Ocean View Inn

My wife and I who are both native SF South Bay Area residents that currently reside in the SF East Bay, decided to go away for the weekend in the Half Moon Bay Area. We came across the Ocean View Inn on line and couldn’t believe what a gem we found! Keep in mind that we do travel a lot and all over the country as well as abroad so we have had great experiences all over the world. With that said, we found that the cool ocean breeze from the ocean and all the beautiful agriculture land reminded us of when we were raised in the South Bay-​foggy days, mild temperatures and a beautiful ocean breeze! The Ocean Inn is an older building with lots of charm and original character along with eclectic décor. Our room (Penthouse) was large and beautiful with floor to ceiling windows, exposed beams, lovely hard wood floors with warm and inviting rugs throughout. It also had a large living room and dining area along with an updated bathroom (6 headed shower). Each room also has a private balcony. Lastly, the staff were warm and professional, the room was clean and there is a wonderful restaurant next door for your breakfast and lunch needs. The Inn is currently experiencing a remodel in some of the rooms but the noise was minimal compared to our fabulous stay! Overall we had the «true San Francisco Bay Area «weekend experience. This was definitely a great bay area hide away!

As original SF bay area natives, my husband and I found the Ocean View Inn to be crisp, original and full of character! The staff were friendly and professional and the room was large, clean and had a beautiful view of Moss Beach with several floor-​to-​ceiling windows! We currently reside in the Easy Bay so feeling the cool breeze off Moss Beach reminded us both of our childhood when we both lived in the South Bay. The exposed beams with eclectic décor gave our room the distinctiveness we were looking for! An Inn that really expresses how people live in the San Francisco Bay Area-​simply refreshing not to be staying in a sterile /​commercialized building. Restaurant next door was also very charming and convenient. We will definitely be back!

Filthy room, with red light in the shower, maybe so you wouldn’t see the mildew and molds. Clogged sink with black stuff coming up from the pipe (made me puke while brushing my teeth), peeled wall paper, worst customer service ever!!! Debbie, the innkeeper, has no manners, she lies, she overcharges your card for no reason (great thing i used a credit card with only $ 300 limit on it, she tried to charge me extra, it didn’t go through). Bates hotel, find a room somewhere else! This place is creepy, unfriendly, pillows and blankets have stains, and the carpet leave your socks dark and filthy. Oh, and toilet paper covering the door peephole! Shower knob is about to fall off, towels are filthy, mildew, molds, stains everywhere!!! Want professional and friendly staff and super clean room? Drive ¼ mile and check in at Harbor Village Inn. They accommodated us the next day for a cheaper rate and great service. If i could give Debbie a zero star, i would. She is the worst hotel staff I’ve ever encountered in my life!!!

I purchased an overnight stay at this hotel as a gift to my husband. After reading the negative reviews I was a bit skeptical about actually staying here. I am glad that I gave it a chance. We stayed in King room #6 the room was clean and had lots of natural light. I would have given more than 3 stars but the bed was really uncomfortable which is the only complaint I had. I would definitely return here for another stay but next time I would choose to stay in the Penthouse room (#1). Overall it was a great weekend!

Miserable hotel. nothing happy in this place. The treatment here is really poor. I would not recommend to anybody i know. Its better to sleep in your car, camp out, or trailer than this hotel. The policies and charges wasnt disclosed properly in this establishment leading to stresscation more than a vacation. Hope that this inn would improve their atittude to clients equally and treat people with kindness and respect.

One star for the location. It’s right off Highway 1 and across from Montara Beach. It’s about 15 minutes from Half Moon Bay. Another star for it’s location next to Montara Café and Bakery, and the included continental breakfast it has with the bakery. I upgraded to a better breakfast, and that café is really great, but that’s another Unilocal review.
I knew the hotel was old and I do love historic charm. However this place is dilapidated, and in serious need of renovation. I wouldn’t have minded if it was simply worn down, as long as it was clean. But the moment I walked into my room, I was knocked in the face with the smell of mildew. The bedroom and bathroom windows were open, but it made no difference. In the morning I looked in the tub and considered not taking a shower. I opted for a quick one, trying not to touch anything, as there was mold along many of the surfaces.
I agree with another Unilocal reviewer. This place has so much potential. But I would consider it a health hazard to stay here.

