Who Says There’s No Place Like Home? : B&Bs; Use Service, Charm to Carve Out North County Niche

Although the North Coast offers a plethora of accommodations, ranging from five-star hotels to state-run campgrounds, one particular lodging concept is finding its niche here: the bed and breakfast inn.

Developed in Europe as a way for travelers to experience a region’s flavor by offering accommodations with local families, the B&B; concept has been Americanized on the East Coast, spreading west to the stately manors of California’s wine country and into the gingerbread houses of Eureka.

Only one important difference reflects our abundant American style: practically each room here comes with its own bathroom, a luxury not found in many European inns. Nowadays, “Will we have our own bathroom?” is the first question heard by virtually every B&B; host.

The casual beach atmosphere of North County seems a perfect match to the down-home essence of the B&B;, and there are several popular inns along the “Gold Coast” between La Jolla and Oceanside. Each provides a personal introduction to its particular locale.

It is the little things that still count, whether you’re spending $50 or $250 a night; that is the first rule of B&Bs.;

Bed and breakfast inns differ from their motel-hotel cousins in size and to a certain extent, convenience. B&Bs; usually consist of 12 rooms or fewer, and the inns surveyed for this story provide continental-style breakfasts only; regulations governing commercial kitchens used to prepare cooked meals are strict, and the permits costly. Visitors looking for complete meals and a few drinks at the bar without ever leaving the premises should avoid B&Bs; and check into an all-inclusive hotel complex.

Because of the relatively new arrival of B&Bs; to Southern California, organization of a B&B; network is still in the infant stages. In fact, several local cities have recently worked with innkeepers to create ordinances governing the zoning, operation and size of bed and breakfast establishments, since none existed before.

(In addition to the concentration of bed and breakfast inns along the North County coast, there are a number in the Julian area. Information on those is available from the Julian Chamber of Commerce at 765-1857.)

A new organization, the Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers of Southern California, is taking shape and provides information and brochures on B&Bs; divided into several regions between Cambria and Coronado. The toll free number is (800) 424-0053.

The Bed and Breakfast Directory for San Diego, written by innkeeper Carol Emerick, lists 31 B&Bs; in San Diego County alone.

Because of the B&B;’s relatively new arrival to the San Diego area, several smaller inns are not listed in the B&B; directory or the yellow pages. Ask around: competition among the local B&Bs; is healthy but friendly and proprietors are comfortable directing you to other inns, some of which are literally single-family homes with a room to rent.

For those looking to immerse themselves in the North Coast, here are several popular inns:

Pelican Cove Inn

Carlsbad

In Carlsbad, another couple are living out their fantasies as innkeepers of the Pelican Cove Inn. When Bob Hale retired from his L.A. law practice in the mid-80s, he and his wife Celeste were anxious to get out of the big city rat race. After visiting a B&B; on a Utah ski trip, the couple got hooked on the idea of running an inn themselves.

“We’d thought about the bed-and-breakfast business for some time, and Carlsbad is such a delightful little town we figured it was a natural,” Bob Hale says. The Hales bought a two-unit apartment on Walnut Avenue two blocks from the beach, and subsequently expanded the inn by buying and remodeling another apartment next door.

Today the Pelican Cove Inn is a striking Cape Cod-style complex sporting observation decks, portholed garages and brightly-painted verandas. The furnishings include antiques, many of which came from the Hales’ former residence, Scandia feather beds, televisions, fireplaces and some Jacuzzi tubs. Rooms are named for famous California beach resorts--Laguna, Coronado, Newport, Del Mar, and Capistrano are there--each with an antique photograph of the room’s namesake hanging over the mantle.

“Many B&Bs; are centered around the old Victorian homes--beautiful and elegant but many times dark and kind of musty,” Hale says. “We wanted to do something more along the lines of a California beach bed-and-breakfast inn, so we modeled this a little after the Cape Cod style, complete with a ‘widow’s walk’ on the roof.”

