Don't judge a book by its cover. I entered the parking lot with trepidation. It was dusk, and their signage was not illuminated. It was just across the road from a major freeway. My wife had made the reservation on one of the booking websites, so I didn't know what to expect. Nevertheless, I was exhausted and needed to sleep. At first glance, the room didn't look like much. On second glance, everything we needed was there, including a microwave and a mini fridge. The room is spacious and comfortable. The road noise was tolerable. The shades provided privacy with minimal light-leak. The climate control unit was efficient and remarkably quiet. The bed was oh, so comfy. I got the best night's sleep in weeks. I would gladly stay here again! read more

I stayed here on April 2, 2026 and paid $114 for my room on a Thursday night. The room was being cleaned when I arrived and entered. There was a washcloth on the doorjam perhaps to clean it. I found one bathmat to use and was so ready to bathe that I used it to dry off with after a bath. I did not call the front desk to get more towels. I checked out the next morning with a woman and received my $100 cash deposit. I had inquired about availability for three more nights and told her I would return with cash around 5 that afternoon. I did return and a man was at the desk. After looking at my valid CA ID, he told me he would not rent a room to me because there were towels missing and he accused me of stealing them. I had one backpack of belongings and did NOT take them. He said, ' I believe my housekeeping staff.'. He seemed to be trying to get me to start an argument with him. He said it was 'unusual' for me not to call for more towels. It gets worse. I called several more motels and hostels in San Rafael and San Francisco and this motel had me BLACKLISTED AND HUNG UP ON BY ALL OTHER STAFF RECEIVING MY INQUIRIES ABOUT ROOMS TO RENT. I had to be outside before I went to a shelter for women in Sonoma County! I have a stalker who goes by the name of 'the boss'. He has evidently gotten to this motel staff to have me wrongly accused of theft and it is not the first time I would take a polygraph on my honesty. BE WARNED AND DO NOT STAY HERE TO AVOID PROBLEMS. I HAVE HEARD OF EXTREME CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR BEYOND GUESTS BY ' THE BOSS' AND HIS SYNTHETIC TELEPATHY. read more

:This Motel Has BEDBUGS::::: I stayed at North Bay Inn in San Rafael following surgery and had an extremely concerning experience. Within days of checking in, I began experiencing repeated insect bites and ultimately documented multiple bugs in the room with photo and video evidence. This created an unsafe and very distressing environment, especially while recovering from two surgeries and having limited mobility. I reported the issue to management expecting a reasonable and responsible response. Instead, I was met with denial and blame. I was offered only a minimal partial refund for unused nights if I agreed to sign a waiver, which was not a reasonable solution given the circumstances. I also requested to be moved to another room due to the conditions, but a workable accommodation was not provided. The situation was not handled with the level of care or responsibility that should be expected when a guest raises a health and safety concern. Due to the seriousness of the issue and lack of proper resolution, this matter has been escalated through appropriate channels. I strongly encourage anyone considering staying here to take this into account. No guest, especially one recovering from surgery, should have to deal with these conditions or this type of response. read more

See all

Considering prices and reviews on other local places, this was decent. I was originally given a room right by the main road, but requested a change. Got a key for another room and it didn't work twice. The person who checked me it was working on another room when I went down again with the bad key - unfortunately, he forgot to put the fact that my room was changed and taken, and at midnight, a woman opened the door with a key, apologized and must have gone back to get another room/key. The only negative is that it took about an hour to fall back to sleep again. The carpet and some of the things in the room could be changed/updated but everything worked, had a microwave, coffee pot, frig, etc. Had the hottest hot water encountered in a hotel and took time to adjust it so that it was the temp I wanted. It was just down the street from the restaurant we were eating in. Stayed here because of the price and the overall decent reviews. read more

