Looking for the best vegan hotel in the U.S.? Not just a vegan friendly hotel, but somewhere that offers 100% vegan vacations? A vegan resort that goes beyond utilitarian vegan food and serves delicious gourmet vegan meals made from ingredients grown in sustainable organic gardens? Where vegan retreats, plant-based cooking courses, and a vegan spa are all available in a stunning setting with incredible views? I’ve found it!
Vegan Food Travel
I was lucky enough to recently stay at what many people regard as the best vegan hotel in the United States: The Stanford Inn by the Sea in beautiful Mendocino, California.
Recipient of Condé Nast’s Readers’ Choice Award and praised by National Geographic Traveler, VegNews, and Sunset Magazine, the Stanford Inn not only receives recognition as one of the best vegan hotels, but as a top wellness getaway, pet-friendly resort, and luxury destination. It’s a truly unique place that provides exceptional experiences in many ways—in addition to being a vegan hotel.
But before I go into the specifics of why the Stanford Inn is my pick for the best vegan resort, I’d like to go over some basics about vegetarianism and veganism, how they differ, and how options for vegetarian and vegan travellers stack up in the U.S.
Vegetarian vs Vegan Tourism
Vegetarians do not eat any meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish. Some, however, do eat dairy, or eggs, or both. Vegans not only avoid eating any animal, but also refrain from eating any animal-derived products. So, for instance, vegans abstain from eggs, dairy, even honey. Vegans further believe that animals should not be exploited by humans for any reason.
So, when vegetarians and vegans travel, it makes sense that they would want to stay in places where eating the diet they are used to is an option.
Vegetarian restaurants and menu options are not the rarity they once were. But because vegan diets are more restrictive than vegetarian diets, vegan options are still scarce, and vegan travellers have a challenging time finding accommodations that cater to their needs.
Nevertheless, vegan options are popping up on some mainstream restaurant menus. I even have an article on eating vegan in Italy, and some tips for finding vegan meals in Strasbourg, France. And vegan friendly hotels are offering vegan choices among a broader array of meal options in their dining rooms.
However, there are still very few 100% vegan hotels in the United States, and truly vegan hotels are rare abroad as well. Villa Vegana in Spain stands out as the top vegan resort in Europe, but I personally do not know of another contender.
Being not only 100% vegan, but also boasting one of the best vegan restaurants in America, the Stanford Inn is a rare jewel indeed.The best part—you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy it!
The Best Vegan Hotel—Stanford Inn & Resort
When I’m searching for a fabulous place to stay, I am not usually on a quest for something vegan. I’m looking for a gorgeous setting, fun activities, a room with a view, and, of course, awesome food.
What’s most impressive to me is that the Stanford Inn absolutely fulfills all of my requirements—even though it is vegan!It’s definitely one of the best inns in Mendocino!
The Property at the Stanford Inn Vegan Resort
The Stanford Inn and Resort is located 3 hours north of San Francisco. It is situated on a spacious, beautiful property that looks out toward the Mendocino Bay. The accommodations face the water and overlook the expansive grounds that are a tapestry of lush landscaping and the cultivated organic gardens that provide many of the ingredients used in the resort’s vegan restaurant, The Ravens.
Just walking the grounds is a pleasure for the senses. The smell of the sea air, the kaleidoscope of colors, the chirps and tweets of birds as they flit among the flora.
You quickly get the feeling that Mother Earth has created something special here, and you soon learn that natural beauty is just one of many things this Mendocino resort has to offer.
Vegan Retreats and Amenities at the Stanford Inn
Jeff and Joan Stanford recognized how special the birthplace of the resort was when they moved onto the property back in 1980. They wanted to share that special place with others.
So, they set about transforming the motel they bought into an inn that would coexist with nature, provide guests with vegan meals whose ingredients were sustainably raised, and offer visitors who were interested in their approach to life opportunities to learn more about their philosophy.
Forty-two years later, Jeff and Joan still run the Mendocino vegan resort that draws visitors from around the world while remaining true to its mission. The offerings for guests are myriad, but if you can’t find the exact combination of activities that you are looking for, the inn will help you design a personalized vegan retreat to meet your specific requirements.
