- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Abalone Inn - Bed & Breakfast
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels & Travel Bed & Breakfast Hotels, Bed & Breakfast [Edit]
12355 Sir Francis Drake BlvdPoint Reyes Station, CA 94956
(877) 416-0458
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
16 reviews for Abalone Inn - Bed & Breakfast
16 reviews in English
-
Review from Elizabeth D.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 2/28/2012
I'm definitely a fan. We stayed at the Abalone Inn two weekends ago and it was as good as it gets! We stayed in the back room which has it's own mini fridge and bathroom. After brunch in Petaluma we took the Petaluma-Point Reyes road in, stopped at Marin French Cheese along the way and at Cowgirl Cremery and the grocery store for some crackers when we arrived at Point Reyes.
Donna is great, we've always had great conversations about gardening, things going on in the community around Inverness. We've also has wonderful experience chatting with the folks staying there during breakfast (which rocks).
Although it was very windy and cold that weekend, we loved being able to drive an hour, slowing down and unwinding from the day to day. I love Point Reyes.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/16/2012
We've stayed at the Abalone Inn twice in the past 5 years, and will be there again soon. Its a… Read more »
-
-
Review from J W.
UC Campus Area, Berkeley, CA
4/10/2012
Though it was several years ago that I stayed at the Abalone Inn, the experience is fresh in my mind. This place scared me and my husband off B and B's for years. This year was our first attempt at returning to B and B's; and it was the loveliness of our most recent stay that jogged my memory of this place.
Judging from the positive reviews here and on trip advisor, this place clearly has a niche ( or the hostess has a lot of friends), and we were clearly not a part of the target demographic. Maybe it's just too "establishment" of me, but the rules of this place were just too much for me. When staying at a hotel the proprietor should accommodate you, not the other way around. The first ten minutes of our visit were a litany of restrictions; the most bizarre of them being the no toilet paper in the toilet rule. I see that a lot of people have labeled this place " Eco-friendly" but I don't see what is Eco-friendly about sending your feces to the local landfill rather than the local waste treatment plant. "Surely," I thought as I looked the Abalone "this woman has updated her plumbing" but I see from the most recent reviews that she has not.
In addition, I was not impressed with the additions that had been made to the bathroom in our gran room. I'm not well aquatinted with bathroom construction, but I am fairly sure that shower floors should not bounce. I will say that the hostess is a very talented photographer, as they pictures of the inn are truly impressive. I was a little disappointed that the sunny pictures I thought were a sitting room were actually pictures of the bathroom. I don't know about you, but I do not like to spend my leisure time sitting in the bathroom, especially a bathroom with a "sanitary can" in it.
In fairness, the dog was very sweet, and the breakfast was healthy, but I could have accomplished the same thing with five bucks and a trip to a farmers market.
Like I said, this place does have a clientele it caters to, but I wanted to warn off people like us who don't fit into that group. If your idea of ecology sounds like the description above, knock yourself out. If you don't like the idea of having someone hover over you while you are trying to eat, look somewhere else. -
Review from Rudy M.
Bryn Mawr, PA
1/29/2012
One of my worst experiences. When we arrived at this place, my gf and I, we were thrilled: the place looks good (old house), is extremely well located, there is a hot tub outside, plus it was not very expensive.
The problem is: this place is literally a nuthouse. Feels like being a minor character in Psycho. The owner is a suspicious control-freak whose main activity consists in writing down passive agressive notes all over the place (basically anything you might look at and/or use). Our enthusiasm vanished when we discovered we were not authorized to use toilet paper in a civilized way (I lived in the countryside for years, and in houses way much older than this inn, and I never had to store used toilet paper in a trash ; BTW the reviewer who said this feels like Mexico is a brainless moron, he should be sentenced to life in the Abalone Inn). Neither were we allowed to heat the bathroom and the restroom. As we were in the middle of winter, we were freezing any time we would enter this space. Both of us got a cold the very next day. I could also mention the "dog-friendly" atmosphere, which means that it smells like wet dog everywhere, the ridiculous "vintage" pillows, the plastic mattress protection that squeaked any time you would move, etc., etc. The breakfast was ok, the house is beautiful. But we escaped as soon as we could.
Don't go there, except if you want to smell like a labrador and feel like shit for the next 3 days. Might be the perfect place to break up, though. -
Review from Andree H.
Port Townsend, WA
12/27/2011
I had driven up from Monterey and out to the point when I realized I needed more time in the area. They were recommended as "maybe" dog friendly and after quizzing me about my sweet ten year old dog had me come over to see the room, which was a converted back sun room.
Donna invited me in for a little shared dinner as I was the only guest and we had a nice chat about the property. She showed me through the entire house and if I hadn't had a dog, I would have chosen the front room (northeast corner) which looks over the march (and the road).
The back room on the main floor is on the southeast corner where there is an organic garden.
