Farmhouse Inn

Had a weekend stay at Farmhouse Inn for my husband's special birthday . Had an expensive room (all they had left when we reserved) but figured it was a special weekend, so that was fine. The room was pretty nice, recently redone, with a tub and shower, 2 sinks and heated floors in the bathroom. The staff was friendly and the layout of the place itself was charming with beautiful plantings and lovely looking cottages around the property. Had the room not been over $1000. per night, I might have let these complaints go, but at that price I was surprised. First, the bed. I don't know what type it was, but it was not super comfortable and I didn't know if it was an old bed, or just a cheap one. The linens on the bed were cotton and scratchy. It didn't look like they had been professionally laundered as they weren't smooth and slippery as good sheets should be. I use good quality linens in my home (which can be found at all major department stores and often even on sale!) all the time and when I'm paying for luxury, I expect the sheets to be at least as nice as my own. This was a miss. Also the towels were regular size, not particularly special or especially soft. There was no bath sheet of any sort. . A place that bills itself as the height of luxury should know what that word means. In SF the St. Regis, The Loews and several other 5 star hotels have 'luxury' amenities. This should be standard for a 'luxury property' particularly at that price. My last complaint is about breakfast. The food was fine, but frankly for over $1000. per night I would expect at least the basic breakfast of eggs and bacon to be included. This just seemed cheap to me. When I said I didn't want the potatoes with the eggs, the waiter offered to sub the toast. That made me realize that they charge for every morsel and again I found that strange.They offered a 4 course special breakfast with pastry and other things (which we did not eat) and I can certainly understand their wanting to charge for that, but for bacon, eggs, OJ and toast? How much could that breakfast have cost them to provide? I was disappointed in these things and the fact that the room (while nice) was not worth the price. I feel that Farmhouse is overpriced and overhyped. We heard amazing things about this place, and while it was OK, it was definitely a miss as far as value for money. We would not go back, or recommend it unless someone doesn't mind paying far more than what its worth.

