Mendocino Lodging Reviews

Guests pick their 2012 “Most Romantic” from over 8,500 B&B’s

PETALUMA, CA February 20, 2012- Congratulations to the Elk Cove Inn & Spa in Elk, CA for having been chosen by our readers as North America’s “Most Romantic” for 2012. We offer our readers at LanierBB.com the opportunity to vote for the Most Romantic, tallying the total number of votes annually. This unique B&B has earned one of the industry’s most prestigious award!

Elk Cove Inn & Spa is an ultimate bed and breakfast destination for any traveler in search of an unforgettable, unique experience. With excellent attention to detail, our member innkeepers serve their guests with extraordinary care, creating a memorable experience for travelers.

“Warm, welcoming and full of character and charm, Elaine Bryant offers exceptional hospitality and effort to go that extra mile. Earning themselves the the designation of “Most Romantic for 2012” with Lanier readers, this B&B truly."

Travel & Leisure, Feb. 2011:

Exploring Redwoods in Mendocino

The Mendo coast is known for cool coastal fogs and craggy sea cliffs, but 20 minutes inland the sun cuts through the fog and temps rise dramatically. A handful of underrated redwood forests await exploration. Hendy and Montgomery woods offer some of the oldest groves on the planet, groomed hiking trails snake under the towering trees, and a new redwood-climbing wall and zipline course stretch across 450 feet in Fort Bragg.

Stay: From November to May, you can spot California gray whales from your ocean breakfast table at the Elk Cove Inn in the town of Elk.

Elk: Sunset, chicken pot pie and blessed isolation

By Helen Anders | Sunday, January 9, 2011, 12:00 PM

We sipped celebratory champagne and ogled the sunset from our suite at Elk Cove Inn in Elk, Calif. last night, having no idea of the horror that had transpired in Arizona. That’s the beauty of these sorts of remote retreats without TVs. We needed to know about the shootings, of course. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad I waited until after dinner — a fine dine at Bridget Dolan’s pub that included a chicken pot pie that my husband said was the best he’d ever had — to check in at statesman.com. Sometimes, it’s good to savor the moment without knowing about something so painful. My husband and I have been coming to this inn for about 15 years, and never once have we wished we had a TV. (I should tell you that some Elk Cove Inn rooms do have TVs and there is a TV in the common room of the main house, so if you’re hooked on the thing, you’re still OK.)

We slept in this morning, enjoyed the inn’s dandy breakfast and are pondering a quick walk to the beach before we drive up the coast to gape at more scenery and maybe stroll a little in Mendocino, about half an hour north. We are counting our personal blessings.

It's not a B&B; it's a B&F! By Jay Gordon, Journalist SF Examiner, May 2010
Calling the Elk Cove Inn a Bed & Breakfast is like saying a Rolls Royce is an automobile. It is, more precisely, a Bed and Feast. What else could you call a breakfast that starts with champagne or mimosas and continues with a sumptuous array of egg dishes, mouth-watering pastries, fruits and -- here comes the best part -- such distinctively Southern dishes as hominy pie, spinach quiche, and memorable biscuits and gravy? Even the coffee is the best there is. (A local Thanksgiving brand.) Well, it's not just because this is the South Mendocino Coast. The daily brunch is part of the signature hospitality arranged by owner Elaine Bryant, who happens to hail from Alabama. The other details that make this an incomparable destination include the sound of the ocean outside your room, the sprawling vistas, and the paths along the grounds and the mile of uncluttered beach below. A graceful gazebo and nearby benches provide a calming link to one of the most scenic accesses to the Pacific Ocean. The serenity of the place is absolutely healing. If you simply must let the rest of the world intrude, there's high speed Internet. There is no cell phone service along this scenic stretch of Highway One. That may be a blessing in disguise. Meanwhile, you can savor the understated elegance of the Elk Cove Inn. There is a lingering aftereffect of nature's absolute tranquility. Those, however, are simply details. It's the morning feast that keeps many of us returning.

Hello Elaine,

Our friend Paul Harman did a pastel from a couple of pictures we took from the window of our room at Elk Cove Inn while we were there in 2004.

We spent part of our honeymoon in 1977 in one of the houses at the other end of town that was owned by the ECI back then and returned for our 25th anniversary in 2002 and did the second trip two years later. I attached a couple of other pictures from that trip. (right column)

We are redecorating our home and, rather than have the designer bring in random art for a particular wall, we commissioned our friend Paul to do four pastels based on pictures that are of meaningful places to us. The Elk Cove Inn is one of those places.

Rich and Sharlyn Goss

Paul Harman, Pastel Artist writes:

The couple who commissioned the painting, "A View From Elk Cove Inn", are good friends Richard and Sharlyn Goss. Unfortunately Sharlyn is fighting stage four lung cancer and it has been a rough ride for the past year.

I have been commissioned to paint four paintings for them of favorite memorable places they love and the four paintings will hang in their newly decorated living room. This was the third painting I have completed for them and Rich just saw it today and was delighted.

Sharlyn is doing well, and her encologist has treated the cancer aggressively with new chemo drugs. The chemo she is on has stopped the cancer's spread but makes her very nauseated when she goes in for her weekly treatments. She looks the picture of health, her faith is strong and her optimism is wonderful. They are expecting their second grandchild on the 28th of June and in spite of all of this are enjoying every day they have.

A happy guest! I proposed to the most beautiful woman in the world. There we were, walking on that beautiful beach on a gorgeous Saturday evening - the air crisp, the sun setting, the waves dancing and best of all, my best friend sitting on a log while I took to my knee and asked her to be my wife - what a moment!! I feel like the luckiest man in the world to find this paradise.

134 reviews of The Elk Cove Inn & Spa in Elk

Travelers' Reviews for Elk Cove Inn on BedandBreakfast.com

CONTACT
Elaine Bryant., Innkeeper, Elk Cove Inn
Email: elkcove@elkcoveinn.com

We are located 150 miles North of San Francisco and 15 miles south of the village of Mendocino.
A short stroll from the inn puts you in the center of Elk, a lively community composed of equal parts history and contemporary good living, with shops, convivial conversation, even a state park with visitor center.