Please send your comments for posting to: innkeeper@jabberwockinn.com

May 5, 2008

Hi Dawn and John: We just wanted to thank you again for a fabulous time! We have stayed at so many B&B's and yours is by far the best we have ever stayed at! You are the perfect hosts and made us feel so at home from the time we arrived. All of the little touches and attention to detail such as the 24 hour availability of soft drinks, snacks, tea, homemade chocolate chip cookies, brandy, along with the furnishings and personalized service you provide are what sets you apart from other B&B's. And, oh my gosh, the evening wine and hors d'oeuvres and breakfasts are out of this world. You are so generous with the servings of wine and appetizers...we didn't really need to eat dinner...but we did.:) At the second B&B we stayed in, the afternoon wine hour consisted of a small glass of white wine and a plate of cheese and crackers ...quite a difference from the assortment of delicious appetizers you set out for everyone! We only wished we had stayed with you at the end of our trip instead of at the beginning because everywhere else we stayed was such a let down! We'll now compare all B&B's to The Jabberwock and I am afraid we will consistently be disappointed! We will be sure to stay with you again when we return to the West Coast and are recommending you to all of our friends and family. We also posted a review on Trip Advisor. We wish you all the best and thank you again for helping to make our vacation so memorable. Sincerely, Kathy and John Childs

January 1, 2008

We had the best time. From our first introduction to the B&B, we knew we had found a second home. John let us in , already knew us by name, and gave us a gentleman's tour of "our" home for the night. The place is beautiful. Our room, the Toves on the ground floor, was fantastic, down to the wallpaper and light fixtures, no detail is missed. We arrived just in time for happy hour. It was a very comfortable "meet and greet" with bottomless wineglasses and enough food that we probably should have skipped dinner. But we didn't. At John and Dawn's recommendation (the owners) we went a bit off the beaten path to a yummy seafood restaurant. I think it was simply "The fish house". Delicious. We made it back to the inn in time to work on the jigsaw puzzle, warm up by the fire, with tea for me and a brandy for my other half. I grabbed a cookie, another tea and went off to a steamy hot shower before bed. We had our breakfast at the huge, gorgeous community table where we got to chat away with a few other couples. Loved the fresh pastries, juice and egg dish. More than enough to start the day. We bought our Aquarium tickets right there at the inn which allowed us to bypass the long aue at the entrance, saving 15? 20 minutes? Loved the jellyfish. It was a short visit, but a pleasant one. We will definitely return for a very comfortable, very friendly, nearby getaway. Lola, Bay Area

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December 6, 2007

In Summary, the Jabberwock meets or bests expectations when it comes to a quality, pleasant B&B experience. A few blocks from cannery row, it's also a great base-camp for your Monterey adventures. The food is indulgent, the conversation bubbly, and the atmosphere restful. One gets the distinct impression that the friendly & knowledgeable owners, John & Dawn, put a ton of work into keeping the place together. In addition to accommodating every conceivable need, the place is really nicely put together, and comfy too. When John thoughtfully says "this is your house," one can't help believing it.

Don't leave without checking out the garden. It's one of the place's best-kept secrets. Guest from Oxnard, CA

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December 6, 2007

This B&B was booked as a two day stopover on a trip from San Francisco to LA. Picked the place because of the name and the look of the rooms on the website. What a delight. We were met by John, the Innkeeper, who welcomed us and showed us around the place, concluding the tour with our room. (Tulgey Wood). During this introduction we were informed of the evening Hors Deuvres and wine as well as the unlimited tea (very important for the English) and coffee in the conservatory.

The room was beautifully clean and presented to a superb standard. Our separate bathroom that was located down the hall, was a perfect Victorian showpiece with the addition of a shower. The bed linen was beautiful and way above the standard of some of the most expensive hotels. Towels were laundered to kitten soft perfection. Oh! and forgot to mention that there is Brandy in the room. Better than any coffee maker.

Breakfast is superb, especially the fresh "Jabberjuice". The company at breakfast on the second day managed to suggest an improvement to the juice involving Champagne. With no hesitation Dawn (the female half of the Innkeeping team)disappeared momentarily then reappeared with Champagne that she liberally added to everyone's' juice. A mad hatters' breakfast!!

My wife and I were charmed, entertained and cannot wait until we return. We would recommend the place to anyone who wishes to stay in a romantic and quaint setting with the most delightful host and hostess.

My wife cried when we left. Does that say it all? Trip Advisor Review

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June 24, 2007

To the wonderful hosts and staff at the Jabberwock B&B,

My husband and I received a gift certificate for one night's stay at your lovely inn as a wedding gift last year, but were not able to use it until our first anniversary. Well, it was definitely worth the wait! We would so much have loved to linger longer! We were delighted with so many things (we stayed in the Borogove, which has an absolutely magnificent view of Monterey Bay framed by the lovely window) in our room that if I tried to list them all, well, I'd probably forget as many as I remembered. We checked in a little later than I would have liked, but we found the sun streaming in the window like liquid gold onto the beautiful big bed (I had always wanted to try one of those sleep by number numbers!) After amusing ourselves adjusting the respective sides of the mattress to desired firmness-cushiness, we meandered downstairs to the sunroom. We had missed sherry hour, but Jenny left the wonderful snacks out a little longer so we could partake as we perused the menus of area restaurants to choose a place to dine that evening. The unctuous cheese in olive oil and sun dried tomatoes melted in our mouths. We walked down to Cannery Row and had a fabulous dinner at the Blue Moon, overlooking the waves, then had a lovely brisk walk back to the Jabberwock. The fireplace kept the room deliciously comfy and we were able to bask in its warm glow. Ahhh, sigh....

