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Restored Victorians, rustic lodges, country inns, and vintage motels are among the accommodations available here. Few have air-conditioning (the ocean breezes make it unnecessary), and many have no phones or TVs in the rooms. Although several towns have only one or two places to spend the night, some of these lodgings are destinations in themselves. Budget accommodations are rare, but in winter you're likely to find reduced rates and nearly empty lodgings. In summer and on the weekends, though, make bed-and-breakfast reservations as far ahead as possible—rooms at the best inns often sell out months in advance.
The feel is modern yet tasteful at this inn with stained-wood and leather furnishings and plush beds; two rooms have whirlpool tubs with views. The luxury is in tune with the surrounding nature. Large windows frame views of the 10-acre property, bird-filled trees, and winding paths through native-plant gardens. Organic vegetable and herb gardens provide ingredients for breakfast and the complimentary wine hour with a light dinner.
From the street, this looks like a standard small-town hotel with nine freestanding cottages and a two-room, two-story building in the back garden, but once you cross the threshold you begin to sense the laid-back sophistication that makes the entire Anderson Valley so appealing. Rooms with hardwood floors are decorated with linens and weathered tiles; some are painted in soft shades of tangerine or lime, others with subdued earth tones brightened with sky blue. The largest rooms can accommodate three, the smallest only two. Public spaces include a large terrace and a sitting room with books, games, and a fireplace.
Richly painted and aglow with wood detailing, the inns' guest rooms, in two main Victorian buildings and several historic cottages, contain a mix of modern and antique furnishings. For dinner, Restaurant 301 is right on the property, and the hotel is a short walk from other good dining options. Whether it's breakfast in bed or an in-room massage, guests' requests are usually accommodated.
Perched on a bluff above pounding surf and a driftwood-strewn beach, this property has stunning views from most of its accommodations, which include seven rooms, five suites, and four cottages. The most romantic options are in the cottage buildings, where each room is unique but all have peaked ceilings and hardwood floors. A newer Arts-and-Crafts-style building houses the suites, which have a more modern feel (including whirlpool tubs). A lavish champagne breakfast is complimentary; on most nights one of the owners prepares optional French-inspired dinners also available to nonguests as space permits. Spa treatments unfold in a private building with an ocean view. Book early if you want a massage. With its quiet setting and high cliffs, the inn is not ideal for young children; inquire by phone before reserving a room.
Prepare to be bowled over by every aspect of this showcase property with a rugged Pacific-cliff setting, destination restaurant, sterling hospitality, and luxurious accommodations in a 1916 redwood Craftsman-style house and a few newer cottages. The ocean-view restaurant (reservations essential) serves elaborate, seafood-oriented, prix-fixe meals; seating for nonguests is limited.
Attention to detail in design and hospitality makes for an incomparable stay at this 2,000-acre working cattle ranch with 1½ miles of private coastline. Two-story redwood trees add structure and beauty to one of the buildings, and the beds and windows in all the rooms are positioned to take maximum advantage of the mesmerizing bluff-top views. Utility terrain vehicle (UTV) ranch tours; hiking, jogging, and horseback riding on 25 miles of trails; and tastings at Pacific Star Winery next door are among the activities available during the day. Come late afternoon, you can enjoy a complimentary glass of local wine or beer at happy hour before enjoying a multicourse dinner (additional fee) prepared by the superb on-site chef.
Looking out to the ocean across a wetland, the lodge's shingle-and-river-rock buildings contain Bodega Bay's finest accommodations. Nearly all the spacious guest rooms have fireplaces, patios or balconies, and ocean views; some have vaulted ceilings and jetted tubs. The ocean-view Drakes Sonoma Coast focuses on locally raised produce, meats, and seafood. The wine list showcases Sonoma County labels, supplemented by bottlings from beyond. Woodside Hotels, a trusted upscale brand with properties in prime vacation destinations, operates the resort.
