Best Fireplaces at California Inns
Warm your soul this season next to a crackling fire. Whether it’s a soaring stone fireplace, an elegant Victorian hearth, or a striking modern flame, we’ve compiled some of the best fireplaces at California boutique hotels and B&Bs for cozying up to during the winter months.
Granada Hotel & Bistro
An uber-modern, double-sided gas fireplace is the focal point of the private guest lounge and outdoor terrace at the Granada Hotel & Bistro in downtown San Luis Obispo. Backed by a wall of windows, the rectangular steel fireplace is striking in its design. The indoor guest lounge is made all the more inviting with comfy velvet couches, Persian rugs, and photography by Barry Goyette. Guests gather fireside in the lounge to socialize and sip wine and cocktails in the evenings. On the fireplace’s outdoor facing side, the terrace is a quiet space to read and enjoy breakfast in the sun-dappled shade of the trees.
The Inn at Newport Ranch
When The Inn at Newport Ranch near Fort Bragg was being built, owner Will Jackson had a dream of a walk-in fireplace that you could actually sit in. With the help of a crane, he placed stones weighing several tons where his dream hearth would be even before the walls or roof of the inn were constructed. Today, that cozy sanctuary is a 20-foot-wide fireplace in the inn’s Newport Room where guests can warm themselves and enjoy a glass of wine while sitting in the fireplace. In addition to the walk-in fireplace, nearly all of the inn’s guest rooms and suites feature wood-burning fireplaces. There’s also a kettle-style fire pit suspended from a trio of metal poles for enjoying an oceanfront fire on the bluff while the sun sets.
Maison Fleurie
In Yountville, Maison Fleurie (or the Magnolia Hotel as it was originally named) was built in 1873 of stone from local quarries and bricks from a demolished church. It is Napa Valley’s oldest hotel. One of the best-preserved spaces in the hotel is the dining room. Located just off the lobby, a brick fireplace is the focal point of a snug dining room decorated with antique treasures, pendant lights with Edison bulbs, tufted wingback chairs, and an inviting farmhouse dining table and chairs. It’s a cozy place to enjoy breakfast or evening wine and cheese.
Black Bear Lodge
Just a mile from Heavenly Mountain Resort in South Lake Tahoe, Black Bear Lodge blends rustic style with a modern, upscale vibe. The centerpiece of the main lodge is a soaring, 32-foot river rock fireplace in the great room, which also features rough-hewn wood timbers, vaulted ceilings, and a wall of windows. Leather couches and chairs flanking the fireplace and cozy seating in the loft above provide inviting spaces to gather, read, play games, and watch the snowflakes swirl outside. One of Lake Tahoe’s best-kept secrets is the lodge bar, which serves a rotating selection of craft beers, California wines, and small plates that can be enjoyed fireside. In addition, all of the lodge’s guest rooms and cabins feature private gas fireplaces.
The Casitas of Arroyo Grande
Near Pismo Beach, each of the four luxurious suites at The Casitas of Arroyo Grande features a kiva fireplace with beautiful inlaid tile reflecting the inn’s Spanish architecture. The fireplaces in three of the suites are woodburning. Before a guest checks in, the hosts set up the fireplaces with wood and kindling so that they can be ready to ignite with just the strike of a match. The fireplace in the Cielo suite, which is the largest of the casitas and located closest to the outdoor lap pool, is gas-burning and comes with a remote to light. Guests don’t even have to get out of bed to enjoy the fireplace’s warm glow.
Eden Vale Inn
Inside the main lodge of Eden Vale Inn in the Sierra Foothills, a stone fireplace rises 27 feet from the floor to the timber-framed cathedral ceiling. The slate rock for the fireplace was hand-picked from a local quarry when the original owners were in the process of converting an old, classic hay barn into a home. The masonry weighs about 40 tons. On cool winter mornings, the innkeepers build a roaring fire with oak logs. The glowing hearth is irresistible. In addition to the fireplace in the main lodge, all seven guest rooms have built-in gas fireplaces. Guests can simply press a button and the lights will dim while the fire flickers. Outdoors, there is also circular steel and stone fire pit to gather around and gaze up at the stars.
