10 Amazing Hotels to Stay in Napa Valley and Sonoma
Napa Valley is the heart of California's wine country. Alongside the town of Sonoma in Sonoma Valley to the west, these valleys are a beloved tourist destination, especially for wine enthusiasts and those who appreciate the good life. The beautiful countryside valley, reminiscent of Tuscany, is filled with quality wineries where you can enjoy and have fun, enchanting natural landscapes, and small inns and guesthouses for a quintessential rural getaway, all seasoned with plenty of wine. Napa Valley features dozens of accommodation options, ranging from private boutique hotels in mansion houses near the wineries to standard roadside hotels, and exclusive spa and boutique hotels for a complete valley harvest experience.
So before you rush to book a flight to San Francisco, do you want to get to know the wonderful vineyard valleys of California a bit?
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Estate Hotels in Napa Valley
Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley
Four Seasons Napa Valley is the most luxurious and extravagant resort in Napa Valley. Located in Calistoga, this Canadian luxury chain hotel offers every indulgence imaginable for those who can afford it. The resort is built like a vacation village with cottages scattered in a rural setting at the outskirts of the town. Each cottage has a yard and garden, and the rooms are spacious, modern, and well-equipped. The resort features pools, spa facilities, high-level culinary experiences, and of course, the finest wines in the valley.
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Bardessono Hotel and Spa
Bardessono is a luxurious five-star countryside hotel located in the heart of Yountville, the town at the very heart of California's wine country. It's a place where rural lodging meets all the comforts of a resort with meticulous attention to detail. The hotel is situated on a rustic estate and offers cozy small apartments perfect for families. It features an elegant pool area, a pampering spa, top-notch dining, and, naturally, plenty of fine local wine.
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Archer Hotel Napa
Archer Hotel is a large four-star hotel right in the heart of downtown (tiny) Napa. The hotel seamlessly combines an urban stay with proximity to all the luxury shops and the Napa River, right at the center of this small town, along with an interior space with a rustic character. The hotel itself is of high quality, with spacious and nicely designed rooms, a huge lobby, and optimal culinary standards (including wine).
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Dr Wilkinsons Backyard Resort and Mineral Springs a Member of Design Hotels
Dr. Wilkinsons Backyard Resort is a small four-star resort near the center of Calistoga in the northern part of Napa Valley. The resort is a different concept of hotel living and recreation in the valley and mainly resembles a pretty standard rural lodging but at a high level. The main attraction of the small resort is the thermal springs on the premises, including pools at various temperatures. Besides the thermal pools, you can also enjoy spa treatments, good restaurants, and plenty of wine (do not mix drinking with bathing in thermal pools).
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Napa Valley Lodge
Napa Valley Lodge is a wonderful estate hotel located in the northern part of Yountville, right next to St. Helena Highway. This is a high-quality, spacious rural hotel with all the in-house indulgences such as a large pool, plenty of outdoor and covered public spaces, high culinary standards, and adjacent vineyards for strolling and atmosphere. Near the lodge, there is a large number of quality wineries, including some of the best in California's wine country.
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Amazing Hotels in Sonoma
MacArthur Place Inn & Spa
The MacArthur Place Inn is a four and a half star hotel, relatively new, located in the center of the town of Sonoma. It is a very high-quality suite hotel with rooms equipped like apartments, making them very comfortable for family stays. The hotel offers a pleasant pool, spa facilities, quality restaurants, and an atmosphere that combines Mediterranean vacation vibes with all the fun of the Californian space on the more upscale side of the tourism world.
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Seven Branches Venue and Inn
The Seven Branches is a large, charming country hotel, just a short walk from the Sonoma Plaza, the town’s historic center. It offers a Mediterranean vibe with spacious rooms, lush green public areas, and refined culinary offerings. This four-star hotel provides an experience that blends city center convenience with the relaxed abundance of wine riches from the valley’s fertile land.
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Motels in Napa Valley
The Knoll Hotel Napa Valley, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
The Knoll Hotel is a quality roadside hotel, rated four stars, in the eastern part of Napa city. Operated by the Hilton chain, the hotel offers an efficient motel-like base with plenty of parking for exploring the valley, along with very high-standard hotel facilities. The hotel features very large, modern rooms, a spacious lobby, a well-equipped fitness center, and a good breakfast restaurant.