The staff was incredibly kind and accommodating. For the location and the price, I felt my two week stay was worth it and exactly what I was looking for. Nothing extremely fancy, just a safe, clean place to sleep, watch TV, and prepare meals in. I was very grateful for the coffee machine, microwave, and good-sized mini fridge. The wifi was decent enough to stream shows on my laptop and use my phone. However, it would lag quite a bit during peak hours. The room had a fair bit of road noise due to the location being directly next to 580 and 101. Fortunately, it does quiet down later at night. I'm also used to city noise when I sleep so it wasn't too big of a deal. There were also plenty of grocery and convenience stores within walking distance. The motel is located in a Hispanic neighborhood, so there were a lot of great Mexican food options. There is also an awesome coffee shop called Weavers directly in the back of the lot. I highly recommend going there as well. I will definitely be staying here again if I am ever in the area. read more

Worst experience, I been calling since 5AM no one answers. Also the lady at the front desk is not the best when it comes to customer service. read more

This was a very pleasant stay. It's small which is charming and the lady at the front desk was not only very friendly but also helpful when we asked how far to the doctors the next day. A good price and the room was comfortable. The best gave us a good night sleep and the shower had great pressure. We would definitely recommend this motel read more

This place is janky. The desk lady is very "blunt "I'll say NO SMOKING I'm NOT GOING TO YELLING AT YOU OVER AND OVER. I hadn't said anything about smoking but she was very upfront. The carpet is stained and has several tears. The mismatched furniture is old and broken.1 of the 3 outlets work. The bathroom floor is stained a red.maybe blood? The toilet seat is broken. read more

Comfortable and clean. Friendly, helpful proprietors. Recently remodeled. Easy access to San Fran. We will stay here again.

Half Star...Booked thru hotels.com which said the property would be comparable to a Sheraton or Crown Plaza. This wasn't even close. This is a tiny property. While I will say our room was pretty clean, it did, however have a stale cigarette smoke odor. If the noise from the freeway didn't keep you awake, you could hear the toilets flushing in the rooms on either side and above into all hours. We checked in around 5 pm and then went out for dinner. When we came back, there was NO parkimg. We were told we could park at the coffee shop next door, however not only did we have a nasty note left on the vehicle, they called our room at 7 am to tell us we had to move it. I'm not sure who is to blame...hotels.com badly misrepresented what this place was. read more

North Bay Inn - North Bay Inn San Rafael - Hotels Near Me - San Rafael, California

nice staff, conveniently located. Clean modern rooms, fairly priced. free easy parking. It is an Inn, so if you're looking for spa style towels, it's not here. If you want a nice, clean room..............you've got it read more

Worst experience ever! Beware of the nasty manager Anita, who rather than apologize for a broken handle that came off in the shower and almost fell on my toe, and took no responsibility for the refrigerator being set so cold it ruined our food, among several other issues, this mean woman instead criticized us for being too picky! They may be a few dollars cheaper here but watch out for poor quality and bad service. We'll gladly pay a few dollars more not to be yelled at instead of apologized to! read more

The room was somewhat clean. Nicely decorated. However, the one double bed had a condom wrapper in between the blanket and sheet, the room was definitely noisy (you can hear all the cars and trucks going by), there was no breakfast as pictured before. There was only a Danish, one cereal, and coffee. There was no eggs, bacon, etc as pictured before. I've definitely stayed in better places for the money. Live and learn. read more

North Bay Inn - NOT A BREAKFAST,just a Danish or muffin and coffee. Not even fresh fruit, orange juice, eggs or bacon was offered as described! - Hotels Near Me - San Rafael, California

The owner of the hotel is an Indian lady or she runs the front desk. She is really rude and unfriendly, no customer service at all. Very invasive. read more

I booked into the hotel. realized the TV wasn't working so I went and told the Indian Manager lady. She said, 'oh yeah, the guy never came to fix it' So she knew when I checked in the T.V didn't work. Never offered a discount for then or future (I stay in SR a lot) never gave me the option to go elsewhere. The hotel had no vacancy so I couldn't ask for another room. She took my money and ran. Greedy, selfish and spiteful...... bet her T.V was working that night. Shes already forgot about me, but I will never forget her! read more

We had a wedding in Mill Valley and needed a reasonably priced motel to stay in. When we arrived I was skeptical because the neighborhood looked a little run down and because of the freeways, there was a lot of noise outside. I was very pleasantly surprised though. The room was very clean, and had everything we needed. A nice shower, very very comfortable beds, a television, microwave, and refrigerator. The furniture was a bit dated and the rugs worn, but really, who cares? I have stayed in a lot worse places. It was a tad noisy from the freeway and on Saturday we were awoken by a garbage truck servicing the alley but we were able to get decent sleep both nights. Anita the woman at the front desk was just a doll and was very accommodating. read more

