We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.
Payments made by partners impact the order of prices displayed. Room types may vary.
The listings of booking offers for each property take into account the compensation paid to us by our partners. Prices shown may be for varying room types. Prices displayed are the lowest available, corresponding to the least expensive room type available, as provided from our partners as of the time of the user’s search.

Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf

avatar-imageavatar-imageavatar-image
Traveller (102)
Room & Suite (58)
Pool & Beach (8)

View prices for your travel dates

Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.

About

#6 of 21 hotels in Fort Bragg
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
GreenLeaders Bronze level
The Emerald Dolphin Inn has been a fixture of the beautiful Mendocino Coast and a gem to the community, since 2001. It was created by the dream of an original Fort Bragg family that has spanned five generations, manifested by a father and daughter. Their passion, patience and perseverance crafted it into the jewel it is today. We welcome you to come in and see what makes this Inn so special. Emeralds have been said to represent 'New beginnings, vitality, love and truth' while dolphins are regarded for their 'free spirit, independence and helping others'. This is the spirit with which we treat all of those who enter our doors, wanting you to feel at home for your entire stay. We are conveniently located within walking distance to Hare Creek Beach, Pomo Bluffs Park and The Noyo Headlands Walking Trail. The Emerald Dolphin offers complimentary WIFI as well as Pet friendly rooms available with advance notice are just a few of our amenities. Onsite you will find our world famous 18 hole Miniature Golf Course, a family fun center with arcade & private party room. Our staff will also be pleased to help guide you to all of our fabulous local attractions including restaurants, shops, galleries, beaches, State parks, Skunk Train, Botanical Gardens, and theater nearby. AAA approved- Three Diamonds Award.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Outdoor dining area
Bicycle rental
Game room
Kids stay free
Books, DVDs, music for children
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Parking
Wifi
Snack bar
Vending machine
Hiking
Mini golf
Billiards
Canoeing offsite
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Fishing
Patio
Children's television networks
Indoor play area for children
Highchairs available
Car hire
Taxi service
24-hour security
Gift shop
Non-smoking hotel
Picnic area
First aid kit
Express check-in / check-out
Show more
Room features
Allergy-free room
Blackout curtains
Desk
Fireplace
Coffee / tea maker
Cable / satellite TV
Sofa bed
Walk-in shower
Housekeeping
Safe
Telephone
Clothes rack
Iron
Laptop safe
Private bathrooms
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Refrigerator
Flatscreen TV
Radio
Whirlpool bathtub
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Show more
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
3.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Green
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish
421Reviews5Q+A100Room tips

Reviews
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.

