Coastal Commission approves Hyatt Place hotel in Half Moon Bay

The 110-room hotel, located near the southern entrance to downtown along Highway 1, was originally approved by the Half Moon Bay City Council in January 2025. But it was appealed to the commission over concerns related to view obstruction and lack of lower-cost hotel accommodations.

Greg Jamison, the applicant of the hotel who operates a Ford dealership next to the project’s location, made revisions such as buildings that have been oriented to minimize view impacts and the addition of 22 lower-cost hotel rooms. The project also includes open space, landscaping, accessible public trails, a public restroom and a 114-space parking lot.

“This project now has been in the works for some time,” Jamison said to the commission.

The design features three buildings spread across the site. The northernmost structure will be three stories at a height of 36 feet. The middle building is one story at about 25 feet tall, and the southernmost building is one story at 22 feet tall.

Many Half Moon Bay officials and residents spoke in favor of the project, arguing that the hotel could help bring foot traffic to downtown businesses and boost the local economy.

“We are a visitor-serving economy, and our downtown plays a big role in that,” Half Moon Bay City Manager Matthew Chidester said. “We’re excited to have this wonderful new amenity welcome people into our downtown, visitors and residents, and hopefully provide additional coastal access, and bring in additional revenues, additional jobs and again provide a wonderful welcoming entry into our downtown.”

“Ten years of planning has brought us to this moment of finally, hopefully, approving the project,” Half Moon Bay resident Norman Picker said. “This is good development that will attract midweek visitors and business travelers that will help our businesses thrive on Main Street.”

Several residents in opposition also spoke out, criticizing the size of the project.

“The hotel project, even with revisions proposed, would be a massive looming structure, permanently blocking the hills,” resident Irma Morawietz said. “Please help preserve our small-town feeling. That’s why people come here.”

“This project absolutely impacts the views of the coastal hills,” resident Dan Haggerty said. “We should not whittle away the character of Half Moon Bay.”

Nevertheless, the modifications satisfied the commissioners who voted unanimously to approve the coastal development permit needed to move the project forward.

“I’m in strong support,” Commission Chair Meagan Harmon said. “This is a great project, a huge improvement, and I really appreciate the collaborative effort to get us where we are today.”