Gingerbread Mansion Inn

We stayed at The Gingerbread house Valentine’s Day. It was a great experience. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. The wine and tea in the evening was a great touch and breakfast was excellent. It is close to the Main Street and lots of places to walk to. If you’ve never stayed at a bed and breakfast I would make this the one to judge all others by
Thanks for s great stay

My family & I had a wonderful time at Gingerbread Mansion they are the perfect host. We really felt at home. The Inn is located in a beautiful setting, the rooms are beautifully decorated and the breakfast is incredible, which made our stay even more pleasant. Can’t wait to visit again! Thank you & Love
The Berghoudian Family

My husband and I spent two days here this past week. It is a lovely place, clean, quiet, wonderful breakfast, afternoon tea. Eugenia the Inn keeper was fabulous, as was Colleen our chef. The town of Ferndale is beautiful.

Everything about this place seemed «quirky» to us. Check-​in, check-​out, breakfast, and the room itself were all a bit odd, goofy, etc. And it was quite expensive, being as it was the nicest place to stay in the area, although that’s not saying much, and we spent hours researching online. Not sure why it has a four diamond rating from AAA. Maybe it just wasn’t our style, but it would be hard to recommend this place to friends.

The wife and I came to this charming town to celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary. We booked advance online at the gingerbread mansion. Honestly the place is quite charming. It definitely has the old world Victorian charm. A bit creeky and dusty. We arrived at 3 o’clock on a Saturday. We were greeted by the innkeeper but I do not recall her name. She welcomed us and showed us around the place and our accommodations. We stayed in the Veneto room. She told us about the wine and cake and cheese they have in the evening. We discussed a few the local dining options in the area as well.
Again the room itself was very nice it just did not feel very comfortable for us. I think partly due to the floor which was very cold. The floor was basically marble with no runner carpet anywhere. Just kind of made the room feel cold and unwelcoming. The bed was quite comfortable however.
We went downstairs for the wine and cheese and tea. No coffee though. They had a red velvet type cake. The cake tasted very dry and stale. They also had some Snickerdoodle cookies. I could’ve bounced him off the floor they were so hard. We kind of felt like they were kind of going through the motions as opposed to truly trying to make their guests feel welcome.
So we left and went out to dinner in town which was quite nice.
The innkeeper had told us they would have fresh coffee outside of our door at 7 AM. However at 7:15 I had to call down and inquire where the coffee was. It finally arrived at 7:25. It was good quality coffee however. At breakfast the staff was fine. We were not offered any choice of what to have for breakfast we were simply presented a plate of quiche and potatoes with lots and lots of onions. Other diners were eating omelettes but nobody asked us if we wanted one, we were just given the quiche. Again I kind of felt they were just going through the motions and not putting a whole lot into the meal.
It is also quite possible that the bed-​and-​breakfast thing just may not be for us. We were the youngest couple they are by far and we were celebrating our 25^th.
I went back-​and-​forth between the two or three star on this one but just had to give it to because just do not feel the value was there for what is was. And I know we will not return here.
Reading the positive reviews here on Unilocal many people have had different experiences here again this just might not be our thing.
There’s no doubt if we return to Ferndale area we will look for other lodging options.

Wonderful getaway with my husband. Eugenia was the perfect hostess making us feel very special and at home. We enjoyed the fabulous breakfasts and tea/​wine time in the afternoon. Perfect walking distance for dining and shops.
We will be back soon!

The room was beautiful but the breakfast was not as described on the website. Stayed for two days. Expected hearty breakfast or something special, turned out breakfast so little and no meat at all for either breakfast. Very unprofessional. Came to the table and got a plate with small piece of omelet and some potato and four slices of strawberry on top and that’s it. No toast or butter or jam or fruit bowl as shown in the picture and the food was cold.

If you love the Victorian-​Era then you will love this place. The detail put into the construction back then is amazing! I did a review of the Town of Ferndale with a complete list all the places to eat on my blog if you want to take a look.

House was beautiful. The rooms were beautiful. The staff was friendly, especially when they realized that they hadn’t prepared the room with our package for the stay. If you get a package I recommend calling ahead of time and making sure they are tracking.

If you’re under 65 or are creeped out by Victorian houses that used to be hospitals do not stay here! We had the ‘Hideaway Room’ which has an upstairs loft (with a queen bed) above the main bed. There is also a small room under the stairs. CREEPY! I swore I saw a shadow figure watching me from the upstairs area. Couldn’t wait to leave to be honest.

My 15 year old daughter, my mother, and I recently stayed here. We stayed in the Gingerbread Suite on the first floor because stairs are difficult for my mother. The place was wonderful. It was our first time in a B and B. We arrived in the late afternoon just in time for tea. We were welcomed immediately by a staff member who gave us a tour of the house, explained how things worked, and showed us to our room to drop our things. The room was lovely with a small private patio. The staff member asked when we would like breakfast and if we would like coffee and tea outside of our room before breakfast.
The tea was delicious. There was a mix of sweet and savory treats, red and white wines, and a large selection of teas. The staff kept adding items as the tea progressed and there was plenty for everyone. We were joined by other guests and were able to have a nice chat.
Breakfast was good and was ready shortly after we arrived in the dining room.
For people interested in victorian architecture, like we are, the mansion and the town are a wonderful treat. If you are seeking an exciting night life, I don’t know that the town would appeal to you. It seemed like a sleepy little town. We felt safe walking around and really enjoyed everything.
My daughter and I look forward to returning and staying in different rooms. Although our room was on the first floor, so close to the public sitting areas, dining room, and kitchen, we never heard a peep that disturbed us and all slept well.
Finally, I want to comment on the inn keeper. She was lovely, gracious, and friendly. She spent time with us in the morning before we left, explaining some of the history of the house and the town. There was a change of staff earlier in 2015, and although I did not stay with the old staff, I think the new staff is a great improvement. Again, we look forward to returning and staying a little longer.

