"Nothing cutesy, nothing quaint - just lots of solid wood paneling, cut and leaded glass, brass appointments, spindeled-wood door frames and walls papered in period fabrics ... bright and cheery rooms ...on each brass bed rests a heavy, terry cloth robe. When is the last time you saw such guest pampering, outside of Europe?"

All guest rooms feature phones and room service. Many have remote televisions and wood burning fireplaces.

Some of our guests may prefer one of our twenty four elegant Victorian rooms. Some of these unique shared bath European style rooms provide an intimate and charming way to experience the hotel's history.

Other guests may opt for one of our twenty five luxurious one and two story Garden Suites adjacent to the hotel...

All of our suites feature modern bathrooms and some have fireplaces.

Or choose one of our two opulent suites in the historic building with private terraces, sitting rooms, separate bedrooms and spectacular ocean views.

No matter what type of accommodations you might select, we can guarantee your stay at the Mendocino Hotel will be a pleasant and memorable one.

"Happily our room at the Mendocino Hotel provided a handsome haven ... located beneath one of the town's landmark water towers in the new garden suites added behind the venerable 115-year old establishment, it offers an airy garden-view porch for relaxing before dinner."

The Hotel's dining rooms and lounges are popular gathering places for local residents and visitors alike.

"One of the finest dining rooms in town"

The informal Garden Room is the perfect setting for breakfast or lunch.

The Victorian Dining Room is beautifully appointed with antiques for an intimate and elegant dinner.

Both feature homemade desserts, salads, classic entrees, local specialties, fine local wines and impeccable service.

The lobby lounge features a handsomely carved antique bar, a bistro-style menu and interesting conversation.

"The Mendocino Hotel offers elegant dining featuring California cuisine and an extensive wine list."

Mendocino Village started
as a logging town in the
mid- nineteenth century.

Mendocino Hotel dates
from the same period!

The hotel itself speaks much about the town and its history. It originally opened as The Temperance House in a time when the town was burgeoning with 20,000 people (as compared to 1,000 today). It was considered, according to current hotel management, as "the one bastion of good Christian morals in a town of loggers". Mendocino was reportedly home to 19 saloons during the logging industry's heyday, and there was no shortage of pool halls and "fast houses" in town either.

Early settlers from Maine, Connecticut and Nova Scotia sailed around Cape Horn to find the western coastal wilderness already populated with Indians, Chinese and the rough loggers, but built homes and eventually brought their wives to the region. Thanks to these early settlers from the East Coast, many of the buildings in Mendocino bear striking architectural resemblances to houses, shops and church steeples of small New England towns.

In 1975, R.O. Peterson purchased the run-down hotel and retained a cadre of designers and local artisans and craftsmen to authentically restore it. Mr. Peterson gave the designers carte blanche to purchase as many period antiques as they felt were necessary to give the hotel the right atmosphere. Approximately 90% of all the pieces date to the late 19th century. Most of the remaining 10% represent items commissioned specifically for the hotel.

When the dining room was designed, many special items were added to give it a warm, welcoming, relaxing space: period wallpaper by Schumacher, a rug custom designed and woven to simulate an authentic piece from the era, period mirrors, ceramics, original oil paintings, an enormous sideboard purchased in England, and a 1920s coffee machine.

Of special note are the glass screen/room dividers. The crests of the British towns were placed in walls dividing first and second class passengers in British railway stations in the late 19th century. Mr. Peterson purchased the crests, had them shipped to Mendocino and the wooden frames were built locally to house the beautiful glass pieces. Other screens in the room that have decorative glass in them are also original pieces, although older than the crests.

A beautifully carved oak antique bar was moved in during the remodeling and is towered over by a stained glass dome measuring 6 x 9 feet. Mendocino's pioneering families have provided photographs so each suite presents the history of a Mendocino founder. A carefully tended Victorian garden with dozens of rare roses and other plants from the 1880s, some original and some newly planted, surrounds these suites.