We spent two nights at the end of April to celebrate our anniversary. As first time visitors we were excited about the Inn and it's reputation.
The place is extremely well maintained. The rooms are very tastefully decorated. The breakfast first rate.
We will be back. More
BookingCom
Booking.com
My husband and I have visited Seal Cove Inn for several years. We return for short get-a-ways and have always been impressed with the location, gorgeous grounds, quiet rooms and cleanliness. This year, the added plus was the staff. Both Kathi and Sharon were helpful with everything from showing us the portable beach chairs to beach towels and much more. Their cheerfulness and helpfulness were very much appreciated. I would also like to commend Chef Karen. Her breakfasts were delicious. She took the time to explain a recipe I asked for and I so much appreciated her willing to take time to do so. We are looking forward to our next visit. I highly recommend Seal Cove Inn.
Hello Maria-Grazia S,
Thank you for your ongoing loyalty; it is the best reward we could ask for! Providing our guests with a serene getaway amidst the coastal beauty of Half Moon Bay is something we take great pride in. Your appreciation for our peaceful rooms, welcoming grounds, cleanliness and dedicated team members has made our day, thank you. We'll love sharing your compliments with Kathi, Sharon, and Karen; we're positive their smiles will glow when they hear your praise. We echo your sentiment exactly, we can't wait until our next opportunity to welcome you.
My wife and I had a wonderful visit to Seal Cove Inn. We were warmly greeted by Kathy when we arrived. She quickly checked us in and then took us on a short tour of the property. Our upper floor room was clean, spacious, and comfortable with a view of the ocean from our balcony. Each morning we took a walk to the beach. The path starts just beyond the hotel property. All and all, a great time. We will visit this lovely inn again soon.
Hello TripTaker1313,
It was our pleasure to welcome you both for a romantic visit to the coast! Kathy is a true gem, and we know your compliment will make her smile, thank you. It's fabulous to know our attention to detail, cleanliness, spacious rooms and ideal location enhanced your stay. Beginning each day with a serene walk to the beach sounds like perfection to us, we love your style. We couldn't be happier to hear that we'll have the joy of welcome you again; we're greatly looking forward to the opportunity.
My wife and I stayed one night at the Seal Cove Inn as a side trip from visiting our son in nearby Palo Alto. The inn was really helpful to make lunch and dinner dining suggestions and made the reservations. The inn's location is terrific a short walk out back to the tide pools and Pacific overlook. The host was super friendly and welcoming at check in and throughout our stay. The inn is very elegantly appointed, cozy and comfortable. How can you complain about a plate of warm cookies at check in? We enjoyed the complimentary glass of wine and talking with other guests in the living room. Our room was a deluxe balcony suite, which was very spacious and well appointed. Loved the fireplace and sitting area. The afternoon sun was shining so we enjoyed the balcony with a view to the ocean. Breakfast was wonderful...good selection, healthy choices...and you have a choice of being served in your room or the dining area. We tried to book the Ritz Carlton but it was sold out which is what took us to the Seal Cove Inn. We decided to check out the Ritz for a drink before dinner in Half Moon Bay and we discovered we made the right choice going to the Seal Cove. The Ritz is a beautiful property with stunning views but it has a totally different feel. We found the Ritz to sterile and impersonal. Also, the Ritz was very crowded...the bar was packed, tables dirty and the common areas noisy. I get the impression they do a lot of business with Silicon Valley company retreats which "take over the place". $15 mandatory valet parking and $30 for a glass of Chardonnay wasn't exactly welcoming either. If you are looking for a peaceful, romantic getaway minutes from everything pick the Seal Cove over the Ritz any time.
Hello Dan M,
Your glowing review set our hearts to dancing! We couldn't be happier that you discovered our slice of tranquility along the California coast. It's always our pleasure to assist our guests with area suggestions and reservations; we love knowing we've had a hand in making their stay nothing short of spectacular. We couldn't agree with you more, warm cookies and an evening wine reception are the ideal way to begin a getaway. It makes us smile to know our spacious rooms, in-room fireplace, balcony, views, and healthy breakfast all impressed, thank you. It is our goal to provide only the highest standard of service in a friendly manner, and we're delighted to have succeeded for your visit. The only thing better than having you stay would be welcoming you back. Our team sincerely hopes we'll get the chance!
