Gorda Springs Resort

The woman I talked to on the phone is a complete bitch. I needed to push my reservation back a week and she couldn’t look up the dates herself. She hung up on me because I «was taking too long» to look up the date I needed to change my reservation to. I told her I could take my business elsewhere and she said, «okay, bye.» … The fuck? NEVER will I stay here. Get some new front desk people. So rude and unprofessional. Thank god I called beforehand before I stayed at this awful fucking place.

The view was amazing but not worth the price and the manager /​most staff are not helpful, extremely rude. I suggest go to another motel/​cabin/​hotel if you are not a camper. Restaurant has terrible food/​service is shit. They barely making ends meet here… They need to make more motels hotels along here, it’s embarrassing for tourists who are tired from driving and being extremely cautious to end up here. Sad and disappointed… Luckily we only stayed one night!!! Bed bugs too! We had so many bites after sleeping in their bed. It is not safe here either. they don’t even have secure windows in their cabin. We had so many ants in our cabin… Luckily my boyfriend owns a pest control company, but come on we are on vacation! What the hell is this. Good luck trying to complain or ask for help from management! The old old lady that was very slow but sweet was the only nice one there. Gorda springs needs a new ownership and remodeling!!! So many freaked spiderwebs as well!!! Watch out! 2 stars for the view and our awesome hikes we found close by. Also everything here is over priced! They definitely rip off tourists here!!! Get enough gas if you are almost out here, but only if your desperate otherwise make that 12 – 20 mile distance drive down the beautiful mountain or go 40 miles up…:!!!

We chose Gorda Springs Resort for a girl’s trip and it was perfect!!! Yes, it’s a little rough but what do you expect? It is a few cabins in the middle of a long stretch of beautiful coastal highway. It is not and does not promote itself as a 4 star hotel so if that is what you are expecting you will be disappointed like some of the other reviewers. But, if you did your research and know what to expect you will be happy!
There were 6 of us so we stayed in the Rock House which is the largest cabin. There were 2 bedrooms, each with a queen bed, and a roll-​a-​way bed. There is also a full kitchen with with a gas stove, oven, sink, and refrigerator. The cabin is tiny but extremely cozy with a wood burning fireplace! There are tons of windows with priceless ocean views. There was also a cute porch and patio area on the side with a table and chairs. We had dinner out there and it was lovely.
There is also a General Store, restaurant, gas station, and coffee/​gift shop within walking distance. Yes, the prices are higher but that is the price of convenience. I suggest that if you choose a cabin with a kitchen you bring your own food and cook because the restaurant prices are pretty expensive. Cell phone service and wifi are spotty but they do have it. You just have to walk around a bit to find good reception. The gondola was a nice place to sit and admire the ocean view… as I shared gorgeous pictures with my family and friends because that was a good place to get cell service. There are no televisions which forces us live unplugged for a bit… which wasn’t all bad. I suggest bringing board games, cards and some wine! Other than that it is a very nice place with flowers and plants every where you look.
As long as you are self-​sufficient and don’t need your butt kissed this is the place for you. It is expensive but worth every penny!!!

We stayed in the Redwood Cabin and the views were so epic that we dealt with the inconveniences. The staff in the general store acted like they did not want to be bothered. I did not feel welcomed at all. Its actually amazing that anyone can be in a bad mood with such epic views across the street!
The cabins are extremely bare bones. We didn’t mind the lack of TV, or internet at all but there were some things that would have made the stay more comfortable… or maybe we’ve just been totally spoiled by Airbnb! But damn, an iron? That’s super basic. The Redwood has two balcony and a front porch and all were covered in spider webs and bird poo. We visited in July so we paid about $ 315, I think for that price they could spruce it up a bit.
We pigged out at the restaurant after a long day of hiking with Clam Chowder, NY Strip, the Burger, and carrot cake and thought everything was overpriced but delicious! The guy waiting on us was super friendly and even brought our pup water and a slice of bacon. He was a sweetheart!
If there are no other options nearby in BigSur we would stay here again. The views really are incredible!

