Meadowlark Inn

The place is close to being very good, but it only reaches good for a few reasons. While the staff were friendly and helpful, some improvements are needed to show they care about their guests and property. The one luggage cart was not in good condition, and at check-out time, guests have to stalk other guests to get it next. Get another cart. The Adirondack chair by the firepit had a screw protruding from the armrest, which was sharp and stuck my arm because it was not attached to the frame. The music playing in the property's common areas was too loud. There was a plumbing problem with our toilet, and they spent a lot of time trying to fix it. When they couldn't, they offered to downgrade us to another room so we could have a working toilet. The main reason I chose the property was due to that specific room, which is furthest from the highway, has a 1,000-square-foot backyard for our dog to enjoy, and a soaking tub. When we declined, they offered to give us a key to a nearby room so we could use the toilet when we needed it. It was a fair compromise, but it was no fun if you had to go in the middle of the night. Finally, the breakfast room abuts room 21, so there were very loud talkers there at 7A that we could clearly hear in our room while we were trying to sleep.

Second visit to this hotel but unfortunately will be our last. The bed was definitely super comfy. But the cleanliness of the room left MUCH to be desired. Dead bugs (potato bugs, spiders and pincher bugs) littered the edges of the room. Which, to me, if housekeeping is not vacuuming up very obvious dead bugs in corners/edges, what else aren't they cleaning? We were in the room closest to the big grassy dog potty spot, the room closest to the main road which presented quite a bit of noise. Sometimes louder than ambient. A white noise machine drowned it out for me, but not a very calming room if you're not a white noise type of sleeper. Our room included a small (very adorable) attached yard with a fire pit, chairs, a tub, and a two person bistro set. That we never got to use being upon check in and sniff-about with the pups one of our pups must have discovered some sort of illicit substance in the gravel/wood chips and endured a very scary under-the-influence experience the entire night (who almost 24 hours on is still recovering from). So very little rest for me. Also, our other dog chased down and scared a poor mouse to death that attempted to escape from the small hedge in the yard upon our arrival. The water pressure leaves much to be desired. Lastly, our initial stay back in the spring of 2023 we were offered a VERY nice complimentary breakfast of delicious quiche, locally handmade pastries, coffee and tea. The food has since been eliminated and the sole offerings are coffee and tea (and assorted accompaniments) in the breakfast room, even though there are already coffee offerings in the rooms. Was definitely not worth the almost $400 bill for a one night accomodation. Love the grounds and setting of Hotel Ynez, but it's definitely not worth its price tag.

As much as our experience is was way below expectations, the hotel is really lovely. It looks like it was once a motel that’s been revamped and made upscale. The rooms are big and inviting, the beds super comfy, the kitchenette with the turquoise vintage fridge, and the local bath products should have added up to a great experience. There’s also a bocce court, a small pool, and lots of spots to lounge amid succulents or on your room’s outdoor hammock. But this place just doesn’t have it together. For what it costs to stay here—$500/night—they couldn’t figure out how to make the coffee in the morning, for example. We were told coffee was available starting at 7AM. First morning: “Maybe 7:30? No worries.” Well, I’m not worried. I just want some coffee. Second morning, at 7:40: “We’re working on it. You could have some milk?” Well, no. There are Nespresso machines in the rooms, but if you happen to not want to decipher how to use it and just want a cup of coffee, good luck. Also, there’s no food available. In the morning, there’s some muffins and bananas but otherwise they urge you to buy from their overpriced “market.” The lobby, which is supposed to be open until 10 PM and one night had cookies, was closed at 9. Throw in weak water pressure so a crappy (though pretty) shower and dubious flushing and you’ve got a pretty frustrating stay. But hopefully, they’re working on it.