ST. ORRES
36601 South Highway 1
Gualala, CA 95445
Telephone: (707) 884-3303
Thirteen cottage units with private bath; most with fireplaces or woodburning stoves; some with tubs for two. Complimentary full breakfast served in the inn's restaurant or in your room. Restaurant serves fixed-price dinners. Spa. No disabled access. Two night minimum stay on weekends; three-night minimum stay during holiday periods. Smoking is allowed in cottages. Moderate to expensive.

Getting There
From Highway 101 at Petaluma, exit at Washington Street and drive west through town toward the coast. At Highway 1, turn north and follow to Gualala. Inn is two miles north of town on right. From Highway 101 at Santa Rosa, exit at River Road (becomes Highway 116) and drive west toward the coast. At Highway 1 south of Jenner, turn north and follow to Gualala. Inn is two miles north of town on right. Check in at the main building. The innkeeper will provide you with a map to your cottage.

The artful Russian-style domes and weathered redwood facade of St. Orres are a familiar sight to motorists passing through Gualala on coastal Highway 1. Unbeknownst to many travelers, however, is the collection of romantic cottages that are all but hidden from view among the trees behind the main building. So remote are these jewels that you'll have to get back in the car and drive to your cottage after checking in at the registration desk.

Rooms for Romance
The hand-crafted cottages at St. Orres are clustered in two areas. The Meadows, located up-slope from the main building, consists of four cottages. Our favorite here is Tree House (around $200), a remote retreat that oozes romance. Guests have an ocean view from the private deck, from the couch in the separate sitting area, and from the queen-sized bed. In the tiled bathroom we discovered a deep soaking tub for two. Tree House also boasts a woodburning stove, a wet bar, lots of windows, and a large skylight.

Rose Cottage (mid $100 range), which offers the best ocean view, has an elevated bedroom and a sitting area furnished with a woodburning stove and sofa bed. Guest House (low $100 range) has a cozy window seat, a woodburning stove, and a private deck overlooking a meadow.

The rustic Wildflower Cottage (around $100) has a loft with a double bed, a woodburning stove, and a seductive outdoor hot water shower with a forest view.

Just north of the main building is the other compound, called Creekside, where guests have use of a facility equipped with a spa, sauna, and sun deck. Eight cottages dot the forested grounds here.

Two popular Creekside cottages are Pine Haven (around $200) and Sequoia (around $200). Pine Haven borrows its distinctive architecture from the Russian-style main building. Inside the spacious, two-bedroom, domed cottage is a tiled breakfast area with an ocean view, an attractive woodburning fireplace, and a wet bar. There are two redwood decks.

Sequoia, the resort's most oft-requested cottage (around $200), contains an elevated bedroom alcove illuminated by a skylight. The bathroom holds a deep soaking tub for two. You'll also be treated to an ocean view and a spacious deck.

Offered for around $100 at the time of our visit, the rustic and simple Fern Canyon is one of the north coast's best romantic bargains. This cozy cottage, equipped with a double bed, also features two redwood decks.

In addition to a superb restaurant that is open to the public, the main building at St. Orres holds eight small upstairs rooms that share bathrooms. We do not recommend these accommodations for romantic getaways.


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