Our stay was wonderful. Our room was very clean and all amenities worked. The air conditioner was the best I have ever experienced. Owner was friendly and accommodating to any requests we made. We did not experience any noise problems and thought it was quiet both nights we stayed. Would definitely stay here again. read more

We really enjoyed our one night stay. When we pulled up to the location our first impression was a bit worried but, once we stepped into the door everything was very clean and professional. From the front desk to our room. The rooms were are very clean, kept up and we felt safe! The beds were very comfortable exactly what we were looking for we will be back! read more

Front desk woman freaked out about having 1 guest in my room at 8 PM! I felt like I was back in college with an RA and was honestly surprised she didn't come in and pour out my beers. Wouldn't recommend worst hotel stay I've ever had. Overall clean room and free parking was a plus. read more

The Positive: This place was clean, had a microwave and small refrigerator The negative: They only gave us one small bar of soap over two days. We had to transfer it from the sink to the shower over and over. Also, the coffee pot was really old, the metal on it rusted, and they only gave us decaffe for two days straight. The parking lot is tiny and you have to be really careful not to hit a post in a couple of places. The clincher why I won't return: After our second night, when we were trying to leave to go to a job, we found we were blocked in. Two cars were parked directly behind us, and a truck was next to us diagonally while our spot was the only straight in space. I mentioned to the gentleman (I use this term lightly) that we were in a hurry. He walked out and moved one of the cars behind us, but said that the car directly behind us wouldn't be able to be moved as he had no idea who it belonged to (apparently they don't keep track). Before getting into the truck that we had been trying to avoid every time we pulled into our space, he said, "If you were in a rush you should have left earlier!" I'm sorry, but that was really rude! I will not ever return to that hotel! read more

When exiting the hotel, pay close attention to two things. First, the exit arrow leads you diagonally between two buildings, with precariously little space to squeeze out. Second, there is an unmarked, difficult to see concrete bollard jutting out three feet or so from the edge of the property, right in the path of the exit. If you don't have your eyes peeled, it is VERY easy to run right into this thing. I did, and judging from the angle the bollard is tilted out, I assume many others have, as well. There's got to be some sort of violation for this thing. read more

From the outside it looks dumpy but the rooms are NICE. coffee maker, big flat screen TV, fridge, microwave, really nice bed with nice linens, nice little AC unit which pumps out the cool air, and great water pressure in the shower. The room has enough space for a small couch so I thought there was plenty of room. They have really need soap and lotion dispensers, as week as shampoo and shower gel dispensers, where they are attached to the wall. It gets them off the counter, easy to dispense, and easy for them to refill. It saves so much waste of all those little bottles and then probably having to throw away half used bottles. Very impressed. It's RIGHT off the freeway yet perfectly quiet. Sure, the "breakfast" is just a small selection of packaged pastries, who cares. Their coffee and juice machine is always available in the office so that's nice. I would definitely stay here again. read more

Poor service. When looking to book a room, I went on their website and started going through the booking procedure. During said procedure I had a question I needed to ask the hotel, and called up. The man who answered the phone was unhelpful, hollering back at some woman who said that despite what their own website said, they were fully booked. When I pointed out that it was their own website I was using, they claimed that the website is not connected to their hotel. Idiots. read more

I really enjoyed my stay here. It's not fancy, but it's clean and quiet. The service is excellent and it's nearby everything you need.

