The Seal Cove Inn
For a Moss Beach hotel just off the Pacific Coast Highway, the Seal Cove Inn offers good accommodation north of Half Moon Bay, minutes from the ocean.
The Seal Cove Inn in Moss Beach
The Seal Cove Inn is on Cypress Avenue, which is directly off the Pacific Coast Highway, and aptly named as you drive down the quiet road through shady cypress trees.
This Moss Beach hotel is then set back off Cypress Avenue, a really quiet location a few minutes walk from the ocean. We arrived at 6pm, just as the afternoon tea and hors d' oeuvres was finishing, so we took some of the artichoke dip, cheese, crackers, and poppy seed cake up to our room to snack on while we unpacked.
The Gardens Behind the Seal Cove Inn
Our Room at the Seal Cove Inn
We had Room 7, which we later discovered was bigger than the other rooms, extending further out at the back of the inn. It looked out, as the rear rooms do, over the beautiful gardens, and it was huge. The feeling of space was helped by the high ceilings and the neutral beige color of the walls and carpets. We loved the minimalist approach.
Our Room at The Seal Cove Inn
The room had everything you needed - a sofa, coffee table, a large desk, a TV stand and a big bed – without feeling crowded. There were some really lovely art works on the walls, too, delicate sketches and etchings of plants and sea creatures.
Our Room at The Seal Cove Inn
The room also had an easy-to-light wood-burning fireplace, which we made full use of on what was a damp evening. It came with two nifty and clean bags of wood in burlap sacks, which you just put in the fireplace and set light to.
Our Pick of the California Guides
They were so small we were convinced they wouldn't give out any heat, or would burn out quickly, but they were amazing. The first one burned warmly for hours, and we asked for the name of them at the reception desk, to get some for our own fireplace at home.
View from Our Room at The Seal Cove Inn
Moss Beach Hotel Amenities
The Seal Cove Inn has a big library of movies on video and DVD, free for guests to use, and there are always cookies on the front desk, and tea and coffee available all day in the guest lounge.
We were impressed by the buffet breakfast, far better than most buffet breakfasts are: a bell pepper strata with a red salsa, grits, yogurt, bread, bagels, cereals, tea, coffee, juices and a very more-ish coffee cake - in fact we did have more!
In the Gardens at The Seal Cove Inn
Moss Beach Hotel Gardens
The crowning glory of the Seal Cove Inn, though, are its beautiful and colorful gardens. As a picture's worth a thousand words, we've put several garden photos in the slide show at the top of the page. In the morning before we left, there was plenty of time to walk down to the coast and see the seal cove that the inn takes its name from.
There's a Reason It's Called Seal Cove!
Then we came back and enjoyed the gardens, seeing hummingbirds and quail, before it was time to get back on the road after a totally relaxing overnight stay.
View of the Sea from the Gardens
Check out our Slideshow of this Moss Beach Hotel
All Photos (c) Donna Dailey
Other California Hotels
For a Monterey Inn just off the Pacific Coast Highway in California, the Mariposa Inn and Suites is hard to beat, providing good accommodation close to PCH.
Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.
The Casa Laguna Hotel and Spa in Laguna Beach is right on the Pacific Coast Highway and has luxury rooms, a swimming pool, and real gourmet breakfasts.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's guide to the most scenic spots on the Pacific Coast Highway in California with Big Sur, Bixby Bridge and Pfeiffer Beach.
The Oceana Santa Barbara beachfront hotel has a perfect seafront location, close to Stearns Wharf and State Street, and whale watching cruises.
Whale watching in California is one of the most popular things to do along the Pacific Coast Highway, in places like San Diego, San Francisco and many more.
Santa Monica Pier is just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica near Los Angeles, with an amusement park, an aquarium and many other attractions.
PCH Travel picks the best time to visit Mendocino, with a monthly summary of the weather, plus hotel prices and special events to help plan a visit.
Historic and romantic Vagabond's House Inn Bed and Breakfast in Carmel is a great place to stay with free wine and cheese and generous breakfast.
This Visiting Hearst Castle page gives all the practicalities including location, types of tour, length of tours, how long to allow, and much more information.
Pacific Coast Highway Travel's website recommendations on Where to Stay in San Diego include reviews of budget and luxury hotels in downtown San Diego.
San Simeon is a tiny town of a few hundred people close to Hearst Castle on the California coast midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Crescent City is on the Pacific Coast Highway in northern California and noted for its crescent-shaped beach, Ocean World sea park, and nearby redwoods and state parks.
The Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach Hotel is Ventura 's only beachside hotel with ocean front swimming pool and rooms with ocean views.
The Pelican Inn and Suites in Cambria on California's Central Coast has oceanfront views, swimming pool, gardens, and is right on the beach near Hearst Castle.
The Pacific Coast Highway goes right through Laguna Beach, a relaxed artsy beach resort whose attractions include shopping, galleries, dining, and beaches.
The Viceroy Santa Monica hotel is one of Los Angeles' best, a favorite of celebrities like Dustin Hoffman, Sting, Demi Moore, and Leonardo DiCaprio,
Mendocino in Mendocino County is a small but pretty California coastal town, popular with artists and with travelers. It has featured in many songs and movies.
La Jolla in southern California is north of San Diego off the Pacific Coast Highway and has museums, restaurants, hotels, beaches, and the Birch Aquarium.
The Grande Colonial La Jolla luxury hotel is downtown, close to restaurants and shopping, with historic charm, and a highly acclaimed restaurant.
Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast Highway in California has its famous boardwalk, beaches, wine tastings, Surfing Museum, Mission, and Marine Discovery Center.
The Hotel Pacific is a Monterey boutique hotel in a good location close to Fisherman’s wharf and downtown restaurants and bars and with its own parking garage.
San Clemente in California is a small city on the Pacific Coast Highway midway between San Diego and Los Angeles, noted for its beaches and surfing.
Oceanside is a typical southern California beach town with a surf culture and with the Pacific Coast Highway running right through it.
Los Angeles Airport hotels include Hilton, Radisson, Marriott, Embassy Suites, Crowne Plaza and other top names, all of them within a mile or so of LAX.
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