SCP Mendocino Coast Lodge — Hotel in Fort Bragg

We have been traveling to Mendocino California for the last 30 years. We have stayed a many, many guest houses from Elk to Fort Bragg, But our favorite was the Albion River Inn. We have stayed there the last 6 visits. This time, when we went to make a reservation on the internet, we were directed to the SCP Mendocino Coast Lodge. We were confused since it has always been the Albion River Inn. We even knew the owner named Flurry since we had been there so many times. Knowing the layout of the property and the restaurant, we figured we would give it a try with the new owners. Unfortunately it was nothing like it use to be.||When we booked the cabin, they had an internet special that we think they called “dine and unwind”. The details for the special were that you had to stay 3 nights that included a Thurs-Sunday and you would receive $150 at the restaurant for either breakfast or dinner or a combination. We booked 4 nights from the 15th of January thru the 19th of January. I called the Inn and asked how would I get this since it was not noted on the confirmation. I was told by the innkeeper that I had to spend another $50 on the same cabin in order to receive the $150. I was already at $1537 for the cabin so I now had to spend $1587 to qualify for the $150. So actually all we would get is $100 since it cost us $50 more to get $150. That should have been spelled out in the rules for the deal. It was not. Also I asked what cabin we were in at the lodge. She said we put you in cabin #19. I said, could we possible have cabin #1 or #5. $1 was always our favorite but #5 was okay as well. She was able to move us to #5 since #1 was taken. In the past we always had the ability to choose our cabin when we booked but not this time. We had to call and ask for specific cabin. ||Then we arrived on the 15th of January and boy had things changed. The cabin was just as we remembered it. But the niceties were gone. The welcome split of wine was no longer there. The robes were there but they were the old Albion River Inn Robes. Even when you opened the internet it said Albion River Inn. To keep this short and sweet I will just go to the changes. We can buy a bottle of wine ( we did buy a few on the drive in) and we really dont care what the robes say as long as we have them. But the free breakfast included in the price was GONE! We stayed there during covid and we got a basket of breakfast bread with jam and butter because the restaurant was closed. The daily newspaper at your door each morning was gone! Finally, in order to have your room refreshed you had to call them every day and ask for your room to be made up and give them a list of what you needed done. We always had the roomed cleaned and the fireplace set up every day when it was the Albion River Inn. We asked for the roomed to be vacuumed twice and it was never done. We had to call for sugar for our coffee every day since the maid left none. We had to call for coffee filters. One day our dirty coffee cups, water glasses and wine glasses were just left on the table after the room was cleaned. We washed those in the bathroom sink and dried them with the bath towels. We told the innkeeper and she did take $25 off the bill for us having to clean our glassware. When we pay several hundred dollars each night, we have come to expect service. With the Albion we got service from start to finish. We dont want to have to worry about anything when we are on vacation. We just want to chill and have things taken care of for us without having to ask. Everywhere we have stayed over the years in Mendocino have been a bed and breakfast. This is not what is offered any more at SCP Mendocino Coast Lodge.||Now, we did give them a 3 for a rating. The only reason they got a 3 was not for the cabin but for the restaurant. We had breakfast there the 1st morning and Egypt our waitress was very attentive. The breakfast burrito was great and so was the eggs Benedict. We also went to dinner there on our last night for dinner. They have a happy hour with happy hour specials at the bar. We sat at the bar and enjoyed being there so much, we told the hostess that we would eat at the bar. The restaurant and the happy hour is a plus. The food was great when it was the Albion but they have done a great job adding the happy hour to the evening. The 2 women behind the bar made the experience very enjoyable. If you go there for dinner, if they have the ice cream sandwich, have one. It was an oatmeal raisin cookie with strawberry ice cream inside. It was really good. We had 2 happy hour specials so for dinner we split a pasta entree. All was delicious.||If you are going to Mendocino, I would not recommend that you stay at the Mendocino Coast Lodge. Check out some of the other places to stay not just in Mendocino but also in Elk. Stanford Inn, Littler River Inn for 2 in Mendocino and in Elk there is Sacred Rock, Elk Cove Inn or if you want a Michelin star chef then try the...

