We have a motto here at the Whale Watch Inn and it is to provide you with "World Class service in a World Class setting." With 18 unique waterfront rooms each with a dynamic view of the ocean, all our rooms include a private deck facing the Pacific Ocean, private bathroom, seating area, a wood burning fireplace and direct access to our beach down below. Many rooms have extra amenities like full kitchens, hot tubs on the deck, indoor 2-person Jacuzzi-type spa tubs or dry sauna. And we have dog-friendly rooms! Also included with your stay is a full breakfast delivered to your room each morning. We are committed to making your stay an out of this world experience by accommodating your needs and paying attention to the details. We hope you will join us soon. The ocean is waiting!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
We got in late from the bay area, but Miren the inn keeper stayed up for us greeted us warmly, and made sure we got settled in with everything we needed. She was very friendly and helpful our entire stay. Our room "Sea Bounty" was -- WOW. Vaulted ceilings with window walls facing the ocean from the living room and bedroom. The rooms were filled with views of the dramatic Gualala coast, and the Inn's beautiful grounds. Morning and evening we took the stairs down the cliff for an invigorating walk on the beach. Hated to leave.
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Date of stay: July 2022
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Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We discovered Whale Watch Inn years ago and have returned to celebrate our anniversary every 5 years (since our beginning), regardless of whether we lived in California or elsewhere. We’ve even enjoyed this same room, too: Pacifica. The view is spectacular, soothing, ever changing. Miren and Robert are outstanding hosts, providing privacy but checking to see if we need anything, and Miren is a remarkable cook. Breakfasts are beautifully presented, perfectly prepared, and filling…keeping us going most of the day while we explore the forests, wineries, towns, galleries, shoreline trails, and more. This trip, as with all the previous ones, has helped us slow down and feel renewed in life and to each other. This year is our 40th anniversary. ❤️ See you in 5, Miren. 🙂
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:We prefer upstairs in the main building
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This was our third time at the Inn. Like a lot of places in Gualala they were greatly affected by the pandemic. BUT, despite everything not being perfect it still is one of the most romantic places I've ever been to. As some would say: "A view to die for." ❤ If your looking for a great place to take the love of your life you need to go here. The owner: "Miren" was very helpful and the provided breakfasts were delicious. We had been boiling in the summer heat but not here. One morning it was in the 50s and totally fogged in - neat! Every 'suite' is unique. Ours had a fireplace and a spiral staircase up to shower and jacuzzi. Bed, and bedding, very comfortable. Enjoy 😃
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Date of stay: July 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Those of you who, like I, have had excellent stays at Whale Watch in past years and have read recent reviews with sadness, please know that the recent owners who did SO poorly with the place are gone. When we drove by the first weekend in April, the entrance was chained off and a real estate "Sold" sign sat out by the highway. Locals told us a foreclosure story and said new local owners were in the process of putting it back together.
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Date of stay: April 2015Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We've stayed at this hotel in past and it was fantastic. Paid for a 2 night stay. Arrived at 4:30 pm and after walking around the property knew we had to leave. However, when we went to the office at 5:15 pm it was locked and no employee was on the property until 9:30 am the next day. We were the only guests in the hotel. No wifi, no cell phone coverage. There was a sign in the lobby that said "use this phone to call innkeeper", but there was no phone. The hotel smells moldy, is dirty, and the stairway to the beach is rotting & dangerous. When we told the manager our complaints she was sympathetic but when she called the new owner who bought the hotel Nov 2013, he refused to refund the 2nd night and refused to speak with my husband. We left anyway and filed a complaint with the jBBB and our credit card company. What a shame that this beautiful place is not being maintained and is not a safe place to stay.
