Benbow Historic Inn

We are so glad to have you here as our guest. We appreciate your support and choosing the Benbow Historic Inn to stay. Since July of 1926 the Inn has hosted many guests who have traveled here for a destination visit or were on the Redwood Highway going to another destination. We wish for you to relax and enjoy the Inn and to forget about your daily troubles for a moment.

In this directory you will find detailed information about our hotel’s amenities and guest services. Should you require additional information or assistance, please call the Front Desk.

This directory also includes valuable information about nearby points of interest and exciting things to do, and the fine offerings of our local businesses. Please take time to thank the local area merchants you visit, whose support has brought you this guest directory.

Relax, piece together a puzzle, read a poem, enjoy each other or some solitude… We hope your stay is a memorable one and that you will choose us again the next time you visit Humboldt County.

Sincerely yours,
The Management and Staff
The Benbow Historic Inn

Benbow Historic Inn
445 Lake Benbow Drive
Garberville, CA 95542
707-923-2124

Property Layout

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ATMs & Banks

An ATM is located in the KOA lobby and in Garberville at the bank and credit union.

Bicycles

We offer complimentary use of our beach cruiser style bicycles for hotel guests to enjoy a leisurely ride in the Benbow Valley.

Catering for Events

Catering services are available for meetings and banquets in the hotel. Please dial 175 to make arrangements.

Channel Lineup

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Check-In/Check-Out

Check-in time is 4:00 pm. Check-out time is 11:00 am. In the event of a late check-out, please make arrangements with the Front Desk in advance.

Complimentary Coffee

Complimentary coffee is available from 6:00 am to 10:30 am in the Upper Lobby.

Complimentary Tea & Scones

Tea and scones are available to all guests from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm daily in the Upper Lobby.

Conference Rooms

The Benbow Historic Inn presents the ultimate conference venue or creative getaway for meetings and corporate retreats.

From small executive retreats to corporate meetings, the Benbow Historic Inn offers conference facilities with unparalleled cuisine and attentive service. Our lush gardens and terrace provide an ideal setting for attendees to enjoy a memorable lunch or dinner outdoors.

For groups with 8 rooms or more, the Benbow Historic Inn will be happy to quote and help organize your group from start to finish. Please contact our Sales Department at 707-923-2124, or send an email to catering@benbowinn.com for assistance.

Copy Service

Black and white copies are available at the Front Desk for 10¢ each.

Credit Cards

For your convenience we accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover credit cards.

Cribs

A limited number of cribs are available on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge. Please contact the Front Desk to request one.

Complimentary Breakfast Buffet

Served daily in the Dining Room from 7:30 to 10:30 am.

Disabilities

The Benbow Historic Inn is committed to providing accessible facilities for guests with disabilities. If you encounter barriers during your stay, please contact the Manager. If in the future you require an accessible room, please request one when making a reservation. We can assist you better if you let us know your individual needs in advance.

Emergencies

In case of a police, fire or ambulance emergency, dial 911.

Fax Service

Fax service is available at the Front Desk. Please inquire there for incoming fax numbers and rates.

Forget Something?

As a courtesy to our guests, we are happy to provide complimentary personal items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and razors.

Front Desk

You may contact the Front Desk from your room by dialing 0. The Front Desk is open 24 hours 7 days a week.

Hospital

Jerold Phelps Community Hospital
733 Cedar Street
Garberville, CA 95542
707-923-3921

Housekeeping

Please dial 0 to contact the Housekeeping Department for any housekeeping service needs, including extra towels, linens or blankets.

Ice

If you require ice; please dial 0 to contact the Front Desk and have it delivered to your room.

In-Room Amenities

Any food or beverage items within the room are complimentary for guest consumption. This includes creme sherry, water bottles and keurig cups.

Internet Access

We are pleased to offer complimentary Wi-Fi in all our guest rooms. The network name is “Benbow Inn Courtesy.” There is no password required. We also offer Premium Wi-Fi at $9.95 per day. Dial 0 to contact the Front Desk for more information.

Key Cards

If you lose your key card, please notify the Front Desk immediately. We will gladly provide you with a replacement upon presentation of photo identification. If your ID is locked in your room, hotel staff will assist you in retrieving it.

Laundry

Coin-operated washers and dryers are available for guests’ use at our sister site, the Benbow KOA.

Lost & Found

Please dial 0 to contact the Front Desk regarding any items you may have lost or found. The Benbow Historic Inn is not responsible for lost items.

Lounge

Our full service Lounge offers all classic cocktails and a fantastic single-malt whiskey selection.

Luggage Assistance

Our helpful staff will be happy to assist you with your luggage. Please contact the Front Desk.

Mail

Mail may be dropped off or picked up at the Front Desk.

Messages

The Front Desk will notify you if any messages have been left for you.

Newspapers

Complimentary copies of the San Francisco Chronicle are available in the Historic Lobby.

Pets

As part of our dedication to provide the highest level of service to all of our guests, the Benbow Historic Inn welcomes pets staying with their owners, pending availability of pet designated rooms. Please be sure to discuss bringing your pet with a Front Desk agent when making a reservation.

Up to two (2) pets are allowed in our pet designated rooms, which are located in the Terrace Building with easy access to the outside. The Benbow Historic Inn charges a $30 pet fee per visit.

Service Animals

Service animals are welcome. A service animal is any dog that is individually trained to perform a specific task or tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Reservations

Please contact the Front Desk by dialing 0 for future individual or group reservations, or to reserve conference rooms.

Restaurant

Dinner is served nightly. Hours vary based on season. Contact the Front Desk for reservations.

Rollaway Beds

A limited number of rollaway beds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact the Front Desk to request one.

Smoking Policy

Our entire property, inside and out, is non smoking. Guests who smoke in their room or on their patio will incur a $350 deep cleaning fee.