The Farmhouse Inn is a small, luxury-category, country hotel that puts itself forth as a world-class destination (as has some reviews to support the claim). But while Farmhouse very nice, it falls rather short of the top standard. If you have stayed at lodgings in the US or Europe at this top-price tier, you will likely be disappointed. Standard rates average around $1000 per night and by that standard alone Farmhouse sets the bar very high. There are currently 20% discounts for mid-week stays as well as a third-night-free promotion for mid week stays. Rooms types range from 8 rooms in older, traditional cottages which have been somewhat renovated, but fall short in terms of fit and finish and design (more later) and 16 rooms in four new structures that offer larger rooms with newer floor plans, finishes and more features, to two rooms on the second floor of an older building above the restaurant. Farmhouse has a high-end Michelin-star restaurant that serves dinner only 5 nights a week (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) and breakfast to guests-only everyday (restaurant not reviewed here.) Note that if you don’t want a gourmet, multi-course menu every night -- $100 fixed price three courses w/o wines -- you will be driving 15 minutes to Healdsburg of Sebastopol, because there are very few dining options nearby. There is no lunch service. The hotel offers a very nice smaller pool, surrounded by beautiful landscaping, that could serve as a hub of a destination resort, but does no do so here because of the shortfalls in service. There is no beverage service at pool side to speak of (if you walk to the front office and ask, there are limited drinks available on what appears to be informal service). Towels are left on deck chairs, but chairs are not covered or changed by staff, and there is no one asking if guests “need anything�. At a hotel in a far lower price and category this might be sufficient -- but at a $1000 a night, top-tier, property it is a glaring deficiency. Adding to this, there is no poolside food service but for minimal “Panini� lunch. The cottage we stayed in was cute and moderately spacious, with a living room, bedroom and walk in closet but the design and fit-out was awkward ( hard to get into the tub/shower, hard to use the desk, small lower quality TV only visible from bed, no quality music player (clock radio), basic phones, gadget charger on bedside table (ugly!) with no room for devices) and was not it well maintained (door lock stuck, curtain rod broken, shower controls loose, tub drain not working well.). Sauna is a great amenity, yet this one needed some reno or maintenance of the older wood benches. Housekeeping service is good. There is a 24 hour attendant / concierge at the front office, and staff is well meaning, courteous and attentive. Yet the knowledge of and recommendation for things to do in the area were sometimes good, sometimes not so good, and concierges’ ability to get guests into to� sold out� winery tastings or restaurants non-existent. Some Concierges were apparently unaware of some new, very nice restaurants in nearby Healdsburg which we found on our own. Again, I am not averse to walking around or picking up the phone my self, but at this price point this is a real deficiency. One last note, small but important to this guest – I called ahead 3 days to make sure the restaurant had alternatives at breakfast to accommodate specific food allergies. They said “of course, not a problem� but when we arrived what we had requested was no where to be found. “Bringing your own� alternative food supplies should be wholly unnecessary at this level of hotel, with an abundance of food suppliers nearby. The location in Sonoma is extraordinary. Farmhouse is in the midst of wineyards and open fields, and drives in most directions are beautiful. Sonoma Valley is significantly less crowded with less cars on the road, and less people in town than nearby Napa Valley. The wineries have equivalent quality (except the are no “cult wines� in Sonoma, no loss to me), and for the winery experience is in most cases far more pleasant. Farmhouse is well located for northern Sonoma Valley (from Forestville to north of Healdsburg) but is around ½ hour or more from southern Sonoma Valley (Glen Ellen to Sonoma town). Clearly Farmhouse Inn intends to capitalize on its location and beautiful surrounding in establishing its top tier pricing. Unfortunately it falls short of the standard it has set for itself. It does not appear to have management with experience in similar properties. If standard rates were in the $500 range, most of the comments here might be overlooked. Yet even in the world of San Francisco /Napa / Sonoma (i.e. hyper-inflated) prices, $1000/night is steep, and gets attention. At the room rates Farmhouse demands, despite it wonderful surrounding, the limitations Farmhouse’s facility and services leave a clear sense of dissatisfaction. It is a very nice lodging, but it is not the word-class, transcendent experience that is sells itself as, and should be. If you “talk the talk� you have to “walk the walk�. All the shortcomings mentioned above could be fixed with increased management attention and effort, and a willingness to invest in and build the service and maintenance level so that it reaches the level of Farmhouse’s pricing.

Several types of rooms, which is normal. However, the smaller rooms are quite old and outdated. The newer larger rooms are a completely different experience. Most of the details are there, but some don't make sense. Landscaping is excellent. TV, phones, and alarm clock are 20 years old and not on level of the hotel's price point. Would expect a newer TV (even if small), a farmhouse phone vs the motel one they used, and a wireless speaker (BOSE of JBL). You are usually going there to relax and connect with someone. The lack of a decent sound option is outdated. They also shoved two chairs under the TV which serve no purpose and take up space. Older bathroom with combination shower/bathtub. Ceiling was low in the shower and I had to duck my head. Bath amenities were fine. Newer rooms were very close to being great. Nice millwork and some details, but still missed on music component and alarm clock. Also the stones on the fireplace did not match up and look like they were purchased at Home Depot and self installed. Not what you expect at $1,500 a night one bedroom suite.

We went there to relax and just take it easy. This place is always amazing and the food is fabulous. The staff is always friendly and go out of their way to make your stay unforgetable . The rooms are spectacular.

This is a fantastic property that has been a B&B for many years but has been freshly remodeled into an extremely elegant property. The high points are a truly terrific onsite restaurant (worth a trip on it's own.) Spa and other amentites are on the grounds and everything has that first-class feel. The downside? While the location is extremely convenient to explore the surrounding wine country, the site itself is not too special located on busy (high traffic) River Road. That said, a two-minute walk and you are out in the country among the vineyards. This is the most luxurious full service boutique hotel in the area, but if you want to compare with something that has a better (quieter, more charm) location but less hipness to the amenities look at the nearby Raford Inn.