The Vegan Spa
When you think resort, you think spa. And so you should with the Stanford Inn. The full-service spa includes a salt-water pool, hot tub, and sauna.
A full slate of massages is on offer, including deep-tissue, hot stone, and botanical aromatherapy options, to name just a few. Pampering picks also include a full range of facials. Additional healing treatments even extend to acupuncture and acupressure sessions.
Bodies in Motion
There are plenty of opportunities for exercise at the Stanford Inn. There are classes in yoga, tai chi, and Pilates at both the group and individual level.
The vegan resort also offers kayaks and canoes at its aquatics facility, Catch a Canoe. The watercraft can be rented for self-use or guided tours on the Big River, which flows adjacent to the property. In addition, complimentary bicycles are provided for the inn’s guests.
There are miles and miles of trails in the area for hiking or biking, and the town of Mendocino is a short walk or pedal from the inn. The town feels like a transported New England fishing village nestled against the Pacific. There are plenty of inviting shops sprinkled amid the residences, inns, and eateries in town. And dramatic ocean vistas beckon from the cliffside crisscross of trails that rim the town’s edge.
Vegan Cooking Classes
It’s perhaps no surprise that a first-class vegan resort with a topnotch vegan restaurant would offer vegan cooking classes. But the breadth of offerings is nonetheless impressive.
Plant-based cooking classes include everything from an introductory course to instruction dedicated to the details of making sauces, dips, dressings, “cheeses,” and soups. There’s also a comprehensive primer that introduces the fundamentals of vegan nutrition and then translates that knowledge into hands-on vegan cooking training.
Seasonally, a foraging specialist also offers forest tours in the Mendocino woodlands. In these outings, participants can expand their vegan ingredient palette by learning how to hunt for mushrooms and other wild edibles.
Vegan Gardening Classes
The Stanford Inn gardens have been organic from their beginning. In addition to growing ingredients for The Ravens Restaurant, the gardens are also the setting for vegan gardening classes.
The course on basic organic gardening covers everything from garden planning and choosing climate-appropriate plants to essential gardening techniques, composting, soil care, and harvesting.
The “Biointensive” class focuses on maximizing caloric yield in your garden. You learn about the most effective strategies for growing as much as possible, regardless of how big a plot you have to work with.
Maintaining, Mending, Expanding the Mind
At the heart of the classes and treatments offered at the inn is the Stanfords’ belief in the potential of people to build their mental and physical resilience through establishing a deeper relationship with nature. This includes not only embracing a diet centered on whole-plant-based foods but incorporating scientifically grounded approaches to optimizing body and mind health.
Meditation
A trained anthropologist, Jeff Stanford conducted extensive research into “the human potential movement” of the 1960s and ‘70s. He is also a longtime practitioner of meditation. In addition to being the inn’s co-owner and The Ravens executive chef, Jeff offers talks on “What Meditation Isn’t.” In these sessions, he discusses his approach to mindful meditation and the tools those who are interested in meditation will need to get started.
Creative Playshops
Joan Stanford trained as a Montessori teacher and became interested in the power of art to transform human experience. She went on to earn her MA in psychology, specializing in art therapy, and became a board-certified art therapist.
At the Stanford Inn, Joan leads what she calls “Creative Playshops.” In these sessions, she teaches children and adults to silence their inner critic so that they can fully explore their own creativity. Joan believes that creativity is a necessary—but often neglected—component of good health.
By freeing up their imagination through playful exploration, participants discover their own creative potential. The joy of doing so is a powerful reward in its own right. It can also be a great catalyst for those who participate in Playshops to incorporate playful exploration into their lives once they return home.
Small Steps
An author of three books on various aspects of positive personal transformation, Sid Garza-Hillman is Stanford Inn’s Wellness Program director and certified nutritionist. Sid offers private sessions and classes in nutrition and how to improve health through “natural” living. He teaches individuals to design their own road maps to personal change, in which meaningful but manageable small steps lead to profound life-improving results.
