Elk Cove Inn

What a wonderful place.
We stayed this weekend (May 13 – 14) for 2 nights. We had a great time. We stayed in one of their garden view rooms but there is a deck on 2^nd floor you can sit if you want to sit and watch the view. Or you can simply walk down to beach. It is isolated so you can sit and relax. Breakfast is included and it is fantastic. They also have drinks and cocktails hours (4 – 6 PM). On the 2^nd floor they have games if you want to play. We also enjoyed the garden. It is well maintained. And the service is excellent. Everyone was so polite and helpful.

This place exceeded all expectations. They value making their guests feel pampered. The location is gorgeous, the rooms private and comfortable, and the breakfast was amazing. If you have a chance to stay here do not hesitate.

We’ve been coming here annually the last four years and love it! We’ve stayed in a number of different rooms, and all were great. Although they’re pricier, the ones with a sea view are fantastic. Upon arrival, you find a welcome basket with some cookies, chocolates, a small bottle of local wine, and a small decanter of port. There’s a fantastic buffet breakfast, where there often is sausage gravy and biscuits, pancakes, corn beef hash, waffles, polenta dishes, and more. It’s fantastic and will keep you going for most of the day. Plus there are fixings for mimosas! Elk is a 40 minute drive to the fantastic wineries of Anderson Valley. It’s the perfect place for a restorative weekend. Plus, now a lovely Frenchwoman comes in three nights a week to offer a three course French meal (including wine!) for $ 45 a person. Was a fantastic deal, and the food was excellent. I can’t recommend this place enough!

We just spent 2 delightful nights at Elk Cove Inn. Jeff was our host when we checked in and he quickly ran through the house rules (not that many) in his delightful British accent, grabbed our Welcome Basket of local wine, homemade cookies and microwave popcorn and escorted us to our detached cottage room overlooking the sea. The room furnishings are a little eclectic but functional. In addition to the Welcome Basket, there was a bottle of port in our room which was replenished each day by the maid. Our room (Cliffside Covey Cottage) came equipped with a one-​cup-​at-​a-​time coffee brewer (I think it is a Keurig unit), with plenty of coffee cartridges, that made wonderful coffee in the morning. There was also a microwave and a small fridge. The bed was super comfortable and we drifted off each night to the rhythmic sound of the surf pounding the beach and rocks below. There is a neat little stairway leading down to a path to the beach and the mouth of a stream emptying into the sea.
The food was fantastic! We lucked out because Francois and Marie were serving their prix-​fixe menu on the nights we were there (check before you book). It comprises several selections of authentic French cooking, complete with local wines and dessert. In a word, delicious! The dinners set a pretty high bar for breakfast to overcome but breakfast was up to the task with a splendid array of egg dishes, waffles, pancakes, souffles, pastries, hash, bacon, biscuits and gravy, etc. No one goes hungry at Elk Cove Inn.
A nice and enjoyable touch is their Happy Hour every evening before dinner is served. Liquor and wines are provided free of charge and the guests are encouraged to fix themselves a cocktail or have a glass of wine and get to know each other in an informal setting. It creates an air of friendship and conviviality that really adds to the overall experience.
The entire staff is invariably friendly and helpful and sincerely interested in your enjoyment and comfort.
To paraphrase Arnold, «We’ll be back!»
Bob and Eileen