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Date of stay: April 2014Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It pains me to write this review, but I use Trip Advisor due to the overall accuracy of the reviews, and I must use the same level of honesty. My wife and I have stayed here a dozen times over the last 16 years, and always looked forward to spending a couple of nights here amidst the beauty and serenity of the area, as well as the great rooms and service. During our prior visit a year ago we started to notice the decor and ambiance fading a bit, but decided to try one more visit to see if things had changed, and sadly they had not. There is no question about the beauty of the location, and the breakfasts are excellent, but that is about it for excellence. After ducking under a low-hanging branch in the middle of the walk to the entrance, we were not offered the usual glass of wine while checking in (which had always been done on prior visits). When we first started going there, in fact, they recognized returning guests by name and provided a split of champagne or wine in the room. We stayed in the Country French Suite. Although the decor could use some updating, the real issue was that it did not seem that normal maintenance was not being done. There was no longer an ice maker in the sitting area. The liner in the fireplace had worn through, and although there was brick behind it, it made the fireplace look unsafe. Cushions on the window seat were worn through. Windows were difficult to open and some of the blinds needed a lot of help to close properly. The advertised wifi did not work in the room, and in fact did not work too well in the lobby, unless you got very near the office. The staff did mention that they were having wifi problems and the new owner was trying to work them out. Breakfast was late by about 25 minutes the second morning. Also the first morning our door opened, and then closed with no announcement of who it was, or why they had entered. We later found out it was a staff member who sometimes stayed on the property overnight, but did not check whether someone had booked that room, or was given wrong information by the staff. Sadly, we have decided that the Whale Watch is no longer worth the four hour drive from the bay area at the current prices.
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Date of stay: April 2014
Value
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Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Returned to this beautifully located inn after 8 years. we stayed in a great room, but the view, once upon a time very open to the Pacific was much blocked by tree growth. The staff were non-existent so no homely feeling. there were no choices for breakfast, which only came at 8 o'clock. A dirty coffee cup stayed on the bathtub sill during our two night stay. And $300+ I think was too much.
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Date of stay: May 2014
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When my wife and I chose this hotel, we chose it for the view and the ambience. It said we would have classical music pumping through every room, champagne with breakfast, a skylight above the bed so we could see the stars at night and a private beach for only guests of the hotel. I read all the reviews before making the reservations, and the only review I read that was bad was bashing the décor. Yes, I agree, the decorations could be updated, but I didn’t have a problem with that. Yes, the tub and showers would do well to be resurfaced and painted, but I didn’t have a problem with that. And yes, the breakfast could have been better, but I have had worse, so I don’t have a problem with that either. What I do have a problem with were the spiders that were on my bed when I came in and the cobwebs in the skylight, which was above my bed. I especially have a problem with the fact that when my wife went down to tell them about the spiders, the lady she spoke to went to the back and my wife could overhear the owner state “ Oh here we go again!” Now, I’m not sure she was stating that this happens more than it should, or she was used to people complaining and not wanting to fix it. When someone did come to fix the spider problem, they simply were going to change the sheets. That still wouldn’t fix the spiders hanging above the bed. My wife wasn’t feeling comfortable and wanted to leave automatically, but I convinced here to ask if they had another room for us. They thankfully did, so I moved our bags over to the other room. The room was nice, as I said before, could use some work but I didn’t care about that. The fireplace and tub were great and my wife was satisfied with the room, though she still wanted to leave. We finally got situated and went out to enjoy the surrounding town of Anchor Bay. The people in the city, from the young clerk at the local grocery store to the waitress at the Redwood Grill, were so welcoming. I very much recommend, as long as you don’t stay at the Whale Watch Inn, to go to the Redwood Grill. The service was great and the food was amazing. Those who love food will be greatly surprised, and don’t let the look of the outer or inner area fool you, a great chef works there. That night when we went back to our room, I was able to make a fire in a good size fireplace. The only thing the Whale Watch Inn was the wood they supplied for the fire. The first night was fine, and we spent the whole next day in Fort Bragg. If you decide to go to the Mendocino area, do not miss Fort Bragg. However, that night, with the