Stanford Inn Historic Farm & Eco Resort

Hwy. 1 & Comptche-Ukiah Rd.
Mendocino, California 95460
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Local Phone: (707) 937-5615

Pets Welcome! is not just a saying at the Stanford Inn. It’s a decades-old commitment from owners Joan and Jeff Stanford: All significant family members can share the experience of the Stanford Inn. We have always traveled with our dogs, Murphy and Ellie, and welcome your friends here.

Dog at Stanford Inn

Over the years we have had a variety of non-human visitors: dogs and cats, of course, but also iguanas, parrots, Vietnamese pot belly pigs, and a tortoise. If yours is a dog, you'll find a welcoming treat, stainless steel food, and water dishes, "dog sheets" to protect the furniture so your friend can snuggle with you, Intelligent Products pick-up bags and more.

More About The Inn

Nestled on a Mendocino Coast hillside, Stanford Inn, a Mendocino Resort, sits atop a meadow overlooking Mendocino Bay. Embodying the best of the rugged Mendocino Coast, this Mendocino Resort is a haven ... an exquisite opportunity to reconnect with nature.

The guest rooms and suites of this boutique hotel in Mendocino include a host of amenities; including an indoor pool, hot tub and sauna, plus a fireplace, private deck, HDTV & DVDs, free wi-fi, coffee maker and refrigerator in every room.

Stanford Inn

Every detail is attended to, from wood-burning fireplaces set and ready to light to the sumptuous chef-prepared organic breakfasts.

Inspired by the Stanford’s Certified Organic gardens, Ravens' Restaurant is outstanding and nationally acclaimed for vegetarian cuisine.
Guests at Stanford Inn, as well as local Mendocino residents, consider Ravens' Restaurant to be an essential dining experience on the Mendocino Coast.

The Inn’s Massage in the Forest and The Mendocino Center for Well Being provide a variety of life-enhancing experiences, including massage, facials and Ayurvedic Treatments.

If you can manage to pull yourself away from the comfort of the Inn, there is canoeing, kayaking or mountain biking along Big River in California’s new State Park right out the front door.

Mendocino's Stanford Inn & Resort is pet-friendly and family-friendly; welcomes meetings, group retreats, weddings and elopements.

One of the first North American inns to adopt sustainable practices beginning the green revolution, the Stanford Inn also offers technological conveniences, including cellular phone service - both GSM and CDMA cell phone service available from antennas housed at the Inn - and complimentary high-speed wireless internet.

Dog-friendly policies:

Size: All sizes
Maximum number allowed: 2
Cost per dog: $45 per stay for the first pet. Additional pets are $22.50
Percentage of rooms that are dog-friendly: Over 50%

Dog-friendly property amenities:

Dog Waste Bags
Cozy Dog Beds
Dining/water bowls
Special treats
Dog-friendly hiking/activity/attractions guide/listings at front desk
Property will assist in making dog-sitting arrangements

There’s something magical about the Big River estuary alongside the Stanford Inn, and something ingenious about the “canine cruiser” that transports two-and four-legged visitors downstream on an ultra-stable platform. That said, you won’t find a more eclectic collection of canoes and kayaks than at Catch a Canoe, which shares ground with the inn and has been outfitting paddlers on the 8.3-mile-long Big River estuary since 1972. Well-behaved dogs of all makes and models are welcome to ride along and enjoy the scenery in surrounding Big River State Park. more »

Dogs Chill While You Dine at The Ravens

Dining at The Ravens

Stanford Inn is a standout in the dog-friendly world not simply because it was one of the first in California to roll out the red carpet for pets. It was also one of the first to adopt sustainable practices, helping to kick off the “green” revolution that resonates today. And it might just be the only vegan resort in the nation. If you’re an omnivore, don’t be put off, be adventurous! What you’ll sample at The Ravens, the inn’s acclaimed restaurant, will turn your head and your mind. It starts with a cooked-to-order, plant-based breakfast (included in the rates). more »

Dog-Passionate From the Get-Go

Stanford Inn by the Sea has been welcoming pets for almost 40 years—it was, in fact, one of the first B&Bs in California to do so. Innkeepers Joan and Jeff Stanford know that four-legged family members deserve care and attention, and they cater to canines accordingly. In pet-friendly guest rooms, water and food bowls are provided along with pick-up bags, house-made organic treats and covers to protect furniture and bedding. more »

