California and Oregon luxury hotels North of SFO
May 10, 2021, 9:32 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,573
I loved our cannon beach Visit from 2018. I’m actually wearing cannon beach sweat pants right now.
what are good search engines for Sonoma and napa? I need a suite hotel or resort with a pool for 2-3 nights in June. I don’t care about wine experiences so it’s more for the visit and pool use. We’ve been to this area a lot so don’t need views or wine even though it’s a very gorgeous area. Food is fine but I’m satisfied with Boon fly cafe in carneros and the Sonoma street with the counter service for that fancier taqueria, the micheladas spot, and that bbq spot.
what are good search engines for Sonoma and napa? I need a suite hotel or resort with a pool for 2-3 nights in June. I don’t care about wine experiences so it’s more for the visit and pool use. We’ve been to this area a lot so don’t need views or wine even though it’s a very gorgeous area. Food is fine but I’m satisfied with Boon fly cafe in carneros and the Sonoma street with the counter service for that fancier taqueria, the micheladas spot, and that bbq spot.
Mar 22, 2022, 10:36 am
#32
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,741
https://www.departures.com/travel/ha...rborhouseinn-o
Jul 20, 2022, 5:41 pm
#33
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,741
I truly appreciate KatW's contributions to this thread. One by one, I am making it thru hotels that she has recommended.
The Benbow Inn was closed for 2 months due to Covid. We had booked two nights, but the first night was during the closure period. They reopened in time for the long holiday weekend and we were able to keep the latter night we had booked. The hotel is a great base for traveling north thru the redwoods. The Redwood Highway is well worth a drive. It is the largest virgin stand of redwoods in the area. Star War fans will recognize Forest Moon of Endor . It was the home of the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. There are gorgeous forests and a lot of kitsch including various and sundry structures from fallen redwoods. Commercial construction along the highway reminds me of what I see along Highway 1 locally - motels built 50 to 75 years ago, very worn, nowhere I'd be willing to stay. The Benbow Inn by contrast is a comfortable historic property that has been carefully maintained since 1926. We booked Evangeline's Suite and were content with it. It is a very spacious room with sufficient space it could easily be divided into a proper suite. The bed is at one end and a large living area is at the other. It has a balcony where it would be pleasant to sit in better weather. We had food delivered to our room but they had enclosed a lengthy balcony and were using it as their dining room. Breakfast was included in the room rate. No choice was given. I don't see this as a place that I will return, but I am happy to have spent one night.
The Benbow Inn was closed for 2 months due to Covid. We had booked two nights, but the first night was during the closure period. They reopened in time for the long holiday weekend and we were able to keep the latter night we had booked. The hotel is a great base for traveling north thru the redwoods. The Redwood Highway is well worth a drive. It is the largest virgin stand of redwoods in the area. Star War fans will recognize Forest Moon of Endor . It was the home of the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi. There are gorgeous forests and a lot of kitsch including various and sundry structures from fallen redwoods. Commercial construction along the highway reminds me of what I see along Highway 1 locally - motels built 50 to 75 years ago, very worn, nowhere I'd be willing to stay. The Benbow Inn by contrast is a comfortable historic property that has been carefully maintained since 1926. We booked Evangeline's Suite and were content with it. It is a very spacious room with sufficient space it could easily be divided into a proper suite. The bed is at one end and a large living area is at the other. It has a balcony where it would be pleasant to sit in better weather. We had food delivered to our room but they had enclosed a lengthy balcony and were using it as their dining room. Breakfast was included in the room rate. No choice was given. I don't see this as a place that I will return, but I am happy to have spent one night.
The hotel is not a luxury property but it is a special historic property. We saw a lot more on this stay and got to enjoy their large lounge, comfortable bar, and outdoor dining area under mature trees. It reminded me of an old British hotel with character. They were well staffed with some summer hires from Jamaica and Columbia. I had read that this visa program was closed during Covid and more hotels/restaurants across the US had been unable to get staff thru it in 2022. Well done to the Benbow. Food was indifferent but there were two men playing/singing for we outside diners. Breakfast was still take out. We grabbed our boxes and sat outside to eat.
We had a beautiful onward drive thru the redwoods, then along the coast to Fort Bragg/Mendocino.
