On a recent road trip from Oregon to California, we needed a safe and simple overnight destination in Eureka, California. We found that Best Western Plus Bayshore Inn fit the bill as an affordable pet-friendly hotel in downtown Eureka.
Conveniently located next to Bayshore Mall, the 130-room hotel is also home to Tres Picosos Mexican restaurant and Shamus T-bones, a steak house. Both restaurants are independently owned and operated, as is the BW Plus Bayshore Inn.
The 3-story hotel consists of two buildings and offers an elevator, as well as luggage carts if you are traveling with family or lots of luggage. The reception staff was friendly and full of recommendations for activities to keep guests entertained while visiting Eureka.
Outdoor enthusiasts might like the Redwood Skywalk within Sequoia Park Zoo. Observant movie-goers might notice that Fern Canyon was the location for Star War’s Ewok Forest and Jurassic Park’s Canyon Scene. Nearby Ferndale, about 20 miles south of Eureka, was the location for the infected town of ‘Cedar Creek’ in the 1995 movie Outbreak.
If you are looking for a place to walk the dog by the water, or take in a fabulous sunset, the Eureka Waterfront Trail is just blocks from the hotel. If you are traveling with children, the indoor-outdoor swimming pool will keep them entertained. As with most hotels, there was no lifeguard on duty. On our visit the outdoor hot tub was out-of-operation.
Our king room, #310, offered a view of the garden area and Koi Pond. Our dog-friendly room included a mini fridge with freezer, as well as a microwave oven. The bathroom featured a bathtub/shower combination with a single sink. Mini-sized shampoo and conditioner bath amenities were available.
- Search for Great Tours HERE
- Buy Travel Insurance
- Get a Car Rental
Rooms 123, 223 and 323 are coded and sold as standard rooms, but they have jacuzzi tubs, in addition to a full bathroom in the room. Rooms 210, 310, 211, 311, 212 and 312 look out to the Koi Pond and garden. Out of 130 total hotel rooms, 34 are suites.
Property amenities include 7-day a week hot, complimentary breakfast, a business center, fitness facility, 24-hour guest laundry and complimentary parking.
Breakfast included scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, as well as cook-your-own waffle. Additionally, there was cold cereal, fruit, yogurt, string cheese, hard-boiled egg and pastries. Coffee, juice, powdered hot chocolate and tea were also on tap.
Rates range from $139.00 – $339.00 and fluctuate with demand and season. The Best Western Plus Bayshore Inn offers a 10% discount for AAA members. As a Best Western gold member, I was greeted with two complimentary bottles of water and offered several choices of snacks, including chips and cookies. You can also compare rates and make a reservation through Booking.com if you are not a hotel loyalty program member.
There’s also a drawer at the front desk with travel-sized amenities such as deodorant and hairspray in case you forgot to pack something. There is an additional fee of $30.00 per night for pets.
Check-in time is 4:00 p.m. and check-out time is 12:00 p.m. If you are looking for a more upscale, Eureka property, the Carter House Inn is located in the historic downtown area of Eureka.
All photography and text by Travel writer Nancy D. Brown. All opinions are her own.
