The nightstands in the Western Room are held up by faux cowboy legs and have headboards of worn wood.

The local Motel Cinderella offers 20 themed rooms for visitors.

The Busk/Schapher family has run the Motel Cinderella since the 1970s.

The "Independance" Room features stars and stripes.

Themed-rooms at Motel Cinderella add to the ambiance

Story and Photos by FANG H. LIANG, Pinnacle Staff Writer

The Motel Cinderella isn't just another stop to get a good night's rest. The owners of the local inn took a page from the Madonna Inn's book and have created themed rooms to make stays more enjoyable for guests.

You don't have to be a cowboy to stay in room 14 at the Motel Cinderella, but you just may feel like one when you shut the door behind you. The room is the Western Room and Ronald Reagan stayed in the room once while campaigning for his governorship in California, according to the motel owners. Back then, the room was decorated as any other motel room across the country.

Sometime after the Reagan campaign machine rolled through Hollister, James and Hellen Busk from Salinas bought the 20-room motel and slowly began to transform it into a cultural statement in Hollister.

Today the Western room is decorated with unique nightstands that have the faux legs of a cowboy to hold them steady, a dining table made of a wagon wheel and barbed wire on the ceiling.

Other themed rooms include the Jungle Room for those who like palm trees and parrots; the Pier 23 for those who enjoy the bay; or the "Independance" Room for those who fancy the American flag.

The transformation began slowly after the Busks bought the place. Wanting to keep a matching decor and a little bit of personal touch here and there, they slowly made each room more unique.

In the 90s, the family started naming the rooms. Some of thee rooms are still works in progress, but updates have been taken over by the Busks' daughter Christine Schapher and the Letty Radman, resident manager.

Like the equally kitsch Madonna Inn 150 miles south of here in San Luis Obispo, the Cinderella has its own share of fans, who often request the same room during their visits to Hollister, according to the owners.

"Anybody can build one room and a thousand like it," said Alex Madonna, the creator of the San Luis inn, to the New York Times. "I want people to come in with a smile and leave with a smile. It's fun."

Those stopping by the Motel Cinderella might have a little extra fun on their trips, too.