Traveller rating
  • 194
  • 153
  • 49
  • 12
  • 13
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
  • More
Selected filters
  • Filter
  • English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
avatar-image
Kevin wrote a review Feb 2024
Mendocino, California167 contributions87 helpful votes
The staff was lovely, the room was excellent in terms of cleanness and it was comfortable. On top of all this the rates were reasonable. I live close to FB and when friends and family come to visit and need a place to stay I will definitely recommend the Emerald Dolphin to them.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: A 5 minute drive or a 15 minute walk takes you to the ocean and a city park and a trail along the...
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
Response from Emerald Dolphin, Other at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Responded 4 weeks ago
Hello, Thank you so much for such a wonderful review of our little gem. We truly appreciate you giving us such a nice review and we look forward to seeing you again!! Take great care and all the best to you from the entire staff!!!
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avatar-image
Dave S wrote a review Oct 2023
1 contribution1 helpful vote
We go to Fort Bragg every year in October for our anniversary. We thought we would try the Emerald Dolphin Inn this year. The room was clean, comfortable, and had everything you could want. The service was exceptional. There is a miniature golf course that looked fun that we planned on playing but the time got away from us. Great restaurants within walking distance. Davids has a great breakfast and lunch, Vinnys was excellent, and Noyo Grill (used to be the Cliff House) was also excellent. Great market close by and fast food places. Easy walk to Pomo Bluff Park is just a short walk away for some beautiful ocean viewing. We will be back.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Share
Response from Emerald Dolphin, Other at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Responded 22 Oct 2023
Hello, Thanks so much for such a wonderful review of our little gem and of so much of what Fort Bragg has to offer!!! We truly appreciate you giving us a try this trip and we so look forward to seeing you again!! Take great care and all the best to you from the entire staff!!!
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avatar-image
Kim Noorder wrote a review Oct 2023
Amsterdam, The Netherlands51 contributions25 helpful votes
Pros: location, friendly reception, good sized rooms, clean. - Cons: traffic noise, no daily housekeeping during multiple day stay, disastrously unstable wifi, you can hear your nextdoor neighbour pick his nose, building shakes when someone shuts a room door. Price/ quality: hm.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2023
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
Response from Emerald Dolphin, Other at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Responded 17 Oct 2023
Hello, Thanks so much for staying with us and mentioning the nice "pros"! We're so sorry you didn't request an upstairs room so you wouldn't have to hear people above you. You were advised at check in that housekeeping doesn't come in daily and if you needed anything to let us know. At that time, you decided you would have your room serviced after you had been here for 2 days. That was your choice, not ours. We don't get many complaints about the traffic noise because it does quiet down in the early evenings. All the best to you and yours!!
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avatar-image
Krestravelr wrote a review Sept 2023
Gadsden, Alabama48 contributions10 helpful votes
Stayed at this location for 1 night while driving up the coast. Staff was very friendly at check in and offered food options since we had arrived later than initially planned. Things close early in the area. My only complaint is that there did not seem to be air conditioning, only a rotating fan and ability to open windows. Staff not available after 10p to ask and cool night made it ok but can't imagine the room on a warm summer. Otherwise, room was good size, bed comfortable and received free play mini golf but didn't use since we left early the next morning. Would recommend this location as hotel is clean and staff friendliness made it a good stop.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Nice hotel and area. Prepackaged breakfast pastries. Gift shop in lobby area. Friendly...
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
Response from Emerald Dolphin, Other at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Responded 26 Sept 2023
Hello, Thanks so much for staying with us and for taking the time to write us such a nice review!! We're so sorry you didn't get a chance to play our very cool mini golf!! No, we don't have A/C, as most places on the coast don't. Actually, September seems to be hotter than summer months around here. But we always seem to have a nice breeze. Thank you for mentioning how comfortable our beds are, we get many compliments and requests about the mattresses. We hope to see you again in our beautiful part of the world!! Take great care!!
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avatar-image
jennyfish619 wrote a review Sept 2023
San Diego, California2 contributions
They put us in a converted closet with a broken shower and refused to do anything about it. Worst experience of my life. We go about every 2 months and have never had a bad experience. They charged us almost 800 for two nights. I tried to reason with them and said I would go somewhere else for the second night and they said they would not credit me for the 2nd night even if I left :( Wow terrible service.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: Dont stay here
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
Response from Emerald Dolphin, Other at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Responded 9 Sept 2023
Thank you, Jennifer, for staying with us. When you made this booking, you were clearly told that it's a single queen bedroom, but you went ahead and booked it for 3 people and 1 dog. As per your request we added a roll away bed in your room. While we took your booking you asked for a discount and we gave you a 10% discount and we did not charge you extra person fees, dog fee and roll away bed fee. Along with a 10% discount, we gave you $100 worth more discount by not adding the above-mentioned charges. After getting the email confirmation which includes the price breakup, you emailed us for more discount and then we got a call asking more discount. During check-in you again asked for a discount, and we told you that we would not be able to give any more discount. We would be happy to refund your amount if you did not like the room after checking in, but we did not hear any complaint till the next morning. The so called "converted closet" is designed as per the State of California ADA requirements. Next morning you did complaint about the room size, but you did not say anything about shower and we told you to give us half an hour for the best possible outcome, but you did not get back to us. We tried calling you on your room phone, but nobody answered and there was a "Do not Disturb" sign on the door. Thank you Wish you Good Luck.
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avatar-image
crango1812 wrote a review May 2023
