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Bodega Harbor Inn
Category: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels [Edit]
1345 Bodega AveBodega Bay, CA 94923
(707) 875-3594
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
16 reviews for Bodega Harbor Inn
16 reviews in English
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Review from Lolly G.
East Bay, CA
1/11/2009
I took a solo trip from the East Bay up to Mendocino one year and this was my first stop. I had made no reservations on my trip and was just winging it when I came upon this establishment. After a recommendation from the welcome center, I dropped in to check out the place.
A small and modest retreat off Hwy 1 that contains individual rentals in a half perimeter with the reception office located at the head. Cozy and just what I needed on a cold January night.
Not the most deluxe accommodations but let's face it, who spends all their time in their Hotel? Losers, that's who. Just kidding. Well, not really, unless you are on your honeymoon....otherwise, yea, what the hell are you doing on vacation sitting in your hotel room!?
I digress.
I was given a quote of $80 for a small room with a queen bed, tv, and small bathroom. The frugaltarian in me bargained a $20 discount and went on her merry way. Conveniently located to a laundromat, grocery store and a couple of restaurants made the location all the better. I took advantage of the store and laundromat, the restaurant was out of my budget.
That night after all my driving and exploring, I took a hot shower with my adorable complimentary bath items, cozied up in my small and affordable piece of cabin-ish heaven, sipped on a cocktail and oggled my map for what laid ahead tomorrow.
And yes, the people here are among the warmest, friendliest, most helpful I have come across. I can't think of one thing I asked for they DIDN'T have. Hairdryer, check, razor, check, extra blanket, check, toothpaste, check...yea I really was winging it. -
Review from Renee B.
Sebastopol, CA
1/19/2012
I stayed with a friend who raved about how awesome this place was. She got a cottage for us to share and the hot tub wouldn't even get hot! That was the whole point of us renting out there again was to use a hot tub since we both do not have one. We called the office and a woman came out and pressed the tempature button just like we did and told us to wait an hour or so and check on it. Well we did and when we checked on it the damn water was not even warmer! We tried calling the office but since it was past closing and we tried the number that was on the after hours note at the office. We will not ever be going out there again. We stated when we asked about what was available to specifically have a HOT tub not a tub that is just a larger version of a bathtub where you and your friends can join in.
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Review from georgia D.
Katy, TX
8/13/2011
We were looking for a quiet, inexpensive getaway and found it! Greg (?) at the front desk was welcoming and quite helpful. Room was CLEAN, bed comfortable, quaint furnishings, nice bathroom, fast hot water.
The town of Bodega Bay is perfect if you want to avoid the crowds and get off the beaten path. The drive out to the Bodega Head to see the sunset is pleasant. We found a cute coffee shop at Terapin creek. -
Review from J L.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2011
We stayed at one of the cottages at the inn and it was right by the water. It was a nice weekend getaway and a cute place for a reasonable price.
However, I give them a one star because we had sand in our bed and when we told management, they completely flipped out on us instead of being helpful, offering to clean it, or giving us a discount.
There was also sand in the shower which they claimed was actually wood chips from "terminates," which certainly didn't make me feel any better.
The place is cute, but not that clean and not worth the drama with the management. I'd stay somewhere else next time. -
Review from Mark B.
San Francisco, CA
4/20/2006 3 photos
"Rustic" is the nicest adjective I can think of.
I don't mind cheap hotels and kinda dumpy accommodations, until they try to pass themselves off as a bed and breakfast or try to sound nicer than they are by calling themselves an "inn." This place isn't an inn, it's a motel.
That said, we were specifically looking for something cheap for a quick weekend getaway from San Francisco, so I didn't really mind the semi-dumpy decor. I live with "dumpy" every day in the Mission, so it doesn't bother me.
But upon checking in we were informed that they had mistakenly given away our room for the second night. This was later remedied by switching the other person, but not before we were told we'd have to switch rooms the second night to a room with two double beds instead of the queen we already had. Nice.
I was willing to forgive (somewhat) the condition of the room because we had specifically booked the converted water tower, and the notion that we'd be sleeping in an old water tower was enough to forgive a lot of dumpiness.
However, the architect (or weekend handyman, more likely) who converted this particular water tower was -- how can I put this -- a less-than-inspired artisan.
You might think a converted water tower would feature, say, a spiral staircase up to a staggeringly high balcony where one could enjoy the views of the harbor down the bluff (the "inn"/motel does in fact have a decent view...if you walk around the back of the office to the lawn and don't mind the road noise since you have to look past Hwy 1 to see the ocean).
You might think that. You would be wrong. The water tower room did not feature any view at all, other than of the parking lot and the gargantuan truck parked two feet ouside the door. Nor did it feature any sort of stairs. Unless you count the two steps up to the disappointingly situated GROUND FLOOR room. Yes our converted water tower featured one small room. On the ground floor. No view, no height, no balcony. Not even high ceilings or a skylight, or even a bogflammin' stupid we're-a-fishing-community-let's-do-a-faux-marine-d ecor-thing PORTHOLE fercryinoutloud!