The next morning we awoke to a breathtaking sunrise over the bay and because the light in the room was so glorious, we chose to have breakfast brought to our room so we could just delight in the view and the sun streaming in the window and one another's company and the glory of God's creation.

Well, the cheese blintzes with raspberries were sumptuous and the croissants were perfect, flaky and warm, just like I like them, the way they are served in a Parisian café! The butter curls spread easily. Everything was delightful. And the coffee was delicious! The presentation was beautiful. It was beyond words. We felt so bountifully blessed!

We could have left happy at that point, but the delights continued! Let's just say that the jacuzzi with a view was like having dessert after breakfast!

Every detail was attended to and everywhere we turned was something delightful ~ the thoughtful touches, the whimsical details, the friendliness, the setting, the service, it was truly a most memorable first anniversary and I do hope that we will be able to have many happy returns (and stay longer than just one night!)

Thanks to you all for making it so very lovely! 'Twas brilliant!
Katie & John Hillesland

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"Whimsical Inn Filled with Homey Comforts"
Forestvillian, Sonoma County, CA
Jun 2, 2007

We recently concluded our second stay of 2 nights at the Jabberwock Inn, a 3-story vintage house located on a residential street and nicely situated 4 very walkable blocks up the hill from Cannery Row (and the Aquarium). At the end of our stay we were thoroughly convinced that we couldn’t find a more comfortable home-base whenever we travel to the Monterey area. The Jabberwock’s decor and style imaginatively reflect a world of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass”, including messages in mirror writing, clocks that run backwards, a grinning Cheshire Cat on the sunporch, a sign on the cookie platter stating “Eat me”--and of course, each of the 7 rooms named after a reference from the “Jabberwocky” poem. The entire inn exudes a very relaxing, comforting and fun feeling, and one could easily spend their entire stay NOT traveling about, but cocooning at the inn, settling into one of the parlor’s arm chairs to read, playing board games in the sunroom, strolling thru the flower-laden garden, drinking tea and munching cookies, sipping wine and enjoying a delicious array of hors d’oeuvres every evening!

Our first stay a couple of years ago was in the lovely and VERY spacious Mome Rath room, but this time, we decided we didn’t require the luxury of that room’s 2-person jacuzzi, so we settled on the Brillig room which is across the hall on the 2nd floor. The Brillig was appointed with a gas fireplace flanked by built-in wooden bookcases, pretty tapestry-design wallpaper in muted colors on the walls with a star-pattern wallpaper on the ceiling, 2 upholstered chairs, 2 small closets (conveniently located, one on either side of the bed), a Queen-sized bed with adjustable mattress, lace curtains and a very nice view out over the rooftops to the Bay. The main room had a pedestal sink, and a small, but light-filled tiled bathroom contained an oversized shower and toilet. While showering at night one had quite a pretty view of the town lights in the distance. The bath did have its odd “Wonderland-like” idiosyncrasies including a drain plug in the shower that kept shutting down, and after showering one needed to close it in order to avoid the irritating sound of “drip, drip” (a pocketwatch’s tick, tick??) echoing down the drain (the rabbit hole??). There were 2 very attractive antique pocket doors, one reconfigured to become a wall between the bathroom and the main room, and one which functioned as the door to the bath--but really needed to be kept open since it squealed as loud as a distressed dormouse when one pulled on it! Our room was quiet at night even though all 4 rooms on our floor were occupied one of the nights. We left the window open in the bath so we had a nice breeze wafting thru and no outside noises ever disturbed us. The feather comforter and a separate coverlet on the bed were more than adequate to provide warmth and coziness at night. Additional nice touches in the room: bathrobes, hairdryer and shampoo. But strangely, no body lotion or shower cap. Bottled water and a decanter of sherry were also provided in the room. The complimentary sherry and the house wines were just OK, but coming from Sonoma County, we’re admittedly rather picky and spoiled when it comes to wine.

Breakfast at the Jabberwock is definitely a memorable event! Each course was a delight for the eyes, palate and stomach! We loved the Jabberjuice which is a delicious potion of OJ, pineapple juices and... well, the rest is a house secret. We also enjoyed sticky buns, flaky croissants, a fresh fruit plate, seasoned rice and scrambled eggs--and the huge hit one morning consisted of the soft-boiled eggs in very proper egg cups. Each egg was decorated with a face in the likeness of the guest receiving it! Great fun!! We met 3 of the innkeeping staff and each encounter was warm and welcoming. Everyone was helpful, friendly and appeared to be enjoying the experience as much as their guests were. During our stay, the guests we met were interesting and lively with varied backgrounds and ages. I have the distinct feeling that the people who choose to stay at the Jabberwock are looking for something out of the ordinary with no pretense and with an atmosphere of lightheartedness. As we checked out I learned that the inn was to have new owners within a couple of months and from all indications they will carry on the wonderful traditions of the Jabberwock Inn, and their guests will continue to experience home-style comforts augmented by an ample portion of very delightful whimsy!