Our Amazing Stay at Brewery Gulch Inn in Mendocino

Nestled high on a hill with a stunning view of smugglers cover just a couple miles from Mendocino is the lovely Brewery Gulch Inn. We had done a little reading before we had come about the Inn and knew it was rated top in the state but we still didn’t really know what to expect. We were both taken aback.

It is just nestled on the side of the hill, hidden from the main road. Turning on off the main road, it almost feels like you are getting lost. Driving up the long windy driveway you are surrounded by lush green landscaping. The plants and trees are mature and well maintained.

At the end of the road, it opens up to reveal the Inn. It is so unassuming. It feels like a cabin in the woods, it blends in wonderfully with the landscape. I was immediately impressed. I looked at David and asked “We get to stay HERE?” in awe.

The Inn

The warm and friendly staff greeted us as we walked in. When you walk in you are in the common space it’s a large open living room vibe with vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. Everything follows the cabin vibe. There are board games to play, books to read and a library of 675 DVDs to choose from. If you are thirsty there is tea and water available all the time. The water comes from the well, it’s so fresh and tastes very good. There is a sense of community here which we loved.

Check-in went smooth and we were shown to our rooms and given a tour of the room. The rooms are assigned bird names instead of numbers, we stayed in the Heron. The view from the room was just stunning. The room was spacious and cozy. On the table was a lovely card from the owner, Guy, a bottle of champagne (which was delicious btw, and I don’t usually like champagne) and chocolates were on the bed waiting to be gobbled. I felt so pampered! Brewery Gulch Inn may be one of the nicest places I have stayed. 

After dinner, we went to our room to enjoy the sunset. 

The Food

A great thing about Brewery Gulch Inn is that dinner and breakfast are included in the price! We also found out for a small charge they will pack you a picnic lunch to enjoy on the property or on a hike. What’s even better is that the food at the Gulch is Farm-to-Table. The majority of the food is organic and locally sourced and many of the vegetables and fruits are grown on-site. 

Dinner and breakfast are eaten in the community area. They call Dinner “wine hour” and it features local wines and beers and a light dinner buffet. Not sure I would call it light though. It was a delicious full meal. Fresh Caesar salad with creamy dressing and freshly made croutons, pasta salad, veggies, and flat steak cooked to perfection. It was so good. For dessert, we had wine-poached pears with ice cream. 

Breakfast had coffee tea and pastries at first and then a served meal directly after. It offers a few Brewery Gulch staples and a  daily special, which David had. I had the huevos rancheros. Very fresh and tasty. You can tell the food and its ingredients are fresh and local. They offer fresh-squeezed grapefruit and orange juice as well as locally make cold-pressed apple juice. They also have a fancy Belgium hot chocolate that is rich and creamy.

You can read more about the dining here.

After breakfast, we went out to explore the trail outside that leads around the property and also down to the coast for a view of the cove. 

A Little Brewery Gulch History

Everything about this inn is history down to the walls. Much of the wood used to construct the Inn was found at the bottom of Big River that runs just north of the Inn, these logs are leftover from the logging that was done in the early 1900s. To read more about it click here.

A Couple More Things About Brewery Gulch Inn

The Owner, Guy, we found out is from San Diego! Only about 20 minutes from where we live actually. He was happy that someone had come up to visit, most of his friends have no idea where he lives! 

Brewery Gulch Inn is award-winning, rated top 5 in California, Top 10 in the US and one of the top 100 in the WORLD. WOW.

The Brewery Gulch Inn is GREEN! All organic kitchen matter and used ashes from non-treated firewood are composted. The laundry products are scent and phosphate-free, and there is even an in-house recycling program is in place to address non-recyclable and non-compostable waste!

They have great packages, even a fun baby-moon package complete with massages! Check them out here. They also have specials. And what would such romantic little place be without weddings? While visiting you can also become one with nature with Shinrin-yoku.

Quaint, quiet, lush, green, friendly staff, amazing views… the list of reasons to pay Brewery Gulch Inn a visit is lengthy. If you get the chance, go!

Read all about our trip to Mendocino!

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