The Ballard Inn: what to know before you go

The Ballard Inn quick facts

Address

2436 Baseline Ave, Ballard, CA 93463 · (805) 688-7770

What's new

Now run by the Kirkwood Collection, which describes the inn as recently refurbished

Included

Champagne welcome, breakfast 8–10am, wine and cheese hour 4–6pm

Rooms

15: Classic King, Fireplace Queen, Balcony Queen, Corner King, Carriage King, Balcony King, Carriage Accessible

Rates

Not published on the inn's site: price your dates in its booking engine. Rates are for two, plus $25 per extra adult

Dining

Breakfast and the wine and cheese hour are for guests. There's no public restaurant now: The Gathering Table moved to Solvang in 2024

EV charging

None listed by the inn, and the federal station locator shows no public charger in Ballard

Walk to tasting

Los Olivos tasting rooms are 2.1 miles away: 6 minutes by car, 46 minutes on foot

Check-in / out

After 4pm / 11am

Dogs

$40 per dog, per night (checked on the inn's policies page, Oct 17, 2026). Dogs can't be left alone in the room ($250 fine)

Next door

Bob's Well Bread Ballard Store, 2449 Baseline Ave: Thu–Mon 8am–4pm, about a 1-minute walk

Know first

No TVs. Upper rooms are stairs only. Full payment 7 days out, 7-day cancellation

Deal

10% off the non-refundable rate, per the inn's offers page

Which room should you book at the Ballard Inn?

The inn names three standouts itself: the Fireplace Queen for a fire, the Balcony King for views and the Corner King for space. Every room is a king or a queen, and rates are for two, with $25 per extra adult. The inn says rooms above the ground floor are stairs only, so pick a Carriage room or the Carriage Accessible if you'd rather skip them.

What's included in a stay?

Three things, every day. A complimentary glass of champagne when you arrive. A chef-prepared breakfast from 8 to 10am. And a wine and cheese hour from 4 to 6pm with valley pours. Rooms have Wi-Fi, a tea kettle and pillowtop beds, but no television, so bring a book.

Which Ballard Inn is this: California, Seattle or Block Island?

California. The Ballard Inn is at 2436 Baseline Avenue in Ballard, a hamlet in the Santa Ynez Valley between Los Olivos and Solvang, phone (805) 688-7770, and today it's part of the Kirkwood Collection. Two unrelated places share the name. The Ballard Inn in Seattle is a 16-room hotel in a 1902 bank building at 5300 Ballard Avenue NW, in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, and it doesn't take pets. Ballard's on Block Island, Rhode Island, is a beach resort. If a result mentions Puget Sound, shared bathrooms, a beach or a ferry, it's one of the others.

Does the Ballard Inn still have a restaurant? (Ballard Inn & Gathering Table)

No. The "Ballard Inn & Gathering Table" name comes from chef Budi Kazali's restaurant inside the inn: Noozhawk reports he bought the inn in 2004, renamed its restaurant The Gathering Table in 2017, and later sold the inn. The restaurant closed in 2022, and he reopened The Gathering Table in Solvang, at 1555 Mission Drive, in July 2024 (Noozhawk; the restaurant's own site). It's 3.7 miles from the inn, 9 minutes by car. Today the inn's site lists breakfast (8 to 10am) and the 4 to 6pm wine and cheese hour for guests, and no dinner service.

Can you walk to tasting rooms from the Ballard Inn?

Not easily. Ballard is a hamlet, and the nearest cluster of tasting rooms is Grand Avenue in Los Olivos, 2.1 miles north: 6 minutes by car or 46 minutes on foot. Drive or book a driver, then walk between rooms in town with our Los Olivos wine tasting guide. If you want to walk out the door to tasting rooms, the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn is the inn for that.

Where can you walk for coffee and pastries from the Ballard Inn?

Bob's Well Bread's Ballard Store, at 2449 Baseline Avenue, is across the road: about a 1-minute walk on OpenStreetMap routing. It's open Thursday to Monday, 8am to 4pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday, and the kitchen closes at 3pm, per the bakery's own pages. The inn's breakfast runs 8 to 10am, so the bakery is the second breakfast, or a loaf for a picnic in Ballard Canyon. The original Bob's is in Los Alamos, open Thursday to Monday from 7am.