We just recently returned from a three night stay over New Year’s Weekend with another couple. We were excited for them to join us at this lovely inn having stayed here five times over the years. The last couple times we have stayed it seems there is new management as there was again this time.
The inn is beautiful inside and out. It sits in a beautiful setting right next to the very walkable cypress reserve and ocean bluffs, tide pools and seals. The Distillery Restaurant, one of our favorites, is a couple blocks away.
We prefer the downstairs garden rooms and this time stayed in Room #1 – a very quiet room all by itself at the end of the hall. In the past we stayed in Room #2, which is right in the middle of things. The rooms are lovely, but this time both my husband and I found the bed to be too hard. That is just our personal preference, but our backs were definitely talking to us. The bathrooms are older, but clean with towel warmers. The tubs are slippery though, so use the bath mat and make sure it is firmly attached to the tub.
The new owners have instituted a new breakfast program, Be Replenished, that sounds good on paper, but became tiresome and boring after the first day. Although beautifully presented, it was not a positive for us. I would at least suggest a rotating choice of 5 different items, that are not the same each day, providing for some variety for guests staying more than one night. The Half Moon Bay market is quite competitive and for the price of a room one would expect at least one hot dish at breakfast.
Finally, we all agreed there was just something missing, something off. Wondering if it was just me, I began to read some of the other reviews. While most of the staff was, especially Stacy, helpful and friendly and will suggest and make dinner reservations for you, others made us feel like we were a bother. The gentleman who checked us in was very meticulous in his explanations of how everything worked, plus that fact since there was no staff in the Inn overnight, and the emergency number was only to be used for real emergencies, which didn’t include getting more ice, etc. While I get it, still makes you feel like they didn’t really care we were there spending $300 plus a night for a room. A final suggestion would be for you to institute a more professional dress code for the staff that deals with the public. There was real lack of hospitality all around. Another reviewer referred to it as “soulless” which is a good description.
We probably won’t be back. We wish you the best.
Hello Peg H,
Welcoming back familiar faces is always a special treat; thank you for your ongoing loyalty. It sounds like you've discovered many of our local gems, and we're sure future guests will greatly appreciate your recommendations, thank you. We understand that not every guest has the same bedding preferences, and we're sorry to hear our mattress was not to your liking. You'll love to hear that you're able to change your breakfast selection from our provided options each day of your stay. Guest satisfaction is our highest priority, and we are listening. We'll be taking all your feedback into careful consideration, and we're thankful that you've taken the time to share your concerns with us. We hope you'll allow us another opportunity to welcome you; we'll be working diligently towards wowing you when you return.
We've tried to resolve our issue via Better Business Bureau, but Sea Cove Inn does not respond to BBB. We are sharing our experience here as a warning to all:
We made a reservation at Sea Cove Inn on 12/1/14 through Bookings.com but had a subsequent change of plans. Because we did not know our return date to reschedule, the inn keeper instructed us, over the phone, on 12/2/14 to cancel the reservation and call back when our return date became finalized. She indicated that we could apply the cost of the original reservation credit towards a future stay. She also specifically indicated that the credit will not expire.
When we called in 7/3/16, the original inn keeper is no longer working at Seal Cove Inn and the new keeper (Kevin) would not honor the credit promised by the original inn keeper. To be clear, the original inn keeper's offer of credit for a future stay is not in dispute, but Kevin indicates that too many months as passed and the credit has therefore been "written off" and cannot be redeemed.
The original inn keeper's instructions were specific and is the reason we allowed many months to elapse before attempting to redeem the credit.
Sea Cove Inn took $700 and refuse to provide any service. We recommend everyone to stay somewhere else.
Hello 3I3ctric,
We're sorry that your change of plans prevented you from visiting our coastal home when you originally planned; the Half Moon Bay area is truly beautiful. Although our cancellation policy was included in the terms and conditions you accepted when placing your original booking, we did extend a credit to you to be used within the first quarter of the approaching year. This, and the full details, were explained in the cancellation email we sent you immediately following your cancellation. Credits to our inn have never had an indefinite expiration time allotment; perhaps you misunderstood the difference between our credits and gift certificates. As you mentioned, we are not BBB members, but are happy to resolve any concerns directly. When you recently called, a year and a half had passed since your original reservation and your credit was no longer available. As a courtesy to you, we did offer a discount and am sorry to hear it was not to your liking. We hope you'll have the opportunity to visit the area in the future; we're confident you'll find the tranquility here enjoyable.
