I'm looking for a good inn/hotel within three hours drive of San Francisco.
January 11, 2005 10:20 AM   Subscribe

I'm looking for a good inn/hotel within three hours drive of San Francisco where I can have a room with a private hot tub on a deck with a view of the Pacific Ocean. Winter storm vacation!
posted by Nelson to Travel & Transportation around San Francisco, CA (8 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Your best bet is the area of Carmel, Monterey and Big Sur. I know a few but their names escape me, except for the Post Ranch Inn.
posted by vacapinta at 10:29 AM on January 11, 2005


Cambria has a lot of B&B's and inns that have private hot tubs and views of the ocean. There is a whole row of them on a road called Moonstone Drive (if I remember correctly.) There are a few good restaurants in Cambria, but not much else to do other than touring the Hearst Castle.

Another alternative would be Mendocino. I can vouch for the Brewery Gulch Inn just outside of Mendocino. I've eaten at (and recommend) the restaurant at the Albion River Inn and the Inn itself looked really nice. It meets the three-hour-drive criteria if you take 101 instead of Highway 1.

The Post Ranch in is beautiful, but costs an arm and a leg.
posted by ambrosia at 10:57 AM on January 11, 2005


How about Sea Ranch (google for rental sites, like this one or Bolinas?
posted by jasper411 at 11:52 AM on January 11, 2005


Don't forget to check CalTrans and the CHP before you go. Seems like the half the roads are closed right now, but your hot tub idea sounds like heaven.
posted by cali at 12:01 PM on January 11, 2005


I can vouch for anywhere in Monterey. It's a very nice little city, with a great Aquarium, nice people, and most of the hotels etc. have a great view of Monterey bay.

I stayed there for a week and the weather was perfect. The bar scene is a little slow on weekdays, but it picks-up during the weekend.
posted by purephase at 12:51 PM on January 11, 2005


Gualala is north of the city - much smaller than Monterey et al.
We stay at the "Seacliff" hotel I think, something like that. There's a couple you can pick from - there's a deck, but the hottub is inside, seperated from the deck by a large picture window. Pretty great views, nice breakfasts nearby. St. Orr's just north of town has amazing food and architecture - some really nice looking accomodations though I can't vouch for them personally or find links to photos. Yet.

Be sure to check the Sea Ranch Chapel, it's pretty neat.
posted by freebird at 1:43 PM on January 11, 2005


The Post Ranch Inn has "spa tub / showers" in the rooms, not hot tubs on decks. The only outside water feature with a view is a small pool next to the restaurant.

Ventana Inn, the other expensive lodging location in Big Sur, does have a few rooms with a hot tub on the deck ("private spa with fireplace").

The warning, above, about road conditions (route 1 is the only practical way into Big Sur from San Francisco) is well taken.

If you head north, Bodega Bay is definitely an option (and a lot closer than Mendocino, though likely to be more expensive). I did a google search on:

"Bodega Bay" "hot tub" "ocean view" deck

and got 320 hits. YMMV.
posted by WestCoaster at 2:29 PM on January 11, 2005


The Jenner Inn has several unique cottages/lodges that meet your description. Closer than 3 hours, too. I stayed in Rosewater, which has a hot tub, deck, and fireplace and it was really great. Good hiking from the nearby Pomo Canyon campgrounds to the beach at Goat Rock state park, too.
posted by scarabic at 8:59 PM on January 11, 2005


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