Stayed I’m the hidaway room. The bed was so comfy!!! We loved the 1000 TC sheets & down blankets. Felt like home. Was nice & private with no rooms around us. It had a loft with another bed and TV up there. And a fridge outside to keep some local wines in. We definitely plan on coming back!
Make sure to have dinner at Hotel Ivanhoe!!! I’m still dreaming about the scampi & NY Marsala. Also the spicy shrimp is to die for!!! I mean it!
The breakfast was fabulous! Sausage, veggie scramble with fruits & stuffed french toast & juice. Wish we could have stayed longer!

We stayed at the mansion for three days while exploring the redwood forest, and our experience was great. The breakfast at the inn was amazing. They even made gluten free breakfast and cupcakes for us!!! The attention to detail and customer service was fantastic. The best bed and breakfast we have ever stayed in!

Late review!!!
Wow. What friendly staff and wonderful rooms! My wife loved the huge bath tub at the foot of our bed. Coming back for our anniversary!

Terrific place to stay. Rooms are very nice and clean. The breakfast was out of this world. Innkeeper went over and above to make our stay special. I highly recommend this place as a place to stay.
The inn just opened a couple years ago and has been restored to a beautiful old Victorian home. It was originally a hospital and has an interesting history which the folks will gladly share

I loved this place! We found this gem last minute on Priceline and were so pleased. Eugenia, the hostess and manager I’d guess, was so welcoming and hospitable. We started with a tour of the whole place, including each of the different and individually decorated rooms.
We stayed in the Lilac room, which has a claw foot bathtub and one of the most comfortable beds ever. We headed downstairs at 4pm for afternoon tea, which included a glass of wine, homemade muffins (so good), and a variety of treats to nibble! We stayed and read our books by the fire before falling into conversation with Eugenia and some of the other guests.
There was coffee and tea in the hallway when we woke, and we had breakfast downstairs in the gorgeous room. The breakfast was good, and I know they have a new cook, so I expect it will be great before long.

Somehow we ended up staying here by accident.
The Gingerbread Mansion Inn came up in several searches for lodging in Eureka, just under 20 miles away. We didn’t realize it wasn’t until we were coming up to Eureka and trying to find the address. This puts you in the small, Victorian looking, town of Ferndale California. Which isn’t a bad thing, but it definitely limits your options for things like dining and things to do after exhausting the couple of shops that were actually open. Perhaps in the summer months the town is a bit more lively.
On the other hand, cattle pasture smell from the nearby country side stopped only a few blocks from the Inn. And I’m enough of a city boy these days to be sensitive to such aromas.
Either way, this is among the more unique places I’ve stayed at. The house is an honest to goodness historical Victorian house built in the late 1800s and expanded into a hospital in the early 1900s. The owners over the years have done a great job keeping it up. Granted, it still has issues. The front door didn’t like to open, windows look like they’re the original single pane and leak cold air, the noise down the back stairs was annoying. But overall I was impressed by how luxurious the place is!
I was not impressed with breakfast though. Not that it was bad, it’s just not to my liking. I’m not a fan of quiche or soufflés. The tea selection at the table could have been something other then a box of whatever is carried at the grocery store. The food was quite tasty though and I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had been a bit more egg free.
But the service at breakfast, and the service around the house while getting us checked in was superb. Afternoon «Tea», which is actually a few bottles of locally made wines and a handful of snack options, was pretty good and gave us a reason to race back from Eureka. There was also both a bottle of Port and a bottle of brandy hanging around — both were quite excellent and I’d love to know details of their vintages.
They have decent discounts for multiple night stays, and also allow you to change rooms from one night to the other. This is a big deal because it allows you to experience the uniqueness of each room.
Overall, yeah, great place to stay for a nice laid back vacation. Definitely going on my to do again list.

If only Grandma could have entertained this way!
It was a wonderful chance to travel back in time (but with all the modern amenities) .
The staff was warm and friendly. Our room quaint and cozy. The tea time cookies divine.
The whole experience deserves an encore.
The Cooks

My hubby booked a surprise two-​night stay here based on a web search and Unilocal reviews. He got it so right!
Upon our arrival, just after tea time was scheduled to end (6pm), Karen gave us a very warm greeting at the door. The Victorian style house, built in the late 1800’s, had a soothing fragrant smell and the fireplaces were going. We were given a tour around the house and shown to our room, The Fountain Suite (more on that in a bit). After settling, we went downstairs to enjoy the tea time goodies even though we were late. There was plenty of wine and tea as well as a variety of snacks and treats.
Our suite was magnificent. The attention to detail in the décor was the opposite of any standard cookie cutter hotel room. The uniqueness of each room we later got to peak at made us feel special to have the only room like «that». Our bedroom had an electric fireplace that gave off a fair amount of heat. And the bathROOM was perfect. Both nights we spent in our individual claw tubs by the gas fireplace in there.
The breakfast served both mornings we were there were above average and filling. The staff is incredibly friendly and not stingy about dishing you more of something.
We were hoping for a peaceful and relaxing weekend and the staff and accommodations met our needs and then some. Definitely a place to return to!

This place is too much of everything! Like a cake with an overload of decorations. But lovely!
We really didn’t expect anything when we booked this place — and were overwhelmed by the kindness and how every detail was taken care of.
In our room we had two fireplaces, twin bathtubs, big shower, nice thick bathrobes. A glass of wine on arrival. Delicious breakfast with freshly made quiche and fruitsalad. Don’t miss the garden with its beautiful flowers!
I’m already longing back to this fairytale like Victorian dream.