San Anselmo Inn

The continental breakfast has a deluxe selection, including organic and healthy options. The rooms are comfortable, and it’s easy to enjoy time in the shared spaces and outdoor courtyard. Even though the inn sits on downtown San Anselmo’s Main Street and has a restaurant attached, it stays quiet and peaceful.

I’ve sent family, friends and colleagues to the San Anselmo Inn for years, and every guest I’ve booked has appreciated the welcoming owners, comfortable rooms, tasty breakfast and eclectic style. It’s a charming local treasure. As a San Anselmo resident, I’m glad there’s a clean, well-kept place at a reasonable price right in the heart of town. With short-term rentals not permitted in SA, it’s the only legal local accommodation option, which makes it wonderful to have the Inn available.

The older building has a lot of charm, and my quaint room was clean and comfortable. It was a little tight for me at 6 foot 3, and there are only stairs up to the second floor. There’s no A/C, though the room cooled down in the evening. Breakfast was good, and there are plenty of good restaurants nearby for dinner. It’s different from a standard hotel, in a nice way.

We were in town for a Sunday wedding in Fairfax and arrived early to ask about a last-minute early check-in so we could get out of the heat. The owner, I believe, kindly moved up the room cleaning so we could get in sooner. Even with the A/C and a fan, though, the room never got very cool. We were grateful to have somewhere to rest, but barely slept because of the warmth. That sort of heat isn’t typical, and I wouldn’t want to stay much longer in it. We had the King DLX, which unexpectedly included a second bedroom we didn’t need. The room was dated and simple, with a mix of antique and modern furnishings, and the bathroom was tiny. Our street-side room got noisy in the morning when larger trucks went by, though the windows brought in lots of natural light. It’s convenient for walking around town and finding places to eat, and it’d be a good base for the coast or bike trails. After Oakland and the East Bay, it was a nice change: people smiled and stopped for you at crosswalks, and we felt less need to watch our things and car.