The centerpiece of a 2-acre spread that includes tasting rooms, a gift shop, an apothecary-style cannabis dispensary, and a restaurant, this property has nine eclectically decorated accommodations that range from apartment-like studios to duplex cottages, some with patios or balconies facing landscaped gardens. The peaceful setting and on-site diversions encourage lingering, but should you desire to venture forth, a half dozen wineries (among them Goldeneye next door) are within a mile, and Hendy Woods State Park and its redwoods are a little farther along. Luxurious furnishings, ample bathrooms, and layouts that include sitting areas make for a smooth transition to country living, as do perks like flat-screen TVs, Nespresso coffeemakers, microwaves, and refrigerators stocked with breakfast items. Though thoughtful, the hospitality here is laissez-faire, so if you need pampering or the full bed-and-breakfast experience, this place might not work for you.
Craftsman touches abound in this luxury inn's lavishly restored 1868 main structure, which overlooks Noyo Harbor, and in a nearby newer wing with Pacific Ocean views. Rooms contain plush beds and wide windows to enjoy the setting; all have French-press coffeemakers and spacious well-lit bathrooms stocked with high-quality bath amenities. Some rooms also have gas fireplaces. An excellent base for exploring the harbor and coastal trails, slipping down to Mendocino's shops and restaurants, or heading inland to Anderson Valley wineries, the property sits on carefully landscaped grounds with something in bloom much of the year. The restaurant, which has the feel of a grand Craftsman parlor, serves brunch and dinner except on Tuesday, outdoors on the harbor-view deck weather permitting. The accommodating staff members provide warm service.
A communal hot tub that seems to float above the crashing waves a few hundred feet below typifies the reorientation of this luxury resort, completed in 2023 after a half decade–plus of renovations, to its gasp-worthy setting. Amid several landscaped acres in downtown Elk, where two separate lodgings operated for years, the inn, named for the huge rock just offshore, contains 22 accommodations—standalone cottages and guest rooms in several structures. The complex's most architecturally stunning structure is the Castle Building, a contemporary duplex whose multilevel cedar-paneled units have ocean-view decks and tub showers. Even the less flashy options have their charms, though, and many rooms share those fantastic ocean views. A top Napa Valley chef moved to the coast to kickstart the Greenwood Restaurant, whose fine-dining menu emphasizes local produce and seafood.
Restored well beyond its original splendor, this resort anchored to a craggy oceanfront cliff is by far the Sonoma Coast's coolest getaway. The vibe here is country swank, with grand redwood-and-stone public spaces and enough activities—Ping-Pong, billiards, firepits—to keep restless city slickers occupied. But with 25 acres, 2-plus miles of trails, and the nearby coastal coves and beaches, blissing out on the natural setting is equally possible. Not surprisingly, the Coast Kitchen restaurant emphasizes Pacific seafood. The rooms, some with ocean views, others with forest ones, and most with gas fireplaces, contain playful echoes of this property's hippie past but deliver contemporary casual luxury. They’re furnished with all the mod cons and a few retro ones like Pendleton blankets and vinyl record players.
Small but clean and as humble as can be, this ranks among the few decent places on this stretch of coast with reasonably priced rooms. Some are decorated with tile or wood laminate flooring. A few have harbor views, which all guests can enjoy from the shared lawn area with picnic tables and lounge chairs. For somewhat more, you can rent an apartment or house nearby. The motel is behind the Pelican Plaza shopping center at the north end of town on a side street off Highway 1.
By the bustling waterfront and steps from Old Town's inviting shops and restaurants, this towering, late-1880s Victorian abounds with opulent architectural details and florid period-style bedding, wallpapers, and furnishings. It's a rambling, quirky place, but upgraded amenities, fair rates, a great location, and historical character make it a solid choice. There's a lively and charming pub on the ground floor, Phatsy Kline's, and the Tavern restaurant serves contemporary California cuisine.
For a romantic special-occasion getaway, look to this intimate luxurious inn perched on a seaside bluff near Sue-meg State Park. The eight light-filled rooms and suites have tall windows overlooking the lush gardens and the ocean, and some have loft sleeping nooks with extra beds to accommodate kids. The room rate includes an impressive breakfast buffet and a generous afternoon reception with craft beer, wine, cheese, and charcuterie.
A historic boutique property set on 2 flower-filled acres in the middle of town, MacCallum House strikes the perfect balance between Victorian charm and modern luxury. Guest rooms in the main house and renovated barn (six in each) feel genteel and romantic (the ones in the barn are larger and look more contemporary), while the seven cottages nearby are bright and honeymoon-y. One of them, the water tower, is unforgettable, with a living room on the first floor, a sauna on the second, and an ocean view from the bed on the third. Other accommodations have a private outdoor hot tub or a sauna-equipped bathroom. The MacCallum lineup also includes 10 modern luxury suites a few blocks away. The longtime chef at the outstanding restaurant, one of Mendocino's best, hand selects the best local ingredients, and everything from pasta to ice cream is prepared daily from scratch.