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Hilton Garden Inn Napa
Similar to The Knoll, the Garden Inn is also a quality Hilton brand, only in a more suitable location for a roadside hotel and rated two and a half stars. The Hilton Garden Inn is a truly good motel located in the northern part of Napa, on the Saint Helena Highway. The motel boasts ample parking, a not-too-large but quite comfortable pool (also for kids), large and clean rooms, and some public areas. Hilton’s roadside hotel brilliantly combines the quality of Napa Valley with the practicality of motels.
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The Setting Inn Napa Valley
The Setting Inn Napa Valley is a delightful roadside hotel located in the picturesque countryside north of Napa, on the St. Helena Highway. This small, family-run inn is set on a rural property and offers Napa Valley at its most intimate. The motel features charming, uniquely designed country rooms, plenty of open rural spaces nearby, and a breakfast made with the freshest ingredients you can find.
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Guy's 4 Tips for a Perfect Stay in Napa Valley and Sonoma
Napa Valley is a romantic travel destination in the central-northern part of California. The Napa River valley is an ideal place for growing vines. Since the mid-19th century, it has become the wine production center of California, along with the neighboring Sonoma Valley. With the wine and Tuscan look came the tourism movement, and from spring on, the valley's wineries are filled with tourists eager to taste the premium harvest. Napa Valley has become a high-quality wine brand along with being a very popular romantic getaway.
- Where to Stay in Napa Valley? – A large number of accommodations in the valley are closely tied to wineries and function as a sort of modern-day inns, reminiscent of the historic Inn model. The accommodations in Napa Valley focus more on the romantic side of the tourist map. The valley is a top destination for couples of all ages, and there are wineries that cater to everyone. Many of the lodging options are nestled deep within the valley, among the vineyards, in St. Helena and Yountville. In Napa itself and Sonoma, you can find accommodations with a more urban vibe, typically three or four-star hotels, including those from international chains. In the town of Calistoga, the lodging character shifts a bit, including spa hotels with sulfur pools and spa facilities, alongside the wineries.
- How to get to Napa Valley? – San Francisco is the usual starting point towards the vine-filled valleys of wine. Napa Valley stretches along the Napa River, which flows from the mountainous area south of Clear Lake down towards San Pablo Bay, the bay in the northern part of San Francisco Bay. The interesting part of the river valley is its southern section, technically adjacent to the large metropolis of San Francisco or the Bay Area. To reach the valley from San Francisco, take I-80 north from Oakland and head west at the interchange near the huge Six Flags Discovery Kingdom amusement park. Interstate 29 runs north along the entire river valley, serving as the valley's main axis around which all the towns and must-visit wineries are located. This road is known in the valley as the St. Helena Highway.
- When is the best time to visit Napa Valley? – The ideal times to visit Napa Valley are from August to October and from March to May. These months are particularly suitable because of the grape ripening season, although wine tastings are available all year round. Summer is the peak season for visiting Napa Valley. The summer weather in the valley is simply perfect, with pleasant temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and very little rain. In August, the valley is extremely popular, so it's advisable to book accommodations in advance. Springtime in Napa Valley is a time of spectacular green bloom, with the strong streams of creeks and rivers.
- A critical eye for online reviews – Generally, the standard of hotels in Napa Valley and Sonoma is excellent, but it's still advisable to read reviews of private hotels carefully. It's best to focus on accommodations with a wide range of reviews and those rated good and above.
Everything you need to know about accommodations in Napa Valley
The nature of lodging in Napa Valley is quite one-dimensional but particularly fun. The lodging and tourism in the valley are centered on wines and wineries and are accordingly almost exclusively suitable for adults.
- A large portion of the accommodations in the valley are closely tied to wineries and function as a sort of modern-day inns, following the historical Inn model.
- It's important to remember that staying close to a winery has a significant advantage, there's no need to drive after tastings, allowing you to truly enjoy the experience.
- Lodging in Napa Valley is more focused on the romantic side of the tourism map. The valley is a leading destination for couples of all ages, and there are wineries that cater to everyone.
- A large number of the accommodations are nestled deep within the valley, among the vineyards, in St. Helena and Yountville.
- In Napa and Sonoma, you can find lodging with a more urban character, often three or four-star hotels including those from international chains.
- In the town of Calistoga, the accommodation options change a bit, including spa hotels with sulfur pools and spa facilities, alongside the wineries
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Map of areas worth staying in Napa Valley
