Mill Valley Inn

Hotel description

Just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, nestled between the waters of Richardson Bay and the slopes of Mount Tamalpais, Mill Valley is one of California’s most scenic small cities, equal parts upscale bedroom community and rustic redwood canyon retreat. A short walk from the town plaza, at the foot of Mt. Tam, you’ll find the charming and intimate Mill Valley Inn, a quiet and urbane European-style hotel, the perfect pied-à-terre from which to explore the shops, galleries and restaurants of this unique little town.

The guest rooms are serene and stylish, individually designed, all in white with hand-crafted wooden furnishings and French doors that open onto views of the town center or the redwood forest. Some include fireplaces, balconies, or soaking tubs, and the creekside cottages and the Executive Suite offer an added measure of space and seclusion.

Morning papers and a Continental breakfast are complimentary; from there it’s off to the town square, or farther afield. Outdoor types will enjoy Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods, and the Napa wine country and the city of San Francisco are a modest drive in either direction — modest enough, in fact, that those with frequent business in the city might consider the Mill Valley Inn as a welcome change of pace from the busy downtown hotels.

How to get there:

From San Francisco International Airport, Take Highway 101 North. Exit 380 West to I-280 North/San Francisco/San Bruno. Then take Exit I-280 North to San Francisco. Take Exit 19th Avenue/Highway 1 North and then veer left onto 19th Avenue. Stay on 19th Avenue for approximately 7 miles. Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and then take Exit Tiburon/E. Blithedale Avenue. Turn left onto E. Blithedale Avenue and drive 1.8 miles. Turn left onto Throckmorton Avenue. The Mill Valley Inn is five blocks up on your left.