Access to the hot tub was a nice treat on such a cold night in the winter - it happened to be the solstice!
It is an old house, which lends it that kind of charm.
Wifi, kitchenette, tub, comfortable bed, view of the stars through the back window panes and a comfy chair from which to work online!
In the morning I took a nice walk on a recommended trail (it was frosty!). -
Review from Sue G.
Marin, CA
1/30/2012
Yes, the owner is a control freak. She stands outside along the road and monitors traffic with the highway patrol.
-
Review from Camille H.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2008 6 photos
Donna at Abalone Inn is not kidding when she says it's a Bed and Breakfast. The Bed part covers everything you'd expect at a hotel. But the BREAKFAST! wow, that is some good stuff. Morning 1: toasted english muffins, organic locally grown and made blueberry jam, cottage cheese, fresh, RIPE strawberries, cantaloupe, and blueberries, and some yummy type of fruit juice. Morning 2: same thing only substitute a toasted bagel for the muffin and cream cheese for the cottage cheese.
and, this is all made ONLY after you've gotten up and let Donna know you're ready for breakfast (just be sure to get up before 11am, because that's when the breakfast offer ends).
The place actually has 4 rooms/suites. We got the Garden Room which, in my humble opinion, is the BEST room to get if it's just you and your honey. You walk in and there's the bedroom, white wicker furniture, very rustic. You head to the left and out the door there's a sort of sun room that leads to the shower and the bathroom. There's also a door to the outside garden (hence the name), which has a gate you can shut for privacy.
This place isn't the most luxurious, the towels aren't the fluffiest, there's no bathtub, the walls aren't the most sound proof. But what it lacks in luxury it more makes up for in the rustic and homey, and romantic, atmosphere. We had a great time. Thanks Donna! -
Review from Julia K.
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2006
We went up for one night and a day trip. Arrived late at night. The owner, Donna had made us dinner reservations at the local (and very fine) restaurant. We came back after a delicious dinner to a starlit sky and a hot tub. Donna noticed our bottle of wine and gave us plastic glasses to carry out to the hot tub.
The place is just so charmingly decorated (lots of abalone shells as expected), quaint, hippy-ish but convenient. Donna's really thought of everything. A roaring fireplace with port in the living room was available if we had wanted it to be. Breakfast was a delicious healthy toast with jam and fruit with yogurt as well as rich coffee and juice. She had planned on bringing it up for us, but we preempted her and came down to the living room to get it.
We had the entire B&B to ourselves (only three rooms), and loved it. The attic room we stayed in was massive, with enough room to accomodate 5 ppl (two large beds) and a pull out, which is something we're keeping in mind for later. There was also a coffee table, a dining table, board games, books, and plenty of stuff to occupy us had we been bored. Also a small kitchenette one the landing of the attic room. We had our own shower bathroom, and when we woke up in the morning, a gorgeous view onto some pastures and rolling hills in the distance.
The location of this inn is also extremely convenient. We finished up the day with a drive up to Marshall to shuck oysters over a bottle of riesling right on the inlet, drove down to point reyes vineyard and then a small stop at cowgirl creamery. we also want to bring our biking enthusiast friends up here as it's the perfect place for bikers and outdoor ppl.
For a romantic vacation or for an outdoorsy trip, Abalone Inn is the bomb. seriously, go here.
Oh yeah, and prices are the best in the area (we did some research). Off season prices rock.
if you're scared of lady bugs, don't go here though, because there seemed to be a lot of them in some of the window frames. that is the only possible con.
Bottom line, really cute, convenient, very reasonably priced B&B in Tomales Bay area, near Inverness, Marshall, in Point Reyes. -
Review from decoux m.
Alameda, CA
12/13/2009
Booking this bed and breakfast started on a Thursday when Billy and I decided we could afford our first semi-spontaneous out of town weekend getaway after the wedding. We called Donna and were just immediately thrilled with her kind customer service. Chatting with her about the room we wanted was like a little window into what our mini-vacation was going to be like... absolutely DIVINE, RELAXING, ZEN.
The Abalone Inn is easy to find and it's in an ideal central location (triangulated by 1. Point Reyes Lighthouse, National Parks and beaches, 2. the sweetest downtown area you've ever seen - equipped with Cowgirl Creamery, and 3. the Marshall/Hog Island area... don't get me started). I could go on and on about our amazing day, but what topped it all off was our hour long dip in the PRIVATE jacuzzi back at the Inn where we polished off a bottle of champagne. Could we ask for more? Actually, Donna doesn't care if you ask or not... When you wake up in the morning, prepare to be greeted by the most amazing seasonal organic breakfast you've ever seen. She keeps the coffee and conversation coming.