Jul 20, 2022, 5:52 pm
#34
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: AMEX PLT, AA PPro, Spire AMB
Posts: 1,617
I loved our cannon beach Visit from 2018. I’m actually wearing cannon beach sweat pants right now.
what are good search engines for Sonoma and napa? I need a suite hotel or resort with a pool for 2-3 nights in June. I don’t care about wine experiences so it’s more for the visit and pool use. We’ve been to this area a lot so don’t need views or wine even though it’s a very gorgeous area. Food is fine but I’m satisfied with Boon fly cafe in carneros and the Sonoma street with the counter service for that fancier taqueria, the micheladas spot, and that bbq spot.
what are good search engines for Sonoma and napa? I need a suite hotel or resort with a pool for 2-3 nights in June. I don’t care about wine experiences so it’s more for the visit and pool use. We’ve been to this area a lot so don’t need views or wine even though it’s a very gorgeous area. Food is fine but I’m satisfied with Boon fly cafe in carneros and the Sonoma street with the counter service for that fancier taqueria, the micheladas spot, and that bbq spot.
Jul 21, 2022, 4:08 pm
#35
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,741
A bit of Heritage House trivia.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/18...er?ref=related
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/18...er?ref=related
I appreciate @KatW mentioning it and @obscure2k giving the article about the room we were assigned. We booked an ocean view room and by great good luck, were given the best room on property. It was used in the filming of SAME TIME NEXT YEAR. It was interesting to read the linked article. The studio built this building on the property. The movie was streaming on hotel TV and we watched it. It was a cottage in the movie, now divided in two. We had the side toward the ocean with stunning views on two sides. We were told many people will only come when this room is available.
We had a wonderful stay, very much attributable to having our fantastic water view. I've no idea how many of the rooms on the property have great views. The hotel restaurant is only open on the bar side. We sent into Mendocino to eat. I highly recommend Cafe Beaujolais.
Jul 21, 2022, 4:15 pm
#36
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,741
We had room 43, used in Same Time Next Year
View straight out from room
View on deck
Another view from deck
View from desk
It was very hazy and pictures don't do it justice. Even with haze it was gorgeous. Temperatures were in high 50s, surprising to me on a July day.
Aug 31, 2022, 4:29 pm
#37
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,221
I’m booking a five-night stay here in mid Nov. 150 miles north of Palo Alto, Many of those miles ultra twisty. About 3.5-4 hours by car, taking 101N to 116 through Sebastopol, Guernville along the Russian River, emerging at Hwy 1 at Jenner, thence north to Elk. I’ve driven that route many times with Jim but never alone before.
https://elkcoveinn.com
https://elkcoveinn.com
Last edited by KatW; Aug 31, 2022 at 8:19 pm
Aug 31, 2022, 8:23 pm
#38
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,741
I’m booking a five-night stay here in mid Nov. 150 miles north of Palo Alto, Many of those miles ultra twisty. About 3.5-4 hours by car, taking 101N to 116 through Sebastopol, Guernville along the Russian River, emerging at Hwy 1 at Jenner, thence north to Elk. I’ve driven that route many times with Jim but never alone before.
https://elkcoveinn.com
https://elkcoveinn.com
Sep 1, 2022, 3:30 am
#39
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Posts: 3,221
Sep 4, 2022, 9:19 am
#40
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 382
Maybe things have improved - and it sounds like SanDiego1K got lucky wth room assignment, but we stayed at Heritage House for a night in July 2021 and found it to be absolutely dreadful. We left after a night, even though we had pre-paid for two nights. Housekeeping was poor, our room was incredibly dated, basic service was nonexistent, and the landscaping was really depressing - it's like they just fired the gardener when COVID hit and let everything die.
We were as unlucky in our room assignment as SanDiego1K was lucky in theirs. We had booked an ocean view room, but all we could see was a tiny sliver of ocean, on the other side of a vast expanse of dead lawn (based on the map above, I think we were in room 58), and even then, water could only be seen if we stood at or near the patio doors. Perhaps things have improved massively in the past year, and I'm glad to hear someone else had a better experience than ours. But ... caveat emptor ...
We were as unlucky in our room assignment as SanDiego1K was lucky in theirs. We had booked an ocean view room, but all we could see was a tiny sliver of ocean, on the other side of a vast expanse of dead lawn (based on the map above, I think we were in room 58), and even then, water could only be seen if we stood at or near the patio doors. Perhaps things have improved massively in the past year, and I'm glad to hear someone else had a better experience than ours. But ... caveat emptor ...
