Eco-Friendly Inn Marin Hotel Near San Francisco

Pet-Friendly Accommodation Close to Napa Valley and California Coast

Oct 29, 2009
Donna Dailey

Pool at the Inn Marin near San Francisco - The Inn Marin

Green and pet-friendly, the Marin County Inn Marin has a perfect location for Napa Valley wine country, California Coast, and it's a hotel that's near San Francisco, too.

Visiting California and looking for a hotel that is near San Francisco but not right in the city? Consider the eco-friendly and pet-friendly Inn Marin.

Located in the Marin County town of Novato, the Inn Marin is only 30 minutes from downtown San Francisco, 45 minutes from San Francisco Airport, about an hour from Napa Town in Napa Valley wine country, and a lovely and highly recommended 80-90 minute drive to the breathtakingly beautiful Point Reyes Seashore on California's Pacific Coast.

Visiting the City from the Inn Marin Hotel near San Francisco

Downtown San Francisco is a 25-mile drive from the Inn Marin, taking about 30 minutes, or 40 minutes in traffic. However, there's a slightly slower but much lovelier way to spend a day in the city by the bay.

Take a 20-minute drive as far as Sausalito, park there and catch the Golden Gate Ferry right to the landmark San Francisco Ferry Building. The ferry ride takes 30 minutes but many visitors wish it was longer, as this scenic approach has been voted the second-best ferry ride in the world.

The Eco-Friendly Inn Marin Hotel near San Francisco

The Inn Marin was renovated completely in February 2009, so the whole hotel has a bright and fresh feel to it. In the process, the owners took the opportunity to make the Inn Marin as eco-friendly as possible, and it has been certified green by the state of California.

The hotel has many eco-friendly features. Soft furnishings from the floor coverings to pillow shams are all made from farmed bamboo, which has a short growing cycle and gives off more oxygen than other plants.

The hotel's thick adobe walls offer great insulation and are painted in low VOC paint, which is healthier and low in toxicity. All soaps and cleaning fluids are totally organic.

The Rooms at the Pet-Friendly Inn Marin Hotel

Some rooms are decorated in cheerful and vibrant southwestern colors, with deep-yellow walls and bright red bedspreads. Coupled with the bamboo flooring, they also have a tropical feel to them.

Rooms are spacious, and there are 70 guestrooms in all, including two King Suites and two Jacuzzi Suites. The Inn Marin in Marin County is a certified pet-friendly hotel, although three completely pet-free rooms are available for guests who may suffer from allergies.

Facilities for the Disabled at the Inn Marin Hotel near Napa Valley

Seven of the Inn Marin's guest rooms are purpose-designed for guests who have special requirements, including the visually-impaired, the hearing-impaired and guests using wheelchairs. These rooms have features such as room numbers in Braille, a flashing light for hearing-impaired visitors to alert them to someone at the door, wider entry doors, and more spacious bathrooms with nothing impeding wheelchair access to the sinks.

The outdoor pool and spa also has lifts for guests who need assistance getting into and out of the water.

Guest Services and Amenities at the Inn Marin Hotel

The rooms at the Inn Marin surround an attractive, landscaped lawn and gardens, with an outdoor pool and spa area. Lovely original artworks decorate the public areas.

Hotel services include complimentary breakfast and 24-hour coffee service, exercise facilities, a business center, guest laundry, shuttle services, and acres of free car-parking space.

All guest rooms all have:

Complimentary wifi, and data ports
Voice mail and two-line speaker phone
Flat-screen cable TV which includes HBO among its 75 channels
MP3/iPod docks
Rainfall showerheads

Dining at the Inn Marin near San Francisco

Room rates include a complimentary breakfast. For dinner there is the on-site Rickey's Restaurant and Bar.

Rickey's is open Tuesday-Sunday for dinner, and a sign of the quality is that it is packed most nights with local people who love the lively atmosphere and weekend live jazz nights as much as the good food.