The Andiron Seaside Inn & Cabins

everything about this place is worth it. we drove about 4 hours up highway 1 for the experience and stayed over night in cabin #4 (THERE). i loved all of it. the decorations were so cute and well thought out. the entire lay out of the place was spacious in between cabins. we came on a thursday and left friday morning so there were only 3 cabins occupied. a very quiet night indeed. we managed to use the common fire pit for a bit as well as the hot tub at night. you are given a selection of DVDs to choose from a pretty large collection of movies.
there is no phone service at all but they do provide wifi. it can be spotty but the point is to get away for a while, right? if you want some peace and quiet then you will really get it here. i loved it all and one day i will be back to visit and stay longer!

Adorable!!! Great location, sweet accomodations, wish we could have stayed longer.

This place is awesome! Stayed here 2 nights, slept great, visited the super relaxing hot tub both nights as well as the bonfire. The cabin was cozy, clean and quiet. Our cabin, «There», had a little turntable which was very exciting (we brought a couple records in anticipation of this). Very close to Mendocino! We will definitely come back!

Just got back from our second time staying at the Andiron, and realized I never reviewed it last year so I have to this year! Scott and Madeline have truly created something special. The attention to detail is really what makes it. Scott and Madeline (and I swear, everyone that stays here somehow) are all so personable and welcoming. They make your stay as comfortable as possible. The toast bar in the morning is by far my favorite part :)

Quirky, retro cabin; swing music playing upon entry. Greeted by a moon mural, a telescope, and a pollution test kit (room = Curious), plus two teeny whoopie pies and a bottle of wine to kick off our honeymoon in style!
Super cozy, super fun, perfection.
If you lead an intercontinental life™, this may not be the place for you. If you like kitsch, it is the perfect place for you.

After seeing many 5 star reviews, and needing a place to bunk up for the night, we booked the cheapest room they had (180.00, including the pet fee). We had been on the road for 6 hrs when we arrived. We were informed of the happybhour, bonfire pit, and hot tub… which are wonderful additions. We stayed in Nurture… which was decorated in 1950’s fashion with beauty parlor accessories throughout and matching lighting. All of this could have been wonderful, however there were two main issues…1) there was no screen on the patio door and because of the beautiful crystal clear day it was, the room was about 85 degrees, and because we had the dog with no screen door, we weren’t able to get the room a comfortable temperature; 2) Our adjoining neighbors felt it was a great idea to bring an infant. While I am not a «baby hater,» I do like to sleep at night and the walls are so thin, we were awoken to a screaming, crying baby approximately 5 times throughout the night. On top of all this, we could not find a way to shut off the blue globe light and ended up having to disconnect several plugs in the middle of the night to shut off what appeared to be the biggest night light I’ve seen. Lastly, for $ 180 I expect a decent… not great… but decent bed, which couldn’t have been farther from the truth in Nurture. When we got up to leave (@6am) I could barely move my back was so cramped up.
On the brighter side, I love that they put out EO bath products! Unfortunately, this doesn’t make up for a night of tossing and turning, and on several occasions of thinking about asking the neighbors to do something to calm and quiet their infant. We won’t be back.

Innkeepers-​5 stars
Happy Hour and Morning Toast-​5 stars
Ambience/​Cleanliness-​5 stars
Pet Friendly-​5 stars
Towels/​EO bath products-​5 stars
Bed-​3 stars
Enjoyed visiting with the owners and other guests (and their dogs) gazing at zillions of stars from our cabin deck and soaking in the hot tub. Would love to give 5 stars overall but the hard bed and road noise (probably more than usual due to it being the Labor Day weekend) keeps me from doing so. I’m a very light sleeper but my husband slept fine. (Stayed in ‘Curious-​er’ cabin which is closest to Hwy. 1 and farthest from office-​weak wi-​fi too)

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I drove up, traveling alone has its awkward moments… But when I parked, it happened to be happy hour… I walked in to find Scott serving local beer and wine and Madeline chatting up the guests. Fondue (!!) was on the counter. Their desk manager (sorry forgot her name!) quickly scoped me out from the group and checked me in… then Scott handed me a locally made beer. At that point I knew… what a friendly, relaxed, fun place!
A few minutes later, I drove down to my cabin and walked in… wow! I had cabin 12, which has a ‘curiosity’ theme — think circus attractions, Area 51, ouija board, etc… I’m scared of clowns, but I hung in there. My balcony overlooked the archery field (!!!) with a view of the trees across highway one and peeks of the ocean. Over the course of two nights at the Andiron I met several awesome people, relaxed on the sunny balcony, got great advice on local attractions, saw wildlife romping through the grounds, ate fresh-​from-​the-​chicken eggs for the first time, and truly enjoyed the experience. The Andiron is a very special place, hats off to Scott and Madeline for creating such a unique experience for their guests. I can’t wait to return.

