Lighthouse Hotel
Pacifica, California

The Lighthouse Hotel is settled between the sea and the hills on Rockaway Beach in Pacifica, California....just a few minutes south of San Francisco. This oceanside location, so close to The City, provides the Lighthouse with a double bonus!  That's why we're featuring it in "Jan's Journeys", even though it isn't one of the B&Bs and small inns that we usually visit.

In a tiny village outside of Pacifica's main "town" area, the Lighthouse Hotel perches on Rockaway Beach. With 94 rooms and its Best Western affiliation, one might expect an impersonal lodging experience.  But the amenities include complimentary continental breakfast, an excellent restaurant, pool and spa, exercise room, panoramic ocean views from many of the rooms, the sounds of the sea echoing through all of the rooms...at rates which are less than the Bay Area norm.  

The prime pleasure is, of course, strolling the sea strand along the hotel's property or on nearby trails.

We enjoyed an oceanfront room on both of our visits, relishing the sight of the Pacific during the day...and the Pacific's resonance at night.

The onsite Moonraker restaurant combines those vitalizing views with delicious food...my favorite combination!  I'd recommend the ahi and a desert that had either the word "decadent" or "sinful" involved in its name (maybe both) and contained lots of chocolate!!   There's also a cozy bar (try the extremely tasty buffalo wings), and a bounteous champagne brunch is presented on Sundays.

As noted, San Francisco is gloriously nearby, and Half Moon Bay and other seaside communities are in fairly close proximity for exploring to the south.  The hotel also has meeting and conference facilities for groups seeking an oceanside retreat that's convenient to the major metro area.

The Rockaway Beach mini-village offers a few charming shops and restaurants as well.

Whether you're looking for a quick getaway close to San Francisco, a meeting site beside the sea, or a relaxing stopover during a coastal drive, the Lighthouse Hotel might just be your destination.  My final recommendation is: enjoy the sunsets.  On our first visit, nightfall as viewed from the hotel was a spectacular event.  Unfortunately, a naughty operating system devoured those photos!  On our second trip the marine layer slid in just before dusk, so the sight wasn't quite as dramatic; but it was delicately beautiful nonetheless.  You can contact the Lighthouse Hotel at 800-832-4777 and visit their website at http://www.bestwesternlighthouse.com/ for more information and reservations....then wait and see what color of sunset you'll experience.

Copyright © 2002 - 2008: Jan Hight
All photos are the property of Jan & John Hight and may not be copied or used in any way without our written permission.

Published -- April 16, 2002
Last Revision -- Sunday, 13-Aug-2006 03:26:10 GMT