Inn-Escapable >> Mendocino’s Brewery Gulch Inn
Driving up the sinuous curves of Highway 1, you’ll want to slow as you approach Mendocino, or you might miss Miss Muffett Drive altogether. No curds, no whey, no tuffets. It’s just the adorable name for the Brewery Gulch Inn’s discreet turnoff — and there’s plenty of whimsy to be found here, from the hotel’s secret gardens and big red bells to the giant Scrabble boards near the grand fireplace. Travel+Leisure named this inn one of the top 100 hotels in the world last year, but there’s nothing pretentious about this wood-shingled lodge overlooking Smuggler’s Cove. Cozy up in a leather club chair before a crackling fire. Help yourself to a book, a board game or movie from the library. And if you don’t want to come down for eggs benedict in the morning, no worries. The staff will bring breakfast to you. The inn was built from century-old virgin redwood in 2001 using lumber salvaged from the silt of the nearby Big River, where long-ago logging operations used the river to transport giant logs to the mills. Some of the most enormous logs simply sank into the silt, only to be rediscovered during a bridge retrofit project. Today, the inn sits on a serene hillside, surrounded ZZZ’S: The inn’s 10 or so rooms offer feathertop queen or king-size beds, flatscreens, gas fireplaces and cozy seating areas with leather club chairs. Most rooms have ocean views and balconies or a deck. The Meadowview suite sleeps four, making it ideal for families. There’s even flatware, dishes, a microwave and small fridge tucked in a corner. Other rooms, such as the Raven corner king, provide a romantic retreat for two.
SPLASHES: Soft towels, plush robes and high-end toiletries (Asprey, Molton Brown); some rooms have deep soaking tubs. EXTRAS: Made-to-order breakfasts are included in the room rate, as is a delicious light dinner buffet — chicken curry, coconut rice, multi-colored cauliflower and a colorful slaw on the night we arrived — served every evening from 5:30-6:30 p.m., along with local wine and beer.
DETAILS: Rooms start at $325, plus a $7.50 per person tip for the kitchen staff. 9401 Highway One, Mendocino; brewerygulchinn.com