The owners are courteous, and always nice. They will try to accommodate your needs. Pictures don't do justice.. has been renovated, black marble tile bathrooms, quality sheets and new bedding, Plasma TVs... Nice furniture-Decorated perfectly Ok looks are good but quality counts... *Very Clean *King size beds with comfortable mattresses *42 inch Color TV with cable *Internet access *Price $79.00 Five stars for price I have paid $175.00 for room of this quality FAULTS: If you stay here it is important to get a room upstairs or you will hear those who may not be as humble as you. And if you are a party animal please ask for a room below. FAULTS: Usually room comes with refrigerator, coffeemaker, however some rooms may not have coffee makers. read more

Place is very small, but very clean! Parking lot is hard to get in and out of. Breakfast was more like a pantry. Packaged muffins and granola bars. Fruit would have been nice! Coffee, tea and juice. Milk was sitting out, looked gross. Woman came out from the back looking like she just woke up and we were bothering her. Close to everything and quiet. Good mattresses, so we slept well. Can't beat the price! read more

Room was clean and well maintained. Nearby freeway was a bit noisy but otherwise, customer service and accommodations were good. Price was reasonable. read more

Our family had the worst customer service ever from the manager Anita. We had a situation that could have easily been resolved had she even a modicum of professionalism. Not only do I not recommend this hotel I intend to seek the owners and file a formal complaint. She inconvenienced, upset and put my husband in danger. Do not stay here. If I could have given no stars I would have. read more

This place is awesome. It has been completely renovated. The pictures shown are old and out of date. The rooms are furnished with really nice stuff, granite desk top, counters and table tops as well as bathroom. Two toned walls, large flat screen tv w/sattelite and LOTS of channels. You even get contintl brkfst. There's even an iPod dock on the clock radio/cd player. You get so much more for your money here and to top it off, the staff are very nice, friendly people. I highly reccomend. read more

ZERO STARS... I made our reservations a few days prior to arrival. I was called at 10 pm the night before and was told that my room type had changed and I was now in a king, not 2 fulls. I let them know that this was not ok and was told to call expedia (I did not book through them) and cancel. When I pointed out that I booked through their web site, I was told I would get a call right back. By 11 pm I called them and there wasn't anyone available. The next morning I called them again and the front desk agent told me to take it or leave it. When I voiced my frustration with the whole situation, she CURSED AT ME and then proceeded to hang up on me after telling me that she is going to cancel the room! I have never been treated so poorly or had anyone so rude on the phone. The front desk agent is supposed to be a customer service agent- not combative, threatening and rude- cursing person! I travel in that area often and will never stay there again nor will I allow anyone I know be subjected to their gross treatment of guests! read more

First off, the customer was wonderful. Stellar. This review is about the rooms. I booked a room for 129.00 for a night. Upon arrival it seemed pretty and nice enough. I got to my room and there was vomit on the back of the door. The front desk guy politely gave me another room, however, the door swiper on the new room was broken. He informed me that if I left the room, I would need to come get him to pry the door open when I got back. I tried to use the restroom and the light was broken. I had to use the toilet with the door open so I could see. Someone else's clothing had been left over a chair in the room. This should have sent me running, but I stuck it out for a bit. The final straw was when I climbed into bed. Someone's BLOOD was on the sheet! I packed my stuff and went to the front desk. Thank goodness they refunded the money. read more

I really didn't even want to give it 1 star. Terrible experience. Will never stay here again. Nor recommend it to even my worst enemy. First off, no company. Who the hell are u to tell me I can't have company? Second, floors were nasty. Burn holes all through out the carpet. Third, 1 of the washrags had make up all over it. Last, bed looked like it had been sat on. Bed spred was not tucked in tight and very wrinkled. read more

Got here late. Called a few minutes ahead to ask if they had availability. The owner was very friendly over the phone. Came to check in and they were almost full. Totally understand why. The room was NICE. Noticed the bedding first and was so happy. Then a nice sized refrigerator and microwave and a flat screen tv with satellite. Also had a small coffee maker in room with coffee ! A big thank you to the owners for paying attention to details. So glad we stopped even if for a short sleep. We will be back ! read more

TERRIFIC HOTEL!! My boyfriend and I booked the hot tub suite (totally worth it!). the tub was great and it was only 4 feet away from the bed. we had a nice flat screen tv. we took a peek into the other rooms and they looked a lot smaller. only bad thing is that the bed is either a full size or a queen size, definitely NOT a king size. service was superb, the front desk lady was very very friendly and pointed out where we could go for lunch. the hotel is also located very close to the freeway. i read some other reviews before staying there and people claimed that the freeway made it very noisy. i didnt notice the noise at all. in fact, the easy freeway access made it even better. the inn is also located close to a rite aid in case you forgot some essential items. Another warning, expedia.com, hotels.com, etc charge $50 more for the rooms than if you go to their direct website at northbayinn.com I TOTALLY RECOMMEND THIS HOTEL IF YOURE PLANNING TO VISIT MARIN COUNTY! it was 10-15 minutes away from the Marin Headlands and the Golden Gate Bridge. read more

