Marin is loaded with pet-friendly lodging, but why not follow the “green” theme for which the county is known and choose a property that verifiably adheres to sustainable practices?
Inn Marin, a mission-style motor inn richly reinvented for the 21st century, is a family-owned, award-winning green property on Highway 101 in Novato. All 70 bamboo-floored rooms are dog-friendly, and the pet fee is just $20 per stay. Ask for a room facing the leafy interior garden, where you can walk outside your door to enjoy morning coffee with Rover at your side.
Completely different in feel, Inverness Valley Inn is a woodsy retreat snuggled on 15 acres between Tomales Bay and Point Reyes National Seashore. Most rooms have kitchenettes, and there’s a fenced-in play area for visiting canines. To make things even more interesting, the inn supports a “mini eco-farm” populated by sheep, goats, chickens and even a resident llama. Pet fee is $25 the first night, $10 for each additional night of your stay.
Up for a splurge? Cavallo Point Lodge is a stunningly romantic Civil War-era military compound sitting almost in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s the first national park lodge and first hotel on the National Register of Historic Places to receive gold-level LEED certification. The complex encompasses 34 buildings, some historic, some new, on 45 acres in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just across the bridge from San Francisco. Hike up the hill behind the lodge for expansive views, warm your heels around the fire pit while watching the sun go down or sit a spell in a rocking chair; the beautiful setting is dog-friendly from every angle.
Moving north to Tomales Bay, you, your significant other and your four-legged sidekick will feel the love at Nick’s Cove, a romantic jumping-off point for exploring Tomales Bay and Point Reyes National Seashore. The formerly funky, 1930s-era roadhouse and dilapidated fishermen’s cottages were transformed about a decade ago into a “rustic chic” hotspot with a highly regarded restaurant and luxury appointments in the cottages, eight of which welcome canine visitors.