For $350 plus for the 1 night we stayed there for my Bday, I really wanted to be able to write a fantastic review but it was very short of it. First of all, trying to call the place the morning of multiple times & never got through. When we arrived we mentioned that & the older lady behind the desk just said "well, I was here by myself." Fine but no sense to make an apology was strange. It was just as strange when my husband said it was my Bday & neither woman being the desk thought to say a traditional 'Happy Birthday.' The room was nice & the view beautiful. Deck with chairs is the reason we chose that room. That view & setting was wonderful. The restaurant was closed so that was a bummer & also strange- do you not want to make more money from the guests you have there? My husband had to work at 5am so after dinner at Ledford's, he went to get the coffee pot ready but the pot has a hole in it. Worse than that was no one would be available to contact until 9:00 a.m. the following morning. At 9:00 a.m. He took a break from work and went to the front desk. They offered another coffee pot which then upon trying it did not fit into the maker. He had to take another break from work to go return that and then they did offer to get us some from the restaurant but my husband was frustrated & needed to get back to work so just declined the offer. (Had I known at the time, I would have taken the offer for myself!) They were able to give us a late checkout which we appreciated since we were barely there for 24 hours. My husband went to the store to grab something and I needed to get on a zoom meeting for my work. All the sudden I heard a worker outside yell, something to another worker and then start entering my room with his key. No knock or anything. That was very off-putting because we had a late checkout and it appeared as soon as he saw a truck drive away he was coming in our room...Very off putting & strange. Also, the bed was as hard as a rock... I really wanted to give this place a good review especially for the very high price to stay there for one night but we have to say we definitely left annoyed at more than enough things that happened. We travel a lot, all over the world and are very patient and try not to be bothered. This one because it was just a quick special overnight for my birthday away from our kids felt like it deserved a review for other people looking to...

For $350 plus for the 1 night we stayed there for my Bday, I really wanted to be able to write a fantastic review but it was very short of it. First of all, trying to call the place the morning of multiple times & never got through. When we arrived we mentioned that & the older lady behind the desk just said "well, I was here by myself." Fine but no sense to make an apology was strange. It was just as strange when my husband said it was my Bday & neither woman being the desk thought to say a traditional 'Happy Birthday.' The room was nice & the view beautiful. Deck with chairs is the reason we chose that room. That view & setting was wonderful. The restaurant was closed so that was a bummer & also strange- do you not want to make more money from the guests you have there? My husband had to work at 5am so after dinner at Ledford's, he went to get the coffee pot ready but the pot has a hole in it. Worse than that was no one would be available to contact until 9:00 a.m. the following morning. At 9:00 a.m. He took a break from work and went to the front desk. They offered another coffee pot which then upon trying it did not fit into the maker. He had to take another break from work to go return that and then they did offer to get us some from the restaurant but my husband was frustrated & needed to get back to work so just declined the offer. (Had I known at the time, I would have taken the offer for myself!) They were able to give us a late checkout which we appreciated since we were barely there for 24 hours. My husband went to the store to grab something and I needed to get on a zoom meeting for my work. All the sudden I heard a worker outside yell, something to another worker and then start entering my room with his key. No knock or anything. That was very off-putting because we had a late checkout and it appeared as soon as he saw a truck drive away he was coming in our room...Very off putting & strange. Also, the bed was as hard as a rock... I really wanted to give this place a good review especially for the very high price to stay there for one night but we have to say we definitely left annoyed at more than enough things that happened. We travel a lot, all over the world and are very patient and try not to be bothered. This one because it was just a quick special overnight for my birthday away from our kids felt like it deserved a review for other people looking to...