Holiday Inn Express Mill Valley

160 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley, CA
Reservations: 866-823-4669     Hotel: 415-332-5700

Neighborhood:  Mill Valley near the border with northern Sausalito.  Website and reservations are here.  Free parking in lot adjacent to hotel. You can’t tell from this picture, but the shore of Richardson’s Bay, a northern arm of San Francisco Bay, is just beyond the hotel.

This is often the least expensive “standard business class” hotel close to Sausalito during the summer.  Right by a branch of the Bay, with a jogging-walking-bike trail that runs from the hotel into Sausalito, but almost to three miles away from downtown Sausalito so most guests have a car.

This hotel in Mill Valley (just north of Sausalito) is going to be a great choice for two groups.  Check this place out if you’re someone who says things like:

“I don’t care how fancy the hotel is, so long as it’s clean, safe and comfortable.  We’re going to spend all our time out and about anyway.  We’ll use the money we save on the hotel for having fun.”

“I’d love to have a hotel right next to a good bike path.  We could get up in the morning, ride (or jog, or walk…) down into Sausalito or over to Tiburon or go up Mt. Tamalpais and enjoy the day.”

If that sounds like you, this place belongs on your short list of Sausalito hotels.

If you were happy with other hotels in the Holiday Inn Express chain, you’ll probably be happy here. Check that — you’ll be happier here because it’s such a great setting.

The best feature of the hotel is that it borders a nature preserve on the edge of Richardson’s Bay (the arm of San Francisco Bay that is adjacent to Sausalito).  The Mill Valley-Sausalito Multi-Use Path goes directly past the hotel, and extends for a couple of miles down into the heart of Sausalito, where it joins the northern end of Bridgeway.  In places the path runs along the edge of the Bay and is a beautiful place for a walk or run or a bike ride.

It’s close to 3 miles from the hotel to the heart of downtown Sausalito.  A Golden Gate Transit bus stop is nearby, and the bus will take you into Sausalito.

This is principally a business travel hotel, so you really save money during the high visitor season in summer and on holidays.  Pricing during the cooler months is not that much lower (and can even be higher) than the downtown Sausalito hotels, which have far more charm and individuality.

The extras like the free breakfast and free parking also represent a significant savings over some competitors.  Of course, some visitors think that Lighthouse Cafe, Fred’s Coffee Shop, DiVino, Poggio and Anchorage Five make it worth skipping that free breakfast and coming into Sausalito hungry!.

Something else that people should know about the Holiday Inn Express?  Remember when this was a Howard Johnson’s way back when?  Disagree with any of our suggestions?  Please let us know!