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Dawn Ranch Lodge – reviews, photos

2.5 of 5
16467 River Road, Guerneville, CA 95446 (Formerly Fife's)
Hotel amenities
Dawn Ranch Lodge
Dawn Ranch Lodge
Dawn Ranch Lodge
Dawn Ranch Lodge
Dawn Ranch Lodge
Dawn Ranch Lodge
3.5 of 5 stars 68 Reviews
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68 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    20
    16
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Date Rating
Santa Clara, California
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
“like out of Sunset Magazine”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 March 2011

My kids like camping, and I hate camping, so we decided to try the Russian River area and get a cabin as a compromise.
We needed the kids (3yrs and 4 yrs old) to have a room to themselves, even if it meant they slept on sleeping bags and inflatable matresses on the floor, we needed a division of space so we could still talk or watch movies on our laptop (no TV, which I liked) after they went to bed.
So the chalet(s) with the separate sitting area was perfect!

The whole property has class/style, including the interiors of the cottages, which I really appreciated. The stove and the clawfoot tub were very cool too.

Some reviewers said they felt rickety or drafty, but it's a cottage, not a hotel room. I didn't have complaints about either one. My kids were warm in the their sleeping bags thanks to the stove. I thought it was a great price for what we got.

If I were to have a complaint it was that they have so many weddings there, that it's pretty much impossible to stay there over a weekend, which includes Fridays as well. Heartbreaker. We only got to stay 2 nights when I wanted to stay 4.

  • Stayed July 2010, travelled with family
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask deigloriam about Dawn Ranch Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Mansfield, Texas
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Wonderful cabins and grounds”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 October 2010

Wonderful stay during Thanksgiving holidays. The grounds are wonderful; we would love to come back in the spring/summer when all the flowers are blooming. Room heater was more than sufficient to keep us nice and warm. Very relaxed atmosphere. A great place to get away from it all. We will be back!

  • Stayed November 2009, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask spwoody about Dawn Ranch Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Belmont, California
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
“Simple pleasures, very adequate.”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 September 2010

People get let down with this place because they expect the luxury of the Ritz. This is a quaint and simple place to lay your head. With no T.V.'s, clocks, or phones, these cozy cabins are clean, simply furnished, and perfectly adequate for a place to rest. Many activities are located nearby. Dogs are allowed (I had my two large labs), and the staff is very friendly. Beautiful grounds to walk around on, as well as access to the river. Recommended for anyone who wants a quiet, peaceful stay.

  • Stayed September 2010, travelled solo
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Oink38 about Dawn Ranch Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Los Angeles, California
1 review
“WHAT A DUMP!! Run Forest, Run!!!!”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 July 2010

Don’t let their advertisement fool you, this place is a dump. They lure you in with “Our century-old cabins are appointed with luxury beds, fluffy comforters, refreshingly simple decore and country styling”, which is simply not true. There was nothing luxurious about anything at this location. There were no luxury beds or fluffy comforters, in fact, the doors barely hung in their casings, the windows were hardly supported by their frames due to termite damage and wood rot (see pictures) and the bathroom gave "small" a new meaning.

Enter the bathroom at your own risk! As you walk in, the bathroom floor gives due to water damage and wood rot. The bathroom had no shelf, no blow dyer, no table or shelf on which to place toiletries; the mirror looked more like a frame purchased at the 99 cent store and hung completely out of reach rendering it useless; the towels could have been sand paper and the window covering was barely acceptable.

The “cottage” had an ineffective wall heater located in the back room. In order to warm the cottage, you had to roast the person in the back room or the person in the main room would freeze. Go figure!

The pool had algae and in obvious need of a chemical treatment.

They had no ice, no hair dryer, no coffee maker, no glasses, no dressers, no phone, no internet service (contrary to what their website states), no luggage rack… you have to live off the floor. With no phone and no one on the premises during the night, I did not feel safe at night. Oh and how could I forget, the back door didn’t lock! Can anyone say Motel Hell? Will sausage be made of us this night?

Run Forest, run!!! Save yourself… DO NOT STAY AT THIS DUMP!!

  • Stayed July 2010, travelled with family
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 1 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Byteme1 about Dawn Ranch Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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“way overpriced!!!”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 June 2010

i paid over $100 for a shack built on top of other shacks!! not worthy of calling it a cabin. bathroom way too small, the door was about an inch from your face when sitting on the can! and the shower......a pipe coming out of the wall. i would have expected that for about $50 a night, but $100? they could have at least installed shower heads. i've had better amenities at a $30 a night motel.

  • Stayed June 2010, travelled as a couple
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
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Ask yammeroo about Dawn Ranch Lodge
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Additional Information about Dawn Ranch Lodge

16467 River Road, Guerneville, CA 95446 (Formerly Fife's)
Price range (per night):* INR7,170 - 11,060

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