Located about 2.5 to 3 hours north of San Francisco is Mendocino, a region of California that has become one of my favorite destinations for a quiet getaway. I’ve been fortunate to visit over four times in the seven years I’ve lived in San Francisco and each time I return I fall more in love with the region and learn more about it. My most recent stay was at The Brewery Gulch Inn for a two-night getaway. Two nights is the absolute minimum I’d recommend for Mendocino. It’s hard to travel 2.5 to 3 hours for just one night and it takes about a day or so to settle in, truly unplug and relax so I think two to three nights (or more if you have the time) is the sweet spot.

Read more about the Brewery Gulch Inn below and see why they’ve been awarded a Readers Choice top hotels in Northern California by Conde Nast Traveler.

Arriving at the hotel you’re welcomed at the driveway with this water tower. How adorable and rustic is this? I started to fall in love with The Brewery Gulch Inn the moment I saw this….

Checking into the Brewery Gulch Inn….

Views of the main lobby & dining room area with stunning Mendocino coast views. This is the room where breakfast and dinner are served (both complimentary for guests) and it really is the space in the hotel where all guests gather, eat, have a glass of wine, take in the views and relax with a book or board games.

This is the patio where guests can enjoy sunrise and sunset views, hang during the day as well as sit to enjoy a meal (it’s right outside the main lobby shown above).

Enjoying some lovely Anderson Valley Pinot Noir wines from Fathers & Daughters (a brand owned by the hotel owner) during the happy hour which is daily from 6:30 – 7:30pm when dinner is served and guests enjoy an open bar with local wines & beers. If you want to explore Anderson Valley Wine Country check out my Anderson Valley Wineries Guide here. Be sure to check out Baxter Wines which is the winemaker’s tasting room who makes Father’s & Daughters Wines.

Perfection. Dinner on the deck with this view, the amazing food, and some Pinot Noir from Fathers & Daughters.

The stunning views from the deck. Part of what I loved about this hotel was that nature surrounded you everywhere. Whether in your room looking out at a gorgeous view, or in the dining room with the ocean as the backdrop or on this patio. It’s everywhere and part of what is so relaxing about the Brewery Gulch Inn.

Views from our ground floor room overlooking the ocean.

The beyond delicious breakfast we enjoyed both mornings of our stay. I loved the Chilaquiles dish so much that I had it two days in a row.  I have to say I was beyond impressed with the food at the hotel. Lots of the time, hotels that offer all-inclusive food isn’t to die for, in this case, it was. Super flavorful, delicious and really really tasty. Besides running out for a lunch between the hearty breakfast and delicious dinner buffet you’re eating like Kings & Queens during your stay at The Brewery Gulch Inn.

Views of a guest room. Each room has a fireplace which is heavenly for relaxing, reading or watching a movie (they have a DVD collection for guests with 500+ DVD’s).  During my visit one night we hung in the room and watched a movie and the other night we brought wine and a game to the fire fit and relaxed there. They really have thought of everything to help guests relax, unwind and truly enjoy some R & R while at The Brewery Gulch Inn.

Heading out for a coastline walk/hike. Brewery Gulch Inn is just steps away from the view below. Talk about fabulous, right?

We hiked along the Mendocino Bay Viewpoint which is absolutely gorgeous. See more below!

California in October is so beautiful. It was about 70 degrees this afternoon, blue skies and absolutely gorgeous. Downtown Mendocino is just behind me over the ocean.

On our second night in we decided to enjoy some wines by the fire.  We were torn between a Merlot and a Pinot Noir (it was October so Merlot month) so we tried both…. See some of my favorite Merlot Wines celebrating Merlot month here.

Relaxing by the fire…

After a lovely three day and two-night stay at The Brewery Gulch Inn sadly it was time to head back to San Francisco. Thanks, to Brewery Gulch Inn for hosting me for this lovely getaway. This is truly not only a beautiful and restful spot for a getaway the hotel is like a home away from home. The team has thought of every little item you could want to help relax and feel more at home and it truly makes unplugging and enjoying some R & R easy and super enjoyable.