anneagain777

Trying to plan a honeymoon this summer in San Francisco and Big Sur with points in between. We have one week and a limited budget ( The Ventana and Post Ranch Inn are out). We want scenery and privacy. I think we can pay at most $200/night. We're flying in from Atlanta. Deetjens sounds interesting to me for a couple of nights. Funky piques my interest more than pampering spa-type places. Of course our limited budget probably won't allow for much luxury! Any ideas? Thanks !!
Anne

iamq

Congrats on your upcoming marriage and honeymoon. Try bigsurretreat.com. They are cabins. Have not been there, but they look interesting. Good luck!

johncharles

Anne, I'm a great lover of Deetjen's. Just within the last week, I've posted on it on the thread "Carmel or Big Sur?" Currently the last post on that thread was on 2/10. You can scroll down to it among the California posts, or maybe get to it more quickly by clicking on my name above and getting the threads I've posted on, and then you won't need to scroll down as far to find it.

As I say in that post, Deetjen's polarizes people--many of us love it, it's definitely not for others. Before you decide pro or con, I recommend you read my post on it entitled "Something Unusual and Special" at Tripadvisor.com. You can read reviews from some other Deetjen's lovers and haters there. Also read carefully their web site www.deetjens.com which gives you a good idea of the atmosphere of the place.

anneagain777

Thanks to both of you. I just checked out bigsurretreat.com and it looks great. I don't know if that will suit my fiance, though. Johncharles, reading your review is how I learned about Deetjens. You have described it in such a wonderful way that I am really drawn to it. I'd love to know more about the individual rooms. I have a couple of books that have helped some, too. Being infrequent travelers, we are having a hard time making decisions.
Initially, I was not thrilled about B&B's but after looking at a lot of websites it seems that it's possible to stay in some of them without feeling like a guest in someone's home.
Just can't decide anything, it seems! I think only a couple of days in S.F. would be enough. After that we want to relax, hike a little, enjoy some beautiful scenery and good food.
I'll keep researching and hoping for more good tips!
Thanks again--
Anne

johncharles

Anne, there is a room-by-room description at www.Deetjens.com. Click on Rooms and Cottages on the home page. I would give you the link to go directly to that page, but then you might miss the introduction to the site, which you shouldn't.

anneagain777

Thanks, johncharles! How silly of me! I've looked at and am printing out the descriptions. I was intrigued by a description of a treehouse feeling. Perhaps that is the feeling of all of the rooms. I can't wait to go there and just want to ask for the best room that we can. I know I can find this out from them, but do you have any idea how far in advance they book? Probably a silly question, I know. Thanks again.
Anne

johncharles

Anne, you sound like a smart, interesting and perceptive woman to me, and there's no need for those two appearances of the word "silly" in your message!

I don't know that Deetjen's has an outer limit on reservations, and I would call them now if you are serious about them. My impression is that some people book way in advance, particularly the most popular rooms. They definitely do reserve specific rooms.

Most of the rooms are ground level, and if you want that "treehouse" feeling, I would ask for an upper level unit, preferably one with a deck. The grounds are very heavily wooded, so besides the fact that the buildings are wooden and have a roughhewn look inside and out, upper level windows and decks are right among the tree branches, giving that treehouse feel.

Looking at the pictures on the "Rooms and Cottages" page, you can particularly see the treehouse effect in the first, fourth and (if I rememmer right)fifth picures, the one just under the description of the Upper Creek room. That picure, I think, is of the exterior of Upper Creek, one of the "treehouse" rooms you might want to ask for.

Another one is Chateau Fiasco, which is described just below that same picture, if you can approach with due humor the idea of honeymooning in a room named that. (Perhaps you could consider it a challenge.) If memory serves me well, that's a picture of the exterior of Chateau Fiasco at the very top of the page. And there is also a Honeymoon room you might want to consider, although I raise my eyebrow a bit that it shares a bathroom.

The third picture is of Edy's Room, where I stayed last June. Edy was the long-time restaurant manager; her favorite walking stick is still in the room. One person, writing in the guest journal, wrote what seemed to be a sincere story of an encounter with her (benign and friendly) ghost. This room is directly under Chateau Fiasco.

In the picture, through the window behind the bed, you can see the small private garden and Buddha that I descibe in my Tripadvisor.com review. I wish Deetjen's web site gave more detail about the interesting features of the rooms; notice, for instance, their description of Edy's room doesn't say anything about the little private garden, large Buddha and stained glass window which add so much to the room.

anneagain777

Thanks once again, Johncharles. Just the information I asked for. I've been unable to check for new postings until now. I'll try to zero in on a date and nab a reservation. I have two busy teenagers (one of whom will be leaving for college this summer), so picking a time to get away is difficult. We agree on the place, though. I found a wonderfully written article on the "looksmart" website. Matthew Jaffe wrote it for Sunset magazine (Sept., 2001). The title is "Big On Sur". Makes me want to go tomorrow! Thanks again--
Anne