Travel Hotels marga@lacabe.com

Stay: July 2007 General Impressions The Timber Cove Inn is an interesting hotel, "a throwback to the 60's" according to the manager. It's not the luxury lodge that the pictures in the AAA magazine may have led you to believe, and if you want things right and modern, you'd conclude the place is in terrible need of updating (and for the prices, you might expect it), but it's charming in its own way. We enjoyed our stay here, though we felt that at $200 it was overpriced (but we've been saying that about almost every hotel in this trip), and I'd stay again. How I chose this hotel I'd seen the add in the AAA magazine and other publications, so I had some idea of what it was. But as usual, I checked tripadvisor.com first. There were many mixed reviews of the place, so I figured if we were looking for a hotel at the time we went by it, we could check it out. We did, liked the room, and decided to stay. Rooms The Timber Cove Inn has a whole range of rooms. The smallest and cheapest ones don't seem to be much bigger than a king-size bed. Our room, however, was a nice size and included a king size bed, a jacuzzi tub, a separate shower, a table with a TV, a couch and chair and a gas fireplace in the middle of it all (don't ask why). There was a nice veranda outside (from which I'm writing this) with a gorgeous view of the coast outside. Alas, for some reason one of the several paths around the property ended at our balcony, so we couldn't be assured of complete privacy. Our room was made of wood, like a cabin, and indeed a couple of wood poles seem to support the structure. One of them was in the bathroom, where the doorless closet was also located (!). The room was carpeted ­ even around the jacuzzi tub and has lots of windows with views of the coast and the hills next to it. I found it all very pleasant. I should say, however, that when we got to the room at 6:30 PM or so, it was very hot, probably as a consequence of all the west-facing windows. Opening the veranda door helped significantly, ­ there is no A/C, ­ but it might be unpleasantly hot during the day. We did enjoy the jacuzzi tub quite a bit, it's very deep and two fit very comfortably, and the gas fireplace was very romantic, if hot. Grounds I think the grounds of the Timber Cove Inn are very cool. The main lobby, the one usually depicted in their ads, is very pretty and quite comfortable with couches and tables for the guests. There is also a bar for those in need of a drink. There is a small attached restaurant (reviewed separately), also with a gorgeous view of the ocean. There is a pond in the front of the property, lighted at night, and short hiking trails throughout the hills next to the lodge. There isn't much of a beach you can hike to, however. Several cats roam the hotel during the day. At night, a family of raccoons visits the property and provides free entertainment. Services There is practically no cell phone reception, but there are phones in the room and a pay phone outside. There is no internet service. As mentioned, there is a bar and restaurant on site. There is also a small store selling, among other things, raccoon paraphernalia and shark-tooth necklaces. Final Thoughts The Timber Cove Inn is not for everyone. It doesn't have the charm of a B&B, the style of a luxury lodge or the comforts of your every day hotel. But it's in a great location, has gorgeous views and their bigger/more expensive rooms, at least, are very comfortable. The restaurant on-site (the only one around) is terribly overpriced, but it also does offer a nice view of the coast, and they do have a captive audience. In all, I'm happy with my stay here and I'd stay here again. Timber Cove Inn 21780 North Coast Highway One Jenner, CA (707) 847-3231 http://www.timbercoveinn.com/ Lobby at Timber Cove Inn Our room at the Timber Cove Inn The room's fireplace Our balcony at the Timber Cove Inn View from our room