Columbus, Ohio20 contributions13 helpful votes
Retired, with one of our daughter’s family living in the Bay Area, we come to California a few times a year. We love the Northern California coast, and make it to Fort Bragg about once a year. We always stay at the Emerald Dolphin inn. The property is friendly, immaculately clean and the 2 queen bed rooms are big and comfortable. Easy to get anywhere in or near Fort Bragg, we’ve found the hotel to be the best combination of value and quality in the area. A bonus? The hotel is a long walk (or short drive) as the nearest hotel to Pomo Bluffs. We’ve been up and down the entire pacific coast over the years, and in our opinion, this spot offers one of the most spectacular views you’ll find anywhere. Go around dusk, and if you’re lucky to catch a sunset, it’s something you won’t forget. We’re headed back to Fort Bragg in the near future, and we’re once again looking forward to another enjoyable stay at the Emerald Dolphin Inn.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: First floor rooms offer parking right outside your door, making loading and unloading luggage easy.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
Response from Kim A, Other at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Responded 21 May 2023
Thank you so much for staying with us, being a repeat guest and for an absolutely fantastic review!! We so appreciate hearing such kind words about our wonderful hotel and our beautiful part of the world. We're so glad that you get to enjoy it at least once a year! We look forward to your next visit! Take great care and thanks again!
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avatar-image
jackieca wrote a review May 2023
California82 contributions103 helpful votes
We stayed only 1 night at Emerald Dolphin Inn with our dog. The staff were extremely friendly, the room was very clean, and although the hotel was on the main street, the room was quiet. Dogs are $25/night, and the room came with a nice basket with a bowl, towel, an extra cover for the bed for your pooch, and an envelope with treats for your dog. The room had wood flooring, was very spacious, and had a keurig coffee maker and refrigerator. We got a free pass to play mini golf, but golfing was closed the next day when we went to play. This was a great stay in a clean, quiet room with our dog. I would definitely recommend it.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
Response from Kim A, Other at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Responded 21 May 2023
Hello, Thanks so much for staying with us and for the great review!! We're so glad you and your dog had a great stay! We hope your pet tells all of their dog friends! Take great care and we hope to see you again in our beautiful part of the world.
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avatar-image
TM wrote a review Apr 2023
Orange County, California2 contributions2 helpful votes
One of the few hotels that is pet friendly. Pet friendly rooms are limited and have two queen beds. They provided a small eating tray, towel and bedsheet for your pet. We used the sheet to cover the unused bed. The hotel is at the south end of town off Main Street/ Hwy 101. Just a little far to walk to or from downtown. The staff was very nice and the room (108) was clean. We were able to park in front of our room. The chairs and comforters were outdated but fine. We noticed a small drainage problem with the sink and reported it at checkout. The room had a refrigerator, a Keurig coffee maker, but no microwave, We only stayed one night as we were passing through. It is more a family hotel but quiet. They have a mini golf and give you a voucher for a little money off. They serve a continental breakfast until 9am. We had a pleasant stay and would stay again. This is one of the few hotel that require a 3 day notice to cancel.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Plan ahead if you are bringing a pet. Pet friendly rooms are limited. I booked about 5 wks...
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
Response from Kim A, Other at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Responded 21 May 2023
Thanks so much for staying with us!
Read more
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
avatar-image
Jrbeck wrote a review Feb 2023
Sacramento, California98 contributions20 helpful votes
We requested a downstairs room, but when the reservation was made none were available. When we arrived my husband mentioned my difficulty with climbing stairs because of surgery. Mark stopped and checked out what was available and he kindly moved us to an even nicer room downstairs with no increase in price. They couldn’t have been nicer when our TV stopped working and fixed it within five minutes. Taking care of their guests is obviously a priority. The room was immaculate and the bed very comfortable. Easy access to Hwy 101, but not noisy.
Read more
Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Mini golf available.
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
avatar-image
Charles M wrote a review Dec 2022
Yucca Valley, California117 contributions30 helpful votes
When we checked in we found that the Inn had new owners. Usually this is not a good situation because the new owners like to make changes on how things are run. We were happy to find out that the new owners are taking the approach that if isn't broke don't fix it. Check-in was quick and friendly the rooms clean and quite. Like that they still have the small gift shop and free mini golf. Looking forward to our next stay.
Read more
Date of stay: December 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Share
Previous
123456
Not the right property for you?
There are more places to choose from in the Fort Bragg area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$122 - AU$239 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
emerald dolphin hotel fort bragg, emerald dolphin motel
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaMendocino CountyFort Bragg
NUMBER OF ROOMS
44
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

Claim Your Listing

EMERALD DOLPHIN INN & MINI GOLF (AU$122): 2024 Prices & Reviews (Fort Bragg, CA) - Photos of Hotel - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf
Which popular attractions are close to Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
Nearby attractions include Noyo Headlands Park (1.0 km), Pomo Bluffs Park (0.7 km), and Noyo Beach (0.4 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free parking, and reduced mobility rooms.
Which room amenities are available at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
Top room amenities include a flat screen TV, a refrigerator, and blackout curtains.
What food & drink options are available at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
Guests can enjoy an outdoor dining area and a snack bar during their stay.
Is parking available at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
Conveniently located restaurants include David's Deli, Sea Pal Cove Restaurant, and The Wharf.
Are pets allowed at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Spanish.
Are there any historical sites close to Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Kelley House Museum (13.1 km).
Is Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access, reduced mobility rooms, and facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.