We are locals and like to get away to the coast every now and again. I look for quirky out of the way places for relaxation during the non tourist months.
I found this place while searching the coast. It looked to be older with charm and close to the ocean.
We arrived at 2:45 check in was at 3. I have never been denied a check in 15 minutes before. Only if the room was not ready for some reason. The woman behind the counter needs some customer service training. You think they could turn on a happy face for the 4 minutes it takes to check in. but not here.
I asked if I could check in at 2:45 and was told NO. The sad reason I got was because the rooms needed a final check. OK. well you better get moving.
So at 3 on the dot I go back in to find she never even got out of her seat. I am also pretty sure we saw the housekeeping leave at 2:30 when we were at the store before going in.
Alright lets check in… Upon checking in we noticed this is just a place with rooms. Not a B&B or any special service what so ever. The beach is a short dangerous walk down the road a few blocks. Be careful or just drive.
The funny thing is when we finally got to our room. the one that we waited for the final room check, was still not done. There was a large bag of dirty or not dirty towels in the middle of the room. So the final room check was just a lie. Hmm good to know.
We were informed the guest before us broke the shower handle. So instead of fixing it she just told me how to use the broken knob. OK. There was also some other deep cleaning that gets ignored.
The room defiantly needed a good cleaning. The ledges and certain areas had never seen a dust cloth.
The room had a very musty smell so we opened all the windows and had a great breeze to take it away.
They said there was breakfast next door but it is a very small coffee type shop. We had a ticket for coffee and toast/​bagel and that was it. You had to pay for anything else. The gas station next door was a better choice.
The gas station was a bit loud with traffic but we didn’t stay in our room that much.
This place defiantly needs a good bath and carpet cleaning…
YES. I know the history and it’s great that it is over 100 years old but the little fixes are not costly, like dusting, fixing knobs, carpet cleaning. Fixing the stairs. You don’t need a permit to dust.
I have stayed in many B&B type places all up and down the coast. A little effort goes a long way.
Maybe even a bit of kindness, that can go a long way also.
The price was a bit steep for off season and crapy customer service.
The same woman checked us out and seemed to be in a better mood but it was a bit to late.
Overall I would most likely not stay here again unless it had some upgrades to service and cleanliness. The walk to the beach is not that safe.
Look around first.
:-)

This place has so much potential, the location is great. We stayed down stairs in room 8, I guess the upstairs rooms are quite nice by looking at the pictures. I have see Best Western and Super 8 rooms better this, please fix this place up and it will be a gold mine.

WARNING! Look at all pics before booking. Maybe only 2 rooms actually look good. When we opened the door to our room and the musky smell was strong. This was a last minute trip on July 4^th, all hotels booked. Opened all windows to air out. Went next door to mini mart & bought a spray can Fabreeze and sprayed the carpet, chairs & curtains. Left the windows open & went for a walk. It took a while even after we came back for it to be tolerable. Jacuzzi tab tagged out of order. Wallpaper stapled. Individual entry ways blocked for your safety. Deck rail replaced with cheap particle board. Old 2×4’s nailed to it as a brace. The brace had large nails hammered as flat as they could. The place is old & the whole thing needs remodeling. As if the looks were bad enough, the continental breakfast u expected turns out to be your «choice» of wheat or rye toast, or cereal packet, or bagel but they were out of bagels. Tiny coffee. But if you didn’t want that you could order breakfast from their regular menu! This place is a rip off. Don’t waste your money.

This place is a dump, even if you are into funkiness. Unfortunately the negative reviews are accurate. Could see front desk person straining to appear friendly. Not handicap accessible. The bed was decent. Breakfast was skimpy– a bagel! Probably the worst place we have ever stayed in. Don’t do it!