Sep 5, 2022, 2:06 am
#41
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,741
I feared that and tried to be tentative in what I said. We had a great stay because we had a stunning view. But the restaurant not having reopened was a caution signal to me. I am still looking for a special place in the Mendocino area.
Sep 5, 2022, 8:08 am
#43
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 382
On a positive note, we did discover a couple of little gems on that roadtrip from Seattle to San Francisco last summer. Anyone else doing that trip might want to check out Headlands Coastal Lodge in Pacific City, OR and Timber Cove in Jenner, CA. Neither are really luxury, as the term is used on this forum. But we quite liked them both. Both had good hard product and interesting design, great restaurants, and jaw-dropping views from the (smallish) rooms. We'd happily return to both again if in the area. We liked Tu Tu'Ton Lodge as well, but are not a fan of their communal dining concept (which they weren't doing when we were there, due to COVID concerns).
Jun 20, 2023, 6:09 am
#45
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Everywhere
Programs: UA GS 3MM, NH PLT
Posts: 764
We enjoyed our time at Tu Tu' Tun Lodge. We stayed 2 nights at the property's River House, which was a stand-alone unit with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and 2 dining areas. And, it had decks in 3 places, including one with a wonderful view of the Rogue River. It has its own covered parking spot as well. The River House was very spacious and quite comfortable.
Food was pretty good. It's communal dining, but we didn't mind it since the vibe there is casual and there were no pretentious guests, thankfully.
I wouldn't hesitate staying here again. Many great hiking trails in the area.
We flew from SFO to Eureka, then rented a car and drove 2.5 hours North to the property. Pretty views of the ocean (and ocean cliffs and numerous little islands dotting the sea), and it was more similar to Olympic National Park than, say, Big Sur.
As far as activities go, we chartered a private boat with Jerry's Rogue Jets and did the Whitewater Wilderness route (~5 hours.) We found it to be worthwhile, although the scenery was nice but not spectacular and a bit repetitive. Would've been fine with one of the shorter tours that they offer. We saw no bears, but we did have a very nice spotting of a Bald Eagle perched on a branch not too far away from us.
On our drive back, we stopped by Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and did a light hike along the Grove of Titans Trail and Stout Grove Trail. Very pretty, but be forewarned that it gets crowded after around 10AM.
Photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WGcYzdbQaFeiUjgW6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CLTKTodvvDHPcC149
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CeedY7nxRGVHXBW8A
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UMbeaCXBFJVX6kAS8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oqLJcbGGTyrC43DY6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4fCQtF2nk4XrdqZi9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/svmVGpjYiXVXQ4SF7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TtfV9vBQN44PWtPs8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vqkEajo9WVPrCMjc7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ViMq3sUJanpq6PLK6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Mv5WK84WdM3FmXcG7
Food was pretty good. It's communal dining, but we didn't mind it since the vibe there is casual and there were no pretentious guests, thankfully.
I wouldn't hesitate staying here again. Many great hiking trails in the area.
We flew from SFO to Eureka, then rented a car and drove 2.5 hours North to the property. Pretty views of the ocean (and ocean cliffs and numerous little islands dotting the sea), and it was more similar to Olympic National Park than, say, Big Sur.
As far as activities go, we chartered a private boat with Jerry's Rogue Jets and did the Whitewater Wilderness route (~5 hours.) We found it to be worthwhile, although the scenery was nice but not spectacular and a bit repetitive. Would've been fine with one of the shorter tours that they offer. We saw no bears, but we did have a very nice spotting of a Bald Eagle perched on a branch not too far away from us.
On our drive back, we stopped by Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and did a light hike along the Grove of Titans Trail and Stout Grove Trail. Very pretty, but be forewarned that it gets crowded after around 10AM.
Photos:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/WGcYzdbQaFeiUjgW6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CLTKTodvvDHPcC149
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CeedY7nxRGVHXBW8A
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UMbeaCXBFJVX6kAS8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oqLJcbGGTyrC43DY6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4fCQtF2nk4XrdqZi9
https://photos.app.goo.gl/svmVGpjYiXVXQ4SF7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/TtfV9vBQN44PWtPs8
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vqkEajo9WVPrCMjc7
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ViMq3sUJanpq6PLK6
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Mv5WK84WdM3FmXcG7