The beach is definitely a major attraction for Pelican Cove guests, who can take advantage of beach chairs, towels and picnic baskets for a day in the sun. As with the other coastal B&Bs;, Pelican Cove is within walking distance to the center of town, several restaurants and shops of every description. Visitors from L.A. and beyond can take advantage of the Cove’s courtesy Amtrak service and leave the car at home, which seems almost incomprehensible these days.

Continental breakfasts come with fresh juice, coffee, tea, and fresh baked goods from the local Danish bakery. And the Hales will not hesitate to run out for some champagne when the need arises. A night’s stay ranges from $85 to $150 a night, and check-in is between 3 p.m.-8 p.m. Reservations and information: 434-5995.

InnCline Bed & Breakfast

Encinitas

Although it can’t claim an elegant or bawdy historical past, the InnCline Bed & Breakfast in Encinitas compensates with immaculate rooms, personalized service and a location within walking distance to the beach and downtown. Owned and managed by Richard and Kirsten Cline, the InnCline was established in 1989 after the Clines worked with the city to establish its own B&B; ordinance.

For Kirsten, being a B&B; innkeeper was a dream come true. By the time she married Richard, a Cardiff electrician for 20 years, Kirsten had remodeled the single-family home on Vulcan Avenue to include rental units. Later realizing her plan didn’t conform to the just-completed Encinitas General Plan, she successfully petitioned the city for a B&B; establishment.

“I’ve always wanted to run a B&B;,” Kirsten Cline says. “For years I’ve been saving articles and I’ve looked for property with that in mind. But it wasn’t affordable until after we were married.”

The Clines pooled their resources, and using Richard’s construction experience remodeled the home to include three downstairs rooms and an upstairs apartment--”we call it the Honeymoon Suite,” Richard says.

Southwestern is the theme at InnCline, where one can choose between the Aloe, Cholla and Barrel rooms. All rooms come with private baths, and are appointed with cactus lamps and tables built by the couple. Richard is currently building an outdoor stone “reading platform” complete with waterfall, fishpond, and a view of Moonlight Beach.

Echoing the underlying theme of bed and breakfast, the Clines emphasize personal service.

“We meet the people, shake hands, and try to make them feel at home and comfortable. So far we’ve had great success with that. We’ve had many guests return,” Richard says. “One guy couldn’t get the service he wanted over there”--pointing in the direction of a nearby hotel--”and you know what he wanted? Bagels! So I said, ‘We’ll get you some bagels.’ He stayed three days!”

Practically all those guests can be seen on the “rogue’s wall,” a bulletin board in the downstairs hall covered with snapshots taken by the Clines. A thank-you note and heart medallion came from one local couple who recently spent their honeymoon at InnCline.

Richard Cline will not hesitate to take guests on a tour of the county, like the time he drove a group of Austrians to Borrego. “They were in awe--they’d never seen a desert before.”

The InnCline Bed & Breakfast is located at 121 N. Vulcan Ave., and room rates range from $75-$95 a night, including continental breakfast. Moonlight Beach, Quail Gardens, and downtown sites and shopping are close by. Reservations and information: 944-0318

The Rock Haus

Del Mar

In Del Mar, The Rock Haus Bed & Breakfast Inn is a local landmark steeped in history. Built for wealthy land baron Henry W. Keller in 1910, this private residence was nicknamed the “Rock House” for the thousands of bricks melted into odd shapes and placed end-wise and horizontally to form the building’s foundation. Its aged hardwood interior has courted diverse activities--Catholic Mass, gambling, a hippy hangout and, as rumor has it, prostitution.

Today, the Rock Haus--its spelling modified by a former owner named Hauser--is owned and managed by Doris Holmes, a transplanted Toronto restaurateur who purchased the property three years ago over the phone, sight unseen.

