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Fort Ross Lodge
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7 reviews for Fort Ross Lodge
Well, what can I say. It's a decent, warm room with a comfortable, strangely high queen bed. The amazing view is there, but hey, that's true of the whole coast and you could stay in Santa Rosa much cheaper and just make a day trip out here for that.
We went there to scuba dive off the coast, and just wanted comfort and clean without much expense. We ended up paying $160 for the room with a fireplace, a reasonable rate for the area, I guess. You can get room for $120, and in the off season I bet it's cheaper. So good times there!
The manager is a quirky couple, friendly and helpful enough. They never bothered us, though, and gave us a little treats like extra soap, and let us come back after our Sunday dive technically after our room was done to hose down our gear and shower before leaving, so they are good people.
They emphasized their remoteness as a feature, not a problem. There is no cell service, no wi-fi, and no telephone in the room. They do not take messages for guests unless it's an emergency. There is a pay phone. They don't want a party atmosphere, they are looking for a quiet retreat feeling.
The room is funky, I agree with the other reviewer. I would not call them spacious. I posted some iPhone pics to help you see. It needs a remodel. The bathroom is large but the space is poorly used. Basically, you're getting a bed, a table, a fireplace (see photo for their idea of "fireplace"), an old TV, a tiny microwave, and an equally inadequate fridge. It's clean, and the bed is pretty comfortable. although they do weird things with their pillows. Hint -- the giant hard pillows are just two ordinary pillows stuffed into a case, so remove them for more comfort.
They provide a hose for you to clean your diving gear, so divers must be common there! There is a small weber barbeque on the porch which we used to great effect for a delicious evening meal. They run a small store across the street that is pretty well stocked so you could really show up with nothing and whip up a good barbeque if you needed to.
I guess that's it. Personally, I'll be looking for a better choice for the money next time, but I would stay there again if nothing jumped out at me.
A Room With A View. That's what you are getting here, and they don't try to sell you much more than that. The "Room" is spacious with a decent size bed, nice bathroom, Direct TV, a microwave and a coffee maker. Oh, a table and some wine glasses. That's about it. Nothing fantastic about the rooms, but it really doesn't need to be.
Why is that?
Well, the "View". The thunderous Pacific Ocean crashing its waves while you watch the sunset on your private patio. The deer strolling by as if you were just hanging out with Bambi. Lighting a fire in your fireplace or having an outdoor barbeque while you put those wine glasses to good use. Fort Ross Lodge is perfect for a ONE night stay while you are driving up or down the coast on Highway 1.
The owners may try to convince you that they usually require a "two night stay" of their guests, but it is easy to sway them into a one night stay if you say you are not interested in two. I have heard that they have "buy one night / get one free" on the weeknights....so if staying an extra night works for you...go for it!
I strongly recommend bringing a cooler and stopping at the last real grocery store that you think you might see before you head out here. Remember, they rooms have a barbeque and microwave...but don't forget some utensils and plates! We were eating Safeway Potato Salad out of Styrofoam Cups...but it was funny because it was relaxing and didn't really matter that much.
Eating options nearby are slim, and the "general store" that is across the street from Fort Ross Lodge is good only for a DVD rental and perhaps some cold beers. The food is at your own risk.
The community hot tub was nice, but about 5 to 10 degrees cooler than any other hot tub I have ever been in.
Overall, it is worth a "one time" try, but I would probably be interested in staying at another place along the coast just to see what other lodges and coastal towns had to offer. No regrets, though!
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Fort Ross Lodge is ideally situated on the West side of Hwy 1. The cabins are very 70s chic - colored sheets and macrame plant holders. But they seemed clean and are spacious. We had a great view with a BBQ on our patio. For $120 bucks it is a good price for an ocean view.
However, given that it is run down and the owners are super surly I am giving then a 3 star rating.
We've stayed at the Fort Ross Lodge several times over the years. The views are nice and the rooms are ok considering their age and that they are technically beach houses that are exposed to a lot of weather and elements; definately 70's chic.
The owners are moody, they can be nice and they can be rude or nosy, and they definately don't mind their own business, even to the point of commenting on how we attend to our children.
Up to this point I'd considered going back, but the last time we went the septic tank was over flowing down below the pool, in the open grass field. We had no idea why the ground was so wet, but seeing as how there are seeps in the area we figured it normal. We were flying our kite there and the kids were in and out of the wet grass and ice plant for an hour or so. It wasn't until we headed in that we realized that it was untreated sewage from the septic tank that was making the ground so wet. I told the owners, he tried to convince me it was something else until he inspected it and found that the septic pump was broken and not pumping up to the leach field.
Upon returning home our youngest became very ill and lost a lot of weight for a toddler. He had contracted 3 different parasites (including salmonella) from being in the sewage and it took him 2 weeks to recover. Shortly after the rest of the family became ill with similar symptoms and were all treated for the same 3 parasites. So here we are 6 months later and we all still have the same symptoms and have all been tested again and all still have the parasites.
I've called the management, and told them and got the response I expected: indifference, and no apology.
So, unless you like stomach cramps, diarrhea, and irritable bowels watch where you step and don't take your kids to the Fort Ross Lodge. It's a shame because it could be such a nice place if it weren't for the owners. Watch for "under new management" signs when your in the area, only then will we go back.
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Sometimes a place just needs to be the right place to be perfect. This place gives that description a name and a face. It's not particularly inexpensive, definitely not chic or trendy or even in a particularly memorable location. In fact, the room was pretty tacky, a bit run down and somewhat dingy dirty.
So let me tell you what made it 5 stars for me:
it's like a poor man's Sea Ranch-and it's not too far up the coast. There's a king size bed, a table and chairs with a bowl of fruit, a fireplace with a stack o' wood, a fridge with a complimentary bottle of cheap champagne, a tiny coffee pot, a hot tub outside, and a weber grill with chimney , charcoal and cooking utensils. There is a very sad little grocery market across the street and you can cobble together enough things to bbq your dinner. The icing on the cake is the short hike out the back door to the famous Hwy 1 cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
We have learned the wise ways of getting to the destination early enough to enjoy the thing you are paying for in an overnight stay. We found this place because it was the time of day to quit looking for the next big thing on the Get Away Adventure. It was "good enough" and in fact, great.
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I agree with everything said by Amy J. This place is uniquely great!
We had no plans to stay here, just stumbled onto it on our way up the coast and are thankful that we did.
From the outside the buildings looked rustic and caused a bit of nervousness in paying for a room sight unseen but did anyway and was pleased with the accommodations once inside. The fireplace, BBQ, wine glasses and fruit are all nice touches that really allow you to kick back and enjoy. I plan to go return better prepared to use the amenities and just spend the day relaxing with the wifey.
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My boyfriend and I stayed here for our six month anniversary, and this place was pure post apocalyptic 70s groove-funk. The macramé plant hanger in the bathroom oozed wild, libidinous cocaine encounters from decades gone by, and the strange gas smell made you swear you were in Auschwitz.
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