Gorda Springs resort is absolutely fine for what it is, which is one of the very few places to stay on a long stretch of dark windy road. Either that or sleep in your car. This is not Post Ranch Inn, but you get the same awesome ocean view for 10% of the cost. Whiners complaining about the high cost of gas and food at the restaurant are idiots — the cost is largely due the remoteness of this place. It looks like they are working to renovate the rooms/​cabins and it is still a work in progress, but I was happy to have a clean room, comfy bed and full-​moon ocean view for $ 139.

Pulled into the parking lot a 10 PM on a Wednesday night and got their last room, Cedar North. A bit musty, like its been sitting on the coast near the ocean and surrounded by fog for a long time. I was fine with that. The bed was better than many, the pillows good. Clean, Friendly. Good breakfast at the café.
This is not a super modern or updated resort. Internet was next to impossible. No TV.
I’d go back. Its a great spot for being close to Big Sur and Carmel/​Monterey.

Okay, so at first i was shocked «What no TV or internet service» but then what was the point? The point was to get away from the rat race right; okay so we did.
This was our Wedding Anniversary, all was booked for the Memorial Day Weekend and this place had vacancy. I’m normally not a jumper on whatever but this was special so i took it and the reason was that another woman came in WHILE I WAS THINKING asking about the price so i told the gentleman «I“LL TAKE IT». LOL sorry lady! It was either take it or sleep in the truck-​not!
The cabin was named the Palm for the Palm tree in front and It was perfect for us two. This stay was unique because my husband and I actually had fun with no TV or Internet. We talked, and laughed without interruption or distraction it was weird at first but that only lasted a few minutes. Had I known I would have brought some games.
The cost was reasonable and understandable for last minute and being Memorial Day Weekend!!! We were lucky it wasn’t more. So the key to this place is to bring your own food and kick off your shoes so you get your money’s worth. We picked up dinner at Wingstop and reheated it in the microwave. If we needed anything else the General Store was downstairs and they have a restaurant. The General Store had a bit of everything but didn’t make it to the restaurant this time.
This place is meant to be serene for all to enjoy nature and the beauty of the ocean right by the side of the road!
Thank you, I will be back next year with a reservation for the cabin with the hot tub!

We stayed here as a group on a bike ride from SF to SLO. Highlights were: gorgeous views including whale watching, a delicious breakfast (hold the coffee) and our waitress Sarah. Price is a bit higher because of the location, which is oceanfront and relatively isolated within Big Sur.
I’d happily stay here again and enjoy a lovely breakfast before cruising down the California coast.

Stay away from Gorda at all costs. I can’t speak on the lodging or the restaurant, however the reviews below say it all. The customer service at the general store was terrible. The attendant was not helpful, rude, and apathetic. There was an eeriness to the staff overall and I will definitely avoid this place when I travel to Big Sur in the future. The food pricing in the store as well as the restaurant was ridiculously high. My friend said the waitress was also very rude to her when she asked her a simple question. The only thing I heard is that they have a nice bathroom available to the public, so if you really need to go, Gorda’s bathroom is OK. Otherwise, don’t waste your time here. For friendly service, go to Lucia or back up to Big Sur.

Loved the cabin in the hills that I spent 1 night, with an ocean view. Very cute, homey, and clean. The cabin is actually a 2-​units cabin separated by a thin door. Otherwise I would have offered a 5 star for my experience. The friendly staff at the General Store where you make your walk in reservation, were very helpful. It was a great relief to find a place right on PCH as it was dark and we could find nothing during a major biking event. We got the very last room and saved ourselves another 20 minute drive on the dark, windy road. We slept comfortably by the sound of seals and the ocean. Woke up and looked out, and a goat was on our patio. Loved the lodging and the flowering grounds and stone work. I’ll give a separate review for the Whale Watchers Café next door, which I would only recommend for coffee, as the café is very overpriced.

