In short… This one-time home to a wireless telegraphy lab and later a religious cult is now an unexpectedly hip, ‘70s-vibed woodsy retreat just a stone’s throw from Tomales Bay and a short drive from Point Reyes.
The surroundings… Driving north from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge through thick fog, you wind your way about an hour through the Marin headlands with its rolling parched hills and dairy farms. Deeper into the drive, the road narrows and turns sinewy as you lose GPS…until you pop out onto Tomales Bay near Point Reyes. On your left, little coastal inlets swoop in and out as you roll past oyster shacks and fishing boats. The Lodge at Marconi is a mile or so short of Marshall, situated on a 62-acre state park that’s home to a dense forest of Monterey pine, live oak, bay, and eucalyptus, punctured by hilly grasslands. But you are aware that you are never far from the bay, as even on a day in mid-June, a briney ocean breeze can dampen your bones.
The backstory… Once home to the Coastal Miwok, this inlet across from Point Reyes National Seashore was also the site of a 16th-century Spanish galleon shipwreck that sank with a cargo of Ming Dynasty porcelain, whose shards still wash up on shore. In the 19th century, Franciscans who claimed the Marin Peninsula set up missions and wiped out most of the native population… their 19th-century descendants were promised, and never received, the land as protected tribal territory. The next notable record reveals that the Lodge occupies the very site where Guglielmo Marconi, the father of wireless telegraphy (for which he won a Nobel in 1909), transmitted the first transatlantic radio signals—there’s still a large and abandoned facility where Marconi ran his operation. Then things turn weird! The site became the world HQ for Synanon, a drug rehab program turned religious cult, which constructed the original dorms (now hotel lodging). At its peak in 1979, the church had 1,700 members worldwide, though that was the year a media exposé brought about the collapse of the church. (You can relish the details of this story on the Cadence 13 podcast, “The Sunshine Place,” produced by Robert Downey, Jr.; it’s also the subject of an HBO doc, “The Synanon Fix.”) A Bay Area nonprofit eventually bought the site and deeded it to Cali State Parks. It was reopened in 2023 under the management of Oliver Hospitality, a small Nashville-based brand (Clement Hotel in Atlanta and Oliver in Knoxville/Oxford Miss), which brought a youthful energy, fresh design sense and wry humor.
The vibe… When you first pull up to the green painted wood buildings, they read conference center. But when you walk in, you immediately see that someone with great taste has taken charge of the situation. In the main building, which houses reception, a couple of lounges (one with a fireplace), library, kitchenette and shop, everything gives 1970s Norcal—the sloped wood beamed roof, sisal rug, round-edged furnishings, banana and monstera plants, earth-tone wall hangings, and vintage maps and photos of the Marin coast…graphic shapes that radiate warmth. All of it was a stylish time capsule conceived by Brooklyn architect Stephanie Lee and NYC design team Home Studios, responsible for the interiors and custom built-in furniture. That rustic, commune-like charm is reinforced by some of the analog activities that keep residents active: horseshoes, frisbee, basketball, croquet, chess, a bookstore curated by Point Reyes Books, and a nightly bonfire. No wonder that at any given time the property is hosting corporate/academic/artistic retreats or weddings.
The rooms… Our room in one of the former dorms was a bit cave-like, but quite cute. The wooden bed was built-in, and a little staircase ran up to a sleeping loft with a twin bed. The white walls were hung with old photos of the Marin coastline and graphic block-printed art, and the bathroom, though small, was enveloped in earthy Heath Ceramics tiles. I appreciated the pourover-style electric kettle with coffee and tea bags and locally crafted ceramic mugs, which were in heavy use on such a cold day. And loved the lighting—little mod lamps were placed in a couple of strategic spots, giving a camping lantern effect. In addition to the 45 guest rooms and suites, there’s a renovated A-frame house from Synanon days that can be booked. And, still a work in progress, there’s a big lab building from the Marconi era that will eventually be converted into rooms.
The food & drink… Given the property’s isolation along the coast, it was a shame that Mabel’s, the on-site restaurant, is closed on Mondays, when we stayed. I took a peek inside and it shares the retro kibbutz vibes of the main building, with an amazing sounding menu drawing on Marin County bounty: brunch of “breakfast salad” (with local market veg, chopped bacon and egg), or bubble and squeak (root veg and potato galette). For dinner there’s oysters, of course, oven baked beans, daily fish stew with Tomales Bay mussels and catch of the day, plus a tongue-in-cheek “Fried Bologna” and burrata sandwich with crisped mortadella, burrata, pea pesto and pistachio. And lots of California wines on tap (literally). Even Mabel’s doesn’t do breakfast, though, which is a grab-and-go situation at the shop in the lodge—a cup of hot oatmeal, yogurt, a pastry from a local bakery. This is not the place to wake up if you are a Breakfast of Champions eater.
But even without Mabel’s, we did not go hungry. Before checking in, we drove two minutes down the road to The Boat Oyster Bar at Hog Island Oyster Farm—10/10 recommend the chipotle-bourbon-butter grilled oysters along with Route One bread & butter to soak up the smoky buttery goodness, washed down with a Scrimshaw Pilsner from North Coast Brewing Co. On the same stretch of Tomales Bay, you’ll also find Tony’s Seafood and The Marshall Store, both local seafood institutions. For dinner, we wound up driving 15 minutes into Point Reyes to Station House Café, where we had some delicious clam chowder and an excellent cheeseburger.
The wellness… Being healthy here is all about the outdoors. There are 3 miles of connecting hiking trails, a volleyball and basketball court. They have an infrared sauna, which was out of order, and are planning to build a spa.
Is it kid friendly? I would say not terribly so, in that kids might grow bored in a place that feels like a nature retreat. (Or maybe that would just be my kids.) Though I could see it being a fun place for a multi-gen trip or family reunion.
Be sure to… Check out the shop in the lobby with a selection of hyperlocal products, including Point Reyes Farms cheese, yogurts from Bellwether Farms, wine, craft beer, and a brand winkingly called “Cult Crackers” (get it?). Also, you’re within easy driving distance of the area’s show-stopping sights, like the Point Reyes Lighthouse and Limantour Beach.
Parting words… Don’t forget to look up…and listen! I’m no birder, but I spotted (with help from an app) a couple of Cooper’s hawks and towhees. There is also apparently a fox family that lives at the property and can be seen now and again, yet another incentive to spend your time here outdoors.
Date of stay… June 9-10, 2025
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