Brewery Gulch Inn
Perched above the Mendocino coast, the cathedral-ceilinged great room at the Brewery Gulch Inn is anchored by an enormous four-sided glass and steel fireplace that was fabricated by a local shipbuilder. Positioned in the center of the room, a wood-burning fire glows from the glass on all sides and warms the entire room. The fireplace is surrounded by Arts and Crafts-style leather couches, chairs, and tables where guests gather to read, play games, and sample the chef’s culinary creations. Cozy shag rugs and a tall bank of windows overlooking the ocean add to the room’s appeal. For more private fireside relaxation, each of the inn’s 10 guest rooms has a gas fireplace with leather club chairs and cozy blankets.
Channel Road Inn
Built in 1910, Santa Monica’s Channel Road Inn is a rare West Coast example of a shingle-clad Colonial Revival home. Saved from the wrecking ball and lovingly restored, the inn still boasts the original fireplace in the gathering room complete with its original, locally made Batchelder tiles. The tiles were handmade by Ernest Batchelder in his Los Angeles workshop in 1910. Sometimes, people stop by the inn just to see the tiles, which are highly sought-after collectibles. The fireplace, along with the great room’s beautiful woodwork and cozy seating, creates a welcoming space to gather with a glass of wine on a cool winter evening.
Timber Cove Resort
On the rugged Sonoma coastline, a three-story stone fireplace soars up through the exposed wood timbers in the great room of the Timber Cove Resort. The fireplace is original to the 1963 resort, which was designed by a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. The resort underwent a massive renovation in 2016 to bestow the comforts and amenities of a modern boutique hotel while retaining the resort’s architecture and authentic midcentury vibe. Today, the massive stone fireplace presides over cozy seating areas, a full bar, an impressive collection of vinyl records, and board games and books. The resort also features a retro steel fireplace in the restaurant, gas fireplaces in most of the guest rooms, and an oceanside fire pit.
Old Monterey Inn
The Old Monterey Inn was built in 1929 by Carmel Martin Sr., a grandson of Monterey’s earliest pioneers who laid plans for the City of Monterey and served as its first mayor. His grand, three-story English Tudor features the original wood-burning fireplaces in the dining room and parlor. The dining room fireplace has a unique hammered-metal hood with a fleur-de-lis motif. Breakfast is served each morning in the dining room next to the roaring fire. In the parlor, the fire crackles during the evening wine reception where guests can curl up in front of the hearth. Each of the inn’s guest rooms and suites features fireplaces as well.
McCaffrey House Bed and Breakfast Inn
Nestled in a quiet forest hollow of the High Sierras, every guest room of the McCaffrey House Bed and Breakfast Inn features a charming propane fire stove. The stoves turn on with the flick of a switch, filling the rooms with warmth and flickering flames. The cozy rooms also feature Amish quilts, artful décor, and tranquil views of the forest. Each evening, the innkeepers serve wine and cheese beside the glow of the fire in the living room, which is beautifully decorated at the holidays.
The Cottages of Napa Valley
At The Cottages of Napa Valley, guests can enjoy their very own wine country cottage and a wood-burning chiminea on a private patio. The patio chimineas are nestled under mature trees, screened by hedges, and stocked daily with complimentary firewood. Guests can kick back in the Adirondack chairs with cozy blankets to sip wine and watch the chimineas’ flames. S’mores baskets are available for purchase for guests with cravings for warm gooey marshmallows and melting chocolate. Inside each of the inn’s beautifully renovated vintage cottages, attractive gas fireplaces keep things warm and toasty on cool winter evenings.
Hotel Cerro
Each garden suite at Hotel Cerro in San Luis Obispo features a private patio with its very own fire bowl. Cozy, built-in patio seating surrounds each of the fire bowls, providing a relaxing space for enjoying a morning cup of coffee or sipping a glass of wine. Inside all of the hotel suites and penthouses, guests will also find modern gas fireplaces with seating areas for cozying up next to the fire. In addition, the hotel’s lobby, edible gardens, and Mission Fig patio all also feature beautiful fireplaces.