Editor’s note: The 2020 Glass Fire destroyed virtually all the structures at Calistoga Ranch and much of the Meadowood property, including the Restaurant at Meadowood, all mentioned below. Calistoga Ranch is planning to rebuild and Meadowood is currently taking reservations for when it reopens, with a new restaurant and grill, in summer of 2021.
With surroundings as blissful as the Napa Valley and Sonoma County wine country, it was only a matter of time before blissful lodgings followed suit. In the 1980s, St. Helena’s Auberge du Soleil started seriously pampering visitors, offering tucked-away rooms with wood-burning fireplaces and French doors leading to private verandas, and a peaceful pool with romantic valley views. At country-club-like Meadowood, on Napa’s Silverado Trail, guest can swing a golf club, thwack a tennis ball, play croquet, or relax in an exclusive spa, then primp for dinner at three-Michelin-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood. (The multi-course Chef’s Tasting Menu is a dazzler.)
Sonoma Mission Inn—now a Fairmont property—focused on healing waters and lush surroundings, and visitors still enjoy the silky mineral pools in lap-of-luxury surroundings. In Yountville, relax on the swanky rooftop pool at ultra-modern Bardessono, built from salvaged stone and reclaimed wood. At Calistoga Ranch, 50 freestanding guest lodges are nestled among oak trees and babbling brooks, and fire pits warm outdoor living rooms.
If you think all this indulgence is for couples, think again. Solage Calistoga may be as high-end, but it’s also got nice family-friendly touches, liked a children’s pool and free bikes.
