Carter House Inns

Northern California's premier inn, The Carter House, is an enclave of four magnificent Victorians perched alongside Humboldt Bay in Old Town Eureka, Humboldt County, California. The luxurious accommodations at Carter House and the sumptuous dining at its Restaurant 301 (considered among Northern California's best restaurants) set an indulgent tone for a marvelous visit to the giant redwood forests, rugged Pacific beaches, and all the other wonders of Northern California's Redwood Coast.

With perfect grace, Carter House unites contemporary good taste with the gracious elegance of a bygone era, achieving a synthesis of styles which is absolutely unique. Large windows invite glorious streams of sunlight into the mansions, where rich fabrics, original local art, and fresh flowers splash vibrant color in every room. In luxury, Carter House has no equal. Guest rooms feature antique appointments, private baths, and luxuriant amenities suitable to even the most indulgent hedonist. Marble fireplaces, whirlpools with Marina vistas, immense four-poster beds, double-headed showers, in-room entertainment centers and generous honor bars hint at the sybaritic pleasures which await you inside the Carter House.

Location
Eureka is a Victorian seaport town on the coast of California about five hours north of San francisco and two hours south of the Oregon border. Touched by the mystical redwood forests of Avenue of the Giants to the south and the splendor of Redwood National Park to the north, Eureka, the county seat of Humboldt, offers visitors a perfect setting for wonderful adventures of all kinds. Carter House Victorians are perfectly at home in Eureka, which boasts more than 1,500 Victorian structures of historical significance and has been affectionately called the "Williamsburg of the West." Steeped in its lumbering, fishing, and architectural history, Eureka is full of fascinating boutiques, art galleries, museums, night clubs, theaters, and eateries. So whether you seek the peace and solitude of ancient forests and virgin beaches, or prefer antiquing, fine dining, and the theater, the manifold natural and culrural wonders of this rich region are sure to entertain, enlighten, and inspire. Eureka! Come find it!

Accommodations
The Carter House is a re-creation of a mansion which was first built in San Francisco in the 1880's. The original structure was destroyed in the famous San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906, but Mark and Christi Carter gave the gracious 3-story mansion a new life in Eureka after discovering plans for it in an antique shop. Crafting the building's ornate moldings and trim-work by hand, the Carters' small crew finished the re-creation in 1981. The Original Carter House has five marvelous suites (all with private baths), including one with its own whirlpool and fireplace; a fantastic place to relax without phones or televisions.

Hotel Carter
Across the street from the Original Carter House is The Hotel Carter, another wonderful re-creation of an historic structure. Modeled after a turn-of-the-century Eureka hostelry, Hotel Carter was built from scratch in the mid-1980's, and offers guests every imaginable modern day comfort along with all the charms of a warm European-style auberge. Rooms feature televisions, telephones, private baths, imported pine antiques, and original art. The Hotel Carter also has some of the finest suites on the West Coast, which include such amenities as in-room whirlpools (some with great views of the nearby marina), marble fireplaces (one suite has two!), CD stereo systems, double-headed showers, honor bars, and much more. The Bell Cottage is an 1890 structure which the Carters lovingly restored in 1992, more than 100 years after it was originally built. The Bell Cottage features 3 gracious suites, each with its own private bath and marble fireplace. A fully-equipped kitchen is available for guests' use, as are the lovely common areas of the Cottage.

Mark and Christi Carter's newest building project, named The Carter Cottage, is now available for reservations. The Carter Cottage, located right next door to the original Carter House, is a Victorian Cottage the Carters have refurbished as a honeymoon getaway, and perhaps the most romantic of the Carter properties. Decorated in bright, sunny colors and a simple but gracious style reminiscent of the Victorian-Colonial era (with a decidedly contemporary flair that's vintage Carter), the Carter Cottage features a deep marble spa tub, fireplaces in the sleeping and living areas, and a state of-the-art demonstration kitchen. The cottage is spacious, light and airy and no imaginable amenity has been overlooked. The Carter Cottage also features an inviting, large private deck with a wonderful view of Humboldt Bay -- the perfect place for coffee on a sunny morning or midnight cocktails under the stars. That's not all... Love birds nesting at The Carter Cottage can enjoy the unique opportunity of having our team of culinary professionals design, prepare and serve a romantic menu just for them. Our Chefs will happily tailor the multi course menus to meet individual tastes. Guests can opt for either a five or nine course meal, with or without wine pairings selected from our extensive wine cellar, which has been awarded The Wine Spectator's Grand Award. Rates at the Carter Cottage begin at $497.00 a night, and include a full breakfast, wine and hors d'eouvres and cookies and tea at bedtime. The Carter House Country Inn. Kitty-corner to Hotel Carter is our authentically reconstructed Victorian whose contemporary touches beautifully accent the hardwood details and marble floors. All rooms are unique and private with antiques, local artwork and their own bath. The parlors have cozy fireplaces sitting area and a kitchen which is fully stocked for guest use. The House is not particularly set up to accommodate business travelers. If the entire house is reserved, a $250.00 cleaning deposit is taken and a 10% surcharge is added.

Amenities
Today, The Carter House maintains the most extensive kitchen gardens used in any inn on the West Coast, growing hundreds of herbs, greens, vegetables, fruits, and edible flowers. In addition to supplying the inn's restaurant with produce of the highest quality and freshness, the Carter Gardens have become a center for horticultural education, home to organic gardening seminars, lecture series, and interpretive tours given by the inn's Master Gardener. Each afternoon, inn guests are invited to join in the harvest, helping chefs from Restaurant 301 collect produce for use in that evening's meals - meals that set a new standard for what qualifies as truly "garden-fresh." Meals Restaurant 301 at The Hotel Carter is a recepient of the Wine Spectator's Grand Award, the highest recognition in that publication's Wine Awards Program. This award places our wine list in the company of the world's 83 finest greatest wine cellars. Every morning guests awaken to the appetizing scents of a full breakfast served alongside a buffet table. If requested, room-service can be provided. For a real treat come and try their own Restaurant 301, featuring dishes that have been published in Bon Appetit. Here you can order from the regular menu or choose the discovery menu and sumptuously enjoy a five-course meal complete with specially selected wine pairings. Every meal showcases herbs, greens, and vegetables locally grown in their own gardens as well as the region's finest seasonal delicacies such as Humboldt Bay's tantalizing Kumamoto oysters or fresh salmon from the mighty Pacific just off-shore. The restaurant's chefs are in our the garden daily, harvesting an abundant variety of ultra-fresh produce to be used in preparing your meal.

Awards and Recognition
"The place, quite simply, is beautiful...the find of the year. A beautiful combination of bed & breakfast hospitality and hotel comfort."San Francisco Examiner "Superb service...a true gem...stayed at several inns during our trip, but this was by far the best."Jerry Hulse's Travel Tips, Los Angeles Times "The Carter House prepares some of the most delicious breakfasts in California...surprisingly elegant cuisine and the interior is a showplace." Motorland Magazine "Light and airy in feeling, casually elegant in decor, The Carter House is reminiscent of some of San Francisco's finer boutique hotels...the rooms are as soothing to the senses as they are comfortable the food is some of the best in the region." The Sacramento Bee "Dramatic! You're in for a treat. Some people come here just for the food." Travel & Leisure Magazine "Best in Northern California" Pacific Northwest Magazine "Best Small Hotel in Northern California" San Francisco Focus Magazine

Children: welcome
Smoking: no
Pets: no
Rates: $125-497
Payment: Major Credit cards