Amazing stay, beautiful views of the ocean and nature. Deer all around. Loved it!! A must visit!!read more

I loved my time at the inn. The views are breathtaking. The rooms are spotless. Watching the sunset…read morewhile soaking in the bathtub was just heavenly. I don't remember the last time I felt so relaxed. Richard, the owner was a delight. I can't recommend this hotel enough.

Shelter Cove is very remote. One way in, one way out. At least 30-40 mins to get anywhere. But…read morethey've got a lot to offer right there in the community. Let's be clear: the number of stars here isn't indicative of a four-star hotel. But overall it didn't disappoint. GREAT view and the sound of the waves crashing outside were high on my amenity list. The unit itself is pretty bare bones. Cheap but comfortable furniture. Kitchen has pretty much everything you'd need to cook. Bed is okay, maybe a little hard. Really hot showers, which was nice. Managers are super nice and 100% responsive to any needs. We got one night free bc of their spring special, which bumped it up a star for us. Would I recommend it? Yes. Would I HEARTILY recommend it? Probably not. But I have no complaints.

This place is incredible. All of the rooms have an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. You are…read moreliterally on the edge of the continental shelf when you stay in this place. The rooms are comfortable and have everything you need. Complete with coffee maker refrigerator and super comfy bed. There is a television but I never turned it on because the view was intoxicating and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I was here right around solstice and so the day was very long and by the time it was too dark to enjoy the view it was bedtime. The hotel managers were friendly and kind and helpful. This place is walking distance from Gyppo the local favorite brewery. And also right on the lower Pacific Road which runs along the ocean. Close to Mal Combs Park. I absolutely recommend this place to anyone wanting the experience of sleeping right next to the ocean. You could hear the surf and waves all night long. It lulled me to sleep.

My first time to Shelter Cove. I knew it was a small town...I didn't realize how small but it ended…read moreup being such an enjoyable time. There are very limited (but tasty) restaurant options and zero cell service but it actually turned out to be a wonderfully relaxing time. The people are genuinely very nice. The first night I stayed next door at Oceanfront Inn. It was decent and had amazing ocean views. The second night I stayed here with the same amazing ocean views but the room/studio suite was reallyyyy nice, immaculate, exceeded my expectations and felt luxurious. It felt a little odd to just walk right in with contactless check in but it was seamless and efficient (actually more so than if they were staffing the front desk). I appreciate the key pad on the room door so I don't have to keep track of a hotel key card (I just screenshot the email with the keypad code and bam I have quick access to the room even without cell service). If I come to Shelter Cove again I will definitely stay at Black Sands Inn. -Black Sands Bistro (4 minute drive) had the BEST pastries (I had the carrot cake and blackberry bar) made from scratch in house. -The lasagna was really good (tasted like homemade) from Delgado Pizza -The coffee, view and vibes are really nice at Surf Point Coffee House One thing that would be nice is if they provided a restaurant directory with menus listed somewhere. A lot of the restaurants don't post a menu online so it can be a bit of a gamble deciding where to go. The only other little things missing would be bath robes and a better selection of toiletries in the room which would be a really nice touch. Other than that, the accommodations are wonderful. There's no hotel directory with "enjoy your stay" tips and need to know information but at the far end of the property (opposite side of the street parking) there's a gate that leads to beach access.

We booked our room last-minute for one night, a few days before 4th of July, because we wanted to…read morebreak up our drive to Crescent City. We are so glad we did! The view was gorgeous and our room (3rd floor) was clean, spacious and nicely appointed. We got a great night's sleep on the comfy bed. We especially enjoyed the coffee setup which included a standard drip coffee maker as well as a Keurig machine. There was an ample mini-fridge and a microwave. There is no elevator, so be prepared to carry luggage up a few flights of stairs depending on which room you book. The rate was quite reasonable for the area, so we were delighted to discover the room was a suite. We loved that we were walking distance to Gyppo Ale Mill where we had a delicious dinner. We had our own balcony overlooking the ocean and enjoyed a spectacular sunset. This was our first experience with a self check-in (no front desk or lobby) so we were a little unsure of what to expect. It went great! Our only concern was a small one, that we were not certain where to park. We ended up parking in the cul-de-sac directly next to the hotel, which was an easy walk to the stairwell. We will be back!

