The Story of Jabberwock Inn in Monterey
EARLY ORIGINS
Perched above the shimmering waters of Monterey Bay, the Jabberwock Inn has offered a refined coastal retreat for over a century—where timeless architecture, storybook charm, and the quiet beauty of the Monterey Peninsula come together in an experience that feels both intimate and elevated.
Built in 1911 for Eva and Wilber George, this Craftsman-style home was designed as a gracious escape from the summer heat of the nearby Salinas Valley, capturing cool ocean breezes and peaceful surroundings. Even then, the property was a place to slow down, restore, and take in the natural beauty of Monterey, California.
By 1937, as the energy of nearby Cannery Row grew, the home transitioned into a place of quiet reflection under the care of the Victory Mission Sisters, hosting gatherings and classes for children in New Monterey. Its legacy as a sanctuary—set just moments from the coastline—continued through the decades.
In 1981, Barbara and Jim Allen thoughtfully transformed the home into one of the first bed and breakfasts on the Monterey Peninsula, welcoming guests into a setting that felt both personal and quietly luxurious. Inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky,” Jim introduced a sense of whimsy and imagination that still defines the spirit of the inn today—where every stay feels a bit removed from the ordinary.
MEET THE OWNERS
Over the years, each steward of the inn has contributed to its layered character, enhancing its warmth, charm, and sense of place while preserving the integrity of this historic coastal home.
In 2014, Rick and Suzanne Weichert became the next caretakers of Jabberwock Inn, embracing its heritage while refining the guest experience for today’s discerning traveler. With a focus on comfort, thoughtful details, and a sense of quiet retreat, they continue to offer a stay that feels both elevated and deeply personal.
After twenty-seven years in the Hotel business Suzanne and I (Rick) discovered the fun and joy of the Monterey peninsula. Originally from New Orleans, our family moved to California in 2005 and we have lived on the Peninsula since 2009. In taking over the inn we have decided to make beautiful Monterey our permanent home and, we look forward to welcoming you and making your stay a magical adventure!
Photo of Rick and Suzanne taking the helm, June 2014.
Today, Jabberwock Inn remains a distinctive Monterey bed and breakfast, where understated luxury meets coastal serenity—inviting guests to unwind, reconnect, and experience Monterey from a place of comfort, beauty, and ease.
“Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream. Cannery Row is the gathered and scattered, tin and iron and rust and splintered wood, chipped pavement and weedy lots and junk heaps, sardine canneries of corrugated iron, honky tonks, restaurants and whore houses, and little crowded groceries, and laboratories and flophouses. Its inhabitant are, as the man once said, “whores, pimps, gambler and sons of bitches,” by which he meant Everybody. Had the man looked through another peephole he might have said, “Saints and angels and martyrs and holymen” and he would have meant the same thing.”
― John Steinbeck