HORRIBLE!!! Stay away, no wifi, tv or cell reception. It was our honeymoon & i cried when we walked in. Save yourself & just go camping. The «hotel» is a room above the general store next to loud cars, & the cabins aren’t much better.
I’m pretty easy going when it comes to hotels, I’m fine with cheap motels, but they usually cost less than $ 200/​night.

Gorda Springs Resort was probably really cute at some point in the past. The facility still has a bit of «cuteness» left, but in general is really pretty run down and tired. I booked this reservation a bit late, after I found that everything in Big Sur was booked well in advance.
There are two reasons this place had rooms/​cabins available well into the summer. The first is the location, although a beautiful part of the world, there is very little this far south in Big Sur. Most of the restaurants, and things to do are on the north end, closer to Carmel.
The second reason is the condition/​service of the resort. It’s very poor. I review in detail below.
Just for the record, we stayed in one of the cabins.
Location:
The best part of the resort and the only good rating they received (although not really something they created). Located on the south end of Big Sur, closer to San Simeon than anything really. This area is beautiful, though not too much to do. A great place to relax and do nothing, but stock up on groceries and supplies before you get here. There isn’t much shopping or dining (Treebones in the exception). I would give this facility 5 stars if it were in the north end of Big Sur, but do to its remote location they lose a star.
Rating: 4 Stars
Appearance:
Cute but really run down. It was probably a gem in the 1950s. Our cabin was really tired looking and looks like it last had any work done in the 1980s. The landscaping is pretty nice although it is not hard to have beautiful gardens in this climate. The store looks a little nicer, but the building where the gas station is looks like a renovation started and was stopped. Still overall, OK.
Rating: 3 Stars
Service:
The service was mediocre to poor. When I checked the, the girl was reasonably nice and helpful. However when I discovered an error with my bill the service hit rock bottom. We were over charged. The nightly rate was $ 225.00 for 2 nights. In my book that is a total of $ 450.00. We were charged $ 550.00. When I pointed that out the next day I had 2 people pass the buck to a third person that could help me. He was rude and at first seemed unconvinced that 225 * 2 = 450, not 550. It felt like a scam. In the end I never got an apology or any kind words. All he said was «YOU are lucky you caught that».
Rating: 1 Star
Cabin:
Awful, just awful. We stayed in the Redwood cabin and it was rustic. The cabin was cheaply built plywood construction that last looked as if it were varnished in 1981. The floor was covered with very stained green carpet that was shabby. The cabin looks like it once had a full kitchen, but now just a sink, a fridge (giant new stainless steel) and a microwave. That is too bad since it would have been nice to have the ability to cook meals.
There were dishes, a coffee maker and supplied coffee. The supplied coffee was so gross, it was really old and had been wet at some point. The first morning I opened the coffee only to smell mildew and see the stained coffee packet. I thought it must just be that packet. The next morning though, the same issue, the new packet had also been wet. Super gross.
The cabin got REALLY hot during the day despite highs in the mid to upper 60s. At night the cabin was freezing. I’d hate to be here when it was really hot! The only heat was a portable heater and a fake electric fireplace.
The bathroom was a bit gross too, although the towels were nice. We had a bottle of lotion that had been used previously and was almost gone. The cabin in general was quite dirty too. If this cabin had been at a state park for $ 45 a night I would be much more forgiving. However for $ 225 per night, it should have been much nicer.
Rating: 1 Star
Environment:
There is really not much to say here. There were some CFL bulbs, but two electric heaters (basically no insulation) and no environmental policy. No recycling, no compost and they changed the towels daily. There were plates and dishes so that was a plus.
Rating: 2 Stars
Restaurant:
We didn’t actually eat in the restaurant so I am not going to include this rating in the overall review. However, I still wanted to report my experience. The restaurant is called the Whale Watchers café. The local paper describes the restaurant as classy and romantic. What a joke. We went there for a coffee and were planning on having breakfast but the place is a dump. It reminds me of a ski lodge from the 1970s. Dirty, ugly and old worn out furniture. There is not much in the world that is less romantic than this place. I ordered coffee and the price was outrageous, $ 4 for a 12oz. cup of drip. The lady we ordered coffee from was so cranky and rude; we decided not to spend another dime here.
Rating (not included in over all rating): 1 Star
Value:
I’m not even going to go into detail. At $ 225 per night it is a joke. Worst money I ever spent. Treebones resort, just to the north, starts at a lower rate and is super nice.
Rating: 1 Star
Overall: 2 Stars