Are you serious?! This place is so cute! Just from driving up Andiron Rd you get to see the spread of the cottages and some of its fun activities. There are 12 cottages total, each with a different theme. We stayed in «Play» which was stocked full of old board games, view finders, and card games. There was a TV (pretty tiny but whatever), and they have over 200 DVDs you can borrow for free including the entire Freaks and Geeks series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer series! The main office is also full of games, books, and other things you can borrow for free. Our room had a patio (shared with the cottage attached to us) with a small lawn set and a BBQ. From the patio you can see a ton of trees and the ocean through the trees. There is a hot tub that is pretty secluded, set to 104 degrees, and has Christmas lights strewn about.
The thing that sets this place apart is that you can REALLY tell that Scott and Madeline put their hearts and creativity into this place. They have 2 goats (Peanut Butter and Jelly) that you can just go in a hang out with, and the goats are really nice (they say soon they’ll breed the girl goat to produce milk and cheese!). They have chickens and give away some eggs for free in the main office. They have a fire pit in the middle of the lawn with extra wood, marshmallows, and skewers (all supplied by them). They have «happy hour» where they serve local wine and beer. There was chips and salsa and they were even making quesadillas! In the morning they had a «toast bar» which might seem kinda… lame, but it actually ending up being amazing and delicious. They have a 4 slice toaster and they serve locally made breads, jams, and hard boiled eggs. I dreamed of that grain toast with lemon jam mixed with marionberry jam the whole trip home. As far as drinks during toast bar there was coffee, hot chocolate, and tea.
I never thought I would find myself hanging out in the main lobby of a hotel/​vacation destination, but Madeline and Scott and all the other guests are so friendly and entertaining. I couldn’t help feeling like I was socially hanging out at a friend’s house during the happy hour and toast bar.
They are pet friendly (I think $ 25 extra) but you can have your dog under «voice control» which is awesome because most places require a leash and our dog is super super trained and I love letting him run around.
I highly highly recommend this place. As far as my research went, this was also one of the cheaper places to stay in the Little River area.
*I heard them talking about their cool deco for Halloween and Christmas time, I can only imagine how cool it looks!
*There is no cell service for about 3 miles but they have free wifi!

We were blown away by how cute and cool this place is. Whoopie pies in the room at check-​in, the central fire pit stocked with marshmallows, graham crackers and Hershey’s, the vintage kid rockers and the adorable stage with tree stump seating, the adirondack chairs on the lawn, and oh the cabin itself. Every detail is well thought out. We stayed in cabin no. 5, William and Mildred. Some of the furnishings and fixtures were tired, but everything was period appropriate and perfect. The cabin was relaxing, comforting and comfortable. The Unilocal ratings are well-​deserved. Very cool place. Our most enjoyable accommodations of our trip.

My family stayed at Andiron for the first time and we loved everything about this facility. Most significantly the creative, fun, and kitschy feel of the place. Everything was well thought out: even the small details. It was completely family friendly and captivated the imagination.
Our room was clean and loaded with vintage touches that were inspired. We enjoyed the spa, the stocked fire pit, and sweet smelling soaps and towels. We opened a bottle of wine, listened to music, and enjoyed the sunset from our deck.
We would definitely come here again.

I LOVE this place. My boyfriend and I brought our dog Bane for a mid-​week get away and had the most relaxing, wonderful couple days. Kate is so sweet and the cabin was clean and had everything we needed with out being over the top. Our dog was in heaven. We were already planning when we could come back before we left. You just have to try it for your self. Words and pictures don’t do it justice!

Great place to stay and relax. Friendly owners offer a happy hour and lots of advice on local atmosphere. Say hi to peanut butter and jelly the resident goats. Retro décor in all 8 cabins, light a fire and watch the fog roll in. Wake up to banana slugs, more misty fog, and up at the office, a toast bar and fresh laid eggs.

My husband, me, and our dog Lily, just love this place! We have been visiting The Andiron since Scott and Madeline purchased the property. This is the place to just kick back and relax. All the units are super clean and comfy with their own personality.
We can’t wait to return to The Andiron soon!

We ended up staying here after several prior trips to Mendocino largely based on online reviews, so it’s only fitting that we re-​echo what many have said already. The hospitality and attention to customer service here is amazing, with the perfect balance of helping you settle in but allowing you to choose how you want to manage your stay. Morning toast and afternoon happy hours are just a few of the things they provide to facilitate interaction with other guests and give a community vibe.
During our stay there was a force majeure event where a water main ruptured. As soon as this was discovered they communicated the issue to all guests by both phone and email and quickly coordinated repairs. Large containers of bottled water were provided and repair updates were provided throughout the day. Water was restored not too long after and things were back to normal. The reason I mention this is I think you learn a lot about the people operating the place your staying at during these type of freak events, and I was happy to see how professionally it was handled.
We stayed in Cabin 6 (Write) and enjoyed the vintage typewriter, chalkboard paint, and various other pieces carefully selected to piqué interest. Not to mention the other creature comforts such as a mini fridge and outdoor bbq grill which were extremely handy as we were staying with our two kids. Fluffy towels, organic soaps, everything was great. Next time we’ll probably rent adjacent cabins so we can stash the kids in one and have a better chance to take in the atmosphere more completely, I never was able to get through all of the vintage Viewmaster reels!

