The Woods Cottages & Cabins @ Russian River - Guerneville, California

René L.

I really enjoy it here. I haven't stayed, but I buy day passes to the pool. Ad if may 2025, the day pass is $18. It's really relaxing at the clothing-optional pool. The lounge chars and umbrella are in good condition and there are enough shady spots. Sometimes they will play music. Alcohol isn't sold here, but you're swlcime to go across the street to Safeway and buy non-glass containers to bring back to the pool. I really enjoyed that there was a shower in the back. I was able to shower away all the sunscreen and chlorine before I left back home.

J R.

Friendly off-season getaway. Cottages feature a comfortable bed, small gas fireplace, on-demand hot water. Good for a short vacation of hiking in the redwood forest or to the picturesque coast.

918grege

This was disappointing for a gay resort. The location is great, but it feels a little run down. They are clearly having trouble keeping up with the maintenance. There are traffic cones and piles of construction materials everywhere. Mismatched woods and peeling paint on the walkways around the pool are a little sad. The pool was covered most of the time, and there's no hot tub, which surprised me for a gay resort in a cooler climate. At night it was dark because many of the outdoor lights don't seem to be working, and on friday and saturday nights it felt dead when it should have been a more fun and social scene.||My cabin room was fine. The notes about washing the dishes and the hot water heaters felt a bit condescending in their tone. The room was clean - though it doesn't come with fresh flowers like the photos lol. ||That said, I loved the cats that live there. They were very friendly, greeting me whenever I arrived, and they even stopped by my room to say hello a couple times. The staff was friendly also but I don't think I'd stay there again though until it gets a proper renovation.

Infrawolf

We were a party of two on an American road trip and spent three nights in a cabin here. Tranquil, relaxed vibe with cats sauntering around and a low-key feel. This place has all the components for a great little resort - private cabins around a nice pool, a beautiful garden which is clearly a priority for the owners, and sunny privacy for guests to relax in. ||But it would need a lot of love to make it great. It feels like the place is winding down. A lick of paint, if not more, is needed to bring the place up. The red traffic cones mentioned in another review from some years ago are a permanent fixture and highlight trip hazards, cracked concrete, and the famous plastic pool cover. Lots of punitive signage was another lowlight - 'don't dive', 'do your dishes or pay $50'. The guests are getting in the way, it seems.||About which…. we were staying in the height of summer - in fact the hottest days so far of 2024 - but this pool cover goes on at 6pm nightly until midday the following day. For a pool resort mid summer that seems just ridiculous. The stated reason was that otherwise the pool would lose its solar heat! But this protective approach to the pool doesn’t extend to actually cleaning it - the ring of grime another reviewer mentioned also seems to be permanent. When we asked for the cover to be removed a little earlier in the day, it felt like we were making a serious imposition even as paying guests. Other patrons seemed to walk to the river for a dip outside these hours, and this may be why The Woods’ direct competitor, 30 yards down the road, is clearly doing much better trade with a younger crowd and better vibe. ||And yet - this place could easily be turned into something stunning under more energetic management. In its heyday it must have been an amazing place.

DrRichardLJones

This place needs major upkeep! Getting hot water in the tiny shower took MANY minutes, a waste of that precious resource. Who ever heard of a gay hotel without hairdryers? We left the sign out to have our room serviced, but it was not done. The garden needs major work, especially cutting off the ugly, dead blooms. Decks, stairs, and cement paths are in bad conditions giving us concern about their safety. Ringing the bell at the office got us nowhere.

Brian A.

This place is advertised mainly as a pool with hotel rooms adjunct. However, nobody is allowed to use the pool- which was the only reason I, and I’m sure many, book this place. There are no signs anywhere that show pool hours- online nor in person. Instead, they just yell at you if you get in it. $260 wasted. False advertising. Will not return. Will spread the word.

Sean C.

Cute rooms.

You can't use the pool if you stay here unless you are booking 2 nights or more. Big red flag.

Something you won't find anywhere on the website, nor will anyone tell you, nor will it even be posted anywhere on the property is that pool hours start at 12pm. Checkout is 11am. It is unclear when the pool closes, but it is before 8pm since that is when we arrived the night before.

Additionally, if you don't check in sometime between 3-6pm, you won't get any wifi info.

We chatted with one of the staff about the pool, and were told "that's what has been happening all summer", as if we were supposed to know that already. Staff didn't really seem to care that one of the big reasons we chose the place was for the pool.

Would be a little less frustrated if it wasn't $300/night off season on a weekday.

marybanilow

I hadn't been to The Woods in awhile, so was a little shocked on how run down the main grounds were. Clutter and weeds breaking through cement. Orange street cones laying around for no apparent reason. Dying plants in broken pots.||The room itself was fine, and thank goodness they maintained the pool better than the rest of the yard. It was clean, large and heated. I have good memories here, and the people running it are super nice. I just hope they read this and invest a little time and money into getting this unique and special property back up to what it was and what it deserves to be.||Oh, and fix that useless WiFi!