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Mendocino · Hotel shortlist

High end hotels in the university district, Mendocino

Peter Halvorsen

Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

Updated 1 September 2026 · 7 Mendocino hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Mendocino, out of the 7 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.5 down to 4.2.

Bear Springs Hotel is the one I would book myself.

Bear Springs Hotel

Highest rated of the five

Bear Springs Hotel

★★★★★4.5 from 1,062 reviews

Bear Springs Hotel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.5 from 1,062 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under the university district and around $174 a night on the dates we checked.

7 hotels in Mendocino qualified for this list and five made it. Jacuzzi Guesthouse - Perfect Getaway! is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Spatreatment rooms on site, no booking a taxi for it
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Bear Springs Hotel1

    Bear Springs Hotel

    ★★★★★4.5 from 1,062 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  2. Jacuzzi Guesthouse - Perfect Getaway!2

    Jacuzzi Guesthouse - Perfect Getaway!

    ★★★★★4.838312 from 77 reviews

      Check rates Read more

    • Yaamava' Resort & Casino3

      Yaamava' Resort & Casino

      ★★★★★4.2 from 51,239 reviews

      • Pool
      • Spa
      • Gym
      • Restaurant
      • Bar
      • Parking

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    • Cozy modern little cabin in Crestline4

      Cozy modern little cabin in Crestline

      ★★★★★4.3 from 74 reviews

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      • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Loma Linda- San Bernardino S by IHG5

        Holiday Inn Express & Suites Loma Linda- San Bernardino S by IHG

        ★★★★★4.3 from 848 reviews

        • Pool
        • Spa
        • Gym
        • Restaurant
        • Parking
        • Pet friendly

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      How this list was put together

      7 Mendocino hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

      Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

      The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

      What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

      Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

      Peter Halvorsen

      Peter Halvorsen The Nordics

      Twenty-six years of teaching means 26 long summers. Trains and driving through most of Europe, now further afield, usually alone with a tent. Keeps every train ticket since 1994.

      Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.