Outstanding. My girlfriend and I stayed during the late summer in the Write Cabin, which was warm, comfortable, and decorated in a funky-​cute-​but-​not-​overbearing manner. The owners show incredible attention to detail (down to half-​typed poems in the typewriter) and care for the guests (helpful on the phone with directions when the GPS stopped working, and welcome whoopie pies!). During the morning, one of the owners took us through a couple of the other cabins just because we were curious. He was in the middle of preparing one for a regular guest who had specific requests — I was impressed, again, with the level of attention and respect for the guests.
Given the prices in the area, the rates were eminently reasonable. It may not have the edge-​of-​cliff views of some of the places on the other side of the road, but the views are still wonderful, and it has other attractions (a hot tub, a fire pit, plus goats. yes, goats.)
The Andiron is probably the first hotel/​inn I’ve ever stayed at where I’d make a point to go back and stay if I was in the area again. Heck, I’d love to explore the area more in the future using this as the base, and might even plan a trip around it. Utterly charming spot.

My husband and I were looking for a quiet, peaceful getaway for a few days to celebrate our babymoon, and after doing a little research, decided on Mendocino. When I asked a few friends if they had any recommendations for lodgings, The Andiron topped their list. When my husband called to reserve the room (no on-​line reservations — this is one-​on-​one care, people!), they were helpful, sweet and very friendly.
Upon arrival, we were greeted and given the rundown by Kate. She offered us fresh eggs each morning for breakfast, and let us know she’d be there every evening until 5, and after that we were on our own! We requested extra logs for the stove in advance, which was a god idea since it gets a little damp and cold in Mendocino.
The cabin itself is totally charming — we were in #11, Curiouser, which was warmed by a fire, music and a bottle of sparking cider along with a welcoming note and two homemade whoopie pies when we walked in. So cute and welcoming! We settled right in to the cozy, tidy space complete with a small kitchen, TV and plenty of books and games to occupy spare time.
While I loved most things about The Andiron, I did find the bed a bit too soft to be comfortable through the night, and the bathroom, while totally clean, was a bit outdated. Other than those two things, I loved everything about this place.
One note — this more of a self-​serve place than the usual hotel; by that I mean it’s like renting a small home for a few days — no maid service, no daily fresh towels, turn-​down service, etc. I am totally fine with that, just be sure you hang our towels to dry and make your bed before setting out for the day, or you’ll come home to a messy room :).
I really loved The Andiron, and look forward to staying there again WITH my baby!

The Andiron is a wonderful and quaint little inn and a great place to stay during your visit to Mendocino.
Your stay starts with a welcome sign and complimentary whoopie pies that are delicious! We stayed in curious and curiouser, which are adorable little rooms. Curiouser did have a scary clown painting but we just took it down during our stay.
There are a number of small details that make this inn great. For example, there is a hot tub that is tucked away in the woods and so nice to use in the evening. There is also has a toast bar in the morning that really hits the spot.
The biggest draw is the staff — they are extremely friendly and helpful. We told them we wanted to do wine tasting and they went over a map of the Anderson Valley and even gave us some coupons to bring to tastings.
One minor complaint is the wifi did not really reach our cabin at the bottom — that made it a little difficult to look up restaurants and the like because we also had no cell phone reception.

We visit 2 – 3 times a year mainly to enjoy the cabins and the great atmosphere that The Andiron has to offer. We have stayed in all the cabins and when we reached that high point, Scott and Madeline had done amazing things to make us feel special for being the first guests to «Go Around the World» at The Andiron.
I get asked, which is my favorite? It’s a hard one to answer and I like all of them for different reasons but the honeymoon suite is a favorite with the comfy bed and large window near the bed.
Love this place, the people, the rooms, the outside beauty, the happy hour and other amenities.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said?
My wife booked accommodations here and I had no idea what to expect. On reflection, I can’t remember raving about a place more than I have the Andiron.
Having said all that, this place may not be for everyone. Know what you’re getting into. For example, I loved this place — the details and charm really blew my mind. My parents for example probably would not — the would point out that the chairs had stains, or the curtain was torn. For myself, I love vintage design and furniture and thus fully embraced it’s «imperfections».
Upon check-​in, we walked into a Friday night happy hour in the lounge /​office. Fire in the fireplace. About 10 people all having drinks, listening to soothing music. Scott (one of the owners) immediately greeted us and asked if we wanted to fill out paperwork or have a drink. We choose the latter (brews from North Coast). Over beers we stuck up a conversation with another visiting couple and was served hot cheese and vegetables from the bar. We were here 5 minutes, and already blown away.
Our cabin was «Nature» — a cabin decorated 1960’s Adirondack style, complete with a fireplace. Initially we planned to check-​in and find a restaurant for dinner, but due to the room being so unbelievable comfy and inviting we instead picked up a pizza and simply chilled in our room all night (complete with a bottle of wine, courtesy of Scott & Madeline who knew it was our anniversary).
Our morning was spent drinking coffee on our porch, admiring the land, and chilling in the sunshine followed by a trip to the office /​lounge and munching on fresh bread & jam.
My only regret is not spending more time here.