Shaw House Inn - Ferndale, California

K R.

Support this gem!
Located on the right side just at the start of the "main drag" of Ferndale which in itself is a one-of-a-kind town with beautiful Victorians and farms right at the coast. Lots of interesting history here. The Shaw House is the oldest B&B in the state and is run by a wonderful and welcoming team of ladies who made me feel right at home from the time I arrived to the time of my departure. My room was the one room added on (don't quote me) and had a private entrance; it was lovely. The others are original bedrooms in the house and each room is entirely unique from its layout to its décor. Even the house and its structure have a distinct look. Breakfast was fresh, wholesome, spectacular. I truly did not want to leave this place. The good new is I will be back.
Thank you ladies! I wish you wellness and peace.

ndser

We stayed in the Orchard room at the Shaw House Inn in Ferndale in late-Dec ($212). Set in a large estate of lawns, tall trees, a gazebo and horseshoe pit, the inn is a stately old 1850's mansion, the oldest in this historic town. Our ground floor room (like all of the dog-friendly rooms) had one door entered from one of the 3 salons and another from a small deck by the orchard. It was of moderate size with a high ceiling, antique furnishings (chest of drawers, 2 small stand-alone tables, 2 upholstered chairs), a very comfortable double bed, and a small TV with streaming channels. The bathroom was a long, narrow alcove with sliding glass doors along the side of the room, the toilet at one end, shower stall (unfortunately with tepid water) at the other, an ornate pedestal sink with an antique brass faucet faucet in the centre. Windows along each side gave the room a light, spacious feel.||The ground floor salons, open to the public, provided a number of conversation nooks, reading material, games. There was coffee in the afternoon, a mini-ice machine under the staircase, and a communal refrigerator. Breakfast was included but could have been better, consisting of a quarter of an apple pancake, fruit, yogurt, juice, coffee, tea and chocolate milk. The manager was helpful with suggestions about the local area. ||Overall, the Shaw House Inn provided comfortable accommodations at a location convenient to everything in town. Along with the Victorian Inn and Gingerbread Mansion (we have stayed in both), one of the best places to stay if you are looking for colonial atmosphere.

Alaina Z.

We've stayed here twice, it's a great little place. The house is adorable. We love the yard, there are places to sit tucked away all over. There are also two cozy sitting rooms (one is a library, I guess) that are criminally underused.

Our bed in the Orchard room was like sleeping in a marshmallow. Definitely the softest, puffiest mattress I've ever slept on, if that's your thing you'll love this (it's not my thing, so I plan to ask which is their firmest mattress next time I book)

Their cook is excellent. She said she owns a farm but she cooks like a professional. Breakfast selection is modest but what there is is very tasty. Today she made a quiche and yesterday was berry bread pudding.

monamitre

Safe location with beautiful trees. Mattress was great and room was clean and quiet. Staff were very pleasant and food was very good. Only downside was the extremely steep flights of stairs partially without hand rail. This should be mentioned when booking. Understood after paying there is a room at higher price on first floor.

don528

Wonderful old Victorian home a few blocks from the business area of Ferndale. Easy to find the home on large grounds but how to enter was not well marked (missed the small 'Entrance' sign at the end of a white picket fence near the East end). When we approached the house, it was unclear where the 'Office' was until we noticed the smallish parking area to the right of the home. We took a short 'tour' of the downstairs when we arrived, and given our room key which also opened the front door. ||We stayed in the Shaw room which was up a steep stairway which had a 90 degree turn with stairs on the curve (no landing). The room was beautiful with elegantly vaulted ceiling over the bed. The attached bath with a claw-foot tub and an obviously non-period fiberglass shower had low ceilings on the sides and a single old sink. It was very warm when we checked in, so we opened the patio door and used the provided fan to cool it off. The small patio off the back of the room was slanted away from the house, so it did not feel comfortable to us. ||The facility had beautiful old shady trees in the front but was not inviting to visit (no tables or chairs in the front) which we felt was a waste. The concrete walkways were obviously old with extensive cracks. There is a community garden next door that features displays of native flowers and plants, which was wonderful.||We walked a few blocks to find one of the (few) restaurants in town which was a beer/wine bar with a Mexican restaurant next door. Reservations were required, which was a surprise, but they seated us outside on the sidewalk right away. ||The breakfast was served between 8:00 and 9:00 AM the next morning which was very nice: Fresh fruit, crustless quiche, juice and such..

G6551JPrhondag

Loved the solitude of this place. I was fortunate to only have to share with a couple that spent most of the day out & about. Had the whole house to myself. The library was very comfortable; lots of books, games, puzzles, musical gadgets, etc.. Used sitting area in the evening to browse on my laptop. Actually spent most of my time sitting on the front porch area taking in the beauty of the grounds. Excellent breakfasts! Quality food & reflected the time & care put into the preparation. Homemade treats at "teatime". Mini fridge stocked with yogurts & drinks for the taking at anytime. Also, added bonus of a mini ice machine & microwave under the stairwell. I haven't found that in other B&Bs. I see in some reviews that people complained about demeanor of owner. I found her very pleasant. She left you alone, but was always available if needed by text or phone. She lives on premises. My room was not inside the house, but very accommodating & easily accessible. If the place was full my experience might have been very different. But I believe it is setup that you still wouldn't be in anyone's way. Very close to downtown shops, museum, & public gardens.

533gillianj

Ferndale prides itself on being a Victorian town and Shaw House Inn definitely fits with this! |Pros: a lovely but cluttered house in a lovely garden, with tea and coffee and a fridge with juice/yoghurt always available, plenty of comfortable seating in communal rooms and a warm welcome. Cooked breakfast (no choice of menu) was good, with well spaced breakfast tables in every corner. |Cons: we felt the lighting in our room, and particularly the bathroom, was extending the Victorian theme too far, reminiscent of candlelight…

Carolyn W.

What a beautiful and neat historic place! The bed was super soft, the room was gorgeous. The chef had made us a delicious breakfast in the morning. The gardens around the house are beautiful and peaceful. It's close to historic little downtown. In addition to all of that, it's pet-friendly, and the proprietors could not have been more accommodating to my dog, providing her with her own towel to lie on and a few little treats!