Mend Your Mind in Mendocino Village

Mendocino Headlands State Park - Photo Credit: @meganevaughan

A mere five minutes from Little River, much-photographed Mendocino Village, with its wealth of lacy Victorians and colorful saltbox cottages, is loaded with places to enjoy with your four-legged friend. Our top pick is Stanford Inn by the Sea, just south of the village across Big River. Once you’ve explored the compact downtown, get your tails over to Mendocino Headlands State Park, which surrounds the town on three sides. more »

River Cruisin’ With Your Canine

Catch a canoe! - Photo Credit: @wilson_in_the_city

Many say that coastal Mendocino County is not so much a place as a state of mind. And for DogTrekkers, full immersion wouldn’t be complete without a dog-friendly paddle excursion along the serene Big River estuary. Catch A Canoe & Bicycles Too, which shares ground with the extremely dog-friendly Stanford Inn by the Sea, has been putting paddlers on the 8.3-mile estuary since 1972. A decade or so ago, it introduced Canine Cruisers to its fleet of handmade redwood outrigger canoes. The dog-friendly craft feature a raised, padded deck centered in the middle of the canoe between paddler positions in bow and stern. more »

Dog-Friendly Attractions on the Mendo Coast

Cooper - Photo Credit: @littlecooperbear

The Mendocino Coast is rich in natural attractions, from beaches and redwood forests to vast networks of trails where you and your pup can hike to your hearts' content. And then there are the manmade attractions, from the dog-friendly Skunk Train to specially rigged outrigger canoes at Catch A Canoe in which dogs can ride with their paddling people, to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens. more »

Dog-Passionate Places to Rest Heads and Paws

Logan at Little River Inn. Photo Credit: @murphchristine

You know that you and your four-legged companion have arrived at the right lodging place when you’re greeted with treats at the desk and the room comes with dog bed, bowls and other pet-pampering amenities. There’s no shortage of pet-welcoming hotels on the Mendo coast. Here are a few of our favorites. more »

Paws for a Good Read

Support canine literacy... Photo Credit: @jesmcdowell

Whether it’s a novel, a feel-good memoir, a training how-to or a delve into animal psychology, books about animals and the animal-human bond make cherished gifts for the dog-lovers in your life. Jeff Stanford, owner of the dog-passionate Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino, provided this list of favorites enjoyed by his guests. more »

Mush(room) On Over to Pet-Passionate Stanford Inn

It’s hard to imagine a warmer welcome than you and your pet will get at Stanford Inn by the Sea, a boutique hotel with a decades-long commitment to four-legged guests. You’ll be welcomed with all manner of comforts and amenities, including a spa, indoor pool, hot tub, sauna, fireplace, private deck and free Wi-fi. Nor will your dog be neglected: she’ll eat out of stainless-steel bowls, lounge on “dog sheets” protecting the furniture and be provided with a bed if you didn’t bring one from home. more »

Beach It In Mendocino County

Bodhi at Ten Mile Beach. Photo Credit: www.blakefloydgardner.com

Whether you drive all or just some of the 102 intoxicating miles of Highway 1 hugging the Mendocino County shore, you’re sure to find many places to pull over and get some sand between Bella’s toes. Take it at a snail’s pace, but be sure to check out these highlights. more »

Moseying On Mendocino Waterways

Woody's Catch A Canoe Adventure - Photo Credit: @haystackbird

There’s something magical about the Big River estuary near Mendocino—and something ingenious about the “canine cruiser” that transports two- and four-legged visitors down the calm and inky river to the sea. Catch A Canoe & Bicycles Too, which has been outfitting paddlers on an 8.3-mile section of the river since 1972, added the cruiser to its fleet of handmade redwood watercraft several years ago. more »

Dog-friendly Deals on the Mendocino Coast

Winter in Northern California brings rain – but it also brings low, off-season hotel deals at some of Mendocino County’s top dog-friendly hotels. For example: more »

The Dining With Dog Conundrum

Oreo dines at Stanford Inn by the Sea. Photo Credit: @oreo.bb

While most Mendocino County restaurants with outdoor dining venues allow dogs to curl up under the table with their owners, winter weather can throw that option a curve ball. In inclement weather when patios aren’t open, your pup can always wait in the car while you dine. Or—if you know in advance—you can take an unconventional route to an indoor venue. more »

