Dawn Ranch

Dawn Ranch is a great hotel with beautiful grounds. I went with my partner to for a belated birthday weekend getaway. It was a lovely stay overall, and we can't wait to stay again for our next getaway from SF.

Perfect getaway weekend. Went on a girls trip but would have been fun with my husband or family too - perfect for any group R&R

Booked a cabin with three friends, and we had the best experience! Everyone we interacted with was so kind and helpful, and the cabin was so cute and cozy, we didn't want to leave. The Grove gives remote vibes, but we walked easily to great food/drink, and we loved the on-site yoga and spa experience. Truly, it has everything you need for a perfect getaway! We'll be back!

Our cabin (under the redwoods) was clean and cute. We did have a noisy ACheating unit which kept me up all night, sounds like it potentially may have a pump issue, I've alerted them to this. At $2xx a night, it's great. I would not pay more than that. I've seen up to $500 a night, which this place is NOT worth IMO. They list this place as "luxury", and it is not that, so know what it is and isn't before going. It's a summer camp, and the grounds are MUCH smaller than you think, but you're surrounded by beautiful forests and hikes within half an hour. We went during off season, so the whole vibe may be different in the summer. On the whole, the area is lovely, but remember it's a small tourist town, so not all the people are going to be kind. If you've ever been to any such town, you understand the vibe. No big deal for us though. The grounds get flooded from the river sometimes, and when we were there, the entire back half of the grounds was covered in a quarter inch of crud, and the river had just flooded with untreated waste from a nearby site so.... stay on top of the news in the area. Most of the staff were lovely, and their communication was great; only a couple of male staff were mildly rude, but again. It's the area, likely. If you are coming to the area to hike, shoot photography, go to the coast, etc its great. Don't plan on staying on the grounds; there's nothing to do there outside of the Lodge. If you just need a clean place to sleep with a good restaurant on the grounds, and you get it for $2xx a night, then I can recommend it. The spa was not available while we were there, so cannot speak to that. The pool and hot tub looked clean. "Fire pits" are gas pits, no real fire pit that I saw. The lodge has breakfast and coffee in the am, cocktails and dinner in the PM, good for a pop in before heading out for the day, and the prefix menu at night, the Chefs do an excellent job with. Dog friendly, which was a plus for us, they accommodated my husky Enzo with no issues. For what we paid, we were happy. Keep your expectations realistic. Some of this place is over 100 years old, I believe, and the area is rustic. Come for the outdoors vibe and not expecting a "resort" experience. Like I said, it's a summer camp, but exactly what we wanted. I feel like a lot of the complaints I read here are because people don't know what they are walking into, or expect something unrealistic for the area. For what we paid ($2xx a night), I can recommend it. Anything higher than that, you may be better off with an AirBnB or other options. The Lodge Restaurant is TOTALLY worth having dinner if you are just in the area.

Dawn Ranch is truly beautiful and very well cared for. The property feels serene and thoughtfully maintained, and the rooms were clean, cozy, and incredibly comfortable—the beds were so comfortable, we slept wonderfully.

We really enjoyed spending time at the spa, especially the magnesium bath, which was relaxing and lovely. One thing to note is that it’s located right next to the freeway, so you can hear traffic while soaking—worth mentioning for anyone sensitive to noise.

There’s also a great restaurant on site, which made the stay even more convenient. I’d recommend only doing a cocktail and sharing an appetizer (the dinner was subpar). Overall, it’s a charming and comfortable place to unwind.

We have only good things to say about Dawn Ranch: Our cabin was sparkling clean, quiet and cozy, yet somehow spacious thanks to thoughtful interior design. While staff was warm and friendly and catered to our every whim. The spacious grounds are brimming with nature, beautifully maintained, and just a very short walk from town. The food is top-notch, and other guests seemed to be enjoying the many amenities. Yes it is pricy, but we felt it was worth it.

Simply an amazing experience. My wife and I came here during a holiday weekend in January, and everything was seamless. Gave us the disconnect we needed to relax.

The staff were patient, kind, and professional. We had a magnesium bath at the spa, which was incredible. Strong wifi, and I highly recommend the breakfast (we didn’t have dinner at the lodge, but we definitely will next time). The grounds are meticulously maintained, and both the accommodations and property show an impressive attention to detail.

Overall, it was an amazing stay, and I highly recommend. My wife and I will be back!

Foliage around the property is beautiful; meals, although very very expensive, are good and high quality

The whole staff from the front desk, restaurant/bar, housekeeping, and spa were friendly and helpful.

Highlights:

The redwood soaking tubs at the spa. The tubs really hold the heat, and you are outside looking up at trees and birds for a blissful 30 minutes.

The restaurant is fabulous. Every dish is well thought out, unique, and memorable. The restaurant is open for breakfast (smaller menu but delish options) or prix fixe dinner with two options.

Room:

We stayed in one of the two bungalows and that is 100% the way to go if you can. There's a large living room and full kitchen. The bathrooms are modern and look upgraded. Note: the pour-over coffee is in the bottom drawer next to the fridge :))! There is a lighted path from the bungalows to the logdge front desk and the restaurant and it has its own parking in front of the rooms.

