Mendocino Coast in Northern California: 5 Inns to Fall in Love With

These are my favorite inns on the Mendocino Coast in northern California. All have views and offer breakfast made to order or delivered to the room. 

Elk Cove Inn

The property hangs off a cliff in Elk, CA, and the ocean waves lull you to sleep. Watch the sunset cliffside at a restaurant atop a private cove / beach with intimate, breathtaking views (the uni is sourced from down below). From your room, hike down to the beach or the cliffside trails / coastal trails. I even found an abalone shell on the beach.

The food is exceptional, and is prepared by a Michelin-Starred chef who cooked for the Queen of England. Food must be ordered in advance for dinner and breakfast. The French food is better than restaurants in LA, as everything is sourced so close, with real Champagne and homemade croissants and specialty items like brouilette for breakfast. Port and chocolates are left in the room in crystal. Rooms are old school, not fancy modern, but the property is beautiful with gardens, goats off the side....The rustic charm I will think about for a long time. Melissa is the innkeeper and her husband is the chef. 

Inn at Newport Ranch

The inn is situated on a 2000-acre ranch. You can take a two- to four-hour UTV tour, where their resident expert will guide you through seven microclimates and help you forage mushrooms, plant a redwood and bring food sourced off the land (roots, plants) to the highly lauded chef to use in your artful dishes. Breakfast is made to order.

The architecture of this ranch north of Fort Bragg is stunning. The stars will dazzle and envelop you, as there is no light pollution. There are only a few rooms on the ranch, but a home is also available for rent on property that sleeps ten and hangs off the cliff. Tony Blair stays here with his family.

Brewery Gulch Inn

Exceptional breakfast options are made to order, and are best enjoyed while sitting on a veranda overlooking a cove. There are gardens galore. Rooms come with snacks, but don't miss an exceptional three-course meal every night that can be delivered to your room. There is a small gift shop in the lobby, along with tea/coffee/spa water/baked goods all day, and the vibes are warm and charming. 

Little River Inn

This escape is an old white Victorian-like home with a wonderful charming restaurant down below with ocean views offering fresh fish, clam chowder, tomato soup (to die for) and local wines from the Anderson Valley. Relish the ocean views from your balcony (with a beach and hiking path below). The rooms are very spacious with very high ceilings and fireplaces, and the interiors have a mod 90s vibe. Golf is also available.

Stanford Inn

This plant-based inn has a vegan restaurant, gardens galore, animals like llamas and donkeys, produce gardens and a pool jacuzzi solarium. The rooms come with fireplaces. The ocean sparkles in the distance, with the fog-horn din. The whole lobby area is filled with inspirational books to buy and other self-improvement items. 

Rooms are rustic, with balconies and fireplaces overlooking the ocean in the distance. The whole lobby area is filled with inspirational books to buy and other self-improvement items. There is a multitude of inspirational and self-help/wellness workshops to take, including breath work, meditation, cooking classes, mushroom foraging, forest massage and more.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to California. In need of further inspiration? Check out Irving Macario’s guide, Weekend Getaway to San Francisco, California.