Everything was PERFECT. This will be our go-to spot in Point Reyes every time. We can't wait to go back. We will recommend it to anyone who says they're heading this way for a blissful weekend away. I don't know if it gets any better than this, but if it does, it's really hard to imagine. Love this place.Listed in: PERFECT TRIP TO POINT REYES
-
Review from new b.
Emeryville, CA
8/6/2011
What an incredibly charming, quaint, and welcoming bed and breakfast! A convenient distance from the center of Point Reyes Station, this adorable little gem offers all of the comforts of home and then some. It's romantic, family-friendly, and convenient to the astonishingly beautiful Point Reyes trails and coastline.
Some of the nicest details: beds of beautiful daisies out front, fruiting plum trees and well-behaved chickens and dogs in back. Dreamy outdoor hot tub, lovely patio, and beautiful views from bedroom windows. Our bedroom was lovely and cozy, filled with reading materials and pretty knick-knacks, and furnished with a very comfortable bed. We enjoyed a very pleasant breakfast, tea and coffee, and friendly and useful info about making the most of our visit to the area.
As an added convenience, this is the only inn in the Pt. Reyes area that will let you book for a single evening. Great for a short getaway from town!
I don't really understand why there are negative reviews posted for this adorable and unpretentious inn, but I assume that people are not taking the trouble to get good information about the accommodations before arriving. This is not the Four Seasons, folks. It's a bed and breakfast run by a very hardworking and pleasant innkeeper who will welcome you in a down-to-earth and generous fashion. With that in mind, you'll be sure to have a lovely visit. Enjoy your stay! -
Review from Emily C.
Rancho Cordova, CA
2/21/2010
This is a Victorian Guesthouse, which is another way of saying that you are renting a room in someone's old and somewhat historic home. There are pluses and minuses to this. The pluses are the warm welcome, very large upstairs suite (two big beds, sofas, table, sitting area, attached sink area with hot plate and the like), personal attention and a yummy breakfast made to order when you wake. Dona went out of her way for us a number of times. She heated up the hot tub at 10 a.m. so my daughter could take a dip before we left. (Hours are usually 5pm-10pm.) She even sought us out to let my daughter touch a couple of warm, freshly laid eggs from her chicken. Every time I saw her she made sure we all had something to read and offered tea and coffee. I have an annoying allergy-caused dietary restriction and she accommodated me without any problem. The place was well-kept and clean.
The minus: Sound really carries. We were upstairs and so were asked to be very quiet since we had two other couples in rooms below us. We spent the evening reminding my daughter not to stomp or jump or run. 6 year olds are physically incapable to walking from point A to point B without jumping or spinning. I'm not sure why. She's a really well behaved girl, but she is only 6. There is only so quiet she can be. The problem is mostly that my husband and I were tense at night and early in the morning. So, I'd say this is not a good spot for families with young children, if the idea of bothering other guests irks you.
The decorating style is really interesting. It's almost like there is something in every possible spot. This was really useful for my daughter and kept her entertained. A collection of shells, collection of maracas, collection of cassette tapes, collection of old photo albums, collection of... you get the picture.
Also this is a "Green" hotel. Little signs all over remind you how not be wasteful. You'll reuse your plastic silverware to save the earth. The shampoo in the bathroom is a full-size bottle from Trader Joes so it's more eco-friendly. You won't find a single disposable item in the entire place.
Overall we enjoyed our time here and would recommend it to couples looking for the antidote to a cookie-cutter hotel room, off the beaten path. Families with young children might want a downstairs room. -
Review from Peg S.
5/13/2010 2 photos
Dona is a wealth of information for your stay in Pt. Reyes, as she should, having operated this B&B for quite some time. It's an old Victorian with character - the attic room which we stayed in was quite spacious. It doesn't have the most modern of amenities, and yes, there are a lot of rules, but just see if breakfast in the sunny nook in the morning doesn't put you in a good mood for the day! Extra plus - convenient location + the hot tub out back!
-
Review from Christian Z.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
AMAZING. But not for everyone, thankfully. If you're looking for mainstream, commercialized hospitality, this is not for you. If you're looking to get away from it all, this romantic gem will surely satisfy. The best part: Donna, the hostest with the mostest. When we arrived, Donna greated us with warmth, gave us the lowdown on the area, built us a fire, filled the jacuzzi and shared her roasted pumpkin. We then walked to the nearest market, picked up dinner and stayed in playing scrabble for hours by the fire place. It was one of the most romantic evenings ever. While never being intrusive, Donna also imparted some important lessons on vacationing whilst being environmentally sound. Some would cringe at these alternative aproaches; composting toilet paper, shutting doors behind you to save energy, turning off lights when you leave a room...straightforward things that some people may not want to deal with when on vacation, but come on, is it really that hard? I for one appreciated her dedication and had no problem adjusting to her style. The price was right, the house was gorgeous, the jacuzzi was hot, the fireplace romantic, so what if I had to throw my toilet paper in a separate container? This is an incredible BnB, I will definitely be back. Thanks Donna!
