Orchard Hill - Julian, California

Catelen S

I have stayed at orchard hill for every Thanksgiving since 1995 and a few times in between, but unfortunately this was our last stay. We felt nickel and dimed with fees and the increased prices just aren’t worth it anymore. ||On top of the price increases, there is a $29/night “amenity fee” that is only assessed if you book directly through them, not through third party sites, which makes it clear it’s a made-up fee to get more money. Rooms are cheaper through hotels.com and there is no amenity fee assessed, so don’t book directly through the hotel whatever you do- booking directly will cost an extra $50-80 per night depending on the room. ||Hot breakfast is no longer included and I’ve had better continental breakfasts at La Quinta inns. You can order off a menu for an okay hot breakfast if you like. Happy hour has also been rolled back a bit, but they didn’t feel as dramatic of a negative change. ||I know there were some growing pains after change of ownership but getting a room block for our big group was a struggle and after about five months, once we got the block and saw the added fees and inflated prices, it was too late to look elsewhere for Thanksgiving plans or book through another site, which added frustration and disappointment after the old owners Pat and Darrell treated us like family for 15+ years. ||I will say that they are now pet friendly for $100 which is lovely, they offer electric car charging for guests, and the Thanksgiving dinner was DELICIOUS- they added prime rib to the menu. We won’t be staying here again, but we might go back for Thanksgiving dinner in future. ||And as always the rooms are clean and comfortable, staff are nice, and it remains a beautiful spot in Julian which I will always love.

Brett Hoem

Orchard Hill is a lovely inn. We were in Jonathan. Nice space with separate sleeping and living spaces. Warm cozy fireplace. Customer service is excellent. Great happy hour with complimentary wine and charcuterie board. Nice continental breakfast. The location is very close to main street. The town was very busy Sunday so we were glad to have parking and easy walk into town. The electric chargers worked for our car so that was a big help.

Steve T

The place is great. Staff is excellent. Helpful, friendly and quick. Great happy hour, bar and the Thanksgiving meal was excellent. The grounds are great to walk around and for dogs should you be so inclined. And people there are so friendly you can start a conversation anytime.

Debbie I

My bf and I had a lovely time at Orchard Hill Inn. We stayed a few nights mid November and the weather was beautiful, the grounds were gorgeous and the staff superb. Since they charge an amenity fee make sure you take advantage of the continental breakfast and evening wine/cheese hour. It's so convenient parking at the inn and walking to Main Street. The McIntosh room fit our needs perfectly and it was heavenly being able to fall asleep with the gas fire in the background (it's set to a timer). The games in the bottom dresser drawer were a nice touch as well as the cozy robes! The mini fridge also came in handy. We hope to be back next year around the same time as I love seeing the fall colors! If possible, be sure to visit during the week as weekends are crazy with crowds.

Tom Sawyer

Overall my wife and I enjoyed our first experience at orchard hill. There is room for improvement but we weren’t disappointed.

Atmosphere:
The property is tucked away enough from the main strip so it definitely feels secluded and private. The lobby and restaurant area are a modern cabin feel and even have a working wood fireplace to enjoy during happy hour and dinner. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. We loved the trails on the property and just being able to enjoy the slower pace of life even with being within walking distance of all the crowds. Other guests were also very friendly and it was easy to talk with others.

Food: We had dinner during our one night stay and also enjoyed the drinks during happy hour. The drinks tasted great and the complimentary charcuterie board was a nice touch. For dinner, the food was a mediocre for the price. My wife had the fried quail and I had the venison and boar meatballs. My wives quail had no seasoning in the breading and the sauce it came with didn’t appeal to her. My meatballs were a little overcooked and crunchy on the outside. The sauce was also a bit salty. The presentation was still nice and the portions were about right to be able to enjoy a 3 course meal. The apple pie and ice cream we had for dessert was okay, but would’ve been nice if the pie was at least warmed up.

Room: We stayed in the Annie Liz cabin. Was a nice room for 2 and was clean as you would expect a room to be. My wife enjoyed the tub for baths and had plenty of hot water to fight the coldness outside. The heater worked great during our stay but with it being the normal hotel in wall unit, was quite loud running all night. Luckily it didn’t bother us much but makes it hard to have a normal conversation in the room. The bed was a bit stiff being a normal spring mattress but was still able to get a full nights sleep.

Overall we were pleased with our trip. With it being so close to the main strip and the accommodations provided the price makes sense, just wish the dinner could’ve been more enjoyable. Would still recommend staying here and we will most likely come back in the future, but may eat dinner somewhere else.

Neslihan G

It was the most beautiful and peaceful trip for us and it is because of Orchard Hill. We felt very special and the ambiance is the best ever! Staff is very friendly and welcoming. We loved the snacks and breakfast. Especially the home made jams! We will come back!

Brandon Smith

There is so much to say about this hotel. The staff are very courteous and accommodating. The grounds are fun to explore. The happy hour charcuterie spread greatly exceeds what one would expect. We were present at the meteor shower event. You could tell the staff put their heart and soul into setting up for it. The rooms are well stocked and comfortable and the property is located close to the main road and the Eagle Mine.

Dena S

I have been coming to Orchard Hill 1-2 times a year for 25 years. May 2024 we were told there were new owners. In October with no notice about any policy changes the Happy Hour went from 2 drinks to 1. The daily included breakfast went from a hot breakfast to cereal and oatmeal and then were charged for any hot food and drinks a 63$ dollar breakfast. I had prepaid the entire trip on Expedia and should not have been charged anything, however at checkout again, unexpectedly I had a 179$ bill. I was billed a 30 resort fee, 29.00 amenity fee, and 20 dollar San Diego TOT fee per day. That is 79$ per day, higher resort fees than I have paid for places in Vegas or Hawaii that have properties with clubs, pools, hot tubs etc. As stated I have come here for years and know the cottages are older so I don't mind the ants in the tub, the 4 broken tiles around the jacuzzi, the dents in the walls. BUT if your going to charge me 79$ per day for "fees" I would expect all the rooms and cottages to be in excellent shape. Sadly, based on this last trip and all the changes (without notice) aimed at saving money/milking any extra penny from their guests this will be the last time I stay at Orchard Hill