Wow, I am amazed this place has five stars. I think that is acceptable, but I wanted to put some thought into this. I would like to start out by saying I have never been to Elk before, nor was this place recommended to me. However, the fabulous reviews from Unilocal and prior patrons are what helped direct me to this place. Maybe it’s because I haven’t stayed at a B and B in a while, but here’s my feeling.
The nightly rates were acceptable for the accommodations. We stayed in the smallest and cheapest room. It was quaint and I could tell that the inn did some forethought into preparing. We had a small bottle of wine and some chocolates, cookies and even popcorn waiting for us. The room was in an older house and it was quite humid, so it was a little bit dank, but the room was pleasant. The innkeeper prepared us for a late arrival. I was able to figure it out, once I realized where the room was. That went over ok.
I would say the bed was only moderately comfortable, again, for an ‘economical’ room, that seems appropriate. There wasn’t really any closet space and there wasn’t enough room for two suitcases. Barely enough room to walk around the bed. Once again, moderate price, small room, it had an attached shower, so that’s all one needed.
Breakfast was basically the same every day. It was quite elaborate. I could tell that it was something that they did every day. Lots of food, in fact, I’m sure they pride themselves on it. A minor incident occurred with some of the foods freshness, I will not talk in too much details, as I don’t want to make anyone angry from the inn, but needless to stay, it was enough to remind me and I felt very cautious when eating the food the rest of my stay. The food was basically the same every day and so you probably get my gist.
The inn puts on dinner every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. I was unable to attend, but one person went the night before and had positive things to say, although that is about all I can say. I did not want to do dinner, nor did the other person who joined me on my trip.
The beach is a very short walk down a path. It it easily accessible and very beautiful, I really enjoyed my walks there. I was able to take some fabulous shots.
The innkeeper was nice enough on the next morning to show us around and even show us a couple of the available rooms. It was nice to see the other rooms. Most were quite a bit larger, definitely made the difference in price.
The only other reason why this review is not getting four stars from me was from a personal matter that happened to me. A business decision of the inn. The inn advertises a special rate for first time guests, which I was, and also an upgrade. The inn also mentioned a fourth night for free — and I was there for four nights. Now it does say something to the tune of, the fourth night is only free for those who are staying during the week and not weekends. Well, I called the inn, mentioned that upgrade, the innkeeper refused saying that it was a holiday weekend (it was, but a minor one of Columbus Day). Surely the upgraded room would get rented, so I stayed in the same room. Enough said, I didn’t try to pursuit it any further.
Funny thing, the room I wanted wasn’t rented after the innskeeper so confidently thought it would be. Several weren’t in fact. She actually had the nerve to be a sales person and try to ‘sell’ her rooms to the wedding party I was attending, telling me how great they were. Tell all your friends to come and stay, she said. If they had upgraded me, they would have had a cheaper room much more likely to get rented and a very happy patron as well. Big mistake, but that was their call. It just make me disgusted.
Anyhow, I would not stay at this inn again, the feeling wasn’t that pleasant for me, there were fruit flies crawling on the window of the breakfast area, which was bit too much for me. I will look at some of the other ones in the area if I go back.
They do have free wifi, there are no phones except for upstairs in a common area and no cell service.

This was the best weekend ever! The views, food, room and staff were amazing!!! Definitely recommend them and we hope to be back for another weekend getaway!

Great personalized service, beautiful views, amazing breakfast! The rooms are big and comfy. It’s a perfect getaway!

Loved it and will definitely return. We were on a roadtrip back to Southern California after dropping our kids at camp. A friend recommended the inn. We called the morning of our stay to see if they had a room available, which they did. About an hour later, they called me back to let me know they were giving us a complimentary upgrade to an ocean view suite. Sweet!
Our room, the Surfsong Cottage, was beautiful. Amazing ocean view. Rocking chairs in front of a big picture window and a lovely window seat. Bed was super comfy. The room and bathroom had everything you could need. A nice welcome basket with sparking cider, cookies and grapes was waiting for us.
We arrived about 7:30 pm. They recommended a pub down the street for dinner. A short walk along a beachside trail to the pub.
Breakfast is included with the room and was fantastic. Lots of fresh fruit, baked yummy things, eggs, oatmeal, cappuccino… so good! And Elaine (the owner?) was very welcoming and helpful. Wish we could have stayed more than one night. Will definitely be back.

This place is a hidden gem. Beautiful views and the champagne brunch is fantastic! It’s about 20 minutes south from the town of Mendocino and that’s a plus in my book because I like the relative seclusion. My wife and I have gone there 2 years in a row and we’ll probably go back in 2016. A perfect place to go to get away from it all.

This place deserves every one of the rave reviews that encouraged my wife and I to visit this past week. Great breakfasts, fantastic views, a little removed from the hustle of the Mendocino experience, and well-​located for the regional wine tours we enjoyed.
Elk Cove Inn delivered on every count. It was more than we expected, and we expected a lot.