Rooms at the Stanford Inn Vegan Resort
With the beauty and amenities of the resort, and the charms of Mendocino itself at your disposal, it would be a waste to spend much time in your room. But rest assured, you’ll be comfy and cozy during every minute you choose to unwind there from all of your unwinding.
There’s a full range of accommodation options, from standard king and queen rooms to a variety of suites, and even cottages. You’re sure to find the choice that best suits your idea of what a vegan vacation at a luxury vegan hotel should provide. Whatever that might be, each room will offer a wood-burning fireplace and a private deck.
Sipping a drink on your deck while taking in the gorgeous garden, river, or ocean views is a great way to recap the day you’ve just enjoyed in the beauty that surrounds you. You’ll then be able to start off your next morning with the complimentary vegan breakfast that awaits you at The Ravens Restaurant.
The Ravens Vegan Restaurant
I came to the Stanford Inn eager to explore all the facets of what a top vegan resort had to offer, but as a chef, I was particularly interested in what one of America’s best vegan restaurants served up.
Like many of the people who come to The Ravens, I am not a vegan—not even a vegetarian. I absolutely love fruits and vegetables and they constitute a high percentage of my overall diet, but I don’t eat them exclusively.
Could the vegan cookery practiced at the inn be delicious, varied, and inventive enough to impress me and—perhaps more challengingly—interest and satisfy my meat-loving husband?
Vegan Breakfast
As you can imagine, before I travel somewhere, I do a lot of research on great restaurants to try for every meal of the day, but I absolutely love when I get to stay in a hotel that has great breakfast options. As it turned out, that’s exactly what the Stanford Inn has. And a nice plus, as previously mentioned, is that breakfasts for overnight guests are complimentary.
The extensive organic menu has vegan takes on a broad range of breakfast favorites. There are a number of south-of-the-border choices; eggless Benedict, scramble, and Florentine options; and waffle, pancake, and crepe offerings.
We had two breakfasts at the inn. As an Italian food lover and big polenta fan, I had to try the herb polenta one morning. I was treated to a hearty portion of braised greens atop perfectly seasoned polenta with dreamy creamy cashew sauce. The next morning, the buckwheat and oat pancakes were just as yummy.
Michael loved the breakfast enchilada with quinoa and spinach, served with refried pinto beans and Spanish rice. And as a big Eggs Benedict aficionado, he had to try the Portobello Benedict with sweet potatoes the next morning. He thought the entire meal was delicious—high praise indeed from the Benedict critic.
Vegan Lunch
Because of the incredibly rich range of activities available at the Stanford Inn, most guests are too busy doing something immersively interesting during their afternoons to make time for a sit-down lunch. As a result, the inn offers freshly made vegan lunches to go.
Because our breakfasts were so delicious and filling, and we knew that we had dinners at the inn to look forward to in the evenings, Michael and I skipped out on lunches during our stay in favor of energy bars and trail mix. However, the descriptions of the wraps, sandwiches, salads, and desserts on The Ravens menu seemed convincingly tasty. I’m sure that any travelling vegan could be confident in giving any of the inn’s “Lunch on the Go” options a go.
Vegan Dinner
In chatting with the bartender before ordering our pre-dinner co*cktail our first evening, he mentioned how surprised many guests are that the restaurant has a full bar. Perhaps because so many people think of vegan diets as being primarily health focused, they expect a certain ascetic aspect at a vegan resort bar. No need. Our creatively crafted co*cktail was delicious. Besides classic co*cktail offerings and inventive original creations, there’s also an extensive offering of premium liquors and fine wines, and a bevy of beers.
As for the vegan dinner menu, there were plenty of temping options within both the starters and entrée sections. On our first night, I opted for the Kale Stack starter; Michael ordered the Roasted Beet Salad. I won!
The Kale Stack was a gorgeous tower of perfectly marinated kale below a middle layer of chopped cauliflower “ceviche,” topped with avocado. Avocados are one of the foods California is famous for and I love them on everything!