Just horrible place. Stinks like mold, and animal. Zero refund on the cancellation policy here. Save your money, DO NOT book here!

A HORRIBLE place to stay. The only colorful aspect of this dump is the different types of mold in our room. The balcony stairs are off limits due to termite damage, which is apparent everywhere.
Dirty, ugly and poor taste is the best way to describe the room. It was furnished with fixtures from a swap meet.

Unilocal, allow us to choose NO Stars. Horrible. Dirty everything, reddish mold in the shower, poor lighting, beat up furniture and doors. Instructed to not use Jacuzzi, if so, would be asked to leave. Could not use the balcony, taped off with a safety warning. The place should be bull dozed down; start over folks.

This place is great– we made an extremely last minute reservation for February 13^th (we wanted to beat the crowds and celebrate Valentine’s day early) and got one of the rooms no problem. The room was enormous, clean, and had a great little patio area with chairs to enjoy the sunshine. Of course it’s an older Victorian style building, so it has its quirks and charms and isn’t perfect. But to be that close to the beach and great restaurants is well worth it. It was perfect because we had reservations at La Costanera that evening, literally a thirty second drive down Cabrillo Hwy. We will definitely be coming back!

Quit whining, people! This place is wonderful!
Seriously, half the people in here don’t know the story of this place. For one thing, it’s 110 years old. If you want sterile, white, boring, cookie cutter rooms, stay at the Best Western. If you want a historic building by the ocean, stay here!
I have the utmost respect for the owner I spoke with, Debbie. (Who was completely awesome and friendly, by the way. You get what you give, people. Just sayin’…)
This building sat for years, bank owned and falling apart. They rescued it, and have spent 3 years restoring it. What people fail to understand is that it’s a Historic Building, so every little fix, yes, even chipped paint, CAN’T be fixed until they clear multiple permits with 3 different entities. The city, county, and Historic Society won’t let them do a THING without paying thousands of dollars for permits. Not even touch up paint. Give the owners a break! They saved this seaside gem from being leveled into a parking lot. So there’s a chip in the paint. Big deal! The building is 110 years old and you’re across the street from the ocean!
She told me of things they’re in the process of getting the permits for, which included tearing out the old carpet and restoring the hardwood underneath. (again, can’t touch it till the permits come through). She showed me a room that was undergoing renovation. It already looked amazing. The stain glass windows in the place were saved, also. (they were going to be torn out, and Debbie said ‘no way’) They’re very close to getting the permits to replace all the salt-​water-​worn decking on the front, as well, and that should be under way in a few months. The place is going to get more and more amazing with each approved restoration.
Now on to my specific experience about my room. First off, when I checked in, I mentioned that I’d love a room with a view of the ocean. Boy, did she take care of me! I was placed in a beautifully decorated room on the top floor, with a panoramic view of the ocean and cypress trees. Watched the sun fizzle down on the horizon from my deck, sipping on the wine that was included. The room was beautifully decorated and clean as a whistle. (side note, Debbie told me that each and every room is cleaned on a daily basis whether anyone has rented the room or not. They keep the place immaculate.) The room was so amazing, I didn’t want to leave it all night. I rushed out and back for dinner, just so I could spend all evening enjoying the place. (Try my favorite spot, Ketch Joanne, for meals. It’s awesome.) Debbie also mentioned a restaurant about a mile down the road that has bonfires on the beach that you can sit by. Wow!)
I’ll interject here that some of you will be bothered by the fact that the place is right on Hwy 1. And next to a gas station. The trade off to me is worth it. Traffic becomes white noise, which dissipates overnight anyway, and I could tune it out and hear the ocean waves all night long. Even left the deck door open. The place is extremely safe, as it’s a favorite with the local police, who she graciously lets stay there for free to thank them for their service. Another thing to note: Originally, when the property was built, it extended all the way out to the ocean cliff. So, basically they ran a highway through the house’s front yard. The house was there first.
Anyway, back to the room. The bed was SOOOOO comfy! Like sleeping on a cloud of feathers. I slept like a bump on a log. The shower was huge, and had all sorts of fancy carwash type nozzles. (note — being on the third floor of an old building, it takes 5 — 10 min for the hot water to get up there. Be patient.) I also love the height of the ceilings throughout the place, and the bannister on the staircase is amazing.
As far as B&B type Inns go, I love this place. I’d stay there again in a heartbeat. The little café next door where they serve the continental breakfast is a treat, too.
So to recap. If you want a historic, ocean view, charming, quirky, creaky old dame where every room is different, STAY HERE. You want sterile, white-​wall, boring? Have fun at your inland Best Western.