I can’t wait to go back :) warm and friendly staff. Amazing breakfast … Great attention to detail. This place, as my husband puts it, «is good for the soul»

Lovely rooms, cozy and unique with excellent views. The breakfast was to die for, I’m still thinking about their roasted tomatoes, they have local wines open all day for guests to try, and I loved their welcome baskets.
We had our entire wedding party stay here, they accommodated our large party and were really flexible with our needs.
The only «negative» I can point out is that their website doesn’t do them justice, you will be pleasantly surprised on arrival.

My husband and i absolutely loved the elk cove inn!!! Stunning views, super clean rooms, friendly owners and staff great food, service and breath taking ocean are just some of the reasons why this is a must see place. We came here just for a quick getaway but it was so romantic and beautiful. Great place to be in love and to just relax and enjoy each others company. In addition, we received a complimentary basket upon our arrival with a bottle of wine and other goodies. Upon check out we received a booklet with more info including some of the recipes from their breakfast menu. Cant wait to try out the recipes!

Really nice place, just don’t bring a pet or expect a beautiful sandy beach. It may say pet friendly, but that’s not how I’d define it. The rules say you have to leave your pet in the car if you’re not in the room, i.e. during breakfast or happy hour, and if you don’t (because who does that,) expect a highlighted copy of the rules and a passive aggressive note on your door when you return. Also, you must carry your pet past all the nice grass to the dark far corner of the gravel/​dirt parking lot for bathroom purposes. Walking down to the beach is pretty scary, unlit and not well indicated, and the beach is 50% sand, 50% chunks of wood. Food is great, employees are very nice, and my girlfriend got a very nice massage. Excellent views and reasonably priced, the amenities were really nice. Best shower stall ever.

LOVED this place!
We only spent one night here during our recent «staycation» but I would definitely love to go back, hopefully for at least a couple of nights next time.
We cheaped out and stayed in the Molly’s Garden room (at $ 155 a night, compared to the $ 300+ of the oceanview rooms, it fit our budget a lot better), but it was still a really nice room, even without the breathtaking views you’d get from the more expensive rooms. Actually, when we checked in, she offered to upgrade us to an oceanview room for an extra $ 60, but it was already on the late side and since we were checking out in the morning anyway it didn’t seem worth it. If we were staying two nights and would have had more time to enjoy the views, we might have sprung for it.
Everything about this place is great. They really have their business model down, and the location can’t be beat if you’re looking for R&R and amazing views. They are warm, welcoming and helpful. (When you check in, they give you a gift basket with a little bottle of wine from Husch, a local winery – which was delicious, by the way – and fresh-​baked cookies.) The room was immaculate and homey. The décor of ours felt like a guest room at Grandma’s house – which was just fine with us. Now that we have a Tempurpedic at home, hotel beds don’t seem to stack up anymore (we used to look forward to staying at hotels because our old mattress was atrocious!), but it was fine. The views, once again, are fabulous – from the whole property – and you can walk down to the beach, which is very secluded, private, gorgeous. It was foggy when we were there but there was no wind, so it had this very mysterious, romantic air about it and since it wasn’t windy, it was perfectly comfortable to walk along the beach and explore the sea caves. We also enjoyed visits from sea lions!
Finally, the breakfast. The breakfast was amazing. Especially considering so many places advertise «free breakfast» and then it is Folgers coffee and cold supermarket muffins and maybe some pale supermarket fruit. They really go all out. They had me at «mimosa,» but even if you’re not looking to indulge in champagne in the morning, the food is great. Corned beef hash and poached eggs, a delicious bread pudding, fluffy biscuits with a creamy homemade sausage gravy, «morning pie» (a sort of light version of cheesecake with oranges), on and on – I can’t remember everything we tried but there was a lot of it, and everything was delicious. Plus you have this amazing view while you eat.
The staff is so helpful. When I explained we wanted to hike, she directed us to Hendy Woods State Park, which we absolutely LOVED.
Oh, and the «pub» a few hundred feet up the road serves truly awesome burgers.
All in all, a fantastic place to stay if you’re looking to «get away from it all» and enjoy some pampering. Highly recommended!