I would give this place 4 stars for the reasons below and will break down the pros and cons as well…read moreas provide some helpful tips. Pros: *It's a place that has a peaceful coastal vibe and being that it is remote, I love that it's not overrun by people and has a slower pace and has beach town vibes. It's great for disconnecting from life and relaxing! *The views are phenomenal and we absolutely loved watching sunsets every night while here! All rooms also have an incredible ocean view! *This place is dog friendly, meaning all the rooms here you can bring a dog. We love traveling with our dog and she loved the views on the balcony as much as we did! We paid $50 per night for having a dog and stayed here two nights (so $100 total). *We loved the patio and the chairs were very comfortable to sit in and we spent a decent amount of time here listening to the waves. We were in Suite 202 so the first floor may not have a balcony. *The room was clean. *This Inn has two places to eat, Black Sands Bistro and Delgada Pizza, which is very convenient. They also have a Venezuelan restaurant that is amazing right next door. I can't comment on the pizza because we didn't eat there. We got expresso shots at Black Sands Bistro one morning because we ran out of coffee and my husband got a slice of cake and beer there one day, which he said was good. *The road is around 45 minutes in and back out and one lane in and out. I personally have driven on a windy road to Fort Bragg and up Hwy 1 and felt this road was a lot better than I was expecting with a lot of it paved so it was much better than I was expecting! *The town is small making it very walkable and drivable, which was really convenient because everything was a short distance away. *Easy check in and out. We were given and key and left early the day we checked out so there was a key drop off. *The Inn had doggy bags, which we didn't use since we had our own but appreciated. We saw some dog owners that were visitors not picking up after their dogs so "be better". Compliments to the Inn for trying their best to leave no trace. *The people in this town were so friendly and welcoming! Cons: *The Inn on the Lost Coast is outdated like others have mentioned in reviews. *There was one part of the rug in our room that was unraveling and the bed skirt had a hole in it and stains (see pics). *The smoke detector was ancient and had a red light flashing so I'm assuming it worked, but wasn't sure (see pic). *The rooms lack insulation so you can hear more than you would expect. To no fault of the Inn, we were right next to a very loud family that was not mindful of anyone else. Thankfully they checked out after day one! If you are visiting, please be mindful of others! Tips: *They have a general store, although I would highly recommend bringing a cooler and everything you would like with you in advance! We brought a portable expresso machine, Nespresso capsules, wine bottles, wine opener, some fresh food, and our favorite snacks and we were so grateful that we did! We visited the general store though for an item we forgot, to get more water, etc.

Be warned! The road coming in here is crazy! It had our brakes squealing and burning. You can…read morehardly see around the turns. It is super narrow and the locals come swinging around it. There are lots of turns off thankfully for us who aren't willing to go on two wheels around a turn. Hotel is outdated and AC didn't work so had to leave the balcony door open throughout the night but thankfully the waves brought in a lot of air and rocked us to sleep. The good aspects is the beach town vibes. It is small, quaint but the views are stellar. It is absolutely beautiful to sit out on the balcony, drink some wine and listen to the waves as they crash on the rocks. We ate at a local brewery that is family friendly, Gyppo Ale Mill, with good food and drinks. We most likely won't ever be back to this place or Shelter Cove ever again, but it seems very enjoyable for a nice quiet vacation for someone who wants a little bit of a disconnect from society. "It's one road in, one road out."

We booked and paid for a specific top-floor room at The Oceanfront Inn for May, 2026. When we…read morearrived, we were told that the room we had reserved was occupied by another guest and unavailable. The hotel offered a lower-quality room, which we declined because it was not the room we had booked and paid for. Management then agreed to cancel the reservation, issue a refund, and relocate us to another nearby hotel. Based on that agreement, we stayed elsewhere that night. What turned an unfortunate mistake into a negative experience was the way it was handled. Rather than taking responsibility and focusing on customer service, management was confrontational and dismissive. The interaction was unnecessarily unpleasant and left us feeling that our concerns were not being taken seriously. To make matters worse, our credit card records show that the hotel initially issued a refund and then charged the card again the following day, after we had already relocated and stayed at another hotel. Since we never received accommodations from this property, this was very concerning. Mistakes happen in any business. The real measure of a hotel is how it treats customers when something goes wrong. Unfortunately, that was the most disappointing part of this experience.