Dog-Friendly Lodging For You and Yours

Dogs at play, Beachcomber Motel & Spa

Mendocino County is big and diverse, but there’s something extra-soothing about making base camp within sight or sound of the sea. Settle into a king pet suite at the Beachcomber Motel & Spa in Fort Bragg, and both you and your four-legged loved one will enjoy direct access to the fenced, off-leash dog park right outside. Two suites have doggie doors opening onto gated outdoor kennels, and all pet suites come with a doghouse, pet beds and other woof-friendly amenities (not to mention fireplaces, microwaves, refrigerators and giant TVs for human occupants). more »

It Takes A (Dog-Friendly) Village

Enjoying Point Cabrillo Light Station. Photo Credit: Anne Cassia

Just north of Little River, picturesque Mendocino village, with its wealth of lacy Victorians and colorful saltbox cottages, has more places than you can shake a tennis ball at to enjoy with your four-legged friend. more »

Paddling Mendocino Rivers

Photo: Ben Salter (CC)

Have you ever longed to kayak on a beautiful river but not been able to because you have your dog along? Come to Mendocino County, where it’s easy to go paddling with your pooch. more »

Meandering The Mendo Coast With Your Dog

Fetch! Photo: Colleen Proppe

While you can drive from one end of Mendocino County to the other in a morning or afternoon (it’s 102 winding miles from Leggett to Gualala on scenic Highway 1) this intoxicating stretch of coastline is best savored at a snail’s pace. Our advice: Hang your hat (and leash) for at least a night in one of the many dog-friendly lodgings situated within sight and sound of the sea. more »

Pet-passionate Stanford Inn

One of Mendocino's favorite dog-friendly inns is the Stanford Inn By the Sea. Featured in Oprah Magazine and more than 139 other publications, as well as on TV, this hillside resort overlooking the rugged Mendocino coast was one of the first inns in North America to adopt sustainable practices. On top of that, the “pets welcome” sign has been out for decades! more »

17 Miles of Magnificence

Rosie at Little River Inn

It’s just 17 miles along scenic Highway 1 from the coastal village of Albion to the more muscular city of Fort Bragg, but considering how much lies in between, you could take an entire, leisurely week to go the distance. more »

Coasting With Your Canine

Photo Credit: Mark Cosy (CC)

A mere glimpse of Mendocino’s gorgeously sculpted coastline is all it takes to turn urban angst into rural revelation. The scenery is so intoxicating you can happily spend a week along the Highway 1 corridor without venturing beyond sight or sound of the sea. more »

A Weekend for Romance

If we had Valentine's weekend off, a significant other to share it with and the bling to do it right, we’d steer our sweetie—and the furry family member we wouldn’t dream of leaving behind—straight to a place where we could cuddle up and focus on each other. more »

Beyond the Crowds

Kayla the lab and Chuck the conductor prepare to board the Skunk Train

Mendocino County is “so close and yet so far away” when it comes to scenery, attitude and ambiance. Whether you play it sophisticated or sniff out the rustic, you’ll have no trouble carving out an itinerary to fit your budget and style. more »

Outrigger Outings

Photo: Catch a Canoe

You won’t find a more eclectic collection of canoes and kayaks than at Catch-A-Canoe, which has been outfitting paddlers on the eight-mile-long Big River estuary near Mendocino since 1972. Well behaved dogs of all makes and models are welcome to ride along and enjoy the scenery in surrounding Big River State Park. more »

Mendocino County

There are many places to chase waves with your pooch along the gorgeous Mendocino coastline. Most enforce a six-foot leash policy, but at Noyo Beach near Fort Bragg, it’s legal to unclip Fido from his noose and watch him romp free. more »

Lap Up The Scenery

Mendocino County’s sculpted coastline is so intoxicating you can yappily spend a week without venturing beyond sight or sound of the sea. Settle in at a pet-friendly property such as the Stanford Inn by the Sea or Little River Inn, both of which provide amenities including bowls, towels and sheets for keeping sandy paws off the furniture. Fan out from there to get a feel for what gives this storied slice of the North Coast its almost mythical reputation. more »

Stanford Inn Historic Farm & Eco Resort

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