I booked this motel through a third-party website. Overall, I enjoyed my stay. The family that runs this motel is so very sweet. If we needed anything they were more than happy to accommodate. As far as the parking lot, yes, it is very tiny. But what are they supposed to do about it? There's no room to make it bigger...perhaps this property used to be a small apartment complex? Just be smart and get there early enough for a parking space. I had no problem parking when I arrived at 4pm. Everything I needed was within walking distance so I didn't need to take my car anywhere else. The room I had was the perfect size for 1-2 people. The furniture and bathroom is beautiful, the bed was comfy. It came with a wardrobe, a DVD player, a fridge, a microwave, hairdryer and coffee maker. The A/C worked great for the space too. Being next to the freeway didn't bother me one bit. Why did I give only 4 stars? Here are my suggestions: Carpet could use an upgrade, our hairdryer didn't work, the alarm clock didn't work, but that was fine. There was also no card or paperwork with any information - what channels were on tv, important phone numbers, their website, etc. It also would have been helpful to have some kind of instruction on how to use the coffee maker (there was no pot, it was just a single cup maker) also to use the shower. We wasted a lot of water trying to figure out how to turn the shower head on, which apparently just needed a tug from the bottom of the faucet. We also had to ask for additional towels, we were only given 2 large towels and 2 small towels. This may be because the room is intended for one person, but I was staying with my mom there. These are all mundane complaints. Well, I wouldn't even call them complaints. They are just suggestions. I would come back! read more

If you blink, you'll miss this place. It's very appealing from the outside as well as the inside. It's clean and has a everything you need in your room. It's a good price for what you get. The continental breakfast wasn't that great. I would have given it a better rating, but the customer service was bad. No one was every at the front desk, which is fine, they had a bell. But every single time they came to answer the bell, it seemed like you were taking them away from something more important and felt like you were inconveniencing them. Other than that, its an okay place. read more

For the money, this place was excellent. Clean and cozy, really all you can expect for the less-than-$70 we paid for a stay.

Don't let the three-star rating fool you. This place is great. Usually, when you pay less than $75 for a hotel room, you get crap. But this place is clean, warm and right on the lev with most Best Westerns. Recommended. read more

I had to travel out of town for business and my office set me up with this little place. At first glance it doesn't look all too pleasing to the eye, -small parking lot, bland colors, maybe 20 rooms- but I must say I am beyond satisfied with my room AND my service. I had a little bit of difficulty at first which had me a little worried. Not upset, because with my luck I had expected some kind of disappointment.. But worried. My manager used her card to hold my room and informed me that I needed to change it to mine and that it would not be charged. I called twice to clarify that it would not be charged and that I would be paying cash when I arrived. (This is why they got 4 instead of 5 stars) Unfortunately when I got there my card had already been ran. The kind, and apologetic woman quickly reversed the transaction however you know these processes can take a few days with the bank. I paid cash for my room and she was very pleasant. However... Because my card was ran it unknowingly caused my account to be overdrawn and it had a pending hold for the total amount. My bank needed very specific documents faxed from the motel in order to release this hold and while she attempted to perfect it THREE times for me, visa still would not approve the release. Instead she simply offered to cover the overdraft fees herself without me even having to ask! So although it was a little worrisome at first, it got beyond resolved and she was very helpful. On another note.. The room. My room was upstairs and absolutely fantastic. So much so that I would come back to the bay and make sure that I stay here. I had a nice big bed, a couch, a fridge and a microwave. The furniture was beautiful and the tv was modern and up to date. I'm almost hesitant to leave my review because I don't want to share the secret! read more

For the price, can't beat it. The surrounding area is not bad. There is not much night life near by, but that also keeps it fairly quite. Ordered my room from Expedia.com, and had no problems with check in. read more