Historic inn in Fort Bragg transformed into boutique hotel

A couple has turned a historic motor lodge that had been sitting empty into a boutique hotel on California’s North Coast. 

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On Saturday, Teresa Raffo and Chris Hougie opened their second property, the Mendocino Cove, according to a news release. The hotel is located on the seaside of Highway 1 just over 4 miles south of Fort Bragg in Mendocino County.

The coastal hotel was built over what was first the Pine Beach Motel in the 1930s, according to the Press Democrat. It later became the Pine Beach Inn — a historic motel from the 1960s. As bookings slowed, the owners placed the inn on the market in the late 2010s. Raffo and Hougie purchased the property in 2020 and began a five-year construction project.

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The Mendocino Cove serves as an extension of the Mendocino Grove, a glamping trip property 7 miles down the road. 

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“From the beginning, our goal was to create a place that feels anchored in the Mendocino Coast while offering an experience that’s unique to the region,” Hougie said in a statement published by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals, an industry group.

The 40-suite property has a restaurant and lounge, a private pathway to Pine Beach, a meditation labyrinth and eight pickleball courts. Wellness experiences include a Nordic-style spa with a sauna and cold plunge and a labyrinth for meditation.

“Though Mendocino is known for the beach and ocean, there are very few beach hotels that have access to a beach or the ocean,” Hougie told the San Francisco Chronicle. “In two minutes, you’re in a really beautiful, secluded cove.” (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)

Rooms at Mendocino Cove start at $189 per night.