L’abri Bed and Breakfast

We enjoyed our stay in the Rose Room at L’Abri. Andrea was welcoming and friendly, our room was spacious and clean, and the grounds were lovely. I appreciated that they welcomed our three year old, whereas other Chico-​area B&Bs turned us away. The yummy morning treats were a big hit, especially the giant blueberry muffins, which my son loved. The only bad part was that our room didn’t have heat, and the weekend was cold (in the 30s); that would have been nice to know in advance, but fortunately, we brought warm pajamas with us. All in all, a great hidden gem!

In which we find our room with invisible hosts…
We got to Chico on the hottest weekend of the year and arrived there by the time darkness had set in. Following Mapquest, we started to get a bit apprehensive when it appeared the main highway was leaving town and still we hadn’t encountered L’Abri. Then suddenly there it was. We parked and noticed a note on the front door of the main building. It was for us. After a little fumbling (it gets quite dark out here, not having the glow of hundreds of street lights, traffic lights, businesses and cars nearby), we found our room. Mysteriously, nobody was around to greet us.
Our lodgings provide the perfect respite…
Being private and prone to read books more than anything else, we settled down to our room — a full-​sized bed, a water fountain outside the window, a sliding glass door to a large lawn with old trees, a nearby (dry) creek bed, a private bathroom with shower, ample space for toiletries, sink, and toilet, a small refrigerator and freezer, an easy chair, a small table with a tv and 2 chairs, 2 end tables, a cool closet, a ceiling fan, several reading lamps, and — god bless the owners — an air conditioner.
We went about our business each day undisturbed. Mysteriously, new silverware and dishes would appear and our refrigerator would be freshly stocked with water bottles, fresh fruit, orange juice, and muffins/​danishes and on our last morning, a glorious quiche. And chocolate candies — assorted Ghiradelli squares and Lindt balls.
Having tedious business to conduct in town and fun playtime taking place in the hottest of weekends, we LOVED coming «home» to our room with the fan, the a/​c, the privacy, and the quiet. Playing hard and working hard are fun, but so is a place where you can just relax.
The mystery of the hosts cleared up…
One day, we were out in a nearby town and heard residents discussing a brush fire. Having noticed several fire trucks leaving earlier, we called our hosts. We’d sent an email saying that much as we love privacy and had requested it, we thought it’d be nice to meet them and say hi in person. They responded that a series of unusual circumstances led them to be gone while we were around — Marc was directing «Damn Yankees» and also Managing the theatre company; Andrea was catering 2 different events with over a hundred guests expected at each event.
Miraculously, our hosts were home and explained the fire wasn’t nearby. Then later that night, we finally met Andrea who was very warm, friendly, and gave us freshly baked cupcakes to eat.
We never did meet Marc but we did meet a small frog on the first night. It clung to our window screen. I hadn’t seen a live frog outside a terrarium before. I see someone has written up a review last year. The owners have changed and the correct address is: 14 350 Highway 99 — same zipcode, phone number, and city. There are still pillows galore, bathrobes, towels … it is still remarkably clean and neat. We would come here again.

Best place for my birthday with my best person. Super-​clean rooms (private cottages, really) with huge bathrooms. Lauree, the owner, is extremely friendly and brought us breakfast in our room. There were pillows galore and the most incredible bathrobes EVER. Highly recommended!