The positives included the staff being so responsive and friendly. he unit was incredibly clean…read morewhich really means everything to us. The king bed was nice and comfy. Good towels. What appears to have been an apartment, was well equipped. And, of course, the view was spectacular. So glad the weather cooperated providing sunshine and great sunsets. Oh, and the furnishings were nice. Not sure what other units provide. This is an upstairs unit - no elevator. Also, the Surf Pointe Coffee and Bistro was a big plus. Great service, Great baked goods. We breakfasted there one morning and that was fabulous. We already reviewed them. It was a good location for getting around Shelter Cove and other day trips we enjoyed. The full kitchen was also nice. Wish we had known it truly was fully-equipped. We had brought some of our own food thinking it would just be a kitchenette. There are some issues with the property not being maintained. Dumpsters, tools and other debris that should be put away from view. While our unit had been renovated, there were some attention to detail matters that we had to address with the owner. They were very responsive and provided a partial discount which was much appreciated. It was the hospitalble thing to do.

I have traveled to Fiji China Cuba Mexico London Norway and by far this is the best…read morebed-and-breakfast I've ever Had the pleasure to stay in the view is fantastic There is a Jacuzzi and sauna in the room There is a attached coffeeshop on one in and pizza shop on the other. The coffeeshop makes a great mocha and the pizza shop has a great pullpork pizza The "in of the lost close" is a great romantic getaway And a Nearby golf course

Phenomenal!!! The…read morelandscape, location and Inn are absolutely stunning! The walk to the beach is less than 5 minutes away. My partner booked this stunning get-away. Boy! We were thrilled. The photos are amazing but, in-person, this place is absolutely breath taking. And in typical California coast fashion, there are windows strategically placed so that you get MORE than 180 degree of amazing views from inside the home. The Inn Keeper, Tanya, was extremely attentive and helpful in answering our questions. Initially, we had a small mishap when we first arrived but it was resolved thoroughly and I appreciated how quickly she handled everything. The King Suite boasts the MOST AMAZING VIEW from the deck. There are multiple fire places for warmth and ambiance. The jacuzzi sits on the second floor with three huge windows surrounding it. It was all very luxurious. Including a gorgeous, East-Asian, hand carved table and chairs, Thai or Indonesian possibly? Long enough to fit 16 people!!! It was just the two of us so we ate comfortably at the large kitchen island. Last, worth mentioning was the dedication to historic sailing ships of various early eras. Each window pane adorned with several and a stout model ship hung carefully above the billiard table. The beach, available to the public, was pristine with it's black round rock and felt amazing to walk on. The only concern I'd mention to future guests, is it is a remote location. Don't expect fantastic cell service. I was lucky to have service most of the time but my partner did not once we pulled away from the Inn. Although, the Inn does offer wifi to guests. I hope people enjoy the beauty of this remote luxury but also remember that it is a shared space and to respect it all.

I was fortunate enough to get to stay here last week for work. A mermaids luxurious dream. Grey…read morewhales swam below my balcony, river otters preen just below the bluff, and the sunsets are stunning. The luxury suite has everything you need. A cozy fire place to snuggle up next to after a lovely stroll along Lower Pacific. Full kitchen, comfortable bed with silk sheets, tastefully decorated suite steps from Little Black Sands Beach. My only complaint was the WiFi connection. No cell phone reception to speak of and WiFi you have to purchase by the gigabyte makes movie watching slow and frustrating.

My boyfriend and I were very eager about a getaway weekend to Shelter Cove, where we could explore…read moresome of the Lost Coast and spend some quality time together. I called the night before our reservation date to ask if there are mini-fridges in the rooms. I was greeted by a man who asked me what color my underwear was. In disbelief, I continued to ask him if this was Mario's Marina Motel and if they had fridges. He asked me three more times what the color of my underwear was before I finally hung up. I was mortified, to say the least. Decided to show up anyways (we had a reservation and there are very limited options for lodging in Shelter Cove). Check-in was very easy and smooth (no one at front desk, key already in the door, a post-it with my boyfriend's name on it). Ants everywhere in the room. Crawling up the blankets, all over the tables. Flies darting from wall to wall. The TV doesn't change from CNN, so bring a laptop and a DVD (or some other form of entertainment if you want) if you plan on staying here. No wi-fi. Seems like this motel is catered to people who come here to fish. Plastic welcome mats, signs in the room with instructions on what to do with the fish you catch. And yes, they do have mini-fridges.

We stayed here over the week of Thanksgiving while visiting family in the area. Our room was clean…read moreand fresh when we arrived. Woman who greeted us upon arrival was nice and gave us information about places to eat in the area. We were pleased with our experience. Room #2 had a great sunset view. Mind you this is a motel, in a very, very small town, it is NOT a 5 star hotel. Our stay was nice and quiet. We will return when in the area.