I was almost inclined to take a star off due to a huge snafu related to our reservation, but decided against it, because our trip overall ended up being awesome, and this place had a big part in that.
What happened: Three old friends converged separately on this place on the 4^th of July from different directions, and were told on arriving (by a young man I won’t name, but he was the only young man there…) that there was no reservation. Also, fyi, there is NO cell phone service, not just there, but almost nowhere along the whole Big Sur coast. I won’t even bother going through the whole chain of events; suffice it to say that the management fixed things for us, and we went on to drink heavily that night.
The location would not have been my first choice for a base-​camp to explore Big Sur from, but because it was a holiday weekend, when we went to make our reservations a short 30-​days out we were left with no reasonably priced options anywhere else. It ended up not being a big deal, like I said we’re old friends, who only see eachother once a year or so, and we spent the whole time catching up, whether it was in the car or not, so it really didn’t end up mattering to us.
We got a kick out of a goat that hung around our cabin, and made friends with a couple of the staff. Shena (sp?), down in the store/​front desk, helped us with our room and with a couple other minor issues. Betty, a waitress in the restaurant, provided us with fabulous service each of the three mornings we were there.
All in all we ended up being very pleased. Our cabin had a great patio area with a chimenea we lit every evening, and everything overlooks the ocean. Also, the landscaping was all lovely, our place was very clean, and the bed was (and I am not kidding) among the most comfortable I’ve slept in away from home, rivaling a five-​star hotel I stayed at in San Francisco several years ago that continues to stick in my mind.
A word of advice, so you can avoid the unpleasant drama we experienced about our reservation: Make sure, after making your reservation and giving your credit card number, that your card is actually charged. I would also suggest making notes about the phone call, just in case, because that’s what ended up saving us.

The staff and accommodations here were VERY nice. If they had anything like the problems listed below, it must have been a long time ago if at all. They have clearly spent some money to make the place clean and attractive. The breakfast was VERY good. The dinner, meh. The quiet was wonderful — I suspect I wouldn’t have experienced that at the bigger, busier Big Sur lodgings. I would definitely stay here again. Thanks very much!

This review is just for the restaurant:
Bare-​bones food, aggravatingly overpriced, shitty to no service. I recommend people just keep driving. There are other places just about 10−15mi from it.
Quesadilla for $ 14, containing ONLY cheese. No vegetables, nothing.
I ordered a Veggie burger for $ 14 and that’s exactly what I got: I got a bun and a veggie burger. There was nothing on it, not even butter or mustard.
Service was bad to non-​existent: At first I ordered a side of fries, which the waitress downright ignored. I had to ask if she had heard me.
The fries we got were out of a package /​microwaved or baked in the oven. You get a handfull of fries on a small plate.
I’m giving this place 1 star. I can cope with average food in a remote area, which definitely applies here. But a lack of service and friendliness, combined with prices averaging $ 14 – 18 and then you don’t even get bare basics with your meal, that’s just aggravating.

