Just down the hill from the minuscule town of Elk (just south of Mendocino) lies the boutique B&B of Elk Cove Inn. The dozen+ beach cottages are rustic, cozy, private, with sublime views of Elk Cove, a typical NorCal beach with a gigantic rock splashed with waves. It is the most peaceful place I have ever stayed at, and I've been all over the world. I don't know if its the nestled-in privacy of the place, Melissa the wonderful owner/host, the terrific on-premises restaurant, or what, but one day I just sat by the window and watched the waves batter the giant rock outcropping as the rain (Feb.) came purgatively down, cleansing my soul, or what. I never... read full review
January 2026
this review is about my experience 10 years ago. i have thought about this place regularly since then. it’s difficult, maybe even impossible, to explain the effect it had on us, so i will just tell the story.
we stumbled upon this cute little inn in the summer of 2015 while on a road trip up the california coast. my mom, my sister, and i were coming down from a pretty difficult set of circumstances at the time and my mom took an opportunity to get us out of that environment for a while. we had no destination and no plan, just driving. so we were incredibly lucky to find this place.
from the moment we walked in, it felt like home.... read full review
December 2025
I was visiting the Mendoncino coastline and in search of a nice place to stay and I discovered the Elk Cove Inn and Spa. What a beautiful hidden gem on Hwy 1. Innkeepers and staff were wonderful. The food is completely over the top with a world renown (my words) chef. Room was comfy and the bed was terrific. Room service breakfast (included) was delivered HOT. Explored the beach and coastline with a path down to the shore. Beautiful location and highly recommend. I plan on returning in the coming weeks.
Just down the hill from the minuscule town of Elk (just south of Mendocino) lies the boutique B&B of Elk Cove Inn. The dozen+ beach cottages are rustic, cozy, private, with sublime views of Elk Cove, a typical NorCal beach with a gigantic rock splashed with waves. It is the most peaceful place I have ever stayed at, and I've been all over the world. I don't know if its the nestled-in privacy of the place, Melissa the wonderful owner/host, the terrific on-premises restaurant, or what, but one day I just sat by the window and watched the waves batter the giant rock outcropping as the rain (Feb.) came purgatively down, cleansing my soul, or what. I never... read full review
this review is about my experience 10 years ago. i have thought about this place regularly since then. it’s difficult, maybe even impossible, to explain the effect it had on us, so i will just tell the story.
we stumbled upon this cute little inn in the summer of 2015 while on a road trip up the california coast. my mom, my sister, and i were coming down from a pretty difficult set of circumstances at the time and my mom took an opportunity to get us out of that environment for a while. we had no destination and no plan, just driving. so we were incredibly lucky to find this place.
from the moment we walked in, it felt like home.... read full review
I was visiting the Mendoncino coastline and in search of a nice place to stay and I discovered the Elk Cove Inn and Spa. What a beautiful hidden gem on Hwy 1. Innkeepers and staff were wonderful. The food is completely over the top with a world renown (my words) chef. Room was comfy and the bed was terrific. Room service breakfast (included) was delivered HOT. Explored the beach and coastline with a path down to the shore. Beautiful location and highly recommend. I plan on returning in the coming weeks.