Corque Hotel Review: A Dog-Friendly Stay in Solvang, California

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Solvang has been on my list for a return visit for years. The last time I visited was about six years ago with Crystal during Thanksgiving weekend, but we only came for the day and did not stay overnight. I remember thinking Solvang was such a cute and fun place, and I had always heard how dog-friendly it was.

So for Memorial Day weekend, I finally came back to Solvang, but this time with my husband and our two dogs. Since we were traveling with the pups, I wanted to stay somewhere comfortable, convenient, and dog-friendly, so we booked a stay at Corque Hotel.

I booked our stay using Marriott Bonvoy points, and because of the way the points availability worked out, I had to split the reservation into two different room types. We stayed in a two queen room on the first floor for the first two nights, then moved into a king room with a balcony and pool view for the final night.

Even though switching rooms was a little inconvenient, it ended up giving me a good look at two different room experiences at the hotel.

Booking Our Stay With Marriott Bonvoy Points

When I booked Corque Hotel with Marriott Bonvoy points, I was only able to book the first room for two nights, even though I wanted to stay for three nights total. To make the points work for the full stay, I had to book two separate rooms.

Corque Hotel Lobby

Our first room had two queen beds and was located on the first floor. This was very convenient with the dogs because we were next to an exit door, which made it easy to take them out early in the morning, late at night, or in the middle of the night.

The downside was that the room felt very dark and was somewhat noisy, since we could clearly hear the exit door opening and closing. The room barely had any natural light coming in, so we ended up turning on every lamp and light fixture even during the daytime. I personally prefer hotel rooms that feel brighter and more open, especially when we are staying somewhere for more than one night.

Corque Hotel Entrance

For our final night, we moved into a king room with a balcony overlooking the pool, and the difference was immediately noticeable. This room felt much brighter, airier, and more spacious than the other room, with more natural light and a more open layout. It also included a comfortable sofa bed, and the front desk confirmed that this was an upgrade compared to the two-queen bedroom.

Switching Rooms During Our Stay

I originally asked if we could stay in the two queen room because packing everything up, checking out, and checking back in later is not ideal, especially when traveling with dogs.

I also still had food in the refrigerator that needed to stay cold, so I was a little worried about what to do with everything during the room change.

Two Queen room

Thankfully, the hotel staff made the process really easy. They held all of our luggage, kept our food cold in their refrigerator, and called me when the new room was ready. The room was ready well before the standard check-in time, and by the time we arrived, our luggage had already been brought upstairs and our food had been placed back in the fridge.

The service was one of the best parts of the stay. Everyone we interacted with was friendly, helpful, and very welcoming to our dogs.

Parking and Location

Another thing I really appreciated about Corque Hotel was the parking. Parking was free and plentiful, which made arriving at the hotel stress-free.

Front parking lot

Once we parked the car, we did not move it again until we checked out. The hotel is right in the heart of Solvang, so everything was within walking distance for us.

Since we were traveling with our two dogs, this made the stay so much easier. We could walk to restaurants, wine tastings, and shops around town without constantly having to get in and out of the car.

Room Tour: King Room With Balcony

The room had a desk area, a large sofa bed, a coffee table, a balcony, a TV console, a mini fridge, a safe, and plenty of charging outlets throughout the room.

Desk Area and Microwave Request

One thing to know is that the room does not normally come with a microwave. I requested one because we had leftovers from dinner that I wanted to heat up, and they were able to bring one to the room free of charge.

Desk and Microwave

The desk area also had a Keurig machine with coffee and green tea, which I appreciated since not everyone drinks coffee. There were also two complimentary bottles of water waiting for us when we arrived.

I also liked that there were plenty of outlets and USB charging ports near the desk and on both sides of the bed. That always makes a hotel room so much easier to use, especially when you are charging phones, camera batteries, and other travel devices.

Bed and Sleeping Comfort

The king mattress in the room wasn’t the most comfortable. I actually prefer my own bed’s mattress to theirs. Unfortunately, it felt quite firm, but not in a pleasantly supportive way.

