The calendar may say the end of summer is drawing near, but in Northern California, we know better. Some of our best weather comes in September and October. If you haven’t penciled in that weekend getaway on the calendar yet, now’s the time — and Mendocino County is the place to do it.
To help get you started, here are six of our favorite Mendocino hotel properties, from budget to splurge.
Splurge — The Harbor House Inn
Built in 1916, this coastal property reopened in 2018 after an eight-year restoration. The Harbor House Inn features 11 guest rooms, including six in the main building, and a handful of cottages. Some rooms boast ocean vistas, while others offer garden views.
The Harbor House Inn is home to the first and only two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Mendocino County. Chef Matthew Kammerer’s tasting menus are seafood focused and hyperlocal. A majority of the produce on the menu is grown at the inn’s offsite farm; ranch hands also raise cattle, goats and chickens.
Rates from $480, breakfast included.
5600 S. Highway 1, Elk, 707-877-3203, theharborhouseinn.com
Splurge — The Inn at Newport Ranch
Located north of Fort Bragg, the 2,200-acre private ranch — with just 10 rooms and suites —commands a mile and a half of swoon-worthy oceanfront, expansive stretches of coastal pasture dotted with grazing cattle and acres of old-growth redwoods.
Guests can soak in a hot tub atop a repurposed water tower and gaze across the Pacific, or join in a foraging tour to hunt for the likes of mushrooms, wild ginger, fiddlehead fern, waterleaf and redwood sorrel. Come dinner, executive chef Patrick Meany (formerly of Elk’s Harbor House Inn) uses the ingredients you collected to create a multicourse meal.
Rooms start at $700, breakfast included.
31502 N. Highway 1, Fort Bragg, 707-962-4818, theinnatnewportranch.com
Upscale — Sacred Rock Inn
Formerly The Griffin House and The Greenwood Pier Inn, newcomer Sacred Rock Inn has combined both properties into one beautifully blooming perch overlooking the coastline. There are 19 accommodations in total and no two are exactly alike. Lodging choices range from a stand-alone Victorian home with four bedrooms, to suites with private decks overlooking the ocean, to pet-friendly garden cottages.
Sacred Rock Inn is home to a pair of restaurants. Greenwood Restaurant serves dinner Friday through Tuesday. Executive chef Ryan Seal prepares seasonal offerings the likes of Mexican street corn pasta and heirloom tomatoes with burrata foam. At neighboring Elk House, Ryan offers a more casual, but equally delicious menu for breakfast and lunch, also Friday through Tuesday. The Reuben Grilled Sausage Roll and the Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich are staff favorites.
Rates start at $475, including a generous minibar stocked with complimentary snacks, including cheese and crackers, nuts, chips and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Coffee, tea and assorted soft drinks are also provided.
5920 Highway 1, Elk, 707-877-3422, sacredrockinn.com
Upscale — Brewery Gulch Inn & Spa
Overlooking the bright blue Pacific, this popular bed-and-breakfast was built in 2001 from 150-year-old redwood salvaged from the nearby Big River. All 10 rooms at Brewery Gulch Inn feature ocean views and gas fireplaces. Eight have private decks, so it’s worth asking when making a reservation.
The property offers a one-of-a-kind wine hour every evening that includes a selection of appetizers — enough to be dinner for some — served to guests in bento-style “Mendo boxes” made from reclaimed wood.
Rooms from $488, breakfast included.
9401 N. Highway 1, Mendocino, 707-937-4752, brewerygulchinn.com
Budget — Little River Inn
Family-owned and operated for more than 80 years, Little River Inn features 65 guest rooms in a variety of price ranges; all boast ocean vistas and many are pet-friendly. Amenities include a spa, restaurant, nine-hole golf course and tennis courts (with ocean views). Guests can have an assortment of cocktail kits and “Buckets of Brews” delivered to their room to enjoy while taking in views of the Pacific.
Fun fact: Actor James Dean stayed at Little River Inn while filming East of Eden; there’s a room named after him.
Rates start at $250.
7901 N. Highway 1, Little River, 707-937-5942, littleriverinn.com
Budget — MacCallum House
Located in the heart of the village of Mendocino, the MacCallum House features 19 rooms spread across cottages, suites, a converted barn, stand-alone home and a historic mansion.
The New England-style, Victorian mansion was built in 1882 as a wedding present for Daisy (Kelly) MacCallum. An early member of the American Rose Society, many of the roses she planted at the turn of the century still bloom in the gardens today.
More than a dozen rooms have private hot tubs. With the exception of the main historic house, dogs are welcome in all rooms and on the property’s restaurant porch.
Rates start at $189, breakfast included.
45020 Albion St., Mendocino, 707-937-0289, maccallumhouse.com
Did we miss one of your favorite properties? Let us know in the comments below. Thinking of heading to Napa Valley instead? We’ve got you covered with six favorites.