Brewery Gulch Inn – Review

High above the surf-carved coast of Mendocino, Brewery Gulch Inn & Spa offers eleven beautifully appointed rooms, a welcome split of bubbles on arrival, and a refined, understated take on coastal luxury. The hotel’s relaxed environ includes terraces that overlook water views, ocean-light filtering through large windows, and an evening “Mendo box” dinner, paired with wine. All set the tone for leisurely enjoyment.

Background and Concept

The building itself is a story in material and place. Opened in 2001 on land once part of a pioneer farmstead, Brewery Gulch was crafted using “sinker” redwood logs, trees that lay submerged in the nearby Big River for more than a century before being reclaimed and milled into the inn’s structure and interior. Such carefully honed craftsmanship creates a craftsman-style retreat that is rooted in its coast-forest setting rather than simply overlooking it.

Location

Just south of the village of Mendocino, the inn sits on a bluff beside the Pacific, its terraces and decks oriented toward Smuggler’s Cove and the ever-changing horizon. The meadow and redwood forest immediately adjacent provide a sense of peaceful remoteness, even though the shops and galleries of Mendocino village remain within easy reach. The setting is ideal for exploration during the day and repositioning into calm at dusk.

Rooms and Suites

With only eleven rooms, the inn cultivates intimacy. Each room is designed for cozy comfort:: feather-beds dressed in Sferra linens, fireplaces (gas) to ward off evening and morning chill, substantial leather club chairs in seating nooks, DVD players and a robust library of movies. Every room (except the Meadowview suite) enjoys an ocean view. Many have private patios or decks opening out onto lawn or meadow.

My Room

During my stay I was in the “Osprey” room on the second floor, facing the ocean with a small furnished deck overlooking Smuggler’s Cove. The gas fireplace warmed two deeply comfortable easy chairs, draped with cozy blankets, which invited long stretches of reading. The bathroom featured a large soaking tub, bath salts, and luxurious Le Labo bath amenities. From the deck I watched gulls wheeling, waves breaking below, and the sun’s final gilding of the water. Within the Great Room below, all-day access to coffee, tea, and sparkling water meant I never felt I needed more than what the inn provided.

Food and Drink

Breakfast is made-to-order each morning: eggs, frittata, a breakfast burrito, hazelnut-custard French toast or chilaquiles — executed with fresh local ingredients and served in the wood-lined dining room that’s heated by a central wood-fire fireplace. Come evening, rather than a formal restaurant menu, every guest receives a “Mendo box” — a generous bento box-style dinner of seasonal appetizers (on my visit: Asian-style ribs and potato salad) paired with a white and a red wine. Additional wines are available for purchase from thoughtfully curated local labels. This all-day Great Room provides a gathering spot for guests at all hours.

Wellness, Spa and Other Facilities

The inn emphasizes wellness and calm, and the offerings stretch far beyond the typical massage menu. Treatments are intentionally intimate—rooted in Mendocino’s landscape and shaped by a small roster of gifted local practitioners. A separate Spa Pavilion hosts private sessions, where guests may book Swedish or deep-tissue massages, holistic bodywork blending Reiki, Cranio-Sacral Therapy or Tui Na massage, and a signature “Nourish & Restore” program me. For those desiring futher immersion, the inn offers a “Shinrin-yoku” (forest-bathing) experience in nearby redwoods and guided walks into nature. Private yoga sessions can be arranged in the pavilion or outdoors, incorporating meditation, sound healing (flutes, Tibetan bowls, chimes) and movement designed to align body and environment.

I booked a Holistic Bodywork session with Alexander Friend that began with a tea ceremony. As he poured the steaming organic infusion, he explained how tea serves as both tonic and meditation—balancing energy and calming the mind. The massage that followed was extraordinary: a seamless blend of modalities that moved from firm, intuitive pressure to the slow, craniosacral stillness that seemed to reset my entire system. Every movement felt attuned to what my body needed that day—targeted, unhurried, restorative. By the time we finished, I understood why the inn treats wellness not as an amenity, but as an extension of its surroundings—personal, elemental, and even profound.

Final Thoughts

If you’re accustomed to mega-resorts with vast amenities, multiple restaurants, and full spa complexes, Brewery Gulch Inn may at first appear modest. Yet when viewed through the lens of the rugged and windswept Mendocino coast, it offers luxury of a more subtle kind. It is quiet but purposeful and designed for presence. If you’re seeking a home base from which to explore Mendocino, or simply a place to unplug and breathe deeply, this is it.

Top Tip

Go for the ocean-view second-floor room with deck (like Osprey). Book a private morning yoga session and follow it with a mid-afternoon forest-bathing walk at Van Damme State Park. Then, return for a glass of wine during sunset. This is the recipe for a lovely trifecta of sea, forest and stillness.

Photos courtesy of Fran Miller and Brewery Gulch Inn