Captain loves hotel beds

That said, I did like the look of the room. The headboard and wallpaper gave the room a soft, cloud-like feel, and the overall design was really nice.

Sofa Bed and Traveling With Dogs

The king room also had a large sofa that converts into a bed, which ended up being useful for us. When we travel with our dogs, I usually prefer booking two queen beds because our dogs are spoiled and like to sleep with us.

Zooey enjoying the couch

With one king bed, it can get a little crowded for two people and two dogs. Having the sofa bed gave us an extra sleeping option, which made the room much more comfortable.

Balcony and Pool View

One of the best features of this room was the balcony. It overlooked the pool and made the room feel much brighter than the first-floor room.

Balcony with a pool view

The only thing I was cautious about was letting the dogs out on the balcony. The balcony’s bar spacing was fairly wide, so a small dog could easily squeeze through. It’s definitely something to be mindful of and to supervise closely while they’re out there. Luckily my pups are medium size, so I didn’t have to worry too much, but I still kept an eye on them whenever they went outside.

Corque Hotel Pool

So while the balcony was beautiful and a really nice feature, it is something to keep in mind if you are staying here with dogs.

Room Amenities

The room had a large TV, a TV console, and a mini fridge. The fridge was clean, spacious, and big enough for the leftover food we had brought back from dinner.

Blanket and Digital safe

TV and mini Fridge

There was also a digital safe tucked behind a barn-style cabinet door, along with an extra cozy blanket. Wine glasses and regular drinking glasses sat neatly together and additional charging ports were conveniently arranged on top of the console table.

I really appreciated the luggage rack in this room because the first room did not have one. I do not like putting my suitcase directly on the floor, so having a luggage rack is always a plus.

Luggage Rack

Desk and Microwave

There was also a thermostat that worked well and was easy to control.

Spacious Hallway and Closet

The hallway area in the room was nice and spacious, which was helpful with the dogs. When we are putting on leashes and getting ready to go outside, having extra space near the entry makes a big difference.

Hallway closet

Hallway

There was also a large mirror near the bathroom. I do think the mirror placement in this particular room felt slightly off-center compared to the first room, where it was centered better, but it was still useful.

Inside the closet, there were hangers, an iron, an ironing board, and two plush bathrobes.

My Favorite Part of the Room: The Bathroom

The bathroom was probably my favorite part of the room. Not necessarily because of the color, but because of the layout.

There were two sinks on opposite sides of the bathroom, which was incredibly convenient. I loved that my husband and I each had our own space to get ready, with room to spread out and not rush. This meant our toiletries were on separate counters, never bumping into each other or getting mixed up.

Wall paper with grape vines

Each side had an illuminated mirror, and the lighting made a huge difference. There was also a magnifying mirror, which I always appreciate in hotel bathrooms.

The bathroom had both bar soap and liquid soap, and I especially liked that they provided liquid hand soap. I personally do not like using bar soap to wash my hands when I am wearing rings because the soap gets stuck in between them.

Bright Mirror

They also provided lotion, Q-tips, cotton balls, a blow dryer, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The shower had medium water pressure, and everything worked well. I also liked the scent of the shampoo and conditioner.

Another thing I loved was the open shelf storage in the bathroom. I used it for my extra bags and the dogs’ bag, and it made everything easy to access. I prefer open storage over putting things inside a closet or drawer because I am more likely to forget items if they are tucked away.

Shower and sink

Convenient open shelf storage

Is Corque Hotel Dog-Friendly?

Yes, Corque Hotel was VERY dog-friendly during our stay. The staff were genuinely warm and welcoming to our dogs, and having a convenient first-floor room made taking them outside quick and easy. While I was in the lobby taking photos, one of the staff members, Leo, was incredibly helpful and even offered to take a photo of me and Zooey. He went above and beyond by taking shots both vertically and horizontally without me even asking, which I really appreciated. Thanks, Leo!!

