Benbow Historic Inn

The male manager and a specific worker were helpful — he followed thru and got us a specific item I wished Also the specific room we reserved for my daughter’s family of 3 became unavailable 2 weeks ahead ( due to Calif heavy May rains & flooding I think) so they notified us and upgraded her to a perfect room! It had bunk bed for our 9 year old (in a little alcove of her own!) she was delighted ! And We were all very happy! In our particular room , however, the air conditioner was exceeding noisy, and would wake us up at nite as it roared on and off! However, our room was very comfortable and pleasant — comfy chairs and space, and we appreciated the “colonial touches! “ We especially loved the ambiance of the Inn— the two outside seating areas and the back yard. We will stay again.

Mentioned above— our particular room will need major adjustment in the air conditioning—- it was very load when it clicked on and off at nite….However, this adjustment will take some work.

Historical building with everything antique in it was like a hidden gem in the forest. We liked the closeness to the River, where we could swim and see deers.

I booked two rooms and wrote that we are family with three children, but either the hotel didn’t notice or they just don’t do this asap, but they put us away from each other which was not comfortable. I think that if a person books two rooms for his name , especially when it says children, rooms should be either connecting or close. Staff gave us the closest option only when we arrived. Still was not comfortable!

We traveled with a small dog. The dog friendly rooms are at the main garden level with their own patio area. Very lovely, private, and easy to attend to doggie needs. The garden area along the river is lovely with tall shady trees - which was important given that the ambient temp was 100 at the time. Room was large and comfortable and air conditioned. Hotel in general is well maintained and very pretty.

Not a lot of dining in the immediate area. Garberville is very limited in offerings and hotel menu rather small. Good grocery store in Garberville so grab some charcuterie and have a picnic!

The property is in a very cool location and is about the only hotel option for the avenue of giants. It is very old and neat, but aging and could stand for some updating. The staff was wonderful and very accommodating and the grounds were beautiful. The bar food and drinks were great. there were lots of places to sit and eat outside.

limited amenities in the rooms, no refrigerator, and we had driven through napa and had provisions we wanted to chill, but they gave us ample ice that worked. The restaurant was way overpriced and the food was subpar, but because of the location and being with friends we were able to laugh about it and enjoy it!

Our stay was many years in the making, since we stumbled upon this location while in the region a long time ago and could only dine here, but made a mental note to return one day for an overnight visit. It is still as secluded as we remembered it, with brightly star-lit night skies only found far away from towns & settlements. The lake is gone & Eel river with its several forks was at a historic low, pooling in some places overran by green algae and reduced to a trickle in others. The place itself is wonderful, completely unexpected in a location like this, with its imposing size but also the excessive, turn-of-century decor & furnishings contrasting with any other accommodations in the region. Rooms are richly appointed, the grounds are beautiful with many tall trees providing much needed shade. Staying here really feels like time traveling to the extravagant times of early Hollywood era. The restaurant (like the rooms) is on the expensive side, but food is delicious & elegantly presented, and service is very pleasant & attentive. The menu isn't particularly long, but several specials are offered every night; we had a chance to try many items over 3 dinners & 2 breakfasts and not once were we disappointed. Richardson Grove is a few minutes to the South & Avenue of the Giants a little farther to the North, offering many trails among spectacular redwoods. The Lost Coast is about an hour driving on decrepit roads and offers complete off-the-grid isolation with often cooler temperatures than inland.

WiFi in lower Terrace rooms could have been a bit stronger--but it's a true nitpick that I had to think hard to find. Not a dislike, but a full service SPA would be welcome & I think very appropriate at a location of this standing & price range.

Benbow was an amazing experience even before check in. From making sure we were ok on our trip to the location to the beautiful facility. We paid for breakfast but the flavors, the salon, the way the waitress and host treated us was superb. Room accommodation was big, comfortable and with amazing views to the forest. The room before the cafeteria is a trip back in time and breathtaking. Finally, it's secluded location helps for a quite environment but is close to highway 101, so you can visit your favorites park with enough time to enjoy them.

Probably an effect from been built so long ago, but the bathroom was the tiniest of all places we visited before, and that can be inconvenient for big people. Although beautiful, the exterior gardens have a lot of potential and hopefully they can maximize it in the future.

The location is perfect for exploring the avenue of the giants. Beautiful historic inn with nice spacious rooms decorated for the period. We had the King room with balcony overlooking the beautiful gardens with stone bridge over the stream. We enjoyed 2 nights at Benbow and had great service and wonderful food for dinner each night.

Breakfast was basic and not in line with the high prestige and price paid for the property. We paid over $500 per night for example, and went to the bar to receive breakfast in a polystyrene box. My suggestion is to provide a cooked buffet breakfast to meet the high standards of this beautiful Inn.

The property is beautiful and well maintained. Our rooms was clean and furnished with lovely antiques. water is provided in the room. Afternoon yea was a treat. We had an issue with our AC but staff could not have been more accommodating and found a fix quickly that worked for us. Dinner was excellent both nights of our stay; we ate in the dining room (be sure to make reservations) and in the tavern. Staff was professional and friendly without exception. The grab and go breakfast was exceptional. There isn’t much around the inn, but Garberville is a quick 5 minute drive up the road for groceries, gas, and other dining options.

Aside from the AC issue, which was fixed, there were no problems.

The hotel has a very nice classic feel. The terrace dining is really nice. Our room was comfortable and spacious with a really great deck and a huge redwood right outside our room. The bed was comfortable.

Our room was right below the terrace with the dining area. There was frequent noise from the furniture being moved. Instead of picking up the furniture, it sounded like they just dragged it around. Also there was a constant mechanical hum coming from outside the room that I noticed, but it didn't bother my wife. The table on our patio did not have an umbrella like all the other ones. That made it hard to sit outside in the late afternoon.

We were disappointed with the pool location. It felt like the advertisement was false. The pool is not on the property. We had to drive to it. It is located at the neighboring KOA and was loaded with kids. The hot tub was cold and kids were jumping in it. There wasn’t a peaceful or relaxing place to sit or swim. The towels provided were old and rough. The pool was not equal to the luxury of the Inn. So disappointed. We didn’t use it.