Napa, CA --- Looking for Hotel Suggestions

[kristenjacques]

My boyfriend and I are visiting Napa for our first time in May, Memorial Day Wknd, and have not booked a hotel/ inn as of yet.

Any suggestions? I have checked tripadvisor and asked friends, but seemt to get conflicting information. Thanks!

[kyshel]

You're running a bit late, yes? Where do you want to be--in a town like Yountville or Calistoga? or out in a country B&B? Take a look at http://www.napalinks.com/ first to get an idea where you want to stay and then get cracking on finding something available. Good luck!

[kristenjacques]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, we are running extremely late! Thanks for the suggestion. I originally wanted to stay in Napa, but heard Rutherford and Calistoga are nicer and not as built up as Napa. I'll check out the link. Do you have any hotels, inns, that you can reccomend?

[kyshel]

Do you have a favorite wine store you frequent? I have gotten great referrals for accommodations by asking the wine buyers/managers/owners. I would personally opt for anywhere outside of Napa; it's not my choice of winery destinations, but having been out of the industry for a while, I have no recent recommendations. Hang in there--lots of our members have good experiences to share. Did you see any contributions in the LL section:
Destinations/US/California ?

[CMDAVILACLI]

hi Kristenjaques,

If money is no object, the Auberge du Soleil is fantastic, but very pricey... the restaurant is superb, superb, superb! Even if you cannot stay there, try and have lunch at the restaurant.

Also the recommendations of Rutherford,Calistoga and Yountville are a good idea. There are plenty of B&B's and small hotels in these areas.

cmdavilacli

[uptown girl]

Hi, we travel to the wine country every year, we just returned from a 2 night stay at the lovely Sonoma Mission Inn in Boyes Hote Springs, this was our 4th time we have stayed at this property and loved it. In Yountville, we like the Villagio Inn & Spa, it is a gorgeous property with fountains and many nice amenities including an outdoor pool, champagne buffet breakfast and they have built a huge, new spa there, also. You can walk to Ad Hoc, REDD and Bistro Jeanty from this hotel. We have also enjoyed a couple of stays at the Yountville Inn, located in this same area. It is just minutes away from Domaine Chandon which is very nice for wine tasting.



If you venture up to St. Helena, the Harvest Inn is a great place to stay, we had a nice room with a fireplace and breakfast is included with your room here, there is an outdoor patio that opens out to the vineyards which is cool. In Calistoga, the Indian Springs Resort is amazing, we stayed in a little bungalow that had a kitchen and small living area, you can use their heated Olympic size pool until midnight which is heavenly. We have also stayed at the Best Western Stevenson Manor and the Comfort Suites North in Calistoga. Any further questions, just ask!

[thepiranha]

Sorry that I can't help with accommodations, but I have some favorite places in the Napa Valley to recommend to you. No visit to the valley is complete without a stop at the Oakville Grocery. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside, it is crammed with everything from exotic imported meats and cheeses to smoked salmon to wine. It's the perfect place to pick up a snack or picnic supplies. For great Italian food, I highly recommend Bistro Don Giovanni. Tra Vigne is outstanding. A lunch in their outdoor patio on a warm day is like being transported to Italy. I had a spiced chicken dish with arugula and Yukon Gold potatoes that is out of this world. It was the only time in my life that I asked a chef for a recipe. If you can get a reservation and can afford it, a dinner at the French Laundry is something that you will remember for your entire life. If not, they have a bakery called Bouchon that offers a much more affordable taste of France. Their macaroons are delicious. On a different subject, there are several spas in the area that have mineral baths, hot springs and massages. I went to Dr. Wilkerson's many years ago on my honeymoon and enjoyed a mud bath. It sounds weird, but it really does feel good. Make sure you go wine tasting and have a great time in Napa!

[CMDAVILACLI]

Hi, thepirahana... I second all of your suggestions for food... You are right about a stop at the Oakville grocery, pick up picnic foods there... and one of the most memorable meals I've had was at TreVigne for our anniversary. Also, another wonderful dining experience is at the Culinary Institue of America at the Greystone. Fantastic foods, wines and amazing ambience. --

hey, on a different note - how was your trip to Santa Fe?

cmdavilacli

[thepiranha]

Santa Fe was great! We just got back from our trip on Tuesday night. We enjoyed the art galleries on Canyon Road and the Georgia O'Keefe Museum (free on Friday evenings). Had a very good dinner at a place called Mucho Gusto that's known mostly to locals. Had another good dinner at Maria's. The schools in New Mexico were on spring break, so getting reservations at some restaurants was very difficult or impossible. The most difficult thing about eating at Maria's is trying to decide which margarita to order. They have something like 150 different ones. I also enjoyed Albuquerque and Taos, but I was surprised by how quiet Albuquerque is for a big city. Took the tram up to the top of Sandia Peak for a drink and chips and salsa at High Finance, the restaurant overlooking the city. Amazing views during the tram ride and up at the top! Unfortunately, I left my camera case (but not my camera) in the restaurant and had to wait at the bottom for two tram trips to get it back. I guess alcohol is a lot stronger at 10,378 feet! The best thing that we did on the trip was visit Tent Rocks. We took a hike that went through a canyon and up to one of the best views that I have ever seen. I wouldn't be surprised if visibility was a hundred miles.

Thanks to you and all of the other people who responded to my posting and made some very good suggestions that we used. I can't wait to look at all the photos that I took on the trip.

[kristenjacques]

Thank you so much, I will be sure to stop at Oakville Grocery! We have decided to stay at River Terrace Inn, in Napa. It was showcased in the NY Times article "36 Hours in Napa Valley".

It's affordable, especially for a holiday weekend and and I needed somewhere with room service.

I have also made reservations at Bouchon, and would love to go to French Laundry, but that doesn't seem possible.



Kristen