Road trip to wine country? Count us in. Here are some of our favorite places to stay.
Montage Healdsburg
Stanly Ranch, an Auberge Collection Resort on the historic Stanly Ranch Winery estate, is a 700-acre private estate that dates back to the 19th century. The resort includes 78 airy hotel cottage suites, all featuring outdoor terraces with fire pits and views of the property’s vineyards and the Mayacamas Mountains. Wellness is the focus. Guests can sign up for weeklong detoxes, pick their ingredients in the fields for a farm-to-fork dinner, and go on bike rides along the banks of the Napa River. Four dining venues pay homage to local farmers and makers. 200 Stanly Cross Road, Napa, 866.421.5122
More than any other property in Sonoma, MacArthur Place is part of the neighborhood landscape. It’s easy to drive by and completely miss this hidden, low-slung resort shrouded by lush flora. Shortly before the pandemic, the Victorian-style property benefited from a $25 million renovation and redesign; the lobby and public spaces now feel like artsy lofts in SOMA or Pacific Heights, complete with a 100-piece mixed-media art collection from Uprise Art. 29 E. MacArthur St., Sonoma, 707.938.2929
Bay Area designer Jay Jeffers can do no wrong, and he proved it again with the opening of The Madrona (themadronahotel.com), a splashy renovation of an 1881 gabled mansion and estate. “When designing the hotel, it was important for me to respect its historic architecture and 19th-century roots while reimagining the property to be more modern and exciting for today’s traveler,” says Jeffers. Guests will find 24 well-appointed accommodations across six buildings. Many rooms have soaring ceilings and private balconies with exceptional views. Design genius is everywhere, mixing old (200 antiques and curiosities from world travels) and new (animal motifs captured in fabric and art). It’s the type of place Jeffries hopes guests will find pleasure in getting lost. 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, 707.395.6700
In the wide-open luxury hospitality marketplace, amenities and experiential charms are endless. Some are even out of this world. The 130-room Montage Healdsburg, which sits on 258 acres in Sonoma, unveiled a package earlier this fall that marries its dreamy, star-filled setting with the discoveries of science. The Sky’s the Limit package includes two nights in the resort’s three-bedroom Guest House, a 4,600-square-foot lair—perched like a luxe tree fort—with exceptional views of Mount St. Helena and the vineyards of the Alexander Valley.
Montage Healdsburg’s upgraded cocktail experience at the newly reimagined Scout Field Bar is stunning. The lobby’s unique centerpiece has expanded from nine counter seats to 25, available both indoors and outdoors, plus hinged storefront windows that showcase the resort’s vineyards and views of Mount St. Helena. Other jaw-dropping design moments include hanging bottle storage above the bar and tiered islands with pass-through under-counter refrigerators showcasing a premium liquor selection. Montage Healdsburg, 100 Montage Way, Healdsburg, 707.979.9000
Michelin-starred chef Rogelio Garcia’s cooking may persuade guests never to leave the property. The Mexico City-born, Los Angeles- and Napa-raised chef leads the kitchen at the 88-seat Auro. The star attraction is the restaurant’s tasting menu (don’t overlook the excellent California wine pairings), which changes weekly and reflects Garcia’s longtime relationships with local producers like Triple S Ranch and Elysian Fields Lamb.
Guests also will find a top-flight spa (don’t miss the mud baths and treatments) here. Still, the buzz from the beginning has been the resort’s placement in the middle of a nearly 5-acre boutique winery, Elusa Winery. Renowned winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown works with Jonathan Walden to craft expressive cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc. The first grapes were planted more than two decades ago, and Elusa now has a gorgeous tasting room directly below TRUSS, the main dining area at Four Seasons. Sure, guests may tour the winery, but nothing surpasses a towering glass of cab as the sun slowly fades behind the surrounding hills. Commit to the moment; ride in EV style in the morning. 400 Silverado Trail N., Calistoga, 707.709.2100
One of San Francisco’s most renowned Thai chefs and owner of Osha Thai restaurants, chef Lalita Souksamlane, opened BANN at Oak Knoll Napa to bring Thai hospitality to Napa. The posh bed-and-breakfast features world-class design, an exceptional culinary program and vineyard views. Expect modern Thai furniture at the Sala reception, dining room and lounge, including custom chairs by renowned Thai furniture company Yothaka. Each of the five curated rooms reflects the richness of Thai culture, with touches like silk-patterned wallpaper, decorative silk pillows and unique artifacts from Souksamlane’s private collection. The stellar culinary offerings include fresh local fruits, pastries and Thai-style rice soup. BANN also features an outdoor saltwater swimming pool, hot tub, fire pit and culinary, rose and lavender gardens. On the horizon, guests can look for BANN’s wines and curated picnic baskets prepared at Osha Thai Napa. 2188 Oak Knoll Ave., Napa, 707.266.8229
The luxury property in the heart of Sonoma hosts a new mushroom foraging adventure for guests this winter. Explore the Notre Vue Estate Winery & Vineyards with an expert mushroom forager for a two-hour hunt. Learn about the art of the search (think trees and terrain) and how to identify which mushrooms are edible and foraging etiquette. The day concludes with a four-course dinner at Dry Creek Kitchen—Hotel Healdsburg’s acclaimed restaurant—with one course prepared by the chef with the guests’ mushrooms. Receive a bottle of Balverne or Notre Vue and a Mushroom Lovers Gift Package, including a foraging pocket guidebook, dried local porcini mushrooms and wild mushroom recipes. 25 Matheson St., Healdsburg, 707.431.2800
The Stavrand Russian River Valley
The Stavrand Russian River Valley is a new luxury retreat featuring 21 unique guest rooms within the 1922 Belden House, the Cazadero House and the Armstrong House. Some rooms boast outdoor cedar hot tubs and gas fireplaces, while others offer skylights and jacuzzi tubs. Each stay includes a gourmet breakfast, a minibar welcome gift, an evening aperitif, portable lanterns for late-night strolls, bicycles and kayaks to explore the natural surroundings and chef-centric culinary experiences. 13555 CA-116, Guerneville, 707.869.9093
The new Art House in downtown Santa Rosa is a 36-room boutique hotel in the walkable Cherry Street Historic District. The hotel offers a mix of studios and two-bedroom apartment-style guest rooms with high ceilings and large kitchens. The ground floor features a lobby and art gallery lounge. 620 Seventh St., Santa Rosa, 707.545.5400
Jordan Winery & Estates: Chateau Suites
After an eight-month makeover in 2022, Jordan Winery & Estate’s Chateau Suites have reemerged as more opulent accommodations. Interior designer Maria Haidamus preserved the architectural integrity and design features, including the wood-beam ceilings, the arched doorways and the hexagon tile floors imported from southern France nearly 40 years ago. Neoclassical and Renaissance pieces from the Louis XVI and Louis XIII periods now join the rare antique furniture and decorative objects from the Louis XV period collected by matriarch Sally Jordan. 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, 707.431.5250
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