We have always enjoyed traveling with our two children and prefer the ambience of Bed & Breakfast establishments. Our most memorable experience was at the Whitegate Inn in Mendocino, CA this past March of 2006. The Inn provides accommodations for families at Abilgail's (a nearby sister Inn) that are not only charming but come with absolutely luxurious linens. The master bedroom in the Ocean Suite provided a large four poster bed with cushioned comfort that left one feeling as though they were floating on a cloud. We had never experienced this before. The kitchenette was fully stocked and came with an individual serving cappucino/espresso maker that we enjoyed to the full. When available, we were invited to breakfast a gourmet delight in the main house under the attentive eye of the Innkeeper. The meals were truly delectable and the service was impeccable. We lacked for nothing. The Whitegate will always remain a favorite and we highly recommend a visit to this memorably charming Inn.

We just returned from a weekend trip to Mendocino and Anderson Valley, highlighted by a night at the Whitegate Inn.

When we first arrived in Mendocino mid-afternoon, we stopped by to see if we could check in early. Unfortunately, we couldn't get in since the housekeepers apparently are very detailed oriented. However, we came back an hour later and our room, the French Rose room, was beautifully made up in Victorian fashion. The bed was made with those great down comforters and mattress pad and plush pillows. While too warm to use, a fireplace stood ready to light. While the room has an ocean view and was as promised, I had hoped for a better view. The room and ajoining bathroom were very clean and well appointed.

In the evening before dinner time, wine and appetizers were available to enjoy in the sitting room while chatting with other guests.

The next morning a gourmet breakfast of a apple french toast was a big hit amongst the table, although the coffee was so-so.

Overall, I was pleased with the quality of the Whitegate Inn. However, we probably would not return to Mendocino as we were disappointed with the anti-tourist attitude and panhandling by the dreadlock-hippie crowd littered around town. Carmel has much more to do, better atmosphere and is no more expensive than Mendocino.

The Whitegate Inn is a wonderful place to stay in Mendocino. The rooms are comfortable and very romantic. You can't see as much of the ocean as one might expect, but you can get a glimpse from some rooms, and the walk to the ocean is very short and refreshing. The breakfasts were wonderful, as were the hors d'oureves at the afternoon wine hour. The sherry and chocolates available in the evening were the perfect way to unwind! If I ever get back to the area, I would stay here again!

My husband and i were planning for a romantic vacation in mendocino - it was my birthday and our first anniversary, so we wanted everything to be special. We researched several different Bed and Breakfasts, and really liked the rave reviews we saw on Trip Advisor for the whitegate, so we used the Book Now button and booked a room. A few weeks prior to our arrival, my husband called the WhiteGate to make sure everything was set. the woman he spoke with said that she couldnt find our reservation at first. Then she said that we were actually staying at Annabel's, the WhiteGate's sister B&B. My husband and I hadnt heard of Annabels and wanted to make sure we were staying in a completely comparable place. He re-iterated to Katherine (who he spoke with) that this was a VERY special weekend and he wanted to stay in the most romantic place possible. Katherine told him repeatedly that the two places were practically identical. The amenities were the same, she confirmed, but the only exception was that the decor of the WhiteGate Inn was more 'antiquey' whereas Annabel's was more modern.

Becuase these were the only differences, we kept our reservations the same (in spite of the fact that there were still rooms available at WhiteGate at that time - my husband even offered to pay the difference if it was a cost issue, and Katherine told him there was no need because they were essentially the same place).

We arrived for our holiday, and were placed in a room at Annabels. I suppose by modern, they mean peeling paint and a bathroom that needed some work in the shower. It took 5 minutes for the water to heat up in the shower, and there was no pressure. There was no fireplace in our room, as the amenities mentioned, and the breakfast was cold continental, instead of a hot gourmet breakfast. Our lamp would not shut off, and when i told the owner, she asked me if i could just unplug it when we wanted it to go off (which we couldnt, as it was in a place we couldnt reach, and even so, fairly absurd to be asked that). Additionally, my husband had called for a gift basket to be there upon our arrival - he paid $80 for a basket that contained at the most $25 worth of food, and then we were asked to LEAVE THE BASKET. When Harry and David delivers me a fruit basket, do i return it after i am done? Additionally, there were pets and kids stomping around the outside of our room and we were up half the night becuase i could literally hear the person in the next room snoring. Again, we now know that Annabel's advertises as a 'pet and kid friendly place' but then why, when my husband specified this was going to be a SPECIAL weekend, was nothing said?

We went to say something and the owners invited us for breakfast the next day, which was nice, but told us we could not have a room at WhiteGate because they were full. The next morning at breakfast, we met two other travelers who told us they walked in the night before and got a room, because there was a vacancy. This upset us, because this wasnt even mentioned to us (even if they didnt have two nights available they should have told us).

Altogether, our issue with the WhiteGate Inn has to do with the fact that we were misled by the people that worked there. We tried to plan ahead and make sure everything was set for our special weekend, and were told things that were untrue (specifically, that the two B&Bs were the same). For whatever reason, the owners choose to only broadcast the WhiteGate Inn on travel sites to book onine, instead of Annabel's as well, which they should be doing separately.

It is misleading, and while the WhiteGate looked nice, i will not stay there ever again, nor recommend it, as we could have had a much more enjoyable stay had we been given proper information.

We had a wonderful weekend being with eachother again, but would NOT recommend this place.