honestly, the owner’s aren’t the friendliest. you get the feeling they’ve long grown tired of the inn-​business. but the rooms are lovely, the wallpaper peeling and the mold are really slight and basically unnoticeable, other reviewers have vastly exaggerated on that point. the bed was comfy and the pillows amaze-​ingg wow. wifi was generally kinda slow, but at least it’s free, and the café next door (as well as the Here Comes The Sun coffee shop down the street) was so cute and lovely. you get a complimentary drink (tea, coffee?) and a choice of yogurt, bagel, toast, or oatmeal. the café’s other items are pretty cheap so it’s not much of a bother. we enjoyed our stay in a queen garden room :)
(after thought: but it’s definitely a bit overpriced for almost 300 $ a night).

PLZ DOUBLE CHECK UR GPS DIRECTIONS AS OUR IPHONE MAP COMPLETELY THREW US OFF 40 MILES OFF THIS ADDRESS. Anyhow two words: look elsewhere. This place was just odd. Dirty filthy carpets, my feet got black just by the few minutes I spent walking from bed to bathroom. I asked for some extra towels, the guy at front desk said «we already have a set in there, you’re two people, how many do you really need!?» Anyhow he said if any were washed he’d give it to me, which he did. Then we asked for ice since the ice machine is broken, he said «how many we don’t have a lot.» What do u mean how many?
Then they say no smoking, yet provide ashtrays, yet state in contract that if there’s any indication of smoking on the premises a fee of $ 250 would be charged.
Shower runs hot & cold.
Breakfast is very simple so don’t expect a hotel continental style breakfast. It’s your CHOICE of either toast, bagel, or oatmeal. Orange juice or coffee. That’s pretty much it. You get a ticket to show to the breakfast counter and they’ll bring it up to you.
Oh there’s a mini fridge in the room. A microwave is available ONLY IN THE LOBBY.
The only plus side is the ummmmmm the stained glass window in the room and the two chairs by the television in the room.

The hotel and rooms are in poor condition and smell of mold and sewer gas.
— When we closed the drapes, the curtain rod fell to the floor, but worse was that
— the bathroom was dirty and in disrepair with mold growing on the wall, wallpaper peeling, and a Jacuzzi tub that did not work and an unfriendly sign saying that if clients turned it on, they would be asked to leave.
— The poor state of the place gives off a really bad vibe.
The breakfast menu, included in price, was also misleading. It stated a full breakfast menu, yet when we went next door the the café that was serving, the server greeted us defensively and said we could only have one item on the menu. She was very rude.
When we asked the hotel clerk what was going on, she also became defensive and said, «take it up with the girl next door, it’s not my problem».
I could forgive that breakfast deceit if the room itself was decent, but it wasn’t.
We will never return there.
I have included photos of the mold, peeled wallpaper and holes in the bathroom ceiling. The sewer/​mold smell cannot be uploaded.

Just a step away from a flop house.
Filthy carpet, smelly room, thin walls, a shower tub that had one broken faucet. Paper thin doors, creaky floors and stairs. The window coverings do not fully cover the window.
The night clerk was friendly enough, but not enough to make this a place worth considering. Your not that desperate, postpone your trip if this is all you got.
Really, this could easily be the worst hotel I have ever stayed in.