Ocean View Lodge, Fort Bragg

My wife and I were looking for a nice place to go for our anniversary and having stayed on the Mendocino coast many times but never Fort Bragg we decided to give it a try. We looked around on the Internet to see what we could find and this place had what looked like a great room and a panoramic view (and a very well done website). We called them and booked a room for two nights even though they said there was no discount for AAA or for booking during the week versus on the weekend. When we arrived at the place we couldn’t believe this is what we say on the Internet. From the outside it looked like a very cheap hotel with way too many rooms way too close together. Think Motel 6 or the like. We were immediately concerned that we may have made a mistake. But we decided we would stay positive as this was our anniversary and we did not want to ruin it. We hadn’t been away in 3 years since our son was born. We went in and the whole lobby was filled with the same picture of the room we say on the Internet. Calendars, post cards, brochures, all with that one picture of the room. We then registered and so we could have a look at the room at least and make a decision what to do. When we walked in the room we could not believe it. First of all it had this horrible smell about it that was overpowering. We weren’t sure if it was a disinfectant that they used or some scent that was intentionally sprayed in the room. Then we saw the tiny bathroom and shower with the pink toilet right as we walked in. I am a normal sized man and I’m not sure I could have fit in the shower. There are two steps up to where the bed resides. The bed was oddly short; I have not seen anything like it before. It looked like my feet would hang off the end. Then we took a look at the view which was good if you got right up against the window. But panoramic? I think someone needs to define the word for these people. There is a four foot window and a small glass door. It was as far from panoramic as I could imagine. We stepped out on the deck which was about 3 feet deep and not big enough for a chair (thus no chairs on it) and you could see the long row of other tiny decks. We had to leave the room as neither of us could stand the smell. We immediately went to the front desk to cancel our two nights and go try to find somewhere else to stay for our anniversary. While we were waiting to speak to the lady at the desk she was on the phone quoting a discounted AAA rate to whomever she was talking to for reservation starting that night. This despite that fact we were told there were no AAA discounts. So when she was done on the phone we told her the room was not at all what we expected and that we wanted to cancel. She informed us that we still had to pay for the night per their policy. I tried to reason with her but she was not having it. For the record, they charged us $250 a night for this place! We tried going back and speaking with another person at the service desk later that day and we were still told we would be charged. The explanation was that the maids had left for the day and the room could not be resold. This despite the fact that the hotel was half empty and we had only walked in the room and right back out. Fortunately, we were able to go down the road about 10 miles and find a fabulous place called the Little River Inn to spend our anniversary. Interestingly, we mentioned what had happened to us and they said they have heard these complaints before about this same hotel and they urged us to contact the Better Business Bureau locally as it only gave their area a bad reputation.

All the staff were very nice. The rooms were clean and very comfortable.It was nice not to be right in the middle of town. The view are spectacular, especially the sun sets and the moon shinning on the water at night. The price of the rooms were decent. There was alot of activities close by and delicious food to eat. We can't wait to come back!

The our room was absolutely beautiful. It was just the place I needed to relax and get away from everything. Our room was spacious and very clean, it had everything we needed. The ocean view is breath taking, and talk about the sunsets, wow. We left our sliding glass door open all night to listen to the waves hitting the rocks. Thank you for a wounderful and enjoy time away from home. I would highly recommend this place. We can't wait to return and make more great memories!

The staff was friendly and accommodating,and the room was beautifully cleaned each day we were there. The view was stunning, the room was quiet, and the fireplace charming. The bathroom is large with a clear shower stall, and the in-room hot tub was sparkling clean and capacious. Because of bizarre weather, our stay was extended 2 days, and the staff went to extra lengths to let us stay in the room we had and to keep the fee the same.

What a wonderful place! The Rooms are so beautiful and Spacious. The view of the ocean is outstanding, the sunset over the pacific ocean from the in room whirlpool was so romantic. And the Fireplace too! They were just so helpful and resourceful, showing us so many ways to make the most of our romantic getaway. We will be back next year....

We checked in and were put into an old building at the rear of the property. The door was standing open for any "critters" to make themselves at home. After we brought our bags into our unit and before we used the bathroom, I flushed the toilet and found it to be stopped up. I called the motel office and a plunger was delivered for ME to use! I backed away and they did plunge it. This would not have bothered me if I had not read a previous review and this same thing happened to another couple. We spent an uncomfortable night and left early the next morning saying to each other that we would never stay here again. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS MOTEL TO ANYONE.