First Argh, everyone is complaining about gas & prices… of course its expensive, it costs money to support a 3 business town and without your support good luck finding gas for 50 miles.
I stayed the second time at gorda and it was fantastic, sure its a stone throw town with only 3 shops but you are in a rustic paradise.
What to do in Gorda,
Buy a six pack of budweiser 1 hour before sunset, walk across highway 1 on your right and have a seat on the ground and watch the most spiritually invoking sunset one has ever seen.
If your fortunate enough to be at Gorda during the season migration of the whales your in for an even bigger surprise because just as you have the best seat in California for Sunsets you have an equally great spot for viewing whales. The reason is you are 150ft up on the bluffs overhanging the Pacific Ocean and on typical summer day you are able to see all the way to the end of the horizon.
Just relax and take it easy and stop being so uptight.
What no to do in Gorda,
1. Talk on cell phone. (no signal anyways but you are in natures paradise, leave your overly important social life aline)
2. Complain that the food does not remind you of the quality back home. (you are in the backwoods, if gorda was not there you would be hunting the local wildlife or you would have to drive 75 miles to the closest town with a mc donalds)
3. Expect 5 star hotel accommodations. My last two trips i stayed in simple cabins/​rooms where the most important thing was a quiet nights sleep and clean and comfortable bed. Btw after 9pm even staying in the cabin next to highway 1 all i could here was the owls and sound of the ocean, it was a pleasant change from los angeles.
What bothers me about people who visit Gorda and complain, they are either in a hurry to go somewhere or in a hurry to get back to somewhere and if your in a hurry to get somewhere why would you take highway 1. Highway 1 is meant to be driven slow with frequent stops. If your racing through Highway 1 and your not testing out your new ferrari give it a break because what ever awaits you in SF or LA will still be there but you may never get to see the miraculous views and feel what it is to be enveloped in nature. Ive never been on hwy 1 in car each time I rode my bicycle through and I have to say you folks look like rushed sheep running around complaining about prices and luxuries you didn’t get while stopping in Gorda. Enjoy your life and the life around you.

$ 6.89 for a gallon of regular and $ 6.75 for an Anchor Steam beer says it all. Plan your trip carefully to avoid this place. Get gas in Cambria or Carmel.

We have been to the restaurant a few times over the last 15 years. I don’t know if the baker is still alive but she made the best chocolate cake in the world. Seriously it is better than anything I have had in France Germany, Amsterdam, Belgium or Switzerland.
Its not cheap (about $ 7.00 per slice) but it is a big slice and worth every penny!

This is just for the restaurant. My wife and I went hiking at Salmon Creek and decided to keep driving north just to see what we would find. We found this place.
We decided to go in and eat. It’s a small but cool looking place out in the middle of no place with a great view of the ocean. Just a beautiful view. The inside of the restaurant was cool looking with whaling stuff. I’m not sure if the people working in the kitchen were tweekers like others had said. They didn’t get close enough for me to get a good enough look at them. I did hear a crash however which I think were dishes that were piled to high.
I had a BLT that had 2 whole pieces of bacon!!! WOW 2 pieces. Oh well the view is 5 star the food is 2. At least I didn’t get sick. My wife had a Veg burger which she said was OK. My wife mentioned to me that the waitress wasn’t that friendly and I figured when your way out in the middle of no place you don’t have to be. Kind of got you roped in here.
It’s still a very cool place to go to just once so you can see it and have that awesome memory. After eating we went across the street and got even a better view at the ocean. It was greenish with lots of seaweed.

This place is cool. The views are awesome! Nothing was available in big sur proper so we drove down the sketchy Hwy 1 at night and this little oasis appeared.
Dark, scared, and hungry little Husband and I found a room. Prices were sooo cheap. $ 125/​night for an ocean view room with a fireplace. This is really a motel not a resort. The place wasn’t the cleanest. The grounds were unique. Lots of little photo opp areas.
Ate at the restaurant it was really eclectic inside… lots of old fishing/​whaling stuff. Fun to look at in the dark. I had the fish and chips and they were tasty. Battered to perfection not greasy and nasty. Had great flavor. It was super pricey though compared to our room rate.