My expectations were high after all of the tripadvisor reviews and unfortunately, the Whitegate Inn didn't live up to them. It started when one of the staff clearly shooed us away when my husband and I showed up (on our anniversary) an hour before check in to see if we could leave our bags. Once we did get to our room (the Garden Path), it was right next to the kitchen and dining room meaning it was not very private and was very loud. The bed was nice, but the toilet ran and gave us more trouble than it should have. The breakfast was great but the wine and cheese hour and evening chocolates and sherry were both disappointing. With no staff around after 7 PM, my husband and I were saddened to find that the housekeeping staff had removed the loaner DVDs from our room and had no way of checking out more. To top it all off, we were overcharged and challenged when we questioned our bill. I've never been driven to write a negative review in the past, but this one I couldn't let lie.

My husband surprised me with a weekend getaway to the Whitegate Inn for my birthday.

Our room was the Cyprus--first floor closest to the front door. The bed was gorgeous and very comfortable to sleep in. Linens on the bed were of a very high quality, and included down comforters and a feather bed. There was also a jacuzzi tub in the bathroom and a fireplace near the foot of the bed.

Breakfasts in the morning were amazing! The presentation of the food was beautiful also! The breakfasts were easily much better than any breakfast purchased at the nicest restaurants nearby.

As a summary:

Positives:
Perfect location right downtown, but still quiet enough
Comfortable, soft, and warm bed
Wood burning fireplace
Jacuzzi tub big enough for two
Warm and inviting home

Negatives:
Cyprus is nearest to the door, so you do hear people coming in and out of the front door or talking in the hallway. This in itself really isn't a problem though, as it stays relatively quiet at night unless you have people checking in late.

Also, in Cyprus, (likely the other rooms also) people outside can hear almost anything going on inside... ;)

Overall, an excellent experience.

We decided to begin my birthday week in Mendocino early. I researched Whitegate Inn after reading about it in my favorite B&B books. After working in the high end hotel industry for years (unbeknown to Whitegate Inn), I was immediately impressed upon my first verbal communication for reservations. Inn owners: Susan and Richard are two of the BEST I have ever met in my 30 years of traveling to B&Bs!! The Inn is gorgeous, extremely comfortable with European feather beds, luscious soft towels, and the full hot breakfast was extraordinarily delicious!! The Inn was sparkling clean. We stayed in the French Rose Room with an ocean view, and fireplace (which was restocked with fresh wood daily). Everything was provided to us without having to ask for a thing. We felt welcomed like royalty! Susan and Richard went far beyond their call of duty to help us when we had a bit of unexpected car trouble. My opinion: Inn owners can make or break a B&B. Every minute of our experience at Whitegate was delightful from the beginning until our departure.

We were so very sad that we previously made reservations at another location, which cut our time short at Whitegate Inn. We yearned to be back at Whitegate throughout the week! We will DEFINITELY return to Whitegate Inn on our future trips to Mendocino. We are excited to try the owner's other property during a future visit, too: Abigail's Bed & Breakfast.

Great B&B in the heart of Mendocino!

My wife and I stopped here on our way back home from Oregon to SF. After 10 hours of driving, I can't think of a better place to relax and unwind. Our room was FANTASTIC. The bed was like a dream and the private bathroom with jacuzzi tub was amazing.

The staff was friendly, and we loved the 24hour cookies! Breakfast the next morning was excellent as well.

We will definitely have to stay here again!