About the Stanford Inn by the Sea Joan and Jeff Stanford are the owners. Jeff had just completed his thesis in cultural anthropology. His research was in the human potential movement—neo-shamanism. Joan was youth specialist working with Canada Red Cross Youth. They wanted to live on the West Coast and in the mid 1970s there were few jobs for an anthropologist—particularly in a desirable location. They moved to Carmel, California, to help Jeff’s family with a “flip” of a small motel. They then decided that they could make a life as innkeepers and moved to Mendocino. How long have you owned the Stanford Inn by the Sea? 35 years. The owners of what was then Big River Lodge were selling their motel and didn’t want to leave the property. They loaned a substantial part of the down payment separately and for a shorter term than the financing (owner financed). Friends and family helped us secure the remainder of the down payment. Our goal was to convert the Big River Lodge into a large bed and breakfast inn and eventually into a resort. We were cash poor but had established a reputation at both the regional (Carmel, California) and national levels as bed & breakfast innkeepers with the help of Patsy and Chuck Watts, owners of the Vagabonds House inn in Carmel, and norman Simpson, author of Country Inns and Back Roads. Simpson included us in his 1978 edition of the book and our inn took off (today it is the Carmel Garden Court inn). What is your favorite part of being an innkeeper? That has changed over the years. Originally we enjoyed the many different roles— entrepreneurs, builders, bookkeepers, managers, designers, counselors, gardeners and more fully, farmers—the many roles of a small business owner. Three years after we purchased the inn and after adding fireplaces to every room, refurnishing, etc., we began renting canoes and kayaks from Mendocino Bay, and added bicycles three years later—at Catch A Canoe & Bicycles, Too! Early in our careers here, we dealt with landscaping by bringing back farming to the property. The Inn is on the site of the China Gardens which 100 years before provided produce for the loggers in the town. Adopting sustainable practices, we received organic certification in the late 1980s. 18 California Hotel & Lodging Association FALL 2015 In 1990 and 1991 we added massage services and yoga (we were early adopters). Since then, Joan has become a teacher, counselor and art therapist. Jeff is a spiritual counselor, chef and writer. We created a wellness center— Mendocino Center for Living Well—which includes acupuncture, Chinese medicine, massage, yoga, tai chi, nutrition, cooking classes, gardening classes, art play shops, and more. Throughout the years our focus has been on mindful growth, creating life-enhancing experiences for our guests and our staff. The Inn provides internships in gardening, vegan cooking, and hotel management. in 1997 we opened The Ravens, a vegetarian restaurant. it is now vegan. in 2004 we added a bar and specialize in organic drinks. HOtELiEr Profile Owners Jeff & Joan Stanford
CH LA Lodging News Fall 2015
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