Relatives of the family that owns the Boonville Hotel are involved in this farm with three inviting cottages and one guest room set in an organic heirloom apple orchard. It all feels very Provençal—the elegant country linens, the floral paintings adorning the walls, the gardens full of herbs and vegetables outside your door. On some weekends, the cottages are reserved for people attending the highly respected on-site cooking school, but midweek a room is often available. The farm stand sells the orchard's apples and pears from late July to Thanksgiving, plus delectable apricot, plum, raspberry, and other jams, including a superb orange marmalade.
Eureka-based entrepreneurs passionate about providing safe, legal places for patrons to enjoy cannabis products renovated a century-old logging hotel near the northern Avenue of the Giants entrance into a hip, stylish hub welcoming all travelers. For many years owned by its namesake town's leading lumber company, the lodge exudes Craftsman style in both the high-ceiling public spaces and the guest rooms. Redwood flourishes in the latter convey a sense of place, with white walls and gray accents tempering the brown hues. All rooms have refrigerators, microwaves, a tea kettle, and a pour-over coffeemaker. The restaurant can be hit or miss.
This woodsy yet luxurious family-run property a few minutes south of town feels like the Northern California version of an old-time summer resort but with an ecologically friendly twist. Several lodge buildings house guest rooms that range from cozy to chic, many with ocean views and fireplaces. On the spacious, dog-friendly grounds you'll find organic gardens, llamas, and a sandy river beach where you can rent a kayak or canoe and head 8 miles upriver. Yoga classes and massages and body wraps are complemented by the sophisticated, all-organic plant-based cuisine at The Ravens restaurant. Breakfast is vegan, too.
As its name implies, this six-building, two-story property, whose owners run two similar lodgings nearby, sits practically on the beach; pathways lead from the accommodations down to the rock-strewn shore. All rooms are bright and clean and have refrigerators, microwaves, and coffeemakers, but the least expensive ones don't have views. The nicest of the second-story rooms have jetted tubs and fireplaces. A few rooms here are pet-friendly for a fee.
Among Mendocino County's finest lodgings when completed in 1890, this high-ceilinged boutique hotel in downtown Hopland received a meticulous, aesthetically pleasing makeover favoring shades of deep gray and light to medium brown. Guest rooms, decorated in a spare style that accentuates the 19th-century elements yet feels au courant, come in eight styles and configurations, from a 200-square-foot queen to a 600-square-foot corner suite with a king. Families often book the 500-square-foot suite with two queens and a couch, some pairing it with a small room across the hall holding two bunk beds. Amenities include a bar (beer and wine), coffee shop, library, art gallery, pool, and exterior courtyard.
These quiet cottage rooms nestled in the evergreens are 2 miles north of Trinidad Bay's harbor, restaurants, and shops. Individually decorated, most rooms have full kitchens. The inn is an ideal base from which to explore the park's southern section. Pets are permitted for a fee.
This comfortable inn has the best view in Trinidad, with the ocean and sunning sea lions seen from private, glassed-in decks in each room. Interiors are spare and contemporary, and all rooms have comfortable king-size beds and electric fireplaces. The surrounding landscape has been left wild and natural; tucked among the low bushes are sundecks for winter whale-watching and summer catnaps. Sue-meg State Park is just a mile away.
The cottages and multiunit one-story buildings of this historic hot-springs resort—luminaries from Ulysses S. Grant to Nancy Pelosi have unwound here—surround a broad lawn shaded by mature manzanitas and oaks. Three of the eight cottages, some with full kitchens, date back to the spa's debut in 1852, though many guests favor the five Creek Side Building rooms bordering Little Grizzly Creek for their woodsy views and proximity to the Olympic-size pool. With hardwood floors, floral-print comforters, and off-white walls, these accommodations tilt more casual country inn than chic boutique hotel. Likewise, although massages and body treatments are offered, and the naturally carbonated hot springs are rejuvenating, this is more of a rural retreat than a full-on pampering-type spa.
