Fodor's Expert Review Mill Valley Inn

The only hotel in downtown Mill Valley comprises one of the area's first homes, the Creek House, which has smart-looking Victorian rooms, and two small cottages nestled in a grove beyond a creek. Beds are made with crisp white linens, starkly contrasting with the deep browns and greens of the towering redwoods just outside the windows. Hiking and biking trails are steps away, as are Lytton Square and downtown shops, restaurants, and performing arts. A continental breakfast is provided each morning, and there's an evening wine-and-cheese reception.