The beet salad was delicious too; Michael had no regrets. But as we shared bites of each other’s choices, Michael was amazed at how the flavors of the kale creation were as beautiful as its appearance.
Entrées were tasty as well, with both of us apparently in a mushroom mood. I had the Mushrooms and Creamy Polenta, and Michael the Trumpet Mushroom Coquille. Both choices were delicious, and we were both impressed at how wonderfully Michael’s mushrooms stood in for scallops. They were incredibly “meaty,” densely flavorful, and deserving of the spotlight in the starring role in their French inspired dish.
For our vegan dessert, we enjoyed a slice of carrot cake and a strawberry short cake. Both were lovely, but Michael couldn’t stop going on about the carrot cake. He doesn’t normally even like carrot cake all that much, but he was smitten. He proclaimed it the best he’s ever had.
There are many excellent restaurants in Mendocino, but we chose to eat dinner at The Ravens our second evening at the inn as well.
Although we were eager to sample as many different dishes as possible during our stay, Michael was so impressed by the Kale Stack and carrot cake that he selected both as encore choices. He rounded things out with a Mexican entrée, the cauliflower-walnut filled enchilada. I had the Caesar starter, Thai Red Curry entrée, and a banana split for dessert. All was truly scrumptious, start to finish.
Vegan Verdicts
The quality, inventiveness, and variety of the meal offerings was impressive. Although we only stayed at the inn for two days, I not only enjoyed vegan travelling and the cuisine, but I physically felt better than usual.
How great a role diet played, I can’t say, but I came away thinking I was going to incorporate more vegan meals into my repertoire. As for Michael, the meat lover, he was more than pleasantly surprised. He agreed that if vegan cuisine could consistently be of this quality, he would have no problem boosting the vegan quotient in his diet.
Additional Information About the Stanford Inn Vegan Hotel
Opportunities Not Pressure
As I mentioned earlier, I am neither a vegetarian nor vegan. I was motivated to visit the Stanford Inn because of my deep interest in food, cuisine, and the decisions people make about what they eat. Getting a chance to learn more about what motivates people to put their diet at the center of their worldview was exciting to me.
I was very impressed by what I found. The inn, setting, and surrounding area are gorgeous, the scope of classes and instruction incredibly diverse, and the staff genuinely warm and friendly.
In my discussions with Jeff, Joan, and Sid, I had the pleasure of learning from three highly intelligent, caring, and eloquent individuals about why they are committed to the path that they have chosen. They are sincerely interested in living a meaningful life deeply embedded in nature.
They believe that veganism is the best choice for human health, the welfare of other animals, and the future of Earth. They are convinced that current agricultural practices are not only depleting precious resources and helping fuel climate change but also providing food that is not in the best interest of the people eating it.
By adopting a plant-based diet, using sustainable agriculture to provide it, and making conscious efforts to develop and strengthen body and mind, Jeff, Joan, and Sid are living a life that they find healthy, rewarding, and in sync with nature. They offer their guests an opportunity to learn more about the specifics of these choices and how guests can adopt these same practices—or subsets of them—to improve their own lives.
There is no hard sell. Take whatever classes you want, or none at all. If you’re a vegan, you can feel at peace, knowing that this resort faithfully honors the tenants of veganism. If you’re not a vegan, feel free to learn more about veganism or nothing more at all. You can just enjoy the inn’s beauty and tranquility, delicious cuisine, warm hospitality, and access to all of Mendocino’s charms.
Pet-Friendly Vegan Vacation
The Stanford Inn has been a pet-welcoming destination since it opened its doors. The Stanfords have always enjoyed travelling with their pets, and they invite you to bring your own pets when visiting the inn.
What you may be surprised to see at the inn are llamas and horses. Although these animals may seem out of place at a vegan resort, they are nothing of the sort. They are not exploited for labor. They are all rescues that have been lucky enough to find a new home with welcoming, loving hosts.
How fitting that humans are not the only ones to enjoy the Stanford Inn’s warm hospitality.
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American, Travel
Denise Macuk
food travel, vegan
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