Swimming Pool & Spa

Our seasonal outdoor Swimming Pool and Spa are open from May 1 to October 1. Winter Spa hours may vary. Your room key card will allow you access to the pool area. There are no lifeguards on duty, and children under the age of 12 are not permitted in the pool area unless accompanied by an adult.

Telephone

Emergency: Dial 9 + 911.
Front Desk: Dial 0. Front Desk is open 24/7.
Housekeeping: Dial 0 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm.
Outside Calls: Dial 9 + number. Long distance and toll calls will be charged to your room. There is no charge for local or toll-free numbers.
Room to Room: Dial room number.
Wake-Up Calls: Dial 0 for the Front Desk.

Safety & Security

Traveler Safety

Do not admit anyone into your room without first verifying his or her identity. All doors are provided with peep holes. If you are unsure of someone claiming to be a hotel employee, call the Front Desk for verification before allowing entry.
Hotel staff members will never call your room and ask for credit card numbers or other sensitive information. Please notify the Front Desk if you receive such a call.
Do not leave cash or other valuables in your room or vehicle.
Always use all locking devices on the door. Before leaving your room, double check that windows and door are all securely locked.
Keep your room key card with you at all times. Do not leave it unattended in your room, by the swimming pool or elsewhere.
Report any suspicious activity that you observe to the management.

Fire Safety

Upon checking in, locate the 2 nearest exits and the nearest fire alarm. Count the number of doors between them and your room, so that you can find your way in the event of smoke or darkness.
If you hear an alarm or smell smoke, act immediately; don’t just investigate.
To report a fire, dial 9, wait for a dial tone, then dial 911. Be sure to give your room number. Next, call the Front Desk by dialing 0. Then go to the door. If it is hot, do not open it. Turn off the fan or air conditioner. Cover the crack at the bottom of the door with wet towels, fill your bathtub with water, and signal from your window. Do not break the window or jump from it. Cover your mouth and nose with a folded wet towel. Wait to be rescued.
If the door is not hot, and there is no dense smoke in the corridor, take your key card, lock the door behind you and head for the nearest exit. Pull nearest fire alarm if possible. If there is some smoke, crawl; the freshest air is near the floor. Proceed quickly but calmly. Do not panic.

Earthquake Safety

If you feel any shaking:

Drop, cover and hold on: drop down to the floor as soon as you perceive an earthquake has started; drop down before the earthquake drops you down. Then seek shelter under a desk or table. Crouch down on your knees so that you can move with the table. Hold on to the table leg(s) so you can keep the table over you.
If there is no nearby desk or table, sit on the floor against an inside wall, away from windows, tall furniture or bookcases. Draw up your knees, bend your head toward your knees. Protect your head and neck with your arms.
Go outside once the shaking stops. Make sure you are wearing sturdy shoes before leaving the building. If possible take valuables and medications. Avoid touching downed power lines. If access to exit doors is blocked by earthquake damage, wait for a rescue team.

Tsunami Safety

If you are at the beach or near the ocean and you feel the ground shake or see rapidly rising or falling coastal water levels, move immediately to higher ground and stay there until local authorities say it is safe to return. DO NOT wait for a warning to be announced. If the tsunami is caused by a remote earthquake or volcanic eruption, you will be alerted by a siren, radio or television broadcasts, local first responders and/or an alarm at the hotel.

Often the first wave may not be the largest. The danger from a tsunami can last up to 12 hours after the arrival of the first wave. Tsunamis move faster than a person can run, and can be 30 feet high or higher; sometimes much higher. Never stay near shore to watch a tsunami come in.

History

The Benbow Historic Inn, a Garberville resort in the redwoods, was designed by architect Albert Farr, who was most noted for The Wolf House — the home he designed for author Jack London in Glen Ellen, CA. Farr was commissioned by the Benbow family to create the cornerstone for the resort community they intended to build in their 1,290 acre valley.

The Benbow Family

The “Hotel Benbow” (as it was originally called) opened to the public in July of 1926. Built by the Benbow family — nine talented brothers and sisters who also constructed the Benbow Dam, Power Company, and later, the Golf Course and RV Park, the hotel became a popular destination for motoring tourists traveling up the newly-completed Redwood Highway.

Hollywood Hideaway

The combination of seclusion and elegant hospitality also served as quite an attraction for the early Hollywood elite. Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Alan Ladd, Charles Laughton, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, Joan Fontaine, Basil Rathbone were all patrons of the Inn.

Dignitaries such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover and Lord Halifax also enjoyed the Benbow hospitality. Guests enjoyed all the amenities of fine dining and luxurious rooms, along with the best of the great outdoors: riding stables, golf course, hiking trails, swimming, boating and fishing in the Eel river.

Years of Transition

The Great Depression had a hard impact on the early years of the Inn, but the Benbow family was able to keep the hotel open and its reputation for quality intact. The family eventually sold the hotel in 1962. The Inn’s success fluctuated through several owners until Patsy and Chuck Watts purchased the hotel in 1978. The Wattses lovingly restored the Inn, and through their efforts, the Benbow Historic Inn was placed on the National Register of Historic places in 1983. It was under their ownership that the Inn was first awarded a four-diamond rating by AAA, making it the only full-service four-diamond property in Northern California at that time.

Ownership

John and Teresa Porter with Jack Macdonald purchased the Inn in 1994, bringing over fifty years of innkeeping experience with them. They have continued to upgrade and restore the Benbow Historic Inn, including extensive room and terrace renovations.

Under the current ownership, the Inn has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 15 consecutive years and recently was awarded TripAdvisors’ Certificate of Excellence.

The owners have also created a wondrous month-long Christmas Celebration and a wide array of year-round events – adding more activities and options for their guests