smallest amount of wind gusting through the area, we heard all of it through a whistle in the windows and sliding glass door. It wasn’t enough to stop us from sleeping, but it was annoying. Later in the night, the light wind changed to a raining storm. And with that pick up of wind, came whistles to rival a whistling contest. We hardly slept two consistent hours through the entire night. In the morning, around 6, we simply woke up, got dressed, packed, and left. We didn’t want to wait for the breakfast, we simply gave our key to the cooks and left. We called at nine this morning and made sure they new we had checked out, since there wasn’t a hostess or anyone other than the cooks available. After we left and were about to have lunch in San Francisco, I received a call from the owner stating that one of their robes was missing, and that if we wanted to keep it, we needed to pay. When I left, I looked upstairs where the shower and Jacuzzi were, and one robe, which wasn’t used, was still rolled up and in place. The other robe, which I used after my shower, was lying across the chair in front of the fireplace. When I told the owner it was there, she stated that I may have taken it by accident, but still had to pay. I assured here that I in fact did not have it. After I hung up, I went straight to my car, checked my entire luggage and was confirmed in my knowledge. I did not take the robe, and thank goodness I never used my credit card, for she would have definitely charged it and would have had no way but to go all the way back to show we didn’t have it. Moreover, to top it all off, the private beach was only accessible during low tide, and took an experienced hiker to get down to. My wife was unable to even see the so-called beach that consisted of more rocks than sand. Therefore, to recap, we were expecting elegance and grace; we received bugs and bad attitudes. We were expecting classical music in the room and champagne for breakfast, we received annoying whistles through the windows and orange juice for breakfast. Finally, we were expecting a private beach, and received a twisted ankle waiting to happen with no view. If you are deciding to go to the Mendocino area, I recommend the Albion River Inn. Had dinner there and received in the short time we were there the accommodations we were expecting at the Whale Watch Inn. Do not be fooled by the other reviews, I am not just one person bitter about a small defect. I am a man whose eighth anniversary was almost ruined by the Whale Watch Inns “False Advertisement”.
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Date of stay: April 2010
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I made my reservation for Aug 28 for 4 nights in the Swan room. Then they change my room to another one. I was not very happy about the change but okay. Then once my reservation was cancel I saw that Swan room had reservation for that week. They change me from that room to put someone else. I had to cancel my reservation do to family emergency (my mom) go very sick . So I call to cancel the reservation. I got the refund after 2 weeks and they charge a fee $ 25.00. I call my card AX, and refuse the charge. They refuse and charge me again. They have on the site if you cancel with 10 days full refund, and is Subject to a fee. I cancel the reservation 14 days before. Subject to a fee, what fee. If this hotel wants to charge a fee they should say: CANCEL FEE and NOT subject to a fee. I will not book this hotel again or send any customers to this hotel again.
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Date of stay: August 2014Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I spent a few days at the Whale Watch Inn in April 2004. We are in our mid 30s. We loved the setting, and the peacefulness of the place. The ocean views are amazing. Our room was large and well equipped with fireplace and jacuzzi tub. However, the decor needs updating - it is very 80s and it all looks a bit tired and cheap. They deliver hot breakfast to your door - a plus, but they were not happy to accomodate requests, and argued when they got it wrong. For this price I would expect a higher standard of decor, food and service.
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Date of stay: April 2004
Value
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Email or call them to make a reservation. The owner is extremely friendly and accommodating and will ask you which room you want to reserve. Every room is very different than the next. Ours was the Bath Room and I'd do this one again for the views and the jacuzzi on the second level (it is a two-level room, bed/bath/deck on first level)
The Whale Watch is for sale and is temporarily closed.
It is in escrow and the new owner hopes to have it open again after taking care of some deferred maintenance.
The person who was running it left suddenly.
I'm very sorry there was not proper notification on the website or phone messages!
There are more places to choose from in the Gualala area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
whale watch inn by the sea hotel gualala
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaMendocino CountyGualala
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including any mandatory fees. Taxes not included. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Whale Watch Inn By The Sea
Which popular attractions are close to Whale Watch Inn By The Sea?
Nearby attractions include Gualala Point Regional Park (4.6 miles), Gualala Bluff Trail (3.7 miles), and Gualala Arts Center and Art Center Theater (2.8 miles).