“I was looking for a condominium and I bought this instead,” says Holmes, who now loves the life of an innkeeper. “I grew up in the hotel business so it wasn’t too far out of line for me, but it’s a more personal and romantic type of thing.”

Located on 15th Street one block above the coast highway, the Rock Haus commands a 180-degree view of Del Mar and the ocean. Several of the 10 rooms available carry a nautical theme, with the Whale Watch, Wren’s Nest and Top O’ the Rock rooms providing an unmatched Pacific panorama. In the downstairs living room, the dark wood paneling, antique furniture and vintage fireplace will make any guest feel like a rich land baron.

“People tell me the neat thing to do is to stay at the Rock Haus,” says Holmes, who has witnessed a growing yuppie clientele. “They think it’s very poshy to stay here, because it’s so unique, so different. Many who stay here are on the well-to-do side, but we’re not that expensive--it hasn’t anything to do with price. It’s the character of the place.”

Rooms at the Rock Haus range from $75 to $135; four rooms have private baths, six others share three bathrooms. The Huntsman’s room downstairs has its own fireplace. Continental breakfasts are served on the glass-enclosed veranda, which sports possibly the city’s most complete vantage point. One more plus: Del Mar has one of the biggest, cleanest and sandiest beaches in erosion-prone North County. Reservations and information: 481-3764.

The Bed and Breakfast

Inn at La Jolla

Situated in the heart of the La Jolla peninsula, The Bed & Breakfast Inn at La Jolla can be either a romantic retreat or a people watcher’s paradise. Across the street is the La Jolla Recreation Center, with its tennis courts and other athletic amenities. A few steps away is Prospect Avenue, where fortunes are both frantically earned and spent; across Prospect lies the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art and the Pacific turquoise of La Jolla’s reefs. Whether your love is nature, art or shopping, you can walk there in minutes from the inn.

Like many B&Bs;, the Inn is also a well-preserved local landmark. Built as a private residence by architect Irving Gill in 1913, it was the summer retreat for the family of composer John Philip Sousa.

The building was marked for the wrecking ball until the Albee family bought the property in the mid-1980s and worked with the city and the state Coastal Commission to have it rezoned as a B&B; inn. It is now officially designated as a city historical landmark.

Managing the Inn is Ardath Albee, who also teaches classes in B&B; management and has been instrumental in developing the Southern California innkeeper network. Her insights into the B&B; concept make her the dean of the local trade.

“Staying in an inn is like staying in a room in someone’s special home,” Albee says. “We know everyone by name, they know us by name, and we’re able to take better care of the guest because we have fewer people to deal with and have the same staff all the time.”

Although the B&B; Inn at La Jolla is one of the larger inns in San Diego with 16 rooms, Albee says the difference between the B&B; and a hotel are like night and day.

“I was driving in Mission Valley the other day and nearly ran off the freeway. The new Howard Johnson’s there had a big neon sign saying ‘Bed & Breakfast Inn’ and I just about died. You see advertisements all the time advertising B&Bs;, usually because they serve a continental breakfast in the morning.”

But Albee says it is the atmosphere and ambience that set a true B&B; apart from the corporate imposters. “On top of that, we keep menus from all the local restaurants, we know everything about the area, things like knowing there are caves under the shell shop that you can visit at low tide.”

The La Jolla Inn has all the amenities of the classic B&B;: all but one room includes a private bath, and each comes well-stocked with fresh fruit, sherry, flowers, and sweets; light breakfasts are served in the dining area; wine and cheese is served in the afternoons, and in the classic tradition, all rooms are referred to by name, not number. Here, you can view the world from the Bird Rock, Pacific View, Ocean Breeze, or John Philip Sousa bedrooms, or take in a relaxing bath in the Kate Sessions room.

Rates for the Bed & Breakfast Inn at La Jolla, 7753 Draper Ave., run from $85 for the Bird Rock to $225 for the Irving Gill Penthouse. Check-in hours are 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Reservations and information: 456-2066.