If you are considering the cabins, note they are super cute but they are small. They do have little porches, but if it's winter time, it's going to be cold out there on the porch. The main lodge has fire pits going each night, and there are other little spots to hang out inside the lodge. If you can, spend a little more for a cottage or bungalow.

In town, there's a Safeway right next to the lodge and just down the street, Three Cultures Kitchen is outstanding. Get the mole enchiladas or chilaquiles. So good!

Armstrong Redwoods State Park is a 7-minute drive away and a must-do. Monte Rio Redwood Trail - 12 minute drive - is filled with waterfalls, redwoods, and Douglas firs. Bodega Bay, Jenner, Sebastopol, and Healdsburg are all close, easy drives. Dawn Ranch is a great base camp for exploring all of Sonoma.

Dog friendly cabins were very fun for our puppies who have never been to the redwoods. My wife and I loved the closeness to nature and the redwood reserve very close by. Though we enjoyed our stay thoroughly we were not aware the grove cabins were separate from the main resort, and getting over to them isn’t exactly easy with two dogs. Driving 500 feet every time we wanted to go over there got a little old. However, we overall had a very fun stay.

Our weekend getaway was a major disappointment. While the hotel’s marketing suggests a luxury experience, the reality is a poorly maintained property that fails to deliver on its $500+/night price tag.

Pros:
-Atmosphere: Charming grounds tucked under redwoods.

-Room Basics: Comfortable bed, high-quality linens/products, and great shower pressure.

-Dining: Delicious breakfast and cocktails (though priced at a premium).

Cons:
-Subpar Accommodations: Our "Grove Cottage" was a rundown shack. We found dings and dirt on the walls, a cracked ceiling, broken bathroom fixtures, and moldy tile. The "fireplace" was unusable, filled instead with cheap LED candles.

-Poor Housekeeping: After being out for over four hours, our room remained unserviced. When flagged, staff only emptied the trash; the bed was never made, and the floor was never vacuumed.

-Closed Amenities: Both pools were unavailable—one for the season (despite being told otherwise at booking) and the other due to "high winds" that were non-existent.

-The Spa: Claimed to be "fully booked," yet appeared empty all weekend. It felt like a convenient excuse for being understaffed.

Final Verdict
This property is a masterclass in deceptive marketing. With so many superior options in the area at this price point, there is no reason to stay here. It's a real shame because we love coming up to this area a few times a year for "staycations" and looked forward to adding a new property to our list of options. But we will not be returning and suggest you look elsewhere too!

Went to Dawn Ranch with my fiancé to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement, the hotel was nice and having separate cabin style rooms was great, but they were much smaller than they appeared in photos on the website. Hotel was in great location for walking to the downtown area.

Nothing is more refreshing than being in the redwoods during the rain! The atmosphere at Dawn Ranch is very relaxed and quiet. Our room was great,clean and the bed was very comfortable. Wonderful spot to start the New Year.

The room was clean and quiet, the bed comfortable. The little cabins are super cute, the one we stayed in was very small. Location was easy to walk to the main street, even in the rain. They had nice umbrellas to borrow. Only removed one star for the rude and unclear spa receptionist. She made us feel uncomfortable and like we were inconveniencing her. Overall the rest of the stay was good.

Beautiful location, rooms are nice. Restaurant food is absolutely amazing

TLDR: This isn't great getaway place to just chill, get a spa treatment, and hike.

Went here for a surprise getaway with my girlfriend, and I have to say the property is designed to allow you to relax.

Each room is separate and is cabin-style, and I couldn't hear another person on the property.

The room was incredibly clean, the staff was super friendly, and in the spa area, they have this amazing relaxation room that I'd highly recommend. I stayed there for a while just reading my Kindle and enjoying the complimentary tea.

One thing I'd like to see changed is the sauna. It's a red light sauna, which is trendy, but it doesn't get that hot, so it wasn't my cup of tea. That did not detract from my experience, though; I really liked this place.

The overall experience was fine. Location is one of the most gorgeous places in norcal. The cleanliness is 5 out of 10 but the cabin was comfy and cosy.
The only issue we had was an extremely impolite spa receptionist. It was shocking and disappointing.

nice property but cabins have very thin walls and are designed to be aesthetically pleasing but not terribly comfortable - chair was not comfortable at all so there was no where to sit other than the bed, bright light from the AC/heater unit kept 2 heavy sleepers awake, and walls were so thin we were able to hear our neighbors talk the entire time. pool and hot tub area were small but nice. enjoyed the free bikes for check out. enjoyed the free games but they were definitely run down, missing pieces, and stained. staff at front desk were friendly and helpful, lots of communication via text which we liked but may not be for everyone. variable hours on the fire pits. wifi did not work in our room and service was not good in the area either - understand they are trying to offer a less technology tied experience but was frustrating to have no wifi despite it being "available" on the property.

had breakfast on property one day - order at the counter, self seat, and they bring food to your table. really enjoyed the almond croissant. did not particularly enjoy the salmon toast unfortunately - large thick piece of chewy rye bread (I am a big fan of bread but it was an overwhelming amount) and overall not much flavor, was $18 for one piece of toast, I understand smoked salmon and other local/organic ingredients are expensive but the flavor did not live up to the price. again was very aesthetic though.