Picture a place so attuned to dogs’ needs that there’s even a library for them—a dog stick library, that is, where they can choose a stick to trot to the beach with. Along the lines of the Little Free Library, the dog stick library offers the chance for a dog to browse, select the best stick and run off with it—with the thought that later they will put a stick they no longer want there for another dog to choose.
That’s the case at the Sanctuary Beach Resort in Marina, California, located roughly two hours south of San Francisco and less than 15 minutes from Monterey. My family chose to go there for a few nights with our Jack Russell terrier after seeing the cute stick library on Instagram.
As you can guess, however, the sticks are most often replenished by humans. “Dogs have a tendency to take them, but they don’t bring them back,” says resort general manager Sylvain Briens wryly.
The stick library is just the start at Sanctuary. The moment you enter the lobby, you see a sandwich board welcoming guests’ dogs by name, with a little buffet at their level that holds water and Milk-Bones. When you check into the room, you’ll find a complimentary dog bowl with your pup’s name on it, plus Milk-Bones and poop bags. You can also order room service for your four-legged buddy: a bowl of puppuccino whipped cream, for instance, or the barkuterie board, which is a bone-shaped platter holding more treats.
In the backyard off the lobby, a lush grassy area proves inviting to dogs, including several wicker dog beds for them to chill while their humans have a beverage or just sit and relax.
Dogs are welcome on the beach (though they need to be leashed) and across 16 out of the resort’s 19 acres of sand dunes. Some areas are cordoned off as a sensitive habitat, where snowy plovers lay their fragile eggs. (You might also encounter a ton of velella velella creatures washed up on the beach.) Our dog was a little frightened of the loud surf but insisted on getting her paws wet, only to race away when water swirled around her legs. Swimming isn’t recommended here according to a sign at the beach entry because of powerful ocean currents, but you’ll see surfers in their wet suits trying to catch the waves. Luckily, a heated outdoor pool and hot tub (for humans) make swimming easier than in the ocean.
The hotel’s on-site restaurant Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette has a dog-friendly patio with a “pawtio menu” for your dog including the “ultimutt breakfast” and “throw me a bone”—smoked bone marrow. Salt Wood offers incredible cuisine because of ready access to seafood fresh from the ocean, plus fruits and vegetables from nearby orchards and farms. (We drove through Watsonville and Gilroy to get there, home to an annual strawberry and garlic festival, respectively, while Monterey hosts an annual artichoke festival—all three happen over the summer). I loved the fresh steamed clams with Gilroy garlic confit butter and leeks; my husband blissed out on the Monterey Bay clam chowder with surf clams and bakers bacon; and we all “helped” our daughter manage the massive and delicious 12-ounce dry-aged New York steak with wood-grilled greens and chimichurri. Salt Wood is open daily for dinner and seasonal happy hour and open Saturday and Sunday for weekend brunch. Guests receive a card for a complimentary glass of sparkling wine in their welcome package upon check-in.
One afternoon, we took the ocean immersion yoga flow class at the resort, taking a tip from our dog to do “downward dog.” The class is held in a room where the walls flicker with projected ocean waves and a large screen at the front shows live cam footage of the actual surf. We were guided through a relaxing and fortifying practice by Andrea. There are also yoga classes on the beach and other experiences like sound baths, guided meditation, journaling and Pilates at various reasonable price points. The yoga class we took costs $22 for a 50-minute session. The Renewal Studio & Spa at Sanctuary has a relaxation room and three treatment rooms for facials and massages.
The resort also offers seasonal classes for a slight upcharge, like making a decoupage craft with oyster shells left over from Salt Wood (other shells go to the Wild Oyster Project to fortify San Francisco Bay reefs or to local farms to be ground up and used in compost). The team does a lot of work to create fun for guests. If you come in June, the resort is offering a Smith’s Blue Butterfly Guided Experience with local butterfly experts. The endangered Smith’s Blue Butterfly is drawn to the Marina Dunes Preserve, where intentionally-planted native seacliff and coast buckwheat support the creature’s fragile habitat.
The second night we had a s’mores “bondfire”— bonding at the bonfire. Along with a wood-filled cauldron set ablaze by resort staff and encircled by Adirondack chairs on the beach, you get a branded lunchbox filled with the s’mores ingredients, plus long sticks for roasting. You can also book this as a fondue and wine experience. At sunset, the beach was absolutely beautiful as squadrons of pelicans passed overhead and kids and dogs enjoyed roaming the dunes. It was chilly but we had brought hats and sweaters and enjoyed staying out past the time that darkness fell. The bonfires are available for all guests, lit nightly.
We loved our oceanfront suite with a king bed and pullout sofa, and a private back patio to sip coffee and watch the surf about 60 feet away. Housing at the resort consists of 20 bungalows and villas, either single or double storied. There are eight room categories for the 60 units.
The resort was built in 1999, and in October 2023, it embarked on an eight-month renovation of all the rooms, and the decor is inviting with tones of earth and dark blue, with binoculars and books on local flora and fauna to be found inside. I especially liked the Grown Alchemist lightly fragranced bath amenities.
While we loved being so close to the water, beachcombers made our dog give warning barks very early in the morning, so if your dog is similar and you’re not morning people, you might opt for a coastal view suite instead to sleep in. On the other hand, the chance to potentially see whales from your patio—Briens says they see them several times a week—is too exciting to pass up. Rooms are available for $329 to $1,500. Because of the parking configuration, guests usually leave their cars at the front and are taken to their room via golf cart.
As for that adorable dog stick library, since our dog is a terrier (cool fact I learned: “terrier” comes from the French “terre” for “earth,” meaning that they like to tunnel down to chase rabbits and other burrowing creatures) and not a retriever, she was initially uninterested. My husband ingeniously bound a Pupperoni treat to one of the sticks with a hair tie, and thus we were able to get the image at the top of the story. Even if a dog doesn’t particular care for sticks, it still makes for a fun photo!