I stayed at Sunflower Cottage with my husband, which I loved for so many reasons. The décor was warm and inviting, from the artwork to the bed linens to the collection of movies and music.
The location was perfect, right beside a horse farm where I had the pleasure of falling asleep to hooting owls and waking to the sight and sound of horses chuffing.
The grounds were beautiful, with original artwork scattered throughout, cozy cottages, and gorgeous flowers and foliage.
Our intended stay was three nights. We stayed for three weeks because we did not want to leave.
Sunflower was private behind its own fence, with a great yard where you can sit, hang out with the neighborhood cats, even grill and eat.
It had plenty of room for an extended stay. The kitchen was stocked with pots and pans, spices, dishes and utensils, coffee, and all the supplies you could need. There was a stove and oven, and a half-size refrigerator/freezer which was perfect for the cooking I did.
The kitchen table can seat four, and there was a futon in the living area beside a wood burning stove that I slept on just to enjoy the fire.
If you love light, Sunflower is a great place to be. The location, the windows and the skylight made it bright and sunny all day.
There is a separate toilet and shower area that's stocked with necessities and the bedroom was large and comfortable.
The cottages aren't a "bed and breakfast" so no, you aren't going to be served danish and coffee, but you shouldn't expect that if you read the description of the premises.
Still, the owner, Kelly, and her staff, were friendly and always available if we needed something. My first night there, I arrived late, and it was hot so I texted to ask for a fan. Within minutes one showed up on the porch. Any time I needed anything from supplies to firewood to a recommendation for a restaurant, I got a reply within minutes.
I can't say enough good things about Kelly or the people who worked there. Everyone was responsive and friendly in a way that made you feel like you had made a new friend for life.
Kelly personalized everything to make us feel special. She emailed us before our stay, had our names hand-written on a board outside our cottage on arrival, texted us to be sure we were happy, and followed up afterwards. There were fresh flowers in the cottage, a fully stocked supply of firewood, and of course she was available for everything we needed during our stay.
Another thing that was important to me was how easy it was to manage my stay. Kelly made it easy, with clear instructions about how to get there, where to park, and how to enter the cottage. She thought of everything, from a cart to transport luggage, to a shed where you could find ice, movies, music, and beach towels.
I also fell in love with Point Reyes and the surrounding area. One trip to the Station House Café and you're not going to want to eat breakfast at home. On weekends, the Farmer's Market is amazing, with so much fresh produce, baked goods, cheese and other delicious things that you can easily fill your fridge for a week.
You're an hour outside of San Francisco if you want a city experience, and an hour from wine country if you want incredible dining, winery tastings or shopping.
You're walking distance to a deli and two restaurants. If you're motivated, you can walk into the town of Point Reyes. And don't miss the Heidrun Meadery outside town.
The cottages don't have washers/dryers but you can walk to a laundry facility on a campground nearby. The facility was large, clean, and had free wifi.
There wasn't TV or cable service, but there were plenty of movies and a TV screen with a DVD player, and really good free wifi so you can stream Netflix or something else. In fact, the wifi was a big deal for me because I needed to work, and I always found it to be reliable and fast.
Like the sign in the cottage says, "you're in the country", so if an occasional spider freaks you out, stay at a hotel. If you leave a glass of wine out, or half a sliced orange, you're going to have ants.
Yes, I did that, and yes, I had ants. But I sprayed the eco-friendly spray under the kitchen counter (another thing I love: dedication to eco-friendliness, with products, recycling and composting) and they were gone. I learned my lesson (which the sign told me, but I ignored) and made sure to wash dishes and put food away after that.
Otherwise, there were days I left the front door wide open so i could enjoy the fresh air and amazing smells of the garden, and barely a fly came in.
To sum up, I am absolutely going back to Olema Cottages.
I want everyone to stay at the cottages and experience what I did, but in a way I hope nobody does because then it will be open for me whenever I want to go! read more