Ballard Inn or Skyview Los Alamos?

They suit different trips. The Ballard Inn is a small, quiet inn with breakfast and wine hour included, about six minutes' drive from Los Olivos tasting rooms. Skyview Los Alamos is a bigger motel with a pool, a restaurant open daily and free bikes, about 22 minutes north. For all the Los Alamos options, see where to stay in Los Alamos.

Tips before you go

• The inn takes cards only, no cash, and holds the full stay plus incidentals at check-in.
• Need a late checkout? Ask the front desk before 10am.
• Dinner is a short drive: Los Olivos restaurants are about six minutes away by car.
• The inn's site lists breakfast and wine hour but no dinner service, so book dinner in town.

Good to know

Does the Ballard Inn include breakfast? Yes. A chef-prepared breakfast is served daily from 8 to 10am.

Do Ballard Inn rooms have TVs? No. The inn says none of its guest rooms has a television.

Is the Ballard Inn on Block Island? No. The Ballard Inn is in Ballard, California, in the Santa Ynez Valley. Ballard's on Block Island, Rhode Island, is a separate, unrelated business.

Is the Ballard Inn in Seattle the same hotel? No. The Ballard Inn in Seattle is a 16-room hotel at 5300 Ballard Avenue NW, in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. This one is at 2436 Baseline Avenue in Ballard, California, between Los Olivos and Solvang. They're unrelated.

How much is the Ballard Inn? The inn doesn't publish nightly rates on its site, so check your dates in its booking engine. Rates are for two people, an extra adult is $25, dogs are $40 each per night, and the non-refundable rate is 10% off.

Does the Ballard Inn have EV charging? The inn doesn't list any, and the federal station locator shows no public charger in Ballard. Fess Parker Wine Country Inn in Los Olivos, 6 minutes away, has EV stations for its guests.

Can you walk to wineries from the Ballard Inn? Not really. Los Olivos tasting rooms are 2.1 miles away: 6 minutes by car or about 46 minutes on foot.

Is there a bakery near the Ballard Inn? Yes. Bob's Well Bread's Ballard Store is at 2449 Baseline Avenue, about a 1-minute walk, open Thursday to Monday, 8am to 4pm.

Don’t miss

• The 4–6pm wine and cheese hour, included in every stay. source
• Book the 10% off non-refundable rate if your dates are firm. source

You might also like

• Bar Le Côte · about 6 min drive (2.3 mi). Michelin-listed seafood in Los Olivos for dinner. Tip: Book on OpenTable; closed Monday and Tuesday. Official site · source
• The Tavern at Mattei's · about 6 min drive (2.4 mi). The other Michelin-listed dinner in Los Olivos. Tip: The Tavern serves three meals daily. Official site · source
• Stolpman Vineyards · about 6 min drive (2.2 mi). The closest of our cult wineries. Tip: $25 tasting; reservations strongly encouraged. Official site · source
• Skyview Los Alamos · about 22 min drive (13.4 mi). A bigger stay with a pool and a restaurant. Tip: Free Linus bikes and no resort fee. Official site · source

Drive times are without traffic.

Nearby: eat, taste, stay

• Los Olivos restaurants: Michelin seafood to a stagecoach stop · Bar Le Côte, The Tavern and more, about six minutes away
• Los Olivos wine tasting: Dozens of rooms within walking distance of each other
• Skyview Los Alamos: The pool-and-restaurant option up the road
• Los Olivos hotels: Other small inns nearby

Quick answers

Is the Ballard Inn dog friendly?

Yes. The inn calls itself fully pet friendly and charges $40 per dog, per night. Dogs can't be left alone in the room.

What time is check-in at the Ballard Inn?

Check-in is after 4pm and checkout is at 11am.

How many rooms does the Ballard Inn have?

Fifteen, each with a king or queen bed.

Does the Ballard Inn have a restaurant?

Not anymore. The Gathering Table, its former restaurant, closed in 2022 and reopened in Solvang at 1555 Mission Drive in July 2024. The inn serves guests breakfast from 8 to 10am and a wine and cheese hour from 4 to 6pm.

Where is the Ballard Inn?

At 2436 Baseline Avenue in Ballard, a small town between Los Olivos and Solvang in the Santa Ynez Valley.