stayed in one of the cave rooms, which is like Flintstones meets Tretchikoff meets Swingin' Bachelor Pad. Did I mention the rock shower? Awww yeah. You can see the larger suite version of that room in this YouTube video. (seriously, is EVERYTHING on YouTube??)


If you're ever in California you have to swing by for sure. My dream is to do a big vintage photo shoot with my friend Kristen.

Oh Madonna Inn, I love you soooo!

Images: Madonna Inn