Did I mention the architect? And his questionable capacities?
The walls hadn't seen a paintbrush in maybe a decade. And when they had, the painter was apparently either drunk or incompetent (let's hope s/he was drunk). The faded-nearly-beyond-recognition Monet posters (posters!) behind plexiglass were a nice touch, the blinds on one window fell completely off when we tried to close them, and the toilet seat broke completely off the first time we raised it (did we get an emphatic "I'm soooo sorry! We'll fix that right away and let me take $$ off your bill!"? Um, no: "Oh, sorry. The guy'll fix that soon, but it probably won't be for a couple days." Nice.)
Because my mother taught me right, I'm going to think of some nice things to say: There was candy on the office counter, coffee and muffins each morning, the hot water always came on quickly, and the heater worked great. Oh, and it was the cheapest halfway decent place we could find in 3 counties. I'm giving the Bodega Harbor "Inn" 2 stars because it was cheap and I wasn't expecting it to be really swank. -
Review from Drew T.
6/9/2008 14 photos
I felt like Little Red Riding Hood trying to get to Bodega Harbor Inn (BHI.) I got so lost it wasn't even funny. Check-in was supposed to be at 3PM, but I ended up getting there around 8PM. The front desk closes around 8, but they'll leave a package for you including a map, invoice, and key to the room invoice for the room if you're late. I read some reviews on trip advisor and of course here before hand and wanted to get a bayview room for $80, but the three (rooms 1,12, &14) were booked. I ended up renting out a house on the bay (Pelican 2) for $135! I wouldn't pay more than that for any of their properties, but it was worth the money I spent.
I got a whole house, albeit not decorated in any modern decade, and the bed was extremely comfortable. Even though it was 50 degrees outside and really windy, I was not cold in that house. There was even a wood-burning fireplace with a whole bucket of wood.
The only budget lodging in the bodega bay area. There is also Bodega Bay Inn, which is around the bend, but they are a little more expensive and doesn't have a view at all (arguably more comfortable and cleaner.)
BHI is right next door to Diekmann's bay store, a convenience store that had everything except bottles of water that stays open until 10PM. The house I was renting was next door to the Tides restaurant and Gourmet au Bay (a wine tasting shop) and across the street from the 76 station and the Inn at the TIdes (where you'd pay $180 and up.)
I'd skip driving up to Bodega Head and drive up the coast to one of the beaches. Bodega Heady was cold and really windy and there wasn't much to see.
All in all, BHI had everything I needed and was more than what I was expecting. They even had a spa that was so hot and comfortable with a bay view. My trip was very peaceful, as there isn't much going on in Bodega Bay, the room with the fireplace was relaxing, and the bay was serene.
If you're looking to get away, but still be relatively close to shops and food, I'd recommend staying here, but avoid driving the 1 up from SF. -
Review from James G.
Alameda, CA
4/14/2008
This has got to be one of the best bargains in Northern California. If you're looking for swank, pay the hundreds per night at the Inn at The Tides or the other jazzy resorts in Bodega Bay.
If you're looking for quiet, old-fashioned friendliness and charm, check out the Bodega Harbor Inn.
We've stayed in Rooms 1, 12, & 14, all of which have small decks and great views. The other rooms do face the parking lot and have a more motel-like feel to them.
The rooms are comfortable and nicely decorated, the views from the Adirondack chairs on the front lawn are outstanding and they throw in a nice continental breakfast and great coffee too. All for an incredibly low price. And, pet friendly, too! -
Review from Kelly B.
Spring Valley, CA
7/14/2009
I thought that the 'rustic inn' was cute. I don't mind looking at the parking lot for a cheaper room, and the view is cool if you walk over to the lawn with pretty colored chairs. And they've got everything you need and probably forgot (they lent us an iron and hairdryer, gave us toothpaste and brush).
The problem I did have was not with the actual building or accommodations. I was really blown away by the difference in service depending on which manager you were dealing with.
There was a really nice guy there who was super friendly and helpful. He was SO pleasant.
Then there was the lady...
When we arrived to check in she was on the phone with a potential customer, and she was giving him attitude; told him he would have a hard time doing anything if _she_ had control of the room keys, that she didn't have a sense of humor, that he was hitting a wall etc. She was really stern and seemed unhappy to be dealing with everyone she encountered.
The next morning when we were checking out we were a bit late and brought the keys to the office, no problem, but we were still pulling our bags out of the room. We were looking for some misplaced items, you know, under the bed, in the bathroom, when the woman came up and said "Can I ask why you are still here?" I explained that we were just making sure we had everything and she was SO rude. She said that we needed to leave and just made me feel really unwelcome; which was disappointing because my travel companion had just told the nice man that we would come back to their Inn. By the way, we were out of the parking lot 30 min after checkout, I don't think we were being SO unreasonable.
Now I wont be going back to the Bodega Harbor Inn. I would rather pay a little more somewhere else in Bodega Bay, or move on up the coast a bit, just to avoid that one lady and her bad attitude. -
Review from Aaron M.