THe photo that Leo offered to take for us

Solvang itself was also incredibly dog-friendly. We were able to bring our dogs with us almost everywhere we went, including wine tastings and restaurants with dog-friendly areas.

It felt like everyone in Solvang loved dogs, which made the trip so much more enjoyable. If you are looking for a dog-friendly weekend getaway in California, Solvang is a great option.

Dinner and Breakfast at Craft House at Corque

There is a restaurant right next door called Craft House at Corque, which is part of the hotel, so it shares the same relaxed vibe and inviting ambiance.

Craft House at Corque

We had dinner there on our first night, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip. I ordered the herb crusted prime rib, which they only serve on the weekends, and my husband ordered the spicy pig pizza. Both dishes were delicious.

I did initially have to send my prime rib back because it was not cooked quite enough for my preference, but once that was fixed, I really enjoyed it. Other than that small issue, dinner was excellent and the overall experience was great.

herb crusted prime rib

spicy pig pizza

We enjoyed dinner so much that we decided to go back for breakfast the next morning, but unfortunately, breakfast was a completely different experience.

Breakfast was a huge disappointment. It was difficult to track down our server, our entrees took over thirty minutes to prepare, my scrambled eggs arrived dry and cold, and my order was wrong when it first came out. When I finally received the corrected plate with the English muffin, that too was cold, lacked any crunch, and was soggy. I couldn’t tell whether the greasiness came from oil or butter, but either way it left a heavy, unappetizing film.

Breakfast looked Promising

I was honestly frustrated that we had to pay for such a disappointing meal and service, especially after having such a good dinner the night before. I would have much rather had a sausage egg McMuffin from McDonald’s. It would have been far cheaper and, frankly, tastier.

That said, I do think we may have just gotten unlucky with breakfast because dinner was awesome. If we stayed at Corque Hotel again, I would definitely consider going back to Craft House for dinner, but I would skip breakfast.

super dry eggs and soggy english muffin

What We Loved About Corque Hotel

We really liked the service at Corque Hotel. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made our room change as smooth as possible.

The location was also a big plus. Parking was free and easy, and once we parked, we did not need to move the car again until we left. Corque Hotel is right in the heart of Solvang, so we were able to walk everywhere.

I also loved the bright king room with the balcony and pool view. Compared to the darker first-floor room, it felt much more open and comfortable.

The bathroom layout was another major highlight. Having two separate sink areas made getting ready so much easier, and the storage was practical for both our things and the dogs’ items.

We also really enjoyed dinner at Craft House at Corque. My herb crusted prime rib and my husband’s spicy pig pizza were both delicious, and it was so convenient to have a good dinner option right next to the hotel.

What We Did Not Love

The biggest downside was the bed comfort in the first room. The mattress felt too firm for us, and we did not sleep very well the first night.

The first-floor room was also very dark, which made it feel less inviting. While it was convenient for the dogs, I much preferred the brighter upstairs room.

Solvang architecture

Breakfast at Craft House at Corque was very disappointing. Dinner the night before was great, but breakfast had slow service, my order was initially wrong, and the food arrived cold.

Final Thoughts: Would I Stay at Corque Hotel Again?

Overall, we had a really nice stay at Corque Hotel in Solvang. The service was excellent, the hotel was very dog-friendly, and our second room was bright, spacious, and comfortable.

Captain posing for the camera

Captain People watching

The first room was not my favorite because it was dark, but the location on the first floor was very convenient with dogs. The king room with the balcony felt like a much better fit for us, even though I usually prefer two queen beds when traveling with the pups.

Napping after our outing

If you are planning a trip to Solvang and want a dog-friendly hotel close to everything, Corque Hotel is a great option to consider. Solvang is such a cute Danish-style town, and it is especially nice if you are traveling with dogs since so many places are welcoming to them.

GOing out to dinner

classic solvang windmill photo op

We had a great Memorial Day weekend here, and I would definitely consider staying at Corque Hotel again, especially if we could book one of the brighter rooms.

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