Stay at a Second Home at the Half Moon Bay Inn
by Alyssa J. O’Brien
Jamie Barber owner of the Half Moon Bay Inn. Photo credit: Alyssa J. O’Brien.
Planning a weekend in beautiful Half Moon Bay? Having relatives visit town and want somewhere special for them to stay? What better place than a cozy inn located in the heart of town, a place that feels like a second home, where guests are cared for like family by the loving conscientiousness of owners Jamie and Steve Barber.
Located at 401 Main St., the Half Moon Bay Inn offers a charming atmosphere with old-world décor and first-class attention.
The Inn’s guestbook overflows with praise. “A big, big thank you,” wrote Matt and Erin from Torquay, Devon, U.K. “Dear all of HMB Inn, thank you so much for our wonderful stay. The inn is fantastic and we loved the style and atmosphere. The bed is about the most comfortable we have ever slept in!” Jim and Barb of St. Louis wrote, “A great boutique hotel! We certainly appreciate the hard work and attention to detail you have put into the rooms. Hope to send folks your way!”
Folks would do well to book at the Half Moon Bay Inn, a place of outstanding hospitality. Even the door key envelope is imprinted with a woodcut of a giant heart, showing the inn’s true spirit.
“I really want my guests to be pleasantly surprised and pleased with what they see,” said Jamie Barber.
Room decor at the inn. Photo credit: Alyssa J. O’Brien.
Indeed, the inn is a feast for the eyes. Each room presents a beautiful unique palette and a soothing atmosphere, demonstrating Jamie Barber’s warm aesthetic sense. “The building’s architecture was my inspiration to design the rooms with a European feel,” she said. “I love Italy and France and wanted the rooms to have an old-world feel. I wanted it to be a place that I would like to stay at. Some of the antiques were from my own home.”
Sharing antique furniture and framed paintings from her own home to make each room feel inviting is only one way the inn’s owner provides much more than a place to stay.
Barber, who served as an international first-class customer service concierge for United Airlines for 26 years, dedicates herself to treating each guest as a cherished visitor. Each room or suite offers a comfortable bed that visitors rave about in the guestbook, as well as soft thick towels, fresh flowers, organic tea and coffee, and a complimentary bottle of wine on special occasions. Barber will also provide extra pillows or a step stool for the bed for guests with mobility issues. “I do love to be an accommodating host,” she said.
Dog owners can bring their four-legged family members, as Barber will set out dog beds, dishes and treats for the “dog guests,” as she calls them. She was inspired to be dog-friendly when she and her husband went to Carmel with her standard poodle. But there are no doggie traces for those less comfortable with canine companions; the inn is impeccable in cleanliness.
The modern bathrooms carry toiletries from Coastal Comforts, and each room or suite has a unique vantage point to view the tree-lined street outside.
Special touched at the Half Moon Bay Inn. Photo credit: Alyssa J. O’Brien.
Jamie Barber explained that her husband Steve “had always admired the building since he was a teenager.” They both grew up in Belmont and moved to Half Moon Bay in 1989. The inn was a family project, with daughter Sarah helping at the inn and living in it for eight months. “I don’t know how I would have survived without her help,” said Barber.
Open since New Year’s Eve, 2005, the inn now offers 10 rooms and four apartments in a perfect location, next to It’s Italia. “Betsy and George [owners of It’s Italia] have the same vision that Steve and I have,” said Barber. “They have put their heart and soul into the renovation and it has far exceeded our expectations. It is truly a beautiful space with delicious food. It will be a pleasure combining our two businesses together to provide the best atmosphere for my guests as well as all of It’s Italia’s customers. I think Half Moon Bay will be enriched to have such a great restaurant.”
Special touches in the bathroom. Photo credit: Alyssa J. O’Brien.
Any guest to the inn will be enriched as well by Jamie Barber’s hospitality. So if your plans take you or your family to Half Moon Bay, remember that there is a special corner on Main and Mill Streets worth visiting for a good meal and a comfortable stay; there you will find an inn run with love that will turn your visit into a cherished memory.
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