The Elk Cove Inn is a pristine and perfectly secluded bed and breakfast that really puts the «away» in getaway. The innkeepers are friendly and accommodating and really care for their guests. Patty, the manager during our stay even forbade us to drive a local road known to be dangerous. She made sure that even though our arrival was late we will we were well cared for. After a long drive we found ourselves greeted by a heated room stocked with wine, chocolate, cookies and fruit. The breakfast buffet following morning was something to write home about.
My boyfriend and I live in the hustle and bustle of the bay area. When we vacation we are not looking for nightlife and parties: we prefer to escape the chaos of the city. The Elk Cove Inn is something of a magical remedy. The up-​and-​coming food and wine scene of the Anderson Valley is all around you, but you can fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves every night and without the light pollution of the bay area, a million stars all around. Off-​season prices are very reasonable. In the high season or summertime, you can still find affordable rooms or if you’re willing to spend more, a bit of luxury! We can hardly wait to return!

Had such a good time at Elk Cove Inn. Weather was terrible, but hospitality and room were fantastic. Upon arrival on Friday, we were greeted warmly and everything was ready to go. We stayed in the Burke suite and it was nice and cozy, but gave us some space to move. That was key because the whole weekend was pretty much a downpour outside. Still, we could open the patio door and hear the waves crashing down below and it was a very relaxing time.
Bed was very comfortable, gas fireplace really heated the room well, shower was small but had great water pressure (there was a Jacuzzi tub as well), and the views were fantastic. We both really enjoyed the breakfast each morning. You are greeted by Elaine (owner) each time you come in and there is such a great spread, I felt like I needed a nap after. I personally really liked that even though we went on the latter side of the breakfast window, the food was still hot/​fresh and in that 20 minutes of time our room was cleaned. Can’t wait to go back.

Brought my father here, who was visiting from out of town, after I had a wonderful experience on our first visit.
It is an amazing place with a beautiful view. The breakfast is top notch. And the hospitality is as good as it gets.
The happy hour is generous and it is really amazing to watch the sun go down from the Gazebo with a glass of wine in hand.
Views, good food, and great service. What more could you ask for? Definitely going back a third time!

Celebrated a big milestone with my loved one here; I’m just back today after a long weekend at the Elk Cove Inn.
First, the setting. Waves crash rhythmically along the perfect shallow crescent of Elk Cove, which filled the bay window in our Wave Watcher suite when all you wanted was look and sound, but was accessible via a private stair when you wanted to see and feel. A shallow wetland sits just south of the Inn, allowing frequent glimpses of waterfowl taking wing from breakfast in the main house; a natural bridge at the south end of the cove is great to explore when the tide is low.
Next, the building. Suite had expansive line-​of-​sight views of the water from a large bay window which was thoughtfully fitted with full-​span blackout blinds so the view didn’t get in the way of good rest. King size bed was commodious (if a wee bit concave /​sprung — definitely found myself slumping toward the center /​–1 star for mediocre ged). Slipper tub in nicely fitted bathroom with dual set-​top porcelain sinks; shower was four-​part with separate head, shoulders and waist nozzle plus hand sprayer.
Lastly, the food. Hands down the best breakfast I’ve had at a B&B in the state of California. The menu shifts constantly, so during our stay we were surprised by new delectable menu items each day; the gratineed polenta in a tomato reduction on day 1 was replaced by poached eggs on a savory hash for day 2 etc.; staples like their morning pie (cottage cheese based, halfway between cheese– and coffee-​cake) and scrambled eggs were not greasy in the slightest, and reliable savory awesomeness (+1 star for the fantastic food).
All in all a fabulous place to stay. Joe F. and other have noted that the town is dead — don’t go for the urban milieu, as there is none; go for astounding natural beauty and expect to spend a day exploring south (Point Arena Light and surreal vanishing coast) and one north (Mendocino Town and Ft. Bragg) and you’ll be solid.

We had a wonderful stay at Elk Cove Inn. It really does not get much better than this on the Mendocino Northern California Coast. We loved it so much we have chosen to get married here in the Spring of next year. The views, the lodging, the intimacy of the grounds and overall romantic feel made it the perfect choice for us. We love that we can reserve the whole inn and have a weekend wedding getaway for our entire family. Elaine and Mary are very gracious and the service is wonderful. The buffet breakfast is the most delicious we had on our entire trip.
I also love that the inn has many walking trails that you can reach the beach, or take other trails that will take you right into the very small town of Elk. Elk is lovely but tiny, however the larger town of Mendocino is not a far drive away.