10/22/2007 1 photo
I don't blame Mark for his 2 star review, the "water tower" looked pretty sad.
Wifey and I spent last weekend in the Harbor Cottage and found it to be just right. A charming little one room cottage with a little kitchen and bathroom was just right for a romantic getaway weekend. The bed was firm, and the bedding definitely wasn't down, but it was clean and it was ours.
The patio has a hot tub, BBQ, and a little wooden deck with a couple lounge chairs on it. It's right on the street, so there's not too much privacy, but it's a pretty quiet street. The view of the bay is pretty much blocked by the harbor house, but you can still see the water if you stand in the right place.
I'm sure it's not the Inn's fault, but the folks in the house next door like to listen to window-rattling loud mariachi music on Sunday morning. That was unfortunate, if not slightly comedic.
Overall, I'd say 3 and a half stars. Rounding up because it's priced appropriately for the area. -
Review from Heather D.
San Francisco, CA
7/21/2011
My boyfriend and I stayed in the harbor cottage, with patio, hot tub, kitchenette, king size bed. It was a great little over night getaway. We can't wait to come back and stay a few days.
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Review from Terry J.
Livermore, CA
6/27/2011
My GF and I stayed in the Harbor Cottage. It is basically a 20'X13' prefabbed building (like someone would use to make a shop into.) Any smaller would be too small, any larger and it wouldn't be so quaint and somewhat rustic. The kitchenette was well stocked with the dishes and utensils we needed. The bathroom is very small but adequate.
The cottage is about a half block from the inn. During our visit the area was very quiet, about 1.5 blocks from HWY 1. We enjoyed the private hot tub and private deck. The kingsize bed was comfortable.
We brought some steaks and wine from home. We BBQ'd the steaks on Sat night and enjoyed a quiet dinner in the room.
I would recommend this cottage to anyone who is looking for a bit of rustic hominess. It is not luxurious but quite simple. The benefits are its quiet location, private hot tub, private deck, and comfy bed. Just what we needed to wind down for the weekend. -
Review from c p.
Oakland, CA
3/29/2010
I can't rate this hotel but after a failed reservation I wanted to make a note; their website indicates that pets are permitted in several of the rooms. When I called, they actually have a weight limit of 25 pounds for your pet. I didn't see this on their website so it's just something to be aware of if you are traveling with anything larger than a picnic basket. So, we have never stayed here.
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Review from C O.
Washington, DC
4/5/2010
I stayed a night in the infamous Water Tower for $60. For two people, in the actual town of Bodega Bay, that's a great rate--we checked places all around, and couldn't find anywhere that came even close.
The only things keeping me from giving five stars are the mattress, which is getting a bit old, and the fact that the water from the shower will run along the floor towards the nightstand if you aren't really careful about the curtain. Rolling up a towel along the base of the shower solved this problem.
They aren't kidding about it being small, but I didn't mind. It had everything I looked for, and several amenities (like makeup remover wipes) I was pleasantly surprised by.
Both proprietors were very friendly when we checked in and asked for local recommendations. Everything was also really clean. -
Review from R D.
San Francisco, CA
10/18/2009
We stayed at the Pelican 2, which are some of the pictures shown here. At $150 per night, this place was way overpriced. Sure the cabin faced the water and the bay view would have been nice, had there been windows from the cabin facing the view. The house was strangely positioned so that the living room and bedroom were facing the front/roadside, while the kitchen faced the water. Someone else mentioned the architect's questionable capacities; this lay-out made absolutely no sense - do we go on vacation to relax in the kitchen?
The house itself was dilapidated - hideous blue carpet, broken window blinds, a tired bathroom . Other minuses - spiders and bugs, no hangers in the closet, thin walls, an old soft mattress. Seriously, the BHI owners should just demolish the place and start over.
The pluses are a wood-burning stove with wood supplied, good towels, a hot tub. The manager David was nice and good with recommendations. He should be, for what they are charging for this cabin. My suggestion: Lower your expectations, and bargain for an even lower price. Better yet, get a group of friends to go with you to Bodega Bay and rent a house - there are many good ones to choose from and you will have roomier, more comfortable accommodations where you'll feel you got your money's worth. -
Review from james p.
Sacramento, CA
10/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
cute, quiet place. walking distance to food and the ocean. has a heater in the room and cable tv and wifi. what more could you ask for? they also has some kick ass coffee cake for breakfast.
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Review from Brett H.
Roseville, CA
7/27/2009
This was a last minute trip for the night to get out of town and away from the damned heat of Sacramento. They only had one room left and it had 2 doubles for $130, not too bad but definitely would not pay any more for it. The staff was very nice and friendly and the room was clean and tidy and "very ructic" in decor and appearance. I did think the skylight ceiling over the shower was a pretty cool touch and view while showering. If you are the kind of person that really enjoys TV while you are vacationing, which I am not and especially in Bodega Bay, then you are in luck because they have a TON of channels on the TV. Right next door you have a little grocery store, Beach House, Cioppino's (see my review), and a couple of other quaint shops. All in all, not bad accomodations for last minute and would probably stay here again.