-
Review from Aubrey S.
Fairfield, CA
7/4/2010
Great location at a reasonable price. Friendly owners who are very helpful. Spartan amenities that come with a few rules.
I'll start with the good since all-in-all, I was satisfied. It's hard to beat the location - about equal distance to either end of the park (45 min to the lighthouse) and the town of Inverness Park is just down the road. The price is reasonable, even given the lack of modern "necessities," which I'll talk about later. I couldn't find another place in the park even available, let alone in this price range. Donna is very nice and extremely knowledgeable about the area. They have owned this house for 26 years. The view from the attic was nice - the edge of Tomales Bay and the surrounding hills are all visible from the window. The breakfast is a matter of taste, but they are proud to offer all organic food. Ours was strawberries, yogurt, and a toasted English muffin with grape juice. Modest, yet satisfying.
Now for my complaints, and bear in mind these gripes are likely acceptable to most people, but they are certainly not what you commonly encounter. The first thing that might put you off is the fact that they only accept cash (or check if needed). Upon arrival, you might also be a little put off by the "tour," which is mostly a personal explanation of the house rules. And there are many. No shoes in the house (for noise reasons). Certain windows had to stay closed and some doors had to be left open for ventilation, but still locked with a sliding door block. No paper in the toilets (because of old pipes) That means you wipe, then put it in the trash - that was a first for me. The hot tub, while certainly a nice amenity, had to remain covered - you had to fold it back and leave it half-covered while you were in it. There were a few more, but suffice to say you will feel like there might be a test at the end. :) My last complaint is specific to the room we occupied. While the attic is very spacious, it has steeply sloped ceilings that are at odd angles in places. It still felt wide open and actually had an artistic appeal, but I bumped my head half a dozen times while leaning over to plug things in or while getting out of bed. Oh, and a couple more things you might want to know: no air condition (we didn't need it) and no TV (but there is WiFi, so we watched Hulu and NetFlix).
That about sums it up. If I could go with 3-1/2 stars, I would. It's better than OK, but I can't say I would stay here given a choice, either. If you do stay here, I highly recommend the attic room as it has plenty of space and you don't have to hear people walking on the floor above you. Also, go into it realizing that the majority of your vacation here will likely be spent OUTSIDE, so at worst the issues I pointed out will only be a minor inconvenience. We were still very satisfied and had a great time. -
Review from GreenBean M.
Mountain View, CA
6/21/2010
Pro's: Friendly dog, Nice location and views, Beautiful landscape and garden, knowledgeable owner Donna, outdoor hot tub, infrastructure of a charming farmhouse
Con's: Lacks special touches usually found at B&B's, dusty attic suite (cobwebs on the fake flower centerpiece), old pipes meant disposing all toilet paper in waste can (felt like Mexico), disappointing breakfast - nothing hot or homemade, just store-bought bread products, yogurt and juice (not even fresh squeezed OJ!) fruit, and one morning, hard-boiled eggs from her chickens, no afternoon snack or fresh fruit, and old and broken patio lounge chairs
I should have read the other reviews more carefully to see that most of the raves were about the general area and paid more attention to the comments about "rules" and "not modern amenities". Chipped coffee cups and a dirty coffee pot for tea water need to go. Keep the books, lose the piles of dusty magazines. De-clutter, dust and put an i-Dock in the guest rooms. Upgrade the pipes. Bottom line is this, the place is in an amazing location with a beautiful setting and has potential! Perhaps this review will help perk the place up - fresh flowers in the guest rooms, nice toiletries not bulk Trader Joe shampoo and conditioner), homemade snacks, and a hot breakfast could really help. Put the second B back into Bed and Breakfast -
Review from H, L, H.
Emeryville, CA
8/6/2011
Reserving was easy, Donna was friendly and helpful and generous with her time in helping us plan our activities (biking, dining, and a farmer's market trip). She even shared some organic plums with us which grow all over the grounds. The room was clean, cozy, quiet, and way more charming than your average 4 star hotel. The house is rustic and beautiful and surrounded with daisies, and there's a well-stocked library with board games, DVDs, & all the tea and sherry you can drink. Abalone Inn has the feel of a well-kept posada (Latin American guesthouse) or an eco-lodge off the beaten track. We'll go back to point reyes just to stay here again, and we'll send our friends too!
-
Review from terrific h.
Foster City, CA
9/24/2008
donna is friendly (unless u're late) and her inn is well decorated. if u're an artistic lover and like all cultural things all over the place and love a cozy environment without much disturbance as well as a lovely Jacuzzi, then go for abalone inn, the location is convenient too. minue 1 star becoz they don't have bathing cream/soap and the room is a bit small. They got wireless access too. oh, the organic breakfast is great too
