The Gables Inn

The Gables Inn is an 1869 Victorian B&B in downtown Sausalito with nine rooms, walking distance to the ferry terminal and the Bridgeway waterfront. Sausalito itself is the small bayside town just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco — the kind of place you go for an afternoon and then realize you'd rather have stayed the night. The Gables is one of the few small inns in the village that absorbs that demand.

It's a B&B in the proper sense — small, owner-operated, full breakfast, the building itself as the main attraction.

The setting

On El Portal in downtown Sausalito, half a block from Bridgeway and the Sausalito waterfront. The walk to the ferry terminal (the Sausalito-San Francisco ferry runs throughout the day) is five minutes. Bridgeway's restaurants and galleries are immediately accessible. The Bay Model Visitor Center and the historic houseboat community are a fifteen-minute walk north.

The drive across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco is fifteen minutes. The ferry from the Ferry Building or Pier 41 takes thirty.

The building

An 1869 Victorian — three stories, gabled roof (hence the name), gingerbread trim, painted in the muted Sausalito-Victorian palette. The interior leans Neo-Victoriana: period millwork, brass and velvet, antique upholstery, a sitting parlor with a fireplace. Public spaces are restrained.

It's owner-operated and the upkeep reflects long-running attention.

The rooms

Nine rooms across three floors. Categories climb from compact rooms (around $425) up through suites with private balconies and the better Bay views. Beds are queens and kings, linens are good, bathrooms are updated. Some rooms have small private balconies toward Richardson Bay and the San Francisco skyline.

There's no elevator. Stairs to the upper floors are part of the experience.

Food & drink

There's no on-site restaurant. A continental breakfast is included in the dining room. For dinner, the walk along Bridgeway reaches Sausalito's restaurants — Le Garage (the local favorite), Salito's Crab House, Scoma's of Sausalito, the bar at Salsalito Taco Shop for casual nights.

On the property

A small Victorian B&B with the basics.

• Continental breakfast included
• Walking distance to the Bridgeway waterfront and the ferry
• Bicycles for guest use
• Open year-round

Who it's for

• Travelers using Sausalito as a Bay Area base rather than San Francisco
• Couples doing a long weekend who want walking-distance-to-ferry access
• Repeat Bay Area visitors who want the small-town counterpoint to San Francisco
• Travelers who'd rather have a Victorian B&B than a Marin chain hotel

Who it's not for

• Travelers who want a contemporary boutique aesthetic
• Anyone seeking a full hotel amenity stack
• Families with young children — the antique-and-quiet format isn't kid-tuned

Nearby

Walk along the Bridgeway waterfront for galleries, restaurants, and the Sausalito Visitor Center. The historic houseboat community at Waldo Point is a fifteen-minute walk north. The Bay Model Visitor Center (a working scale model of San Francisco Bay built by the Army Corps of Engineers) is similar distance. Catch the ferry to San Francisco for the Ferry Building, the Embarcadero, and the city's restaurants. Drive ten minutes for Muir Woods (reservations required) and the Marin Headlands (the Hawk Hill overlooks of the Golden Gate Bridge). Drive longer for Stinson Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Tomales Bay's oyster farms.