Alta Olema Bed & Breakfast

The two most important reasons for choosing the Alta Olema when visiting our friends in Pt. Reyes were a pet friendly place, and a room with a king size bed for my very tall husband. Alta Olema had both. The hosts are very welcoming, and the breakfast was very good. The plentiful strong coffee was welcome. The service was very warm and flexible – they offer a cheese plate every day, and we were not around to partake, so they boxed up a lovely variety of cheese and bread for us to take on a picnic. The bathroom had ample towels of every size, and really nice ones, definitely better than expected. And our first night there we arrived after a late dinner to find the heat on in our room.
The reason we did not give this B & B 5 stars was because the bathroom is a bit worn around the edges, and in a slightly uncomfortable way. The shower in the room we stayed in could use a good cleaning, as could the built in soap holder, and putting a new shower door/​enclosure in would do a world of good. It was outdated in an unfortunate way – a few years from now it may well be be vintage, but right now it just needs a facelift. My impressions of B & B’s these days are that they aspire to a spa-​like experience – and this was not like that, despite all the good intentions that the owners obviously have.
That being said, I would stay here again, partly because it is such a pleasure to travel with both my husband and our dog. We really had a very pleasant stay in a lovely location.

We stayed here last weekend on short notice and it was really great to find something so we could enjoy one more day of Point Reyes. I called Alta Olema at about 8pm and the woman answering the phone was extremely friendly. She said it was no problem for us to come after eating dinner at Stellina. Whew! It was 10:30 by the time we go to the inn and they welcomed us. They even gave us 2 toothbrushes since it was a last minute stay! So nice. The room was #11 and it was small, but very clean, all white linens, nice shower, perfect for what we needed. It was facing the back of the property and beautiful in the morning to wake up to all the trees and birds. They were willing to serve a late breakfast at 10am. By the time we rolled out of bed at 10:15, they had our breakfast warm and it was great… steel cut oatmeal, fruit, english muffins, juice, tea. It was a nice relaxing morning and then we headed out. Both of our hosts were extremely friendly and the place was clean, relaxing and serene.

We had a wonderful time staying at Alta Olema with our two dogs. The owners gave us a room with a private exit to the yard from our own deck –very convenient. The breakfast was delicious: lox & bagels with capers, onion, tomato, etc.; a Boulange croissant with the cheese plate; eggs, bacon, sausage, and an english muffin with tasty jam. The orange juice and coffee were tasty. We were also served wine and cheese in the evenings –some sort of winter special, I think.
The owners gave us great hiking tips and let us borrow an oyster knife (one that had shucked upwards of 250,000 oysters in its lifetime, in service of the inn down the road).
It’s true that the bathrooms aren’t updated, and the walls are pretty thin, but I was happy with the tasty food, friendly people, and a cozy vibe. (Also, the free wi-​fi worked.) I’d come back.

I completely agree with the reviewer before me, Jill D. This place is adequate: clean linens, pretty location– but that’s about it. The two-​bedroom suite is indeed separated by a curtain, which was never disclosed to us when we asked for a two bedroom for my husband and myself, and our third-​wheel friend who was staying with us (awkward). The rooms are pretty old and outdated, teeny tiny bathroom, and small breakfast. I have never paid so much for so little at an inn before. The reservation process is also frustrating and antiquated– no online booking, no confirmation numbers.

I suppose this Inn is adequate if all you need is a place to crash for a night, with no further expectations. The house is generally clean, linens were acceptable, and the furnishings were ok.
HOWEVER, if you are hoping for bountiful breakfasts, knowledgeable Innkeepers, lovely service or anything in your room other than a bottle of water, you should probably go elsewhere.
Our «meh» experience:
We wanted to spend the weekend in Olema for our babymoon. I’m 7 months pregnant and wanted to relax on the beach. Every single Inn in Olema was 100% booked, except the Alta, which was empty.
It was painful to make a reservation as you have to do so by telephone. You can’t book online. It took four phone calls to make the reservation.
We took the Hollyhock suite for $ 260, which was advertised as two bedroom and two bathrooms, suitable for four people. I thought it would be perfect for my husband and myself, plus our 14 month old.
The two bedrooms were connected by a flimsy curtain. And one of the bathrooms was down the hall of the living room. No big deal but it would’ve been nice to know in advance. Anyway.
The owner of the inn, Carole, informed me that we could only have two breakfasts as there were only two adults in our party. This made no sense as we were paying for a four person suite. And how much breakfast does she think a 14 month old eats? Sure enough the next morning, we were served two paltry breakfasts. I had ordered the oatmeal, which was maybe 4 spoonfuls in a shallow bowl. Did I mention I was 7 months pregnant? I had asked Carole’s husband John for a plate of fruit for the baby. That request was ignored.
I gave our 14 month old the oatmeal and ended up having to eat breakfast at Starbucks in Novato.
I’ve also requested that they email me a receipt for our payment. I’ve been ignored.
Oh I nearly forgot. I asked Carole if she could recommend where could rent bikes (Point Reyes is a biking mecca). She told me that didn’t know, but someone dropped off a business card for a bike place in San Rafael (20 miles away) and she could give me the address. Right.
Apparently these Innkeepers ran the Olema Inn for five years (foreclosed upon in August) which is very surprising. I haven’t had this kind of service since